Grundig Satellit 500 (1978–1981)

The Satellit 500 was Grundig's top-of-the-line portable radio from the late 1970s until the Satellit 800 replaced it. By most accounts it was the best-performing portable shortwave set of its day. radiomuseum.org lists production as 1978-1981, though another source gives 1979-1981. It's a big multiband receiver covering MW, LW, four shortwave bands (1.5-30 MHz), and FM. It uses a PLL quartz tuner with 1 kHz tuning steps on shortwave and a six-digit LCD frequency readout. The RF front end has 20 separate tuner stages with two low-noise FETs. The IF section has four crystal filters with selectable bandwidths of 6 kHz, 3 kHz, and 1 kHz for AM/SSB/CW work, plus a wider 175 kHz setting for FM. It also has a built-in synchronous detector, 12 station memory presets, and a 12 × 18 cm elliptical speaker. It runs on six C cells or an external 9 V DC adapter, and weighs about 5 kg.

Period pricing is a little fuzzy. One source quotes a 1981 review suggesting it "probably sold for about $400," while another lists the 1980 list price at $449. It was sold in the U.S. through Sears as the Model 141.8120, and a similar version appeared in Canada through Eaton's. The design was based on the earlier Satellit 4800.

The Satellit 500 has a strong reputation among shortwave enthusiasts. Radio Jay Allen, who maintains one of the most thorough vintage radio sites, called it "a joy to use." He noted the 1 kHz tuning steps can feel clunky, particularly below 10 MHz where fine adjustment gets frustrating. He also praised its excellent strong-signal handling. Sensitivity is spec'd at 2 µV on FM and 50 µV on AM, with 1 W output into 8 ohms (Grundig claimed 3 W music power).

This is a rare set with real service problems. Parts are scarce and many semiconductors are obsolete, so recapping is generally required on any unrestored example. Two failure points are common. The rubber belt in the tuning knob degrades and needs replacement, and the LCD ribbon cable connections break and need re-soldering. The telescoping antenna is 46 cm long. A service manual is available for download from shortwavesites.com.

Surviving examples sell for roughly $200-$300 unrestored and $400+ restored. Recent eBay sales include $299 and $450 (both 2021), $380 (2022), and $329 (2023).

Bands: MW 510–1615 kHz, LW 145–350 kHz, SW1 1.5–4 MHz, SW2 4–10 MHz, SW3 10–20 MHz, SW4 20–30 MHz, FM 88–108 MHz
Tuning: PLL quartz, 1 kHz steps on SW; six-digit LCD display
IF filters: 6 kHz / 3 kHz / 1 kHz (AM/SSB/CW); 175 kHz (FM)
Memory: 12 presets
Power: 6 × C cells or 9 V DC adapter
Dimensions: 42 × 21.5 × 11 cm; ~5 kg