Review on 📻 C. Crane CCRadio - EP PRO AM FM Battery Operated Portable Analog Radio with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) by Terrance Duncan

This is a great radio concept - receiver uses Digital Signal Processing (DSP), AM antenna with two coils for better reception and designed to receive AM and FM broadcast bands only. I'm a big fan of AM antennas, owning and using a C. Crane external active AM antenna and a C. Crane SW radio that also uses the same antenna. Having not seen the AM receiver circuitry in the C. Crane EP Pro AM/FM radio, I have to make some assumptions about this receiver based on experiences with other DSP radios I own. My biggest complaint with this radio is that it lacks stability in AM reception. If I tune to a local AM station, turn off the radio after use, and then turn the radio back on to listen, the receiver no longer centers on the local AM station I was listening to before turning off. That doesn't mean it's very different, but it's enough that I had to make small adjustments to get the receiver back on the local AM station's frequency. Either the DSP software source code does not properly consider the incoming RF envelope and makes adjustments to its processing causing the receiver to drift slightly, or there is a problem with the local oscillator circuitry causing frequency drift. This is very annoying. Now with the biggest annoyance out of the way, here's a list of likes and dislikes -- Dislikes: - Receiver drift between power cycles (AM only for now). - DSP processing can't keep up with dialing speed. In other words, as you approach your desired receive frequency, slow down significantly to allow the DSP to lock and fine-tune the signal. When you quickly select the frequency you want, you don't hear the loud beeps you would expect if you had a regular analog receiver. Turn the Tuning control slowly enough to hear the receiver's digital tuning steps. The sound from the speaker is not as round as the SW model. Yes, the EP Pro costs less than the SW, and the EP Pro's speaker is smaller, so that's just a minor complaint. For example: C. Crane really thinks its products through to a satisfactory conclusion. The receiver looks and feels like a classic receiver that uses a dial to tune. Sometimes, instead of pressing a button, you just want to use the dial to get a feel for the analog receiver. Although the AM reception is not stable between switching on and turning on, the receiver stays there once you've tuned into a station. The signal can be fine tuned with the tuning knob and fine tuning of the antenna. When the receiver is on, it strikes a good balance between selectivity and sensitivity. Just work a little more on the DSP, K. Crane, and this radio will be a strong performer in its price range. The antenna with two coils really works. Use whatever tools you have to pick up a weak AM signal. The dual coil AM broadcast antenna in this radio is a great tool for weaker AM signals.