Shortwave Receiver Grundig Yacht Boy 700

Grundig Yacht Boy 700

In the same year, when Grundig presented the first portable receiver with PLL synthesized tuner, the Satellit 300, which got a few negative reports because of poor sensitivity and selectivity, Grundig presented a single conversion superhet with digital frequency counter to the public. This slightly smaller and cheaper travel radio became more successful, then the first digital "Satellit" set.

Single conversion superhet,

digital frequency readout,

UKW, LW, MW, 6 x SW, 1,6 - 26,1 MHz

AM, SSB (BFO), FM (VHF)

Sensitivity

2 bandwidths, 5 kHz - AF-filter, S-meter

digital clock, timer

The Grundig Yacht Boy 700 is a portable multiband radio with an integrated frequency counter to display the reception frequency. with it's dimensions of 28 x 17 x 6 cm and a weight of 1,4 kg, it is still quite well suited for travel use.

The Yacht Boy 700 was the top of the range set of the early Grundig travel portables series with analog bandspread dials for several shortwave bands; in contrast to the "little brothers", it comes with a digital frequency display and even switchable I.F. bandwidths and a BFO.

The set is powered by five UM-2 batteries / baby cells for the radio and an additional UM-3 / AA clock battery, but there is also an internal power supply that can be switched to 110 and 220 V mains. The antenne is a flexible / rotating telescopic antenna, the set offers no external antenna connector.

The set covers VHF / FM, long and mediumwaves and the shortwave band from 1,6 - 26 MHz in five ranges (1,6 - 4,8 / 4,3 - 7,2 / 6,8 - 10,3 / 9,8 - 15,5 / 14,5 - 20,5 and 19,5 - 26,1 MHz).
At the left part of the front panel, You find the big speaker grill.
In the upper part of the right half of the front panel, You find at the top the signal strength meter, the time / frequency LCD display and the switch and pushbuttons to set the clock and alarm times.
Just below, there are the slide controls for volume and tone, the switches for the two IF bandwidths and the switchable 5 kHz - audio frequency filter and the BFO, at the right a "slider" switch to select the six shortwave segments and pushbuttons for the SW / MW / LW / FM bands and on/off.
The main tuning knob and an additional fine tuning control are located at the right face of the cabinet.

The sensitivity of the Yacht Boy 700 on shortwaves is fair - good, the set is well suited to receive signals from the international shortwave services and You can even pick up some tropical band signals and some strong amateur radio signals with the BFO switched on.
The absolutely useful feature is the LCD frequency display, which does a very good job to find a station on a certain frequency.
The set has a conventional design with a single conversion superhet circuitry connected to a frequency counter - it has some problems with mirrors due to the 468 kHz intermediate frequency, but in contrast to the Satellit 300, the receiver is quite silent, no synthesizer hiss.
As the Yacht Boy 700 was well priced and offered similar or better performance then Grundig's first digital Satellit 300, it was the one to go for, when You could live without frequency memories.

The Grundig Yacht Boy 700 will makes still a fine radio for travelling by car (You would take a lighter set on an airplane, would You...) or for easy listening in the kitchen or the workshop, with the built in frequency display and a clock, it has the most interesting items for a useable shortwave radio. It is interesting that the radio comes with two bandwidths and a separate switchable 5 kHz A.F. filter, in the earlier Satellit sets You have the same options (two I.F. bandwidths and an A.F. filter) switched by the three steps bandwidth switch. But in conclusion, the Grundig Yacht Boy 700 is to be considered as collector's item; get one, if You can find one for a few Euros at an online auction.

Grundig, Fürth

Grundig Yacht Boy 700