Grundig M300P Mini300 Portable Shortwave Radio with AM/FM - Metallic Pearl Finish | Compact Handheld Design for Travel, Camping & Emergency Preparedness

I was a little surprised by this radio when I received it yesterday. It is nice that it comes with batteries, case (with belt loop) and wrist lanyard. I love the fact that it is digital and picks up stations that I couldn't get with many other radios. It's got an alarm function, built-in clock and sleep function, too. I was surprised that there is no "seek" function to lock to the strongest signal. Apparently an analog-style tuning wheel is considered a feature, minimising the number of annoying buttons. Great! Except for a few quirks: 1, I can't turn mine off; there's something loose inside such that I have to tap the back or move the band selector down to shortwave in order to reliably turn off the radio. 2, The case is beautifully designed to allow the speaker to be heard BUT it's really hard to have headphones plugged in while the radio is in the case, plus there's no access to the dials (which can turn in the case...). Finally, the velcro already needs to be re-sewn. In short, it does exactly what I hoped it would do but initial quality is lower than I would have expected: four starsI like to go on long distance backpacking trips. The Colorado Trail, The PCT, etc. I enjoy having a small radio with me on trips over 7 days in length. However weight is always an issue. I own a Grundig Yacht Boy 300 PE and I love it. It is a great, dependable well made radio. However I wanted to shed a few ounces off my carrying weight so I purchased a Grundig M300P Mini300 Handheld. It is very poorly made. It is encased in a cheap plastic that is light, but not sturdy. The cover for the batteries won't stay shut and the tuner doesn't function properly. It is a very cheap radio and is not even worth the low price it is already listed at. I am not sure if ownership of Grundig has changed in the last few years and this is their new standard of quality or if this product line is just a fluke. My yachtboy has traveled with me over hundreds of miles and adverse weather and still works great. The antenna broke due to mishandling and it still has great reception. My advice is not to buy the Grundig M300P Mini300 Handheld, but don't rule out Grundig just yet.Pretty basic SW radio, but for the money, its quite good. Reception is very good for such a small unit. I am in California and have no issues picking up SW broadcasts from Asia with it. One nice surprise: It pulls in FM stereo when using stereo headphones.Worth the money? Yea...but you can find some superior SW radios coming out of China (redsun/kaito) for not much more and this unit does have its issues. However, if it has the features you require, the SQ (speaker sounds great for its size) is very good and its certainly small enough. Would make a fine emergency radio.Difficult to tune stations in for the sharpest tone. Awkward to press the various buttons. I would not endorse this as a wise purchase.This is a great little receiver.The alarm clock and sleep fuctions make this the perfect travel radio. The power button is recessed so it will not accidentally turn on in your suitcase. I turn the volume down just in case, but I have never had a problem.The medium wave and FM are outstanding for a receiver of this size, and shortwave is sensitive enough to easily pick up the major broadcasters.Battery life is amazing. I have had this radio for almost a year, and I am still on the original batteries.It would be nice if it had a dail light and expanded coverage to receive the out of band domestic SW stations, but you can't have everything for $40.