You can set radio frequencies using five methods, including automatically or manually through a keypad or rotary dialing. The digital clock can be fixed to local and world times and provides both an alarm and a sleep timer. You can set the radio so you can fall asleep to music and later be awakened with news, music, or the buzzing alarm. You can also set three different wake-up times, each to a different frequency.

This substantial and attractively designed unit also includes a long, retractable antenna for FM/SW and an internal antenna for good reception on medium- and long-wave bands. Tuning can be accomplished in a variety of ways; auto-tune, which scans all radio frequencies and presets your stations to the strongest signals; simple direct tuning to the desired frequency; or manual tuning with the rotary knob. The rotary tuning is quick, direct, and to us, the most effective method for finding and refining reception. An impressive internal memory holds up to 306 radio frequencies, saving you time searching.

The LCD displays the current station, frequency, local time, memory location, and the status of the alarms and all other functions. The illuminated display window can also be switched on for viewing in the dark. A small stand on the back opens to permit the radio to sit on a tabletop at the perfect angle for operation, and Sangean has included a handy list of the best times for good reception on various frequencies around the world. The carrying pouch with Velcro closures neatly fits the ATS-909 and the slim shortwave handbook, though unfortunately not the included earphones, portable shortwave reel antenna, or AC adapter. Powered by four AA batteries or the multivoltage AC adapter, the unit comes with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. --David Greenberger

Pros:

• Multiple tuning methods
• Internal memory of 306 presets
• Includes AC adapter and external SW antenna

Cons:

• All the gear doesn't fit in the case
• Weighs nearly 2 pounds
• An intimidating number of functions for the novice

Performance wise, I rate the Sangean ATS-909 as follows: FM = 5-Stars. I live in the sticks, but even 30-mile away FM stations come in with relative ease (even with the antenna collapsed, although the antenna should be extended for clearest reception). AM = 4.5 Stars. All of the MW stations come in fine, and you should have no problem hearing all of your favorite stations, although there may be some noise on the weaker stations. As with ALL radios, for SW listening, you WILL need to steer clear of electrical noise sources such as lamp dimmers, motors, and other man-made sources of noise. Keep in mind that there will be very limited reception when indoors. This is true with all radios. When I moved outdoors and connected the included wire antenna, reception was strong on all SW bands. In fact, the wire antenna outperforms the whip antenna by a slight margin (it should, too, being 30-feet long!!!).

The Sangean preloaded memories really make listening for a particular county or station a pleasure; itýs really cool to select which country you wish to listen to, and to further select from a list of stations from that country. The tonal quality and volume are more than adequate. The overall features of the Sangean ATS-909, compared with other radios, are simply superb. The overall build quality is excellent. This is a fine looking radio with a big, informative LCD display and great features. I have read on how this radio will quickly drain batteries, so I simply keep it connected to the wall transformer ý no big deal.


Good quality , lots of functionality , great sound   October 28, 2003
Vince the Radioman (New York City)
32 out of 33 found this review helpful

Hello folks its Vince the radioman , I have been a radio buff for many many years with a vast collection . I love to do compares . The Sangean 909 is a very very good radio . The tuner is of top quality and the overall performance is consistant with the Sony 7600 . This radios best quality is its construction and the sound quality . It has the best built in speaker I have ever heard in a " portable " radio . It is very durable but a bit heavy in weight . It is loaded with extras like a line out , ext antenna jack and a really nice SSB set up . The AM and SW sections are very good . In its class the only better radio is the Sony 7600 because of its outstanding tuner , however , the tuner in the 909 is very good. All in all the 909 is probably the best all around radio in its class due to the sound quality and the diverse functionality ( extensive memory and a wonderful visual display window ) . Its a little expensive and as I stated before a bit heavy but a great radio .


The Little Radio That Could -- and Does!   October 17, 2004
Steven Hildebrand (SW Suburban Chicago, IL (USA))
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

I am a serious radio-geek, and the Sangean ATS-909 is a great little radio, the best general-coverage/multiband radio I have ever owned. Period.

Weighing less than two pounds and smaller than a hardback book, this radio goes anywhere you do...camping, hiking, roadtrips, it's right there with you. With telescoping FM/Shortwave and internal AM ferrite-bar antennas (and a jack for an external AM/Shortwave antenna), you can pull in signals from your immediate region, and from all over the world.

The user has the choice of tuning in stations directly with the keypad on the front of the radio, or by using the continuous-tuning knob on the side. The radio also has built-in station pre-set memories, a 24-hour clock and a sleep-timer.

Despite a its small size, the built-in speaker yields good sound, and a stereo audio jack is offered for external headphones or amplified speakers.

FM performance is particularly hot. Living on the third-floor, I am able to pick up FM stations all over the quad-state (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin & Michigan) region, some more than 200 miles away -- and that's just with the built-in telescoping whip antenna! Selectivity is great, enabling the user to pick out weak stations from between the metro powerhouses.

AM Performance is good too, as I am able to hear AM stations from all over the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, most just with the built-in ferrite-bar antenna. Despite my living just a mile from the local 5,000watt "Radio Disney" outlet, the ATS-909's dual-conversion design and adjustable-gain prevent receiver-overload and reject almost all false-images and harmonics which tend to plague most portable radios. Longwave-band performance is decent but really needs an external antenna.

On the Shortwave/Ham Radio bands, you can hear decently with the telescoping whip antenna, but you really need an outside wire antenna to get what most radio-geeks would call good reception. Still, I was able to hear the HP1RCP 10-watt beacon (28.177Mhz) in Cerro Jefe, Panama (and many other low-powered beacons from around the world) with just an indoor "Slinky" antenna. Not bad for a little radio that fits in your hand!

If this radio has a downside, I would have to say it is the way it sucks down a set of batteries. The ATS-909 is powered by 4 AA batteries (or an external AC adaptor), and the continous-use life-expectancy for a set of Alkalines is somewhere around 10 hours. (Intermittent use yields longer battery life) I use the AC adapter at home, and bring spare-batteries in the field.

Long story short, the Sangean ATS-909 cannot compete head-to-head with bigger communications-grade (Yaesu, Kenwood, JRC) desktop receivers, but for its size, sensitivity, portability and overall performance, you just can't beat it with a stick or a spoon. A brilliantly-designed little radio, and I recommend it highly.



Loaded with every feature!   January 21, 2004
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

Do you want to spend this much money on a radio? It all depends on what features you want. This has RDS - the digital display that receives data from FM radio signals and puts it on the lcd display. Half of the FM stations in my area send out these signals (and all will eventually). Two stations even send out song titles and group names when a song is playing so that both are displayed in a running marquee on the radio screen. This is a fantastic option! And it was the first radio under 300$ to have this.
Alphanumeric labeling allows you to put an 8 item name to any station you store in memory - you can put the call letters, type of music, DJ name, etc. It is done easily via the rotary knob that allows you to scan through the alphabet.
The lcd display is quite large for a portable.
Over 300 memory presets are possible. While there are presets for plenty of pages for countries, some of these presets are no longer used so you may have to reprogram them with new frequencies. All you do is rewrite over the old ones as noted in the manual.
World time exists for most any major city and you can actually write in you own city's name on the screen digitally - a great little feature that is just plain neat.
SSb is sensitive enough for me to pick up at least one armed forces network radio frequency.
The green backlight is more than adequate.
It comes with a carry case, adaptor, 60 foot windup sw antennae.
There are so many other features on this radio that you could spend days exploring all it can do and personalizing it to your own tastes.
I also have a Grundig Yacht boy 400 PE so let me do a comparison:
The Sangean is a bit bigger and I wish the Sangean had a carry strap or handle. Having either would be a worthy improvement.
Display: Grundig loses and Sangean wins.
Sensitivity to sw frequencies: about equal. A tie.
Presets: Sangean's 306 wins hands down to Grundig's 40.
FM/AM sensitivity: A tie.
Power drainage: The Sangean uses AA batteries and you may need to change them more often than the Grundig's C batteries. Do what I do: buy a recharger and a couple of NIMH rechargeable batteries and you will always have batteries and will also save several hundred dollars in the long run.
Timers: Sangean has three separate timers.
SSB: Sangean leaves Grundig in the dust on this one.
If you love radio and want every feature available, Go with Sangean. If you just want an excellent receiver and can do without the features, go with the cheaper Grundig. You will pay more for the Sangean but will get your money's worth. All of those extras cost $. I think they are worth it.