IRST LOOK
CONSUMER RADIOS AND ELECTRONICS
A Radio Revolution Eton E1XM
By Larry Van Horn, N5FPW MT Assistant Editor
here is a radio revolution taking place and the leader of that revolt is a new entry into the shortwave portable market, the Eton E1XM. The E1XM, part of the new Eton Elite Series, is the worlds first radio to combine AM, FM, Shortwave, and XM Satellite Radio* technology into one unit. The E1XM offers reception through a digitally synthesized PLL tuner with a synchronous detector, passband tuning, and selectable bandwidth filters. Manufactured in India (not China) it has 1,700 station presets, and a robust memory scan function. But more importantly, and what sets this radio above any other portable in the marketplace today, is the plethora of features, level of performance, and inclusion of the XM satellite reception capability, all in one neat and trim package.
MT Rating: 3 3/4 Stars of nearby local stations, AM Sync allowed me to monitor weaker AM signals as close as 10 kHz away from the local station. Another nice surprise was the Pass Band Tuning (PBT) control. This is well implemented, with a numeric indication on the display of where the control setting is set. It also does its job very well. The AGC has a Slow/Fast and Auto mode which keep the AGC in fast mode while tuning so you dont miss weak signals. Though it works well, I would have liked to see an additional setting of off. Single Sideband (SSB) reception is also good. And as an extra bonus, there is a feature in the radios menu system that allows you to enable or disable Enhanced SSB. When enabled, it adds another 30dB image rejection, which is a very nice feature. As I mentioned above, the E1XM has 1,700 memories that can be used to store and recall commonly monitored frequencies. The first 500 are called memory channels and the remaining 1,200 are referred to as Country channels. These 500 memory channels can be scanned using the seek function which can stop on any stored channel with a predetermined squelch level. The Country feature is used to enter all known signals from countries you listen to regularly. These country memories can be scanned using the T.SCAN function to selectively monitor desired memory channels. The following receiver controls and information can be stored in each memory channel: frequency, mode, bandwidth, AGC and PBT settings, and synchronous detector settings.

Inside the Box

The first thing I noticed when I took the E1XM out of the box was a sleek, well-built portable radio. Gone are the huge boom box and quality control issues of its predecessor, the Grundig Satellite 800. The case appears to be made of a type of hard plastic. The ergonomics are good, though some of the buttons on the front of the radio are a bit on the small side. Applying power and tuning around in the AM/FM bands, I was impressed with the excellent and clean audio. Tuning through both broadcast bands, I noted that signal levels were good (especially in the FM broadcast spectrum). The base and treble controls allowed for a wide range of adjustment to set the audio just right for the station being received. The use of selectable filters (2.3, 4.0 and 7.0 kHz) regardless of mode is something you dont normally see on most portable radios and is a welcome feature. A DX soft key turns on a preamp to improve reception on weaker signals. As I dug deeper into the operation of the radio, I sensed the feel of a Drake design. A call to Walter Hess, the technical support manager at Eton, confirmed that Drake did have a major hand in the electronics of this unit. One of my chief complaints with many shortwave radios is their much-hyped synchronous detection feature. The E1XM has a selectable sync detector that actually works. In fact, it worked very well indeed. In the shadow 70
MONITORING TIMES November 2005
You can choose from the internal antenna (whip) to an external antenna, using one of two slide switches on the side of the radio. One switch is for FM and one for HF (LW/MW/SW). The manual states that a PAL to female F adapter is included for external antenna connection. This was not the case in the initial shipment from Eton. Mr. Hess says anyone wanting the adapter can contact Eton and they will be supplied with one. But if you dont want to wait on Eton for the adapter, you can pick one up from Radio Shack (#278-265B) or buy a cable from Universal Radio that has an F to SO-239 connector. And one final antenna note: this radio does not have a built-in ferrite loop antenna for LW/AM broadcast reception. According to Mr. Hess, the display was generating a lot of noise and they decided not to incorporate an internal antenna for those bands. Instead, you will be using the whip antenna or an external antenna (not included) if you want improved reception in those bands.

Antennas

The Display
Speaking of the display, it is a dot matrix type (which might explain the noise issue noted above), and it is nice, big and clear. You can adjust the brightness and contrast, or turn it off completely. You can choose between off, dim, medium or bright, using a multi-purpose switch on top of the unit. The display defaults to dim when turned off or you can turn it off completely when the AC adapter is used. With batteries, the display will turn itself off to save energy. And when it is off, it will display either the local or UTC time (if set).

XM Radio

XM Radio is a subscription service, and
MT First Look Rating (0-10 scale) Audio Quality.. 8 Audio Levels.. 8 Back light/Display. 5 Battery Life.. 7 Ease of use... 7 Feature Set... 8 Keyboard/Button/Control Layout. 7 Overall Construction.. 8 Overall Reception.. 7 Overall Manual.. 6
therefore is not free. But this radio is XM capable and all that is needed is to pay the activation and monthly subscription fees, buy the optional $50 XM antenna/module, and you are in business. Once you open up the world of XM satellite there are a lot of neat services, and the feature does add a lot of additional value to the listening capability of this radio. Music, news, and sporting events (including all Major League Baseball games) are some of the many services on XM. For more information on this, see John Figliozzis Programming Spotlight column in the October 2005 issue of Monitoring Times.
introduce a quality product such as the E1XM. It now becomes the benchmark which we will use to judge other radios following in its footsteps. With the release of the Eton Elite, a radio revolution has truly begun and the E1XM is the leader.
*The E1 comes equipped with XMs connect and play technology. An optional satellite antenna (VX300 $49.85), activation fee, and a monthly subscription are required to listen to XM Satellite radio. The E1XM is available from Grove Enterprises, Inc. for $499.95 plus shipping.
Overall Rating and Final Thoughts
MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS Frequency Range: Band Mode(s) Frequency Ranges Longwave AM, LSB, USB 100 - 500 kHz Mediumwave AM, LSB, USB 500 - 1800 kHz Shortwave AM, LSB, USB 1800 - 30,000 kHz FM Broadcast FM 76 - 108 MHz (range is selectable: 76 - 90 MHz or 87 - 108 MHz) XM Digital Digital 2.3325 - 2.3450 GHz (Optional) Sensitivity: SSB (10 dB S+N/N) Less than.25 V 0.1 - 30 MHz (DX on) Less than.5 V 0.1 - 30 MHz (Normal) Sensitivity: AM (10 dB S+N/N, 1000 Hz, 30% modulation) Less than 2.0 V 0.1 - 30 MHz (DX on) Less than 4.0 V 0.1 - 30 MHz (Normal) Sensitivity: FM (20 dB S/N, monaural) Less than 1.5 V 76 - 108 MHz (DX on) Less than 4 V 76 -108 MHz (Normal) Frequency Resolution: 10 Hz in AM and SSB modes, 20 KHz in FM mode Frequency Stability: 10 ppm, 0 to 50C Frequency Accuracy: Better than 100 Hz at 25C Selectivity (AM and SSB): 7 kHz at -6 dB, less than 12 kHz at -60 dB 4 kHz at -6 dB, less than 9 kHz at -60 dB 2.3 kHz at -6 dB, less than 5 kHz at -60 dB IF Frequency: 1st IF 45.0 MHz (AM and SSB) 2nd IF 455 kHz (AM and SSB) 1st IF 10.7 MHz (FM) Image Rejection: Greater than 70 dB, 0.1 - 30 MHz Greater than 55 dB, 76 - 108 MHz IF Rejection: Greater than 80 dB, 45.0 MHz Greater than 80 dB, 455 kHz IP3 - Intercept Point 50 ohm antenna input): Greater than +10 dBm at 20 kHz spacing (Normal) Greater than -20 dBm at 5 kHz spacing (Normal) -30 dBm at 5 kHz spacing (DX) AGC Performance: Threshold: 1.0 V Attack Time: 1 msec (Bandwidth dependent) Release Time: Slow 3 seconds, Fast 300 msec Less than 2 dB change in audio output for 90 dB. RF input change referenced from the AGC threshold point plus 3 dB. Internal Antenna: 30 1/4 inch (1.003 meters) telescopic antenna (for use on all bands). External Antenna: 50 to 75 ohm, PAL type male (PAL to F type adapter included) External Speaker Output: 4 to 8 ohms, external jack is 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) Audio Power (internal or external speakers): 1.25 Watts - battery operation 3 Watts normal - operation from AC adapter. Internal Speaker: 4 inch (10.16 cm) 8 ohms Line Audio Output: 300 mV, 47k ohms Line Audio Input Jack: 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) stereo Headphone Jack: 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) stereo DC Power Requirements: Input 7-14 VDC supplied from AC adapter, external DC power supply or 3.6 to 6.0 VDC supplied by four internally mounted D cell (1.5VDC) batteries (not supplied). AC Power Requirements: 120 VAC 10% to 9 VDC, 15 Watt 1 Amp AC adapter. Center conductor of connector is positive, negative is connected to input ground. Current requirements (approximate) from 9.0 VDC supply Worse case at maximum volume: 850 mA nominal with backlight display off and 900 mA with it on. From batteries with 1/4 watt average audio output (normal battery currents): FM mode 175 mA backlight off, 225 mA backlight on. LW/MW/SW 210 mA backlight off, 260 mA backlight on. XM 350 mA backlight off, 400 mA backlight on. Operating Temperature: 0 to 50C Shipping Weight: 6 lbs (2.72 kg) (includes AC adapter, batteries not included) Size: 13-1/8 inch width (33.37 cm) by 7-1/2 inch height (19.05 cm) by 2-9/16 inch depth (6.5 cm)

Overall, I like the E1XM. As I mentioned previously, this is a major improvement over the now discontinued Grundig Satellite 800. But as is the case with most radios, there is room for improvement. I was disappointed by the lack of DRM capability. Given the push by major shortwave broadcasters toward DRM, I felt Eton missed a golden opportunity by not including this mode in their flagship radio. I would gladly pay extra to have the DRM mode in the E1XM. No carrying handle. Yes, this is a moderately large portable without a carrying handle. Also, the adjustable stand (adjustable to one position at 45 degrees) is disappointing. They used a soft plastic for the stand and we noted during our testing time that it tended to bend. Bottom line dont lean too hard on the radio when you are steadying your hand on it while tuning around. We pointed this out to Eton and it has been relayed to the engineers. We did note something very strange during our test. The external antenna adapter got warm. In fact, it got very warm. So much so, we contacted Eton immediately and they also verified the problem. It isnt anything that will harm you, but I have to wonder how long it will be before that heat loosens up the external antenna jack in the unit. The backlight display is entirely too dim. Even with lights turned out and the contrast at maximum, it is too faint. You will really notice this when you place the unit in ambient light and are using the adjustable stand. Probably my biggest beef with the E1XM is that it uses double instead of triple conversion. We didnt see a lot of resulting problems here in Brasstown, but I am not sure that will be the case for other end users in more robust RF environments. The Exalted Carrier Single Sideband (ECSS) seemed a tad off. I have seen at least two more reports that back up what we saw in our test unit (serial number 00528). It isnt extreme, but to an old AM broadcast band DX hound like me, it is noticeable enough. Finally, while most of the manual is well written, the Appendix gets an F. It is loaded with errors, wrong frequencies and much more. We sent Eton several pages of changes and they promised that they would be included in future editions of the manual. Overall, we are very pleased to see Eton
Note: Published specs subject to change

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November 2005

MONITORING TIMES

Volume 3 - 2008

Contents:
Radio RV p.1. Grundig New to The Family p.2. Walters Corner on The G5 p.3 The VOICELINK FR1000 on The ARC Platform p.4 Etn In The Media p.5.

RadioRV

Eton made its debut at the 79th Annual International Family Motor Coach Convention (FMCA) in beautiful Pomona, CA February 25-28, 2008. This trade show is the culmination of a six-month marketing blitz focusing on the outdoor and travel communities. Jesse Kearney, Etons communication director, enlightens us on this event, The idea behind the RV aspect of this marketing campaign is really quite simple. These coaches are homes on wheels, and every home, stationary or mobile, requires a few essential accessories for general safety and well being: a fire extinguisher, smoke detector and a backup source of information. No doubt Eton is known for its constant radio innovations that blend incredible feature sets into beautiful products. The Eton booth buzzed with attention as motor coachers from all over the world stopped by to get a glimpse of the new additions Eton has made in 2008. An online photo contest also fueled excitement within the Eton travel community and coincided with the FMCA show. Visitors to www.etoncorp.com and FMCA.com were invited to submit their travel photos to the Etn Travel Adventures site for a chance to win the monthly prize of an Eton E1XM!!! Many pictures were received and the competition winners were very excited to be rewarded so handsomely for their shots. Stop on by www.etoncorp.com to see all the amazing pictures and maybe upload a few of your own!

TIMELESS PERFORMANCE

The Grundig family of products received quite an infusion in honor of Grundigs 60th anniversary in 2008. The birth of three new products, all launched this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, truly stamped out this bellwethers dominance in the shortwave category. The first of these new additions is the G6 Aviator. Boasting a sleek frame, aircraft bands allowing the user to tune into communications between aircraft and the control tower, along with single side band for maritime listening, this radio is unmatched. The G4 World Recorder is another amazing radio that gives credence to the cosmopolitan feeling the Grundig brand evokes. Users have the option of inserting an SD memory card and recording any broadcast they are listening to, whether it is on AM/FM or shortwave frequencies. The G4 also supports MP3 and WMA files, so you can save your favorite songs to the SD card and play them right through the G4! A long awaited and rumored addition to the prestigious satellit line is the powerful new Grundig Satellit 750. This radio builds on the long tradition of the satellit line that dates back to the 1960s with radios such as the satellit 205 from 1964. Two of the features that are immediately noticeable on this sturdy new product are the 360 rotate AM antenna perched on top and the signal strength indicator front and center. Add these to the not as visible, but just as impressive specifications such as aircraft band, Single Side Band, full shortwave spectrum coverage, and dual alarm clocks and you have a powerhouse of a product to usher in the new generation of Grundig.

G4 WORLD RECORDER 2008

G6 AVIATOR, 2008

SATELLIT 205, 1964

SATELLIT 750, 2008 Swivel 360 degree Antenna
For More Information on The Grundig Shortwave Radio Product Line, Please Visit: www.etoncorp.com
The E5/G5 is the best small portable radio with AM, FM and Shortwave with SSB that Ive ever used. Now thats a lot said for this product, but I really mean it and want to explain why I feel this way. This radio is a pleasure to use, because its easy to operate, pulls in AM and FM stations in beautifully and receives amateur radio SSB extremely well. The way that it pulls in AM stations is amazing. These stations are clearer and more noise free than on most other radios. At night, I can pull in AM stations from 1,000 miles away with the built-in ferrite-bar antenna. For a guy who loves AM dxing, this is delightful. Add an inductively coupled external AM antenna, and reception is remarkable. Theres also a NEWS/MUSIC switch, which really makes a difference and which you can use to your liking. FM reception is great too. Stations are received in stereo, but theres a STEREO/MONO switch to select purely monaural reception, just in case the signal has excessive noise on it, this switch cuts out the noise and makes the signal receivable. The telescopic antenna swivels to bring in signals from close in or far away. Picking up Shortwave broadcasts is delightful with the E5/G5 and it receives the entire Shortwave spectrum, from 1711 through 30,000 KHz. They seem to come out of nowhere, just popping into the receiver, yet the radios sensitivity is ex-

Walters Corner on The G5

GLOBAL TRAVELER
ceptionally good. SSB signals are received remarkably well and its easy to fine-tune them with the FINE tuning control. All amateur radio bands can be received as well as all other shortwave bands. The NARROW/WIDE switch is perfect for this and helps remove nearby frequency interference. You can even add an external antenna to the antenna socket for even better reception. This radio has 700 memories to store frequencies into and theyre all randomly programmable, meaning that you can store any frequency into any memory. Thats right, AM, FM or Shortwave anywhere you want them. There are 7 memories located on pages 00 through 99 and you can label each page alphanumerically with 4 characters. If you want to you can just program one station onto each page and label it with that stations call letters. Accessing the memories is remarkably easy, just push the PAGE/TIME button, access your page with the tuning button and push F1-F7 buttons to access what youve stored into memory. The radio has various ways to tune in stations including a tuning knob, manual tuning buttons, direct keypad entry and auto tuning. The auto tuning is remarkable because it has three different modes that you can use, STOP, ATS and d-5 modes, all easily selected. STOP mode allows the radio to stop on the next available strong station. ATS allows the radio to scan all of the FM stations in your area, putting the strongest
ones into memories 99 and lower. d-5 allows it to scan and stop on a station for 5 seconds and then move on the next station for 5 seconds, and so on. Auto tuning can be done in either direction, up or down frequency. Have you ever wished that you could recharge batteries in your radio? Well, you can now. The E5/G5 recharges 4 Ni-MH (nickel-metal-hydride) batteries. Recharge them over night and theyll usually last for the rest of the day. If you dont want to use rechargeable batteries, then use 4 alkaline batteries. The AC adapter/charger can be left plugged in with either type. And if thats not all, well listen to this. The radio also has the worlds time zones built in, letting you easily travel and monitor the time, anywhere in the world. Thats right. If you live in California, select the LAX time zone, but if youre traveling to the United Kingdom, just switch to the LON time zone. Of course the radio has all of the other features that youd expect, including three programmable alarms, a sleep timer, stereo earphone jack, linelevel output, lock button, Shortwave antenna socket and an AC adapter/charger. I said that it was the best small portable radio with AM, FM and Shortwave with SSB that Ive ever used. Now you know why. REVIEW OF E5/G5, by Walter Hess

Be Red Cross Ready

Introducing A New Addition to The ARC & Etn Family, The American Red Cross VOICELINK FR1000
AM/FM/NOAA GMRS Walkie Talkie Flashlight Siren Hand Crank Power Rubberized Body Flashing Beacon Cell Phone Charger Designed
The Eton & American Red Cross partnership is succeeding in the goal of preparing Americas communities for disasters. These rugged products provide information when it is most vital, as well as essential emergency features necessary in any disaster. However, true preparation needs to take place before an incident happens. This spirit of preparedness and awareness is one reason Etn takes efforts such as the free downloadable preparedness guide (available on www. etoncorp.com) and training videos created for end users. It is this planning and prior knowledge that can and does save lives every year. Etn listened to input from customers and enthusiasts ranging from military members to homemakers and has crafted two brand new products with this information in mind. The first product born of this powerful feedback is also Etns first solar product, the American Red Cross FR150 MICROLINK. This solar and crank powered unit is a must have for the glove compartment of all cars as it sports a bright 3 LED flashlight, cell phone charger, AM/FM and NOAA weather channels in an incredibly small shape.
The American Red Cross FR1000 VOICELINK takes radio to all new levels with the addition of GMRS/FRS two-way communication capability. This allows the user to not only receive information but also get in contact with the outside world when other methods of communication may be down or overloaded. This great feature, coupled with an even brighter 6 LED flashlight, emergency beacon, AM/FM NOAA weather alert and digital display make the VOICELINK the quintessential home preparedness item. For more Information about preparedness, please visit www.etoncorp.com and download the preparedness guide or call 1-800-ETONRADIO to receive a brochure.

Featured on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_3z0RUFS50 Download your American Red Cross Preparedness Guide on The Etn Web site
http://www.etoncorp.com/upload/contents/307/ ARC_Prepare_Web.pdf

Eton in the Media

Anyone browsing through a newsstand or online the past couple months has most likely caught a glimpse of the incredible amount of PR coverage Eton has been receiving. The FR1000 VOICELINK received a number of full-page reviews in the most recent issues of Maxim (Feb 26), Garden & Gun (March/April) as well as earning the same honor in Januarys edition of Wired. Online attention as well has been at all time highs. Fortune.com for instance did full reviews on both the FR150 MICROLINK and the Grundig G4 World Recorder. If you were one of the nearly 150,000 attendees at the 2008 Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas chances are you witnessed the amazing spectacle that was the Etn booth. Reporters from notcot.com sure did and wrote a great article on their site all about it. Please visit www.etoncorp.com where all these reviews and more are available in our PR archives.