The Sony ICF-SW100S is small. Really small. Walkman small. Fits in your shirt pocket small. Weighs under 8 ounces small. Despite the size, it makes a pretty decent shortwave receiver, especially for the traveller for whom size and weight is a concern.

Sony maximized the space available for controls by making the radio a "clamshell" that flips open to reveal the speaker and display on the top half and the controls on the bottom half. A cable runs through the hinge to connect the halves. Initial runs of the radio had problems with this cable, as sharp edges in the hinge eventually cut through the cable and made the radio inoperable, requiring a $130 repair. Sony has since corrected the problem. If you buy a used model, make sure either that it's a late model or that it's already undergone this repair.

The SW100S receives all frequencies from 150 to 30000 kHz. The radio has ten "pages" of five memories each, or a total of fifty memories. You can enter a six character description of each memory (as opposed to a description of each page, as on some other radios). The page metaphor isn't the easiest to use, but given the space constraints, it's acceptable.

The keypad is in the familiar telephone-style layout, making it easy to enter frequencies. You have to press the "DIRECT" button before entering a frequency, and the "EXE" button to finish, but this is only a small inconvenience. The number buttons serve double duty as alphanumeric keys for entering names into the memories.

The speaker on the SW100S is small and doesn't put out a lot of volume. In a loud room, it can be difficult to hear. But since the radio will typically be listened to in a relatively quiet hotel room, that's not all that bad. The audio is surprisingly good for such a small speaker, but for true fidelity, especially on FM broadcasts, you'll want to use headphones.

The receiver is fairly deaf if you just use the whip antenna on the radio itself. It's suitable for hearing the major broadcasters, but not much else. However, the radio comes with an active antenna that you can place by the window that dramatically improves reception. Sony also offers an add-on fold-up loop antenna, the AN-LP1, that improves reception even more. Both of these antennas have control units that sit near the radio and antenna units that can be ten or more feet away from the radio, nearer a window. This is an important consideration when travelling, as reception within hotel rooms can often be less than optimal. Both antennas take up a small amount of room, but make the effective travel weight and size of the radio comparable to some of its larger siblings.

The power adapter that comes with the SW100S is only suitable for U.S.-style 110 volt power outlets. This is an unfortunate omission in a radio clearly designed for the world traveller, and one that is not the case for this radio when sold in other parts of the world.

The Sony ICF-SW100S lists for $479.95, but you can usually find it for about $350. That's expensive, so if you're travelling in an area of the world where you might "lose" the radio, you'll probably want something cheaper. But for most business travellers, the radio is the best radio available to keep you in touch while you're away with a minimum of baggage.



Recommended: Yes