C. Crane Skywave 2
September 2023
Following the upgrade of the Skywave SSB to the SSB 2 several months ago C. Crane has now announced that the original Skywave is now upgraded to the Skywave 2. For most of the details on the Skywave’s design and operation you can read my original C. Crane Skywave Review:
And there are many more details here:
How Has The Skywave 2 Been Improved?
According to C, Crane the upgrades include:
1 – Antenna input jack for SW. For shorter/ indoor antennas you can always clip to the whip for maximum gain but for larger antennas the external jack will allow more flexibility handling stronger signals.
2 – Improved battery charging circuit. A set of NiMH batteries can fully charge in a few hours with a proper adapter. (USB adapters vary in their output capability…you can buy an inexpensive 2.4A charger here which will charge any USB device as quickly as that device will allow…see below.
3 – Improved audio circuit and speaker.
4 – Micro USB connector for power adapter.
5 – The signal\RF board and wire routing have been redesigned to eliminate issues with data line noises.
The Skywave 2 comes with a set of original CC Buds, soft carry case and lanyard.
Performance: The new Skywave 2 uses two Silicon Labs chips – the SI4734 for all bands except the Weather Band which uses the SI4736. Of course, I immediately put the new Skywave 2 next to my original Skywave to see what differences I could observe and I’m happy to report that the basic performance is improved in a few ways from dramatic to subtle. The most obvious improvement is the External SW Antenna jack. I found it worked well with the antennas I tried it with but I also noted improved handling of external antennas even when I clipped to the whip. Comparing the original Skywave with the new Skywave 2 I noted some FM breakthrough into the SW bands on the original Skywave which was completely absent on the newer model. I spoke with C.Crane about this and they confirmed that the changes to the PCB’s and wire routing were the reasons for this… a great improvement.
You might like to get their Wire Terminal Adapter which comes with the SSB 2 but is available separately for any radio with an external antenna jack:
It is also good to see the upgraded USB Micro jack. Although the newer C jack would have been nice the USB Micro does bring the radio into line with other current C. Crane radios. C. Crane offers this charger for several of their radios: , or you can get a good external charger such as this one Charger which is a good generic USB charger to have on hand.
Price and Availability: C. Crane’s website announcement:
says the Skywave 2 is expected to be available November 17th but they’re now taking pre-orders at $89.99.
Conclusion: Both the Skywave 2 and Skywave SSB2 are unique in their band coverage for travel sized radios. With AM/FM/SW/Weather/Air bands they are unusually versatile travel companions with performance that rivals larger radios in many ways. Not only are they excellent as portables but the improved circuitry and external SW antenna jack adds extra flexibility when used at home. And if you like to recharge Ni-MH batteries in the radio it can now be done faster. Plus, I always recommend C. Crane’s radios in general because they are a US based company that stands behind their products with a US Warranty. Also, the Skywaves are great examples of a long line of innovations which are the result of Bob Crane’s passion for radio.
Folks will undoubtedly ask if is it worth it to upgrade to the newer models if they already own the original Skywave or Skywave SSB…there is no right or wrong answer to this. Look at the improvements discussed above and consider whether or not they will impact your use or enjoyment. If the answer is yes, you won’t be disappointed.
Recommended!
radiojayallen 
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