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Grundig 100 Mini PE Portable Radio with AM/FM Stereo, Headphones

Grundig 100 Mini PE Portable Radio with AM/FM Stereo, Headphones

List Price: $49.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A portable world band lacking in performance
Review: Despite all the talk about satellite and Internet radio, I had been hunting around for a small shortwave that could also handle FM stereo and was happy to come upon the Grundig 100 Mini PE Portable Radio.

The 100 is the smallest world band receiver I've come across, similar in size to Sony's Walkman-style radios. This is an analog, dial-driven set that can use either a built-in (mono) speaker or stereo headphones. It features six shortwave bands (49, 41, 31, 25, 19, 15 meter bands) plus AM and FM Stereo. The 100 has a telescoping antenna and is very compact, measuring only 4" x 2 1/2" x 3/4" in size. My set included earbud style earphones, a vinyl carry pouch, two AA batteries, a four page manual, and Grundig's shortwave listening guide booklet.

Performance is an issue with this radio. Reception is reasonable for a receiver of this size, with many strong signals being heard at night, such as Radio France and Radio Havana Cuba. However, the 100 has no SSB or adjustable filters, even Am and FM can be spotty, and it is certainly no competition for a serious world band receiver such as the Grundig Yacht Boy 400.

I recommend the 100 if you need a radio while travelling or commuting, or as a gift to introduce someone to world band.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great radio
Review: I am a relief fire lookout during the summer in remote southeast Oregon and I wanted a small radio, that didn't take up much room and was lightweight. I saw this and thought it might be fun to try the shortwave on the lookout at 7200+ feet elevation, although I mostly wanted it for FM radio stations. This radio works very well. It is exactly what I wanted. Sound is good, plus it is fun and interesting to listen to the shortwave channels I can receive. I can receive many AM/FM/shortwave stations at the lookout. I can also receive many stations at my home which is approximately 4250 feet in elevation. Great buy!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: low grade quality
Review: I supposed location is everything. Up here in Alaska, I found this radio to be rather limiting if not almost useless. Reception proves to be very weak, tuning isn't the most exact science here and quality of this radio wasn't very high. I brought this radio from REI and within a year, the speaker cover fell off (they were just glued in) and my tuner dial fell apart. Needless to say, this wasn't Grundig's finest effort.

I did get good AM/PM reception within the city limits but I can do that with almost any radio. SW modes were limited, even on a clear nights, on top of a mountain. Its a weak radio, probably good in a very civilized part of the world but worthless out where you really need it. Small size is nice but why carry a radio around if you can't pick up anything once the city lights are no longer in sight??

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For what it does...it's a winner...
Review: I won't delve into all the technical specs listed in other reviews. I was looking for something small to listen to AM & FM and a little shortwave, and I figured you can't go wrong with a brand leader like Grundig. And I was pleasantly surprised by its performance...but if you're looking for a radio which pulls in stations that a $100+ SW radio does, this probably won't do the trick. So let's look at the radio:<br /><br />The internal speaker has decent fidelity and good volume, but little bottom end (understandable considering its size)...the included earbuds are slightly below average (scooped midrange), so be prepared to pick up a decent set of earbuds (I use a $10 Sony 16Hz-22kHz set) to improve your sound tremendously. FM reception is very good, with great stereo separation not found on radios this small and inexpensive. AM reception is also very good, and SW will pull in the major strong stations (VOA, BBC, etc.) adequately. A couple of unusual things to point out, to be fair...the tuning for all bands is right-to-left, requiring a little getting used to...and the headphone-in jack is peculiarly placed on the right side a little past halfway down...strange.<br /><br />But those a just minor niggles...for the performance it delivers, it's quite a bargain for a radio this small. I'd give it five stars except for the earbuds and the headphone jack. But I'd still recommend this to anyone looking to get their feet wet in the world of SW radio, with very good AM/FM performance for a low price...and a vinyl pouch and brief listening guide are also included...nice touches.<br /><br />Pros: great FM sound, easy to use, decent SW reception.<br />Cons: marginal included earbuds, headphone jack poorly placed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: VERY NICE FOR THE PRICE!!!
Review: If you want a small and VERY portable shortwave radio that works very well (Especially for this price), receives most of the major international broadcasts, can clip on your belt or fit in your shirt pocket, and is inexpensive enough to take on a bike ride or use while going for a brisk walk, you want the Grundig Mini 100 PE.

I have found this radio very easy to use and feels quite sturdy, much more than I expected for the price tag.
It comes with an effective belt clip, two AA batteries, average ear bud headphones (But not bad), a vinyl slipcase, and a simple but nice shortwave listening guide (Very nice for the beginner or novice). The full one year parts and labor warranty is also a really nice touch, especially when most things only come with the now standard 90 day warranty.

The Mini 100 PE requires two AA batteries, which it uses quite efficiently. Although I've only had the radio for a couple of days, I have gotten very good battery life. I've been listening for several days and it is still going strong, the volume level you choose can play a role in the actual battery life you will realize. I appreciate the AA usage versus many other items of this small size that have gone to 2 or 3 AAA batteries which just don't provide the same amount of life and are not something that I regularly keep on hand.

The Grundig Mini 100 PE doesn't cover the full shortwave spectrum but does cover a decent range in it's eight radio bands: AM (540-1700 KHz), FM (88-108 MHz), and six bands of shortwave (5.8-6.4 MHz, 6.9-7.5 MHz, 9.4-10 MHz, 11.65-12.15 MHz, 15.0-15.65 MHz, and 17.5-18.4 MHz). I really like how Grundig has split up the bands to minimize the tuning travel; you can quickly access the desired frequency with minimal turns of the tuning knob. In addition, the volume and tuning knobs are on the side of the unit and not affected by bodily movement while using the belt clip. I have had other portable devices that would change frequency or volume while cycling or running, not this one!

The Grundig Mini 100 PE's internal speaker provides acceptable AM and shortwave listening, the real treat is when you connect a decent headphone to it; you can plug in any set of headphones that will fit the 1/8" stereo headset jack. The FM stereo sound is quite amazing and really loud for such a compact device. The FM quality is quite good, as good as any of the Walkman type devices I've heard. I've not heard a radio this small sound this good, that is considering you are using a halfway decent headphone. I'm using $25.00 Aiwa HP-JS35's (5 stars on Amazon) and the Grundig Mini 100 PE really packs a punch! That's not to say that the supplied headphones are all that bad, they are just fine for listening to AM or shortwave. Really though, how many $30 portable devices come with top quality headpones anyhow?

To sum it all up I'll simplify my review; Grundig radio good, make owner happy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: is very llitle but very ecletic
Review: me parece un milagro de la electronica muy pequeno y realiza tareas extraordinarias de sintonizar cualquier radio de todos los paises es muy bonito y funcional perfecto para el aficionado de ondas cortas

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: is very llitle but very ecletic
Review: me parece un milagro de la electronica muy pequeno y realiza tareas extraordinarias de sintonizar cualquier radio de todos los paises es muy bonito y funcional perfecto para el aficionado de ondas cortas

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: inaccurate and too small SW dials
Review: The good news is that this uses AA batteries, none of those AAA batteries that have almost the same linear dimensions, but not nearly the same volume, and consequently don't play nearly as long as the AA batteries. The Mini World 100 PE is very small. You always have room in a pocket or book case. You now can take a radio absolutely anywhere. It clips to your belt with no inconvenience. The FM stereo sound through headphones is superb. I recommend this nifty receiver when you want to listen to local AM or FM. Finding a SW station on the puny, inaccurate frequency scales is excruciatingly difficult. This receiver may pull in the station you're looking for, but you's need Great Caesar's Ghost to help you find it on the dial. My real need was for hearing the National Public Radio network's All Things Considered programs. This radio will go with me anywhere for that, but I kissed off the possibility of ENJOYING finding favorite SW stations.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Itty bitty shortwave works well.
Review: The Grundig Mini has to be about as small and cheap as worldband radio gets, so I didn't expect much. The little radio delivers pretty well, though. Reception on all bands is better than I would have expected from such a small analog portable. I would put it roughly on par with the Sangean SG 622 (about the same price here on Amazon), yet the Grundig is small and light enough to fit in a shirt pocket.

Sound from the radio's internal speaker is plenty loud, but thin. Given that the speaker is little more than an inch across, that's understandable. It's fine for news and spoken word though, and the included earphones improve things greatly. Use them on any band, and the sound is better, and on FM you can listen in stereo.

The Mini 100's small size is its greatest attribute, and also behind its only real drawback. The tuning dial and controls are TINY. My middle-aged eyes require that I go for the reading glasses to see the dial markings, and your thumbs best not be very big in order to use the thumbwheel volume and tuning controls.

The radio is simple to operate, so the instructions are equally simple to understand. Grundig has also thoughtfully included a brief pamphlet that contains information on shortwave fundamentals and a directory of some of the major shortwave stations. (Voice of America, BBC, Radio Havana, et.al.) A belt clip, and even the batteries, are included.

For the casual shortwave listener, or as a travelling companion, the Mini 100 PE is a good choice.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: don't move while listening
Review: This is a neat product idea, it has AM/FM and shortwave. Unfortunately it also had a major problem. If you move while listening to the radio you will lose reception. This is especially true on AM and Shortwave. I try to use this radio while mowing the lawn and walking the dog, and I have to keep my fingers on the tuner at all times, constantly adjusting it. I would recommend buying a different radio with a digital tuner (thats what I am shopping for now).


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