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Review: Sangean ATS-909 Portable AM/FM/SW Receiver

The Sangean model ATS-909 portable AM/FM/SW receiver has been on the market for some years now, and has become quite popular. This receiver was also marketed by Radio Shack for a time as their model DX-398. The ATS-909 and the DX-398 are identical in every way except for the name and the supplied accessories. Some years ago while working as Chief Engineer of a large local broadcasting company, I was looking for a quality and rugged portable receiver which I could takeSangean ATS-909 in Black along during visits to transmitter sites(both AM & FM) in order to listen to transmitter output while “tweaking” various settings. I also wanted said receiver to be able to act as an all-purpose radio which I would use for everything from listening to my favorite FM stations during a summer picnic in the park to acting as a full-blown receiver for copying various digital modes on the HF frequencies, and listening to SSB on the Ham Radio bands. After looking around for a while, I finally chose the Sangean ATS-909 because of its apparent ruggedness, small size, capabilities, and specifications. I thought that the protective vinyl carrying case was a good touch too, since my particular ATS-909 might see some harsh environments. I had previously owned a Radio Shack model DX-440, aka Sangean ATS-803, so I was somewhat familiar with Sangean product quality. Well, to say the least, I haven’t been disappointed. This rugged little black box continues to amaze me with its versatility and performance. ATS-909As described above, I’ve used it in every situation from transmitter sites to picnics and motel rooms to digital mode surveillance. In fact, I’m listening to my favorite FM Classic Rock station on the ‘909 as I write this. After the warranty period, I did perform some of the recommended performance modifications, especially with regard to the AGC system. Although not really necessary for most users, I found the modifications to be quite worthwhile. My ATS-909 really shines now, especially on SSB and digital modes. If you don’t wish to do the modifications yourself, don’t fret. There is a company called RadioLabs which will either professionally modify your ATS-909 or sell to you their “Super 909“, an ATS-909 with all modifications already done. Either way, you end up with a very nice performing portable receiver. Here is a brief rundown of stock features for this unit:

One of my favorite features of this receiver is that its quite smart - if I hurriedly enter a given frequency via the keypad, the ATS-909 automatically selects the correct band and mode. Along the way, it also remembers what frequencies and modes I have recently used. Thats especially cool because I can toggle very quickly between, say, 3840 LSB, 630 AM, and 104.7 FM just by tapping the band selector buttons at the left of the keypad.Sangean ATS-909 in Titanium
I’ve noted that some ATS-909 owners have found the audio to sound “tinny” or “flat” with the stock speaker inside the radio. My unit does not seem to show this. If you plan to use your ATS-909 with an external antenna (a jack is provided for this) on the SW bands, it should work well if you use the RF gain control properly and as needed. I’ve used it with a full-size G5RV antenna which is mounted 70 feet above ground and it works very well, with little or no signal overloading. With this antenna, the ATS-909 works very well on all frequencies from the MW broadcast band on up thru the 10-meter Amateur Radio band. As with most portable receivers of this type, do not expect miracle receive results on the SW bands with just the built-in whip antenna. Although adequate for local FM reception and for some of the stronger SW broadcast stations, the whip generally won’t do for much beyond that. Sangean does thoughtfully supply a portable roll-up wire antenna with the ATS-909 because of this.

In summary, I’ve found the Sangean ATS-909 to be a very capable and versatile performer right out of the box, and the above described “enhancements” make it even better. Sensitivity and stability are second to none. Signal selectivity is adequate, and is easily enhanced. It might have been nice to have a Noise-Blanker feature, but the ‘909 is not really intended to be a full-featured communications receiver. Lots of good information is available about this receiver, and there is an active ATS-909/DX-398 user’s group on Yahoo. At the time of this writing, average price for a new ATS-909 is around $240. The “Super 909″ from RadioLabs will relieve your pocketbook of $329.95.

Written by Darrell Hagan on March 11th, 2007 with no comments.
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