▶ The Skywave SSB 2 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2Dbe06j (paid link) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you. ▶ The Skywave SSB at Ebay: bit.ly/SkywaveSSB (paid link) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
I have a million hobbies, radio is one, my wife just can't seem to figure out what I want for Christmas, go figure. So I just bought this radio on amazon for me as my "this is what I wanted for Christmas". Cant wait for Santa.
Thanks for the review. I'm in the process of getting my ham radio license and compelled to have emergency equipment for the uncertainty of future events. I purchased the skyway radio based on your review. Excellent radio.
Nice review. I recently purchased this radio because it includes SSB which isn't always included on bigger SW radios that cost a lot more.The Skywave is a little pricey but worth it. For it's size,this little radio is an excellent performer with the extended antenna and even better when hooked up to the 24ft. long wire, antenna I installed outdoors. It comes with a reel antenna, earplugs,small plastic carrying case, AC adapter and a operating manual with a decent size font for easy reading. It's user friendly,compact and convenient for those on the road DX trips. I highly recommend the Skywave, it's a great, entry level SW radio for beginner and hobbyist alike.
Here's a tip that will be useful for AM DXing and SW. Many times, when you're listienng to a weak station, and there's a strong station near by, the side-band from that station will cause interference. There's a technique for eliminating the interference called "exalted carrier SSB" reception. After tuning in the station, switch to SSB, then zero-beat the BFO. If the frequency of the offending station is above that of the one you're listening to, choose LSB. If below, choose USB. You'll then be receiving just the side-band that's opposite the interference, and it will go away. The radio must have adequate selectivity for it to work, and the C Crane does.
Nice demo. I wish this was available when I purchased the regular skywave. The ssb version came out about a year later. Again great demo. All the best & stay well !!!
Update, I received this C.Crane radio and I like it very much but there have been some exceptions to my initial expectations. My benchmark for comparison is the Tecsun PL-880. Maybe that’s not fair... but here it goes... 1). Sound quality. Texsun has got that covered. And I understand that, a larger radio but even at a slightly lower cost. 2). Love the aviation band on the C.Crane... but I don’t monitor it very much. 3). SSB reception. I’ve tried both and they are both great but I’ve found that the Tecsun is superior in performance. 4). Size... the C.Crane shines here. A lot of capability in a much smaller footprint. As a small take-along... this is what I would take. For me, I love both radios and will use both under different circumstances. Example: listen to hams on SSB on the Tecsun and aviation on the C.Crane. I’ll keep them both. You can’t go wrong with either one.
The Skywave SSB is one heckuva radio! I have a dozen radios, including the snazzy ICOM 7300, but if I could only own one, the Skywave SSB would be it. Remarkable intuitive/friendly to operate. Extraordinarily well-thought-out. High quality build. Amazingly sensitive/selective. Its super-portability is really nice--you can slip it into a jacket pocket. I like to use it on our deck at night with headphones, exploring the ether. (Its portability also lets you move away from noise sources, a big plus.) The $170 price is well worth it for such a useful, handy, friendly, great-performing ultralight. The only thing missing for me is longwave, but that's kinda tough to do well in a receiver this tiny! An external antenna jack would be nice, too...
I like do-it-all radios, so this is a thumbs-up for me. A bit pricey, yes, it'll be a while before I snag one, but it is on my list. You covered all the functions very well...will be great to see your further demos!
Did you know Art Bell ??? Do you know Bob Crane.... I talked to Art only a few times on Privite Matters about ,6 months before he passed .RIP... I TALKED to Bob back in the late 90's once or twice.....he was so very nice...... I really love both guys .....both are hard core radio men.... This is an awesome review..... God bless you and your family CHIEF JONES
Hey todderbert? I took this multiband radio to a college football game to listen to the play by play commentary (Erskine College vs Allen University) and with the bright sun being in my face, I didn't have no umbrella no ball cap to block the sun out, I used the radio pouch case flap like a shade cap to block the sun lol.
I used to listen to Art Bell talk about C Crane radios and I bought a couple. After watching Todderbert talk about the SSB, I decided to buy one. I'm so happy to own one now. This is truly the Army knife of radios. Thank you Tobberbert. Love your videos. (●'◡'●)
@@tomjones239 the sound is good. It's not tinny when the settings are set right. As a matter of fact, you can set the radio to sound quite muffled if you turn the selectivity to the lowest setting. You have time options for voice or music. I have mine set to voice. My selectivity is set to #2. Talk about batteries, it's very easy on batteries but I recommend to get the adapter with it so when you change your batteries, you want have to worry about losing your memories in the radio. The radio won't retain it's memory when it's de energize. I'm very happy with my radio. Am reception is not like the ccrane radio 2c but it's reception is great just the same. I hope this helps. Making decisions like this was very hard for me because though you get what you pay for, they are expensive.
@@johnyoung4039 My little Grundig G6 is even smaller than the Skywave I think (it`s dwarfed by my Tecsun PL 310et) but it has a very nice sound when set to music which adds more bass. I got lucky and got a very sensitive one that would overload in an urban area but since I live in the sticks it`s great. Our local NOAA weather frequency bleeds in loud and clear on an air band frequency so I programmed it into memory. LOL! It only cost me 50 bucks new five years ago at Radio Shack and basically does everything the Skywave does, more or less. At some point I`m gonna have to get another SSB radio though. My Tecsun only works on AM using headphones so no more Tecsuns for me. It`s an almost 2 hour round trip drive to the UPS store so it made little sense to return it and both the seller and Tecsun lied to me and gave me the runaround. Tecsun clearly doesn`t care about their customers and they`ve lost my business for good.
@@tomjones239 I don't have that radio anymore but I still have the original shell of the radio. They match except G6 is more rounded on the corners. I think that's why I'm g6 looks smaller. I actually thought g6 was smaller till I compared the cases. That surprised me too. G6 be has a similar audio as the sky wave ssb.
The biggest problem with my Skywave SSB was the omission of an External Antenna Jack. People praise CCrane and particularly Sky Wave for quality and engineering. I think there are circumstances where an external antenna jack is a must and Skywave did not deliver the goods for me. Tecsun PL310, Digitech AR-1780, or XHDATA D-808, even cute and little Tecsun PL606 comes with external antenna jacks. If you're in an environment with high RF noise from laptops, power adapters, led lights an antenna jack becomes indispensable. I use an RG6 cable to reach an area with low RF interference and hook it up to an external antenna. It improves signal quality tremendously. I learned the hard way, no amount of quality radio tuner is going to be sufficient when indoor RF interference is high while using a whip antenna of any kind.
@@ronalddaub7965 RG6 cable shields the radio from indoor sources of interference and allows you to place the receiving antenna outside. None of you seem to understand the importance of an external antenna jack. CCrane doesn`t either it appears. Tecsun radios with SSB include this and also have at least a simple gain control switch....an extremely important feature allowing a longer resonant antenna without overloading. I`ll stick with my much less expensive Tecsun PL-660 for SSB and use my Kaito KA500L and Sangean PR-D4W for weather band.
I agree. Why did they leave such a simple thing off of an otherwise great radio? I own one and it just seems janky to have to use a clip on antenna. At least they give you a good quality one with the radio.
@@usaisnojoke they didn't lose any stations whatsoever (all national stations they had are still available digitally). local stations are still in the fm band (until of course they receive a license to be in a mux) and they gained the ability to hear stations that otherwise were only available via the internet and cable services.
Which radio is the best? The one you have with you! What I mean is that while my Skywave SSB isn't my best radio in terms of sensitivity or selectivity, being able to have it with me at all times has proven fun and useful. If I could keep only one of my radios, this would be it. I *love* this radio! Yes, it carries a premium price but you get a lot of functionality for the price so it actually represents good value.
Golan Klinger ... I got lucky and found a radio very similar to this one for 50 bucks on sale at a local Radio Shack....a Grundig G6 Aviator Buzz Aldrin Edition. Awesome AM reception and SSB. I wish it had a gain control because it's too sensitive to use on shortwave band with external antenna. It didn't come with a weather band but I can hear weather bleeding through loud and clear on an aircraft frequency so I saved it in memory. Lol! I heard the Mercury Records plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Doobie Brothers the other day landing at the airport in Houston. For long range AM reception on any small radio connect a 120 turn coil of 26 AWG magnet wire to two 250 feet longwire antennas (stretched out in the bushes or lower tree limbs or along a fence) and place near radio. My reception went from 3 weak stations to over 45 during the day. Longwire antennas attract lightning so keep ends of wires outside when not in use. I live out in the country so I can string out wires. Some can't. You can also use a rod and reel to get a longwire up in a tall tree to attach to coil but you'll have to ground the other end of coil. I find that the two long wires in opposite directions works best. There might be better ways to do it but this is what I came up with experimenting.
Great review! Mine arrived yesterday and am loving this radio. Weekly test of the Emergency Alert System is between 1145 & noon today - so I'll check that out for sure.
Did you see my video of it going off? be sure to tap the power button to stop the alarm and to listen to the broadcast..took me a second to figure that one out :) ruclips.net/video/IAs3kPuQcCM/видео.html
Thanks Chirs! Everyone make sure to watch his "Decoding Radiograms" video that is linked in the "i" card section :) I hope the price drops too...I would love it to be around the $129.99 price point. That would bring in a lot of buyers.
Very in depth review...but heard that theirs not much going on with the short wave radio world since a lot of broadcasters have jumped ship so to speak.Especially living in the western part of the states.Location location where are you? And speak more about the antennae which is just as crucial as the radio.
Hi Todderbert! I bought the radio and the power adapter off Canadian Amazon through your link. I’m hoping this will be the radio purchase to end them all (at least for the time being). All the best
checking out your review before mine gets here , good review ,just wanted to make sure you knew that lower bands 40 M & below are LSB & higher bands 20 and above are USB not to mention what band works what time of day. Wasn't sure if you were a ham or were aware
Good concise review. I bought one a year ago and really enjoy it . BUT I travel a lot and use it often ...the antenna broke off recently , not sure if it's the radio or me. That said i can connect a longwire to the metal stud and still get excellent performance, so I still recommend it but be careful w the whip antenna
Great if not effusive review. Had my eye on this one for awhile but have not pulled the trigger. I own a great little Grundig G6 Aviator I got for around $40 in a Radio Shack clearance that mirrors many of this radios features. Seems every radio has its flaws, usually needless, and that some may even consider fatal. For instance, why is this Skywave so “clicky”? I love the tuning knob but why the loud detent? Needless but not fatal flaw. When I am in bed next to mama, she doesn’t need to know I am tuning around. As for my G6 its “fatal flaw” is a firmware bug when setting memories. There is simply no way with the G6 to keep from erasing a memory when you try to call it up. Almost any button press of varying lengths replaces that memory with the current frequency, rendering the memory pages useless. Again, needless fatal flaw that in this case should have been fixed with a firmware tweak. Otherwise a great little radio. In the last few decades it’s a shame how much great hardware has been committed too early to the landfills by needless software flaws.
I was looking for a high quality emergency radio with SW band, small for carring in bug out bags, but I cannot find any. So I decided to give up on emergency radios, and I put in one bag this CC Skywave SSB + rechargeable batteries + protective case, coupled with the Torch 250 Fashlight from Goal Zero. Unbeatable combination.
Nice, you could save money if you didn't need the Single Side Band. I use my regular CC Skywave all the time and it would make an ideal backup weather radio as well. I'm going to have to check out that flashlight you mentioned :)
@@todderbert Hi, I´m very pleased, the flashlight looks sturdy and durable. The dynamo is away better that the one on most emergency radios, maybe the one on the CC Solar Observer could be better. The solar panel is larger that the one on all emergency radios, so it build charge faster. The battery is 4400 mAh, so again is superior to all emergency radios, and hold the charge for several months. Happy new year and keep your good work !
@@todderbert It is very good to have SSB, SW, and air band for a more advanced preparation. They are essential in a very bad scenario. But yes, the regular CC Skywave would be the "budget" alternative. No emergency radio really convinces me. For me they would only serve as a back up (Those of good quality, e.g. CC Solar observer, Sony ICF-B99, Midland ER210 and ER310, Sangean MMR-88)
@@electronicoscaldas2763 The regular Skywave just lacks the SSB. I need to figure out how important SSB is for me in my area. NOAA and AM broadcasters keep me informed of potential threats most of the time. I have picked up a SSB broadcast from Alabama on Coastal weather reports.
Great video and review! This radio sure has all the features, however, its just too small for my liking as I will be using it in my home all the time. I need a base type shortwave radio. I may consider the tecsun s2000 base unit.
I have this radio and it is/was a very good radio. Used it almost nightly for several years. Primary for shortwave listening. I say was, as it has died. In time I will purchase a new one. WK0Y
I have a question. In your opinion which radio is better the skywave ssb or the tecsun pl 660 and have you had the chance to look at the tecsun 990x yet? Thanks for all your videos.
The 990X is nice, but I had major issue with birdies on the MW band. Had to return it. The PL-660 for at home SW SSB. The C.Crane for the best portability, and NOAA Weather Alerts.
Can you “splice in” an external antenna or is the reel one good enough for most ppl? I wish this had an external antenna jack but if I could somehow jerryrig one that would be awesome!
Does so much with very low power consumption, runs on just 2 AA batteries. Probably the most economical to operate full feature radio. A little something to offset the $170 initial price.
Not sure if I mentioned this but it says 60 hours typical use with speaker, and 70 with headphones..sounds about right. I tested my original Skywave with Eneloop Pros and got those numbers. I imagine a good alkaline would beat the rechargeable by a small margin.
LOL! I think you're trying to justify the purchase and get over the guilty feeling with the pennies saved from battery usage. Look at it this way, less plastic was used in making of this radio and it used less resources from our planet.
@@ofthedawn Please don't take my response in a negative way, try to see the humor in it. Let's change your question a little; So why is Porsche 911 much more expensive than a minivan? There's more than one reason as to why it costs what it does, but I hope this comparison gives a better perspective... Multiple reasons, all similar to why a Porsche 911 costs what it does.
By the way: I'm currently evaluating both Skywave SSB and Executive Satellit and while both radios are outstanding, I may end up returning the Satellit.
I don't understand. I have the clip on wire antenna run out a second story window and up a pretty high tree and still all I get is mostly static. It literally makes no difference if I have the antenna connected or not.
Generally, airband radios and FM radios tend not to be very sensitive in the other mode; I've an FM (&c) radio that barely receives outside the airfield. How well did this pick up in-flight transmissions?
Good evening. As a ham i'm most interested in the quality, sensitivity and useablility of the SSB functions. I'm looking for comments, as many as possible to help me make the best decision. It's between this radio and the Tecsun PL-660. Many thanks!
Todd, Are you by chance from Rockford, Illinois? You sound just like Brad Carlson (AKA “Bun E. Carlos”) from the rock band “Cheap Trick” from Rockford.
I just purchased this radio for my 93 yr old blind dad who wants to listen to Morse Code. Since I am not into Morse Code, and know nothing about this radio, I do not know where or how to tune it in for him. Any help would be appreciated.
To receive morse code- you want to be in the SSB mode. look up the amateur radio band plan online. It will show you the frequencies allocated for CW (continuous wave) another name for code. 3.5 and 7 Mhz (80 & 40 meter) bands are more active at night while the 10, 15 and 20 meter bands are more active during the day 20 meters starts at 14.0 Mhz. Cut and paste this band plan link into a web browser. www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf
Great radio but it's too bad that it doesn't cover the 2 meter ham frequencies (144 MHz -148 MHz). The two meter band is very active during emergencies and would be great to have in a travel radio..
Just got done filming a daytime band scan.. picked up some Ham and morse code activity. Should be up by the end of the week or the weekend. very cool radio! Follow my channel, I'm going to celebrate reaching 2,000 subscribers with something special :)
This is an excellent radio. My only complaint is that the alarm function can be ridiculously frustrating to control, especially for your first few times, but once you learned it, it’s amazing. Other than that. It’s a great radio.
They are similar, but the Skywave has more bandwidth option to change the sound along with a Music/Voice mode. So it is slightly better then the Pocket for speaker audio quality.
I really enjoy your reviews, helped me decide to get a CC Skywave SSB radio. Please tell me how to lock the buttons so they're not accidentally pressed while traveling, and not have the display on the entire time it's locked. With my radio turned off, when I hold the lock button for two seconds the buttons are disabled as they're supposed to be, but the display stays on with the lock icon flashing. This doesn't seem right to have the display staying on the entire time I need the buttons locked. On long travel days, the batteries would be drained by the time I wanted to listen. Thanks!
This is a known issue, found by Peter Atkinson and I. You can fix this by cycling the weather alert mode a few times. When you see the clock display flash you know you have reset it, and pressing the lock button will work normally. It is a bug with the Alert mode. Call C.Crane if cycling the alert mode doesn't stop it from happening.
It is similar to the regular Skywave. It is good, but the bigger radios have the advantage of a larger ferrite antenna. With that said my Skywaves get used often on AM as frequency checkers for my larger analog scaled radios.
I have a very cheap radio I keep in my bug-out-bag. It has a micro-sd card slot. Something I see missing from this radio and the RADIWOW R-108. Would be a nice addition. But sure would like to find a small package that could double or replace my Grundig Satellite 750
My skywave ssb has developed a problem of the squelch sticking wide open on all bands the first few times this happened I was able to get it solved with a couple of resets but each time it became more and more difficult this last time I am not sure if I can get to to reset The next to last I fixed it through the airband squelch but that is not working this time I would appreciate any suggestions
Interesting how the "RadioWow" company has, somewhat, a similar radio in their XHData 808 model! The only problem I have with the Crane CC Skywave SSB is the size of the speaker; for someone my age (69!) it is too small!
The XHData D-808 may be for you. The CC Skywave Series is for the ultra compact carry people. Many use headphones with their Skywaves for a much richer sound.
It is the AIR reception that interest me the most. As far I see the Grundig Eton, Ccrane, Radiwon and the Xhdata have that band. Is it important that there is an search loop in the Air band? Because only one receiver as far I can tell has it and that's Crane CC Skywave (or am I wrong?) And pittyfull, the (expencive) Skywave isn't sold in Europe so the post fee alone matches the price of a Tucson PL310. I'm not sure what to do (wisely). Any comment please?
I like it, but for the money the regular Skywave still gets my vote. I find myself using that radio quite a bit more. SSB is fun, but I'm enjoying regular SW broadcasts as well.
@@todderbert I just looked at your review on the PL-380 again. All things considered, would you go withe the 310 or the 380? I've got to quit looking at your videos.
I feel lucky that I got a Grundig G6 Aviator pocket radio with almost all the features of this one for only 50 bucks new. I can`t scan the air band and don`t have the weather band but I found the local NOAA frequency bleeding through on the air band and programmed it in memory. LOL! I would like to still get this one someday because it`s much less complicated than mine and many of the features appear much simpler and easier to use. Mine does have an external antenna input but it overloads the radio, especially on SSB, but at night AM and regular shortwave reception is slightly better with the outdoor dipole longwire I ran along the front porch eves. An RF gain control would have been so nice on these! Why couldn`t they add that? It`s an absolute must for DXing on shortwave and AM if you`re serious about it. On my Radio Shack DX 392 (It`s a DX 390 with cassette) SSB performed so well with an extremely long longwire with the gain dialed to zero. No static...just a crystal clear signal. Turn the gain up to 2 and static would start bleeding in. It was the same on SSB....such a clear signal on their voice with zero static. It was a DX monster! I`d connect a homemade AM coil to the longwire antenna and pick up AM stations in at least 5 states during the day. Normally we got only 3 AM stations and with the coil/antenna setup I`d get nearly 50 really clear. In NW Louisiana I could hear New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City at 12 noon to give you an idea of the range and they came in crystal clear. I`ve been testing a RadioShack Lightweight Am/Fm headset radio that I bought recently. I`m shocked at the AM reception on this thing. I`ve tested it against my best AM radios in the house and it hangs with them all. How they did it I have no idea. The battery life is incredible. I never did run the first set of batteries down even though I`d fall asleep listening to it every single night for almost three weeks and even accidentally left it on all day once on FM. I was afraid to leave the batteries in the headset any longer after three weeks so I changed them. Didn`t want them to leak in such a good radio. When I bought it I was hoping the AM reception wouldn`t suck and boy was I surprised! I thought the ferrite AM antennas had to be larger than what`s in this headset for excellent reception but apparently not. Even though it cost 50 bucks I`m glad I bought it. The tuning wheel is so small that you can`t see what station you`re on, so I found my favorite AM stations and marked them by heating a sewing needle, dipping it in white plastic, then dragged it along the plastic edge near the wheel and the wheel itself, marking the stations in the plastic. Now tuning 1200 WOAI and a local station 970 is easy. People on Amazon complained that the headset was too tight on the ears and it was...VERY! To solve this I put the headset over my knee, spreading it apart, and heated the plastic band that goes over your head with a Bic lighter until it softened a bit and held it in place until it hardened. Now the headset is comfortable! LOL! You can also do this with tight sunglasses.
if you want ultra portable go with the CC Skywave SSB. If you want a high performing radio that is a little larger go with the Eton Elite Executive. You may also consider the Tecsun PL-660 or 880. Search YT and watch some videos and see which one you think may work for you. I personally use my Elite Executive all the time.
hello todderbert i am always looking for radios...... horrible:-) i brought the first skywave without SSB from the usa. I like it very much and now I'm thinking about getting the new Skywave. Unfortunately it is expensive and I would also have to pay customs duties and taxes, because it easily comes to $ 220 ... Is it worth buying? are there any improvements besides the SSB?
They added a simple "scanner" feature for the Airband. It scans a page of presets looking for activity. If you don't need SSB, then your regular Skywave should still serve you well.
@@todderbert Thank you for the fast answer! hmmm I do not know exactly because of SSB, here in Germany we can receive weather faxes at 146 Khz LW ... this frequency is probably not to be received? Possibly with LSW instead of USB?
Hi, I love your videos, thanks for your job! I would like to ask for your opinion, which radio you do recommend me to buy, if I am only super interested in aviation? I am living very close to a small airport, where I am also flying, and I would like to hear my buddies talking on air band. If it is possible, I do not want to use antenna extensions, just a handy device, which has a very good squelch setting option. Many thnaks for you help!
The radio does scan one of your pages of presets, but only when its in the airband mode. To initiate the feature, hold both the up and down buttons together.
So, if I understand correctly... You like this radio? ;-) Definitely a nice manual. Far better than the "To operate radio, pressing button to 'ON'. Enjoy!" variety. :-)
Some good ideas there but i cant stand radios with multi-function buttons that you have to toggle and remember how they work. Its very inconvenient and not even intuitive. I have a Sony 7600 thats on the fritz and so im looking for a replacement. I got used to one-button, one-function and i hope to find something near to that.
The CC Skywave SSB includes a weather band with alert, and the Airband with scanning presets function. Numeric keypad for quick frequency entry and preset recalls. Improved AM reception without the need of an external antenna. Takes only 2AA batteries. Overall SW reception is better on the Skywave. The GP5 has the interesting form factor, more of a belt/pack carrying setup. The Skywave SSB is twice the price of the GP5/ Tecsun PL-365.
▶ The Skywave SSB 2 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2Dbe06j
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I have a million hobbies, radio is one, my wife just can't seem to figure out what I want for Christmas, go figure. So I just bought this radio on amazon for me as my "this is what I wanted for Christmas". Cant wait for Santa.
Thanks for the review. I'm in the process of getting my ham radio license and compelled to have emergency equipment for the uncertainty of future events. I purchased the skyway radio based on your review. Excellent radio.
Nice review. I recently purchased this radio because it includes SSB which isn't always included on bigger SW radios that cost a lot more.The Skywave is a little pricey but worth it. For it's size,this little radio is an excellent performer with the extended antenna and even better when hooked up to the 24ft. long wire, antenna I installed outdoors. It comes with a reel antenna, earplugs,small plastic carrying case, AC adapter and a operating manual with a decent size font for easy reading. It's user friendly,compact and convenient for those on the road DX trips. I highly recommend the Skywave, it's a great, entry level SW radio for beginner and hobbyist alike.
todderbert , without question gives the best and most complete reviews. And his knowledge is impressive.
Got this radio for Christmas and I love it! Thanks for breaking the features down and showing me how it works.
Your welcome. Super little radio!
Here's a tip that will be useful for AM DXing and SW. Many times, when you're listienng to a weak station, and there's a strong station near by, the side-band from that station will cause interference. There's a technique for eliminating the interference called "exalted carrier SSB" reception. After tuning in the station, switch to SSB, then zero-beat the BFO. If the frequency of the offending station is above that of the one you're listening to, choose LSB. If below, choose USB. You'll then be receiving just the side-band that's opposite the interference, and it will go away. The radio must have adequate selectivity for it to work, and the C Crane does.
I bought the same packaged last year. No issues with the radio and it's still going strong. AJY
Nice demo. I wish this was available when I purchased the regular skywave. The ssb version came out about a year later. Again great demo. All the best & stay well !!!
Update, I received this C.Crane radio and I like it very much but there have been some exceptions to my initial expectations. My benchmark for comparison is the Tecsun PL-880. Maybe that’s not fair... but here it goes...
1). Sound quality. Texsun has got that covered. And I understand that, a larger radio but even at a slightly lower cost.
2). Love the aviation band on the C.Crane... but I don’t monitor it very much.
3). SSB reception. I’ve tried both and they are both great but I’ve found that the Tecsun is superior in performance.
4). Size... the C.Crane shines here. A lot of capability in a much smaller footprint. As a small take-along... this is what I would take.
For me, I love both radios and will use both under different circumstances. Example: listen to hams on SSB on the Tecsun and aviation on the C.Crane.
I’ll keep them both. You can’t go wrong with either one.
The Skywave SSB is one heckuva radio! I have a dozen radios, including the snazzy ICOM 7300, but if I could only own one, the Skywave SSB would be it. Remarkable intuitive/friendly to operate. Extraordinarily well-thought-out. High quality build. Amazingly sensitive/selective. Its super-portability is really nice--you can slip it into a jacket pocket. I like to use it on our deck at night with headphones, exploring the ether. (Its portability also lets you move away from noise sources, a big plus.) The $170 price is well worth it for such a useful, handy, friendly, great-performing ultralight. The only thing missing for me is longwave, but that's kinda tough to do well in a receiver this tiny! An external antenna jack would be nice, too...
Where do you have to live to pick up SW stations? All I get is static from mine.
I like do-it-all radios, so this is a thumbs-up for me. A bit pricey, yes, it'll be a while before I snag one, but it is on my list. You covered all the functions very well...will be great to see your further demos!
Tonight, I will be posting a Band Scan. Covered most of the bands. SSB will have to come in a future video, since those Hams are elusive creatures.
Did you know Art Bell ??? Do you know Bob Crane.... I talked to Art only a few times on Privite Matters about ,6 months before he passed
.RIP... I TALKED to Bob back in the late 90's once or twice.....he was so very nice...... I really love both guys .....both are hard core radio men....
This is an awesome review.....
God bless you and your family
CHIEF JONES
Hey todderbert? I took this multiband radio to a college football game to listen to the play by play commentary (Erskine College vs Allen University) and with the bright sun being in my face, I didn't have no umbrella no ball cap to block the sun out, I used the radio pouch case flap like a shade cap to block the sun lol.
I used to listen to Art Bell talk about C Crane radios and I bought a couple. After watching Todderbert talk about the SSB, I decided to buy one. I'm so happy to own one now. This is truly the Army knife of radios. Thank you Tobberbert. Love your videos. (●'◡'●)
I love my sky wave ssb. Thank you. Everytime I watch this, I learn something new about my radio
John Young ... How does the Skywave sound on the speaker? If I ever get rich I plan to buy one.
@@tomjones239 the sound is good. It's not tinny when the settings are set right. As a matter of fact, you can set the radio to sound quite muffled if you turn the selectivity to the lowest setting. You have time options for voice or music. I have mine set to voice. My selectivity is set to #2. Talk about batteries, it's very easy on batteries but I recommend to get the adapter with it so when you change your batteries, you want have to worry about losing your memories in the radio. The radio won't retain it's memory when it's de energize. I'm very happy with my radio. Am reception is not like the ccrane radio 2c but it's reception is great just the same. I hope this helps. Making decisions like this was very hard for me because though you get what you pay for, they are expensive.
@@johnyoung4039 My little Grundig G6 is even smaller than the Skywave I think (it`s dwarfed by my Tecsun PL 310et) but it has a very nice sound when set to music which adds more bass. I got lucky and got a very sensitive one that would overload in an urban area but since I live in the sticks it`s great. Our local NOAA weather frequency bleeds in loud and clear on an air band frequency so I programmed it into memory. LOL! It only cost me 50 bucks new five years ago at Radio Shack and basically does everything the Skywave does, more or less. At some point I`m gonna have to get another SSB radio though. My Tecsun only works on AM using headphones so no more Tecsuns for me. It`s an almost 2 hour round trip drive to the UPS store so it made little sense to return it and both the seller and Tecsun lied to me and gave me the runaround. Tecsun clearly doesn`t care about their customers and they`ve lost my business for good.
@@tomjones239 I don't have that radio anymore but I still have the original shell of the radio. They match except G6 is more rounded on the corners. I think that's why I'm g6 looks smaller. I actually thought g6 was smaller till I compared the cases. That surprised me too. G6 be has a similar audio as the sky wave ssb.
@@tomjones239 sorry for the extra words on the messages. I think my fingers are too big or the key pad is too small
The biggest problem with my Skywave SSB was the omission of an External Antenna Jack. People praise CCrane and particularly Sky Wave for quality and engineering. I think there are circumstances where an external antenna jack is a must and Skywave did not deliver the goods for me. Tecsun PL310, Digitech AR-1780, or XHDATA D-808, even cute and little Tecsun PL606 comes with external antenna jacks. If you're in an environment with high RF noise from laptops, power adapters, led lights an antenna jack becomes indispensable. I use an RG6 cable to reach an area with low RF interference and hook it up to an external antenna. It improves signal quality tremendously. I learned the hard way, no amount of quality radio tuner is going to be sufficient when indoor RF interference is high while using a whip antenna of any kind.
can you not use an alligator clip to attach a long electric wire to the existing antenna?
@@ronalddaub7965 RG6 cable shields the radio from indoor sources of interference and allows you to place the receiving antenna outside. None of you seem to understand the importance of an external antenna jack. CCrane doesn`t either it appears. Tecsun radios with SSB include this and also have at least a simple gain control switch....an extremely important feature allowing a longer resonant antenna without overloading. I`ll stick with my much less expensive Tecsun PL-660 for SSB and use my Kaito KA500L and Sangean PR-D4W for weather band.
I agree. Why did they leave such a simple thing off of an otherwise great radio? I own one and it just seems janky to have to use a clip on antenna. At least they give you a good quality one with the radio.
Nice radio,pricey but very full featured.I like your reviews and insites,great for references.
everyone should fight to keep analog radio alive, I hear they want to kill it.
seen
@The Darkness Came Local radios stations are very important to have in vehicles for a million reasons.
Yep, the IDIOTS in Norway have already done this with the FM broadcast band. Complete morons. All in the name of JUNK...... "DAB".
@@usaisnojoke they didn't lose any stations whatsoever (all national stations they had are still available digitally). local stations are still in the fm band (until of course they receive a license to be in a mux) and they gained the ability to hear stations that otherwise were only available via the internet and cable services.
Isn't already dead?
Great review. I have the CC Pocket now the Skywave is on my wishlist.
Which radio is the best? The one you have with you! What I mean is that while my Skywave SSB isn't my best radio in terms of sensitivity or selectivity, being able to have it with me at all times has proven fun and useful. If I could keep only one of my radios, this would be it. I *love* this radio!
Yes, it carries a premium price but you get a lot of functionality for the price so it actually represents good value.
Golan Klinger ... I got lucky and found a radio very similar to this one for 50 bucks on sale at a local Radio Shack....a Grundig G6 Aviator Buzz Aldrin Edition. Awesome AM reception and SSB. I wish it had a gain control because it's too sensitive to use on shortwave band with external antenna. It didn't come with a weather band but I can hear weather bleeding through loud and clear on an aircraft frequency so I saved it in memory. Lol! I heard the Mercury Records plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Doobie Brothers the other day landing at the airport in Houston.
For long range AM reception on any small radio connect a 120 turn coil of 26 AWG magnet wire to two 250 feet longwire antennas (stretched out in the bushes or lower tree limbs or along a fence) and place near radio. My reception went from 3 weak stations to over 45 during the day. Longwire antennas attract lightning so keep ends of wires outside when not in use. I live out in the country so I can string out wires. Some can't.
You can also use a rod and reel to get a longwire up in a tall tree to attach to coil but you'll have to ground the other end of coil. I find that the two long wires in opposite directions works best. There might be better ways to do it but this is what I came up with experimenting.
Great review! Mine arrived yesterday and am loving this radio. Weekly test of the Emergency Alert System is between 1145 & noon today - so I'll check that out for sure.
Did you see my video of it going off? be sure to tap the power button to stop the alarm and to listen to the broadcast..took me a second to figure that one out :) ruclips.net/video/IAs3kPuQcCM/видео.html
@@todderbert cool - will do!
Nice review, Todderbert! I would like for price drop, but it is a very capable radio with a ton of functions.
Thanks Chirs! Everyone make sure to watch his "Decoding Radiograms" video that is linked in the "i" card section :) I hope the price drops too...I would love it to be around the $129.99 price point. That would bring in a lot of buyers.
Very in depth review...but heard that theirs not much going on with the short wave radio world since a lot of broadcasters have jumped ship so to speak.Especially living in the western part of the states.Location location where are you? And speak more about the antennae which is just as crucial as the radio.
This will be my next radio purchase. I live close to a small airport.
I like that it is has a simple 10channel scan feature on the airband.
Is the swivel antenna used for AM as well as FM or is there an internal AM ferrite core antenna for shortwave?
Hi Todderbert! I bought the radio and the power adapter off Canadian Amazon through your link. I’m hoping this will be the radio purchase to end them all (at least for the time being). All the best
checking out your review before mine gets here , good review ,just wanted to make sure you knew that lower bands 40 M & below are LSB & higher bands 20 and above are USB not to mention what band works what time of day. Wasn't sure if you were a ham or were aware
Ordered 2 of these for my friend and I. The order was put on hold due to them being sold out. Sounds like C.crane is making a killing with these.
Good concise review. I bought one a year ago and really enjoy it . BUT I travel a lot and use it often ...the antenna broke off recently , not sure if it's the radio or me. That said i can connect a longwire to the metal stud and still get excellent performance, so I still recommend it but be careful w the whip antenna
Call C.Crane, I am sure they can sell you a replacement antenna.
Great if not effusive review. Had my eye on this one for awhile but have not pulled the trigger. I own a great little Grundig G6 Aviator I got for around $40 in a Radio Shack clearance that mirrors many of this radios features. Seems every radio has its flaws, usually needless, and that some may even consider fatal. For instance, why is this Skywave so “clicky”? I love the tuning knob but why the loud detent? Needless but not fatal flaw. When I am in bed next to mama, she doesn’t need to know I am tuning around. As for my G6 its “fatal flaw” is a firmware bug when setting memories. There is simply no way with the G6 to keep from erasing a memory when you try to call it up. Almost any button press of varying lengths replaces that memory with the current frequency, rendering the memory pages useless. Again, needless fatal flaw that in this case should have been fixed with a firmware tweak. Otherwise a great little radio. In the last few decades it’s a shame how much great hardware has been committed too early to the landfills by needless software flaws.
If they add HD and/or DRM plus RDS then this is a must buy.
Excellent review !
Great radio. Thanks !
Your Welcome C V, it is an amazing device. So many options at your fingertips. Also very pocket friendly :)
I was looking for a high quality emergency radio with SW band, small for carring in bug out bags, but I cannot find any. So I decided to give up on emergency radios, and I put in one bag this CC Skywave SSB + rechargeable batteries + protective case, coupled with the Torch 250 Fashlight from Goal Zero. Unbeatable combination.
Nice, you could save money if you didn't need the Single Side Band. I use my regular CC Skywave all the time and it would make an ideal backup weather radio as well. I'm going to have to check out that flashlight you mentioned :)
Just checked on that light, wow not a cheap one for sure. How do you like it? Is the dynamo quality? Good solar charging? I'm digging it.
@@todderbert Hi, I´m very pleased, the flashlight looks sturdy and durable. The dynamo is away better that the one on most emergency radios, maybe the one on the CC Solar Observer could be better. The solar panel is larger that the one on all emergency radios, so it build charge faster. The battery is 4400 mAh, so again is superior to all emergency radios, and hold the charge for several months. Happy new year and keep your good work !
@@todderbert It is very good to have SSB, SW, and air band for a more advanced preparation. They are essential in a very bad scenario. But yes, the regular CC Skywave would be the "budget" alternative. No emergency radio really convinces me. For me they would only serve as a back up (Those of good quality, e.g. CC Solar observer, Sony ICF-B99, Midland ER210 and ER310, Sangean MMR-88)
@@electronicoscaldas2763 The regular Skywave just lacks the SSB. I need to figure out how important SSB is for me in my area. NOAA and AM broadcasters keep me informed of potential threats most of the time. I have picked up a SSB broadcast from Alabama on Coastal weather reports.
Well... is your fault todderbert... i buy a CCrane skywave ssb and i am realy happy!!!! It's a awesome radio!!! Tks!!!
Your Welcome Juan.
CCrane has awesome products! Thanks for sharing!
No thoughts on the SSB feature that makes this radio different from the regular Skywave?
Great video and review! This radio sure has all the features, however, its just too small for my liking as I will be using it in my home all the time. I need a base type shortwave radio. I may consider the tecsun s2000 base unit.
probably a wise choice, I like portable myself.
Does this have better AM/FM reception than the CC Pocket?
I ordered one from ccrane yesterday. I can't wait to get it!
It's an awesome radio.
I have this radio and it is/was a very good radio. Used it almost nightly for several years. Primary for shortwave listening.
I say was, as it has died. In time I will purchase a new one. WK0Y
Hi Todd! Great reviews! I enjoy them. What cc radio comes with a case? Thanks!
George in NH
The Skywaves, and I think the Pocket may come with one now. The emergency radios don't, and the CC Radio 3 has an optional case.
Thank you for your review.
Your Welcome flpirate45! a solid, compact radio.
I wish more radios had a VHF band.
I have a question. In your opinion which radio is better the skywave ssb or the tecsun pl 660 and have you had the chance to look at the tecsun 990x yet? Thanks for all your videos.
The 990X is nice, but I had major issue with birdies on the MW band. Had to return it. The PL-660 for at home SW SSB. The C.Crane for the best portability, and NOAA Weather Alerts.
@@todderbert Thanks. Sorry to hear that you had problems with the 990x. I have 3 c cranes and 1 tecsun I may need 4 c cranes now. Thanks
Can you “splice in” an external antenna or is the reel one good enough for most ppl? I wish this had an external antenna jack but if I could somehow jerryrig one that would be awesome!
I would stick with the reel, they work well for these small portables.
Looks like a great choice for what I'm looking for. Is the shortwave continuous or by bands? Specifically can it get the 11 meter CB band?
you can tune out of bands. the bands are there for when you are browsing.
Does so much with very low power consumption, runs on just 2 AA batteries. Probably the most economical to operate full feature radio. A little something to offset the $170 initial price.
Not sure if I mentioned this but it says 60 hours typical use with speaker, and 70 with headphones..sounds about right. I tested my original Skywave with Eneloop Pros and got those numbers. I imagine a good alkaline would beat the rechargeable by a small margin.
LOL! I think you're trying to justify the purchase and get over the guilty feeling with the pennies saved from battery usage. Look at it this way, less plastic was used in making of this radio and it used less resources from our planet.
@@ofthedawn Please don't take my response in a negative way, try to see the humor in it. Let's change your question a little; So why is Porsche 911 much more expensive than a minivan? There's more than one reason as to why it costs what it does, but I hope this comparison gives a better perspective... Multiple reasons, all similar to why a Porsche 911 costs what it does.
By the way: I'm currently evaluating both Skywave SSB and Executive Satellit and while both radios are outstanding, I may end up returning the Satellit.
@@ofthedawn Yeah, I'd like to say me too but at that price point ($500,000) why not a Lamborghini Aventador?
Awesome reviews. Can you review the Ats 25?
I don't understand. I have the clip on wire antenna run out a second story window and up a pretty high tree and still all I get is mostly static. It literally makes no difference if I have the antenna connected or not.
Generally, airband radios and FM radios tend not to be very sensitive in the other mode; I've an FM (&c) radio that barely receives outside the airfield. How well did this pick up in-flight transmissions?
Wow, that radio is tiny for everything it does. I have a 90's era SW radio that's a brick.
Great review. Can the antenna be replace for an upgrade,?
How does this compare to the CountyComm GP5/SSB?
Good evening. As a ham i'm most interested in the quality, sensitivity and useablility of the SSB functions. I'm looking for comments, as many as possible to help me make the best decision. It's between this radio and the Tecsun PL-660. Many thanks!
Todd, Are you by chance from Rockford, Illinois? You sound just like Brad Carlson (AKA “Bun E. Carlos”) from the rock band “Cheap Trick” from Rockford.
I just purchased this radio for my 93 yr old blind dad who wants to listen to Morse Code. Since I am not into Morse Code, and know nothing about this radio, I do not know where or how to tune it in for him. Any help would be appreciated.
To receive morse code- you want to be in the SSB mode. look up the amateur radio band plan online. It will show you the frequencies allocated for CW (continuous wave) another name for code. 3.5 and 7 Mhz (80 & 40 meter) bands are more active at night while the 10, 15 and 20 meter bands are more active during the day 20 meters starts at 14.0 Mhz. Cut and paste this band plan link into a web browser. www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf
Great radio but it's too bad that it doesn't cover the 2 meter ham frequencies (144 MHz -148 MHz). The two meter band is very active during emergencies and would be great to have in a travel radio..
They added 2meter to their CC Radio, maybe we will see an addition of this band to the Skywave family in the future.
Fantastic Radio
Just got done filming a daytime band scan.. picked up some Ham and morse code activity. Should be up by the end of the week or the weekend. very cool radio! Follow my channel, I'm going to celebrate reaching 2,000 subscribers with something special :)
This is an excellent radio. My only complaint is that the alarm function can be ridiculously frustrating to control, especially for your first few times, but once you learned it, it’s amazing. Other than that. It’s a great radio.
The CCrane Skywave is truly a great radio but why didn't they include an external antenna jack?
not sure, but maybe they will do a future update.
It looks like the CC Pocket speaker size is the same size as the Skywave SSB. Would you say the sound/audio quality are equal too? Thank you.
They are similar, but the Skywave has more bandwidth option to change the sound along with a Music/Voice mode. So it is slightly better then the Pocket for speaker audio quality.
I really enjoy your reviews, helped me decide to get a CC Skywave SSB radio. Please tell me how to lock the buttons so they're not accidentally pressed while traveling, and not have the display on the entire time it's locked. With my radio turned off, when I hold the lock button for two seconds the buttons are disabled as they're supposed to be, but the display stays on with the lock icon flashing. This doesn't seem right to have the display staying on the entire time I need the buttons locked. On long travel days, the batteries would be drained by the time I wanted to listen.
Thanks!
This is a known issue, found by Peter Atkinson and I. You can fix this by cycling the weather alert mode a few times. When you see the clock display flash you know you have reset it, and pressing the lock button will work normally. It is a bug with the Alert mode. Call C.Crane if cycling the alert mode doesn't stop it from happening.
Thanks for posting this. It was driving me nuts and I've been searching for a fix for weeks.
Does this radio have the great reception that C.Crane is known for? Particularly in AM band.?.
It is similar to the regular Skywave. It is good, but the bigger radios have the advantage of a larger ferrite antenna. With that said my Skywaves get used often on AM as frequency checkers for my larger analog scaled radios.
I have a very cheap radio I keep in my bug-out-bag. It has a micro-sd card slot. Something I see missing from this radio and the RADIWOW R-108. Would be a nice addition. But sure would like to find a small package that could double or replace my Grundig Satellite 750
XHDATA D-808 is better than R-108.
My skywave ssb has developed a problem of the squelch sticking wide open on all bands the first few times this happened I was able to get it solved with a couple of resets but each time it became more and more difficult this last time I am not sure if I can get to to reset The next to last I fixed it through the airband squelch but that is not working this time I would appreciate any suggestions
Call C.Crane, in the morning hours. They should be able to help you. I have not had this issue with my radio.
Interesting how the "RadioWow" company has, somewhat, a similar radio in their XHData 808 model! The only problem I have with the Crane CC Skywave SSB is the size of the speaker; for someone my age (69!) it is too small!
The XHData D-808 may be for you. The CC Skywave Series is for the ultra compact carry people. Many use headphones with their Skywaves for a much richer sound.
It is the AIR reception that interest me the most. As far I see the Grundig Eton, Ccrane, Radiwon and the Xhdata have that band.
Is it important that there is an search loop in the Air band?
Because only one receiver as far I can tell has it and that's Crane CC Skywave (or am I wrong?)
And pittyfull, the (expencive) Skywave isn't sold in Europe so the post fee alone matches the price of a Tucson PL310.
I'm not sure what to do (wisely).
Any comment please?
Buy a dedicated, handheld scanner? I enjoy the AIR band most with my Bearcat BC75XLT. ruclips.net/video/5_UyM6HcUz8/видео.html
Seems better than my Sony sw100!
So it's been awhile since you've done this review. Do you still consider this to be one of the best small radios? Good review by the way!
Thanks, Glen
I like it, but for the money the regular Skywave still gets my vote. I find myself using that radio quite a bit more. SSB is fun, but I'm enjoying regular SW broadcasts as well.
Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking of buying either the regular Skywave or go cheap and get the pl-310.
The regular Skywave is great with the NOAA reception, Alert mode, & Air band. The 310 is a great entry level SW radio. I like the audio on the 310.
@@todderbert I just looked at your review on the PL-380 again. All things considered, would you go withe the 310 or the 380? I've got to quit looking at your videos.
The 310ET, it has a better sounding speaker and I like using the external antenna jack.
Is there a bigger version of this radio available with all of the same features?
No, though maybe one day we may see one. That would be awesome. Something with a bigger speaker would be great.
I feel lucky that I got a Grundig G6 Aviator pocket radio with almost all the features of this one for only 50 bucks new. I can`t scan the air band and don`t have the weather band but I found the local NOAA frequency bleeding through on the air band and programmed it in memory. LOL! I would like to still get this one someday because it`s much less complicated than mine and many of the features appear much simpler and easier to use. Mine does have an external antenna input but it overloads the radio, especially on SSB, but at night AM and regular shortwave reception is slightly better with the outdoor dipole longwire I ran along the front porch eves.
An RF gain control would have been so nice on these! Why couldn`t they add that? It`s an absolute must for DXing on shortwave and AM if you`re serious about it. On my Radio Shack DX 392 (It`s a DX 390 with cassette) SSB performed so well with an extremely long longwire with the gain dialed to zero. No static...just a crystal clear signal. Turn the gain up to 2 and static would start bleeding in. It was the same on SSB....such a clear signal on their voice with zero static. It was a DX monster! I`d connect a homemade AM coil to the longwire antenna and pick up AM stations in at least 5 states during the day. Normally we got only 3 AM stations and with the coil/antenna setup I`d get nearly 50 really clear. In NW Louisiana I could hear New Orleans, Dallas, Houston and Oklahoma City at 12 noon to give you an idea of the range and they came in crystal clear.
I`ve been testing a RadioShack Lightweight Am/Fm headset radio that I bought recently. I`m shocked at the AM reception on this thing. I`ve tested it against my best AM radios in the house and it hangs with them all. How they did it I have no idea. The battery life is incredible. I never did run the first set of batteries down even though I`d fall asleep listening to it every single night for almost three weeks and even accidentally left it on all day once on FM. I was afraid to leave the batteries in the headset any longer after three weeks so I changed them. Didn`t want them to leak in such a good radio.
When I bought it I was hoping the AM reception wouldn`t suck and boy was I surprised! I thought the ferrite AM antennas had to be larger than what`s in this headset for excellent reception but apparently not. Even though it cost 50 bucks I`m glad I bought it. The tuning wheel is so small that you can`t see what station you`re on, so I found my favorite AM stations and marked them by heating a sewing needle, dipping it in white plastic, then dragged it along the plastic edge near the wheel and the wheel itself, marking the stations in the plastic. Now tuning 1200 WOAI and a local station 970 is easy.
People on Amazon complained that the headset was too tight on the ears and it was...VERY! To solve this I put the headset over my knee, spreading it apart, and heated the plastic band that goes over your head with a Bic lighter until it softened a bit and held it in place until it hardened. Now the headset is comfortable! LOL! You can also do this with tight sunglasses.
This is now in my amazon cart, I can’t wait to get my meat hooks on it.
This is a great little radio!
Should I go with C-Crane, Eton, or other brand? If other brand, which one? I'm looking at $100-300 budget.
if you want ultra portable go with the CC Skywave SSB. If you want a high performing radio that is a little larger go with the Eton Elite Executive. You may also consider the Tecsun PL-660 or 880. Search YT and watch some videos and see which one you think may work for you. I personally use my Elite Executive all the time.
hello todderbert i am always looking for radios...... horrible:-) i brought the first skywave without SSB from
the usa. I like it very much and now I'm thinking about getting the new
Skywave. Unfortunately it is expensive and I would also have to pay
customs duties and taxes, because it easily comes to $ 220 ... Is it
worth buying? are there any improvements besides the SSB?
They added a simple "scanner" feature for the Airband. It scans a page of presets looking for activity. If you don't need SSB, then your regular Skywave should still serve you well.
@@todderbert Thank you for the fast answer! hmmm I do not know exactly because of SSB, here in Germany we can receive weather faxes at 146 Khz LW ... this frequency is probably not to be received? Possibly with LSW instead of USB?
@@DXLUPO The Skywaves do not have LW. May want a Tecsun 310, 660, Sangean 909X, XHData D-808, RadiWow R-108, ect to receive.
@@todderbert do have Sangean 909x and Tecsun PL 880... Its just for travelling with bike... And I don't have enough radios😀😀😀😂😂😂😂😂
Hi, I love your videos, thanks for your job!
I would like to ask for your opinion, which radio you do recommend me to buy, if I am only super interested in aviation? I am living very close to a small airport, where I am also flying, and I would like to hear my buddies talking on air band. If it is possible, I do not want to use antenna extensions, just a handy device, which has a very good squelch setting option. Many thnaks for you help!
Probably a simple analog scanner would be best, like the Bearcat I reviewed: ruclips.net/video/5_UyM6HcUz8/видео.html
@@todderbert thanks a lot for the quick reply, I am checking it out!
@@thepilotF A video of it tuning the airband on a typical day: ruclips.net/video/qKPelckoYl8/видео.html speed is key :)
Howdy... is it true that the Sangean ATS-909x does not pick up aviation band... 118Mhz - 137Mhz? Thanks!
That is correct, the Sangean 909X does not receive the Aviation band.
if portability wasn't a deciding factor what is an alternative to this radio that has all the same features but maybe is a little bigger?
The XHData D-808, you do give up the NOAA weather bands and alert mode. ruclips.net/video/qAlLvsgpl9w/видео.html
Can this model scan a favorites group, or does it only band scan
The radio does scan one of your pages of presets, but only when its in the airband mode. To initiate the feature, hold both the up and down buttons together.
So, if I understand correctly... You like this radio? ;-) Definitely a nice manual. Far better than the "To operate radio, pressing button to 'ON'. Enjoy!" variety. :-)
C. Crane Labor day sale $10 off. Not much of a discount, but it's on it's way. Yeah!
How fo I turn off beeping sound??
Is this radio made in the USA?
Todderbert or anyone please, are there any sw radios with SSB, Air, and weather bands, but that are bigger than this?
Not in a general receiver that is new today. There are those SDR Portables on the market that may do all of the above.
@@todderbert ok thank you! I ordered a C Crane Skywave SSB today!!! :0)
Some good ideas there but i cant stand radios with multi-function buttons that you have to toggle and remember how they work. Its very inconvenient and not even intuitive. I have a Sony 7600 thats on the fritz and so im looking for a replacement. I got used to one-button, one-function and i hope to find something near to that.
👍👍great review
Nice review, how is the sound compare to Sony sw55?
Tinny, the Skywave has a very small speaker compared to the SW55.
todderbert thanks
Excellent review, thank you.😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
You're welcome Seekthetruth. It is one of my absolute favorite portables. Next to the original Skywave of course.
any chance for a head to head with tecsun pl880 and this?
mo_feezy that would be interesting
Can you get AM stations from St. Louis to listen to the Cardinals and Blues mainly WMOX 1120 AM?
Yes.
todderbert awesome! I’m going to seminary at Rockford and I wanted to listen to the games and need a radio.
@@austoncarpenter4702 only for evening games. Daytime won't have the reach.
I want to purchase this.kindly tell me where and how much it costs
Availabe at C.Crane USA for $169.99 USD at this time.
Does it have Blue tooth so I can connect my wireless head phones???
No bluetooth on this radio.
i got the original skywave, but the sw and wx button is busted.
Which C Crane radio do you use for dxing?
CC Radio EP-Pro, Original CC Radio, and a CC Radio SW.
During a shit hit the fan situation that’s going to be a real busy radio
Hello, friend of the battery-powered and digital radio estereo, which one do you recommend for trips?
I would take my regular CC Skywave.
@@todderbert thank you
how does this compare to the County Comm GP-5/ssb radio
The CC Skywave SSB includes a weather band with alert, and the Airband with scanning presets function. Numeric keypad for quick frequency entry and preset recalls. Improved AM reception without the need of an external antenna. Takes only 2AA batteries. Overall SW reception is better on the Skywave. The GP5 has the interesting form factor, more of a belt/pack carrying setup. The Skywave SSB is twice the price of the GP5/ Tecsun PL-365.
Skywave SSB is better radio, but more expensive. That pretty much sums it up.
Can the Skywave SSB receive signals from space, like from the International Space Station ?
no, it doesn't receive on those frequencies. If it were a Shortwave transmission then yes.
@@todderbert Thanks.
Seems too expensive for such a tiny radio with a minuscule speaker. 😔
I had one and liked it, but my dog literally ate it thinking it was a chew toy. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't buy it again or something else.