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:

• copy of the owner's manual
• copy of the 65 page service manual in binder (not shown in pictures)
• catalog page copy from Radio Shack 1998 catalog
• Mediumwave DX review of the DX-394
• WRTH (World Radio Television Handbook) 1996 review
• QST (amateur radio magazine) Oct 1997 review
• CD containing a variety of documents, manuals, modifications, and other information pertaining to the DX-394.  The CD also includes general shortwave listening information, reception, mitigating RF noise, and information about antennas.  The CD contains about 400 MB of documents, many of which are unique and unusual, and this is not sold or offered separately.

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 111 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.  Thank you!

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