Remanufactured Grundig M300BR Mini 300 Handheld Shortwave Radio (Metallic Bronze)

Small, sleek, and handy, the Mini 300 is ready to tune in the world whenever the notion strikes you. View larger.

On the left side of the Mini 300, you'll find a 3.5 mm connector for headphones. Grundig has included a set of earbuds for private listening right out of the box, while the small, built-in speaker on the front of the device allows you to share broadcasts with other listeners. The Mini 300 gets its reception through a built-in "stub" antenna that sticks up 2.25 inches above the device, and then extends an additional 20 inches. Although the compact design is handy for on-the-go listening, the "stub" portion of the antenna does make the Mini 300 feel a bit bigger than it should. A fully retractable antenna would have made this tiny radio a bit more travel-friendly.

The two dials on the right side of the unit control tuning and volume. The dials have a nice smooth action, but a note of caution: The dials can be easily--very easily--moved from their position. This is less of an issue with volume control, but for fine-tuning reception, you might find yourself re-tuning stations each time you bump the tuning dial.

The Mini 300 is easy to use, with a row of pushbutton keys and a convenient headphone jack. View larger.

The display has two minor downsides. First of all, there is no indication of which shortwave band you've selected. The Mini 300 is equipped to tune an array of bands--49, 41, 31, 25, 22, 19, and 16 meters--but regardless of your selection, the radio consistently displays a single "SW" for shortwave. Also, you cannot see the time of day when the radio is turned on; time is only displayed when the unit is powered down. Nonetheless, important data, such as band and tuned station, is easy to read, and the size of the radio certainly outweighs the limited information presented on the LCD display.

Tuning Options
Tuning the Mini 300 is very straightforward. The radio tunes MW (commonly known as AM), FM, and shortwave signals. If you're new to shortwave, you'll have to take your time to find just the right frequency, as the Mini 300 does not offer an auto-scan function. Yet, even with our limited knowledge of shortwave broadcasts, we made several discoveries and heard stations from around the world. Unfortunately, given our limited language skills, we did find it difficult to always know exactly to whom or what we were listening! Even though the tuning dial is a simple, traditional design, meticulous tuning was easy and reliable.

After a little research and a good amount of time spent playing with the tuning options, we did discover that our best opportunity for tuning shortwave broadcasts was in the evening. AM and FM broadcasts sounded strong and clear, day or night, and we enjoyed listening to the radio on the bus and at the park. The Mini 300 runs exclusively off of two AA batteries (included).

Pros

• Compact, pocket-sized, and colorful
• Easy, one-handed operation
• Fast, accurate shortwave tuning

• Too easy to bump the tuning dial and disrupt the frequency
• Cumbersome "stub" antenna

What's in the Box
Mini 300 radio, earphones, two AA batteries, carrying case, user's manual.