This radio for sale is the Radio Shack DX-394 manufactured for Tandy from 1995 thru 1998 with a listed selling price of $399.95 which would be nearly $800 in today's dollars when considering inflation. Those of you who follow our listings know that we sell a wide range and price points of shortwave radios. This DX-394 represents a beginning to intermediate radio at an affordable price. If you are have an interest in shortwave listening and have a desire to experiment with reception of world band signals, then this may be a nice radio for you to consider.
Cosmetically, the receiver shows some minor marks from previous ownership. In looking over the cosmetics, with our experience in offering this receiver, this unit .... while not perfect, is in above average condition. Considering the receiver's operations, we tested the various functions, features, and controls and found everything to be in beautiful working condition. As is known with these DX-394 receivers, sensitivity is excellent.
For some potential buyers who may be interested in emergency prepping communications, you may be wanting to purchase a shortwave radio that will enable reception during emergencies and this DX-394 operates off of 12 volts DC drawing only 8 watts of current. Thus this small current draw is useful for operation utilizing a battery pack or a car battery as it is good to have a radio that only sips current if extended operation is expected without AC power.
It is also worth mentioning that the DX-394 was one of the last
great shortwave receivers that could be modified to improve or alter some of
its operational characteristics. Most receivers are not able to be
modified, but this DX-394 comes with a CD file with several modifications if
you want to improve or tweak the radio and if you have some technical skills to
accomplish the work.
This receiver is missing the short telescopic antenna and this is very common. These small antennas are generally used for convenience and not for the ideal and best signal gathering. You can connect a wire to the rear panel using the RCA jack input and get some good signal reception as this receiver is known to be highly sensitive off of shorter lengths of wire. Or if you want best reception with lowest RF noise, you can connect a dipole antenna using coaxial cable.
This sale includes the DX-394 receiver plus:
The DX-394 is a desktop communications receiver and is capable
of covering the entire longwave, mediumwave, and HF frequency spectrum from 150
- 30000 KHz. Within this spectrum, and by attaching an external
antenna, one will hear long distance AM stations, amateur radio transmissions,
and shortwave broadcasts from all parts of the world. This is not a
complex radio to operate, but it does have a number of features that will
appeal to the user. Here is a list of some of the features:
· Coverage
from 150 - 30000 KHz
· Receiving
modes of AM / LSB / USB / CW
· Tuning
steps of .1 / 1 / 5 / 9 / 10 KHz
· Noise
blanker
· Display
light w/dimmer
· Headphone
jack
· Record
jack
· 160
Memories
· RF
Gain
· Fine
tuning
· 5
event timer
· Sweep
scan function
· Dual
clock time (local and universal time setup)
· External
speaker jack
· Sleep
timer 30/60 minutes
· Panel
lock
· S-meter
· Keypad
entry
· Attenuator
· Standby
Probably one of the nicest features with this receiver is
value. It is highly sensitive and, with a decent antenna, will grab
signals from all over the world. In fact, Passport to World Band
Radio in their 1997 review mentions that "sensitivity to weak signals and
the related variable of blocking are both above average, and image rejection is
excellent". Should you find that the signal sensitivity is too
strong, there is an attenuator switch on the rear panel of this receiver that
allows for you to reduce the sensitivity.
It is challenging to get a decent shortwave receiver for under
$300 with a digital readout and if you would like to get your feet wet
with shortwave listening or if you are interested having a backup receiver, this
DX-394 is an attractive unit for such purposes. Advanced shortwave
enthusiasts may notice a few features missing from this radio, but then again,
it does not sell for $500, $1,000 or even more as the other radios with such
features.
We have discovered that different people have various
preferences with how a station should be tuned. Some people like to
band scan, some like to do direct entry using the keypad, while others like to
place favorite stations in a memory and choose them that way or even scan
them. The DX-394 is capable of meeting all those needs as the radio
was designed to be multi-functional in that manner.
Since this DX-394 has sleep timers, can be easily tuned, panel
can be dimmed, and is reasonably small, Fred Osterman's book Shortwave
Receivers Past and Present points out that "the DX-394 makes a nice
bedside radio".
There seems to be a heightened interest in communications receivers for emergency use these days. We suspect that as our economy has struggled along, some people are concerned with things and want a receiver that will allow them to stay informed should the internet go down or electricity be unavailable. As mentioned, this radio will operate off of any 12 volt supply like a D cell battery pack or an automotive battery. It is hard to get a reasonably priced receiver that can offer the features of this DX-394 and have it use only 8 watts on DC power. This makes the radio great for times of emergency when you do not have an unlimited supply of batteries and want to operate the receiver for long hours and not worry about draining your 12 volt battery power supply.
If you are looking to enjoy world band radio, this DX-394 is a
nice way to open the door to that world. It is amazing the broadcasts
that can be heard in English and the variety of programming transmitted on
shortwave. We regularly tune into the news from all parts of the world,
listen to history, culture, and musical treats throughout the day.
Please use the Ebay shipping calculator to determine your
shipping cost. This cost includes proper packing materials for safe
delivery and insurance cost against damage or loss.
Those buyers living outside the USA are also welcome to purchase
from us. We have shipped to 112 countries during the past 24 years on
Ebay and we are happy to ship virtually anywhere in the world. You may
use the shipping calculator to determine your shipping cost.
We ask that you remember that this cost may not include any import, customs, or VAT fees. If you are uncertain of these costs, we ask you to check with your local post office prior to making a purchase from us.
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our Ebay items!