The Radio Shack/Realistic DX-390 is a rebadged Sangean ATS-818 and was available between 1992-1993. The 1992 Radio Shack catalog lists the radio at $239.95 while the 1993 catalog showed a “New Low Price” of $219.95. This is the successor to the well-received DX-440/ATS-803A. My sample carries the Realistic name as shown in the catalogs but I have also seen the Radio Shack name on this model which is curious. Interestingly the Sangean version seems to have been available at a lower price but various sources quote it as having been between $175 – $220 so I’m not sure of the exact amount. They were also sold under other names such as Roberts R827 and Siemens RK 665. Radio Shack also marketed a version with a built-in cassette deck as the DX-392 as did Sangean as the ATS-818 CS albeit with a smaller speaker to make room for the cassette mechanism.

The DX-390 was one of the first serious multiband portables I owned back in the day. Now, years later I decided to try one out again to see how it compares with the many receivers I’ve owned since.

Read The DX-390/ATS-818 Review:  

Jay Allen