Without the frills you expect in this price class it is a high quality, simple to use programme listeners set. Unlike other receivers that have been introduced this year, you won't spend hours trying to figure out how to work it. It should take you no more than 15 minutes to be up and running with the SW1. Now the programme has resumed on another station, the radio may also be advertised again. Designed and built in the USA, the radio is best suited for use in low signal areas.
Sensitivity is fine for most purposes using the outdoor long wire antenna.
In Europe you have to use the RF gain control to avoid overloading problems, backing off the RF gain and turning up the volume to compensate. In the highly populated broadcast bands between 6 and 9 MHz, the selectivity is fair. As the publicity implies, the set is designed to pick out the stronger broadcasters. The keypad tuning is quick and easy and moving through the bands with the up and down keys was a snap. A rapid spin of the tuning knob produced no chuffing.