C. Crane started in 1983 selling AM antennas. After starting to gain momentum selling mostly antennas and radio accessories, we received our first real technological challenge when customers started asking for recommendations on the best radio. It was easy to select the Sangean 803A as the first radio we offered to our customers. Tuning was precise and voice audio was sharper and more legible than most other radios on the market. With the Select-A-Tenna that we sold, it turned into one of the best radios made for reception. It was a little complex to use as a regular daily radio, but it met many customer’s needs. We also carried the GE Super Radio which was much easier to use but lacked some of the functionality customers wanted and supply was erratic. It seemed that there wasn’t a good blend of features, performance, and ease of use.
In the background, we went about acquiring and testing just about every popular radio made at the time. We learned that most radios are tuned for music and FM. There are many that have too much bass or filtering which distorts the human voice for talk radio and even voices found in music tracks. It turned out nobody was making a radio that made voices sound realistic and very few had good reception. If they did, they were so complicated that you needed a PhD just to turn it on or they were so expensive you needed a small loan to pay for it. It took 10 years to convince a manufacturer to help us make the radio we knew our customers needed and wanted. Something that had some of the most desired functionality (memory presets, clock, alarm), audio tuned for voice, excellent reception and wasn’t too difficult to use.
We started the CCRadio by selecting a speaker and an amplifier designed to react well with voice frequencies. Trying to make a sensitive radio that picked up weak stations was the real challenge. The new solid-state chips generated their own static noise that masked the weak signal so that is all you heard. It took months to reduce the noise and make the radio quiet, so a weak station was above the noise level. The original CCRadio was introduced in July of 1998, and we haven’t looked back. Grandma Faye (Sue Crane’s Mom) gave the best compliment; “You can hear the voices with this radio”.
The original CCRadio has gone through a several different iterations based on customer feedback and changes in technology but the idea behind it remains and it continues to be one of the most popular radios we offer. Models based on our design are still popular worldwide. It took several more years, but we eventually invented and received a patent for the Twin Coil Ferrite AM antenna. This allowed us to exceed the reception of our original AM antenna and radio combination.
Our line of CC Radios has expanded to include different types and styles but the focus on reception, audio, and ease of use remains. We’ve also expanded into voice focused audio accessories. C. Crane has talked firsthand with over one million radio listeners concerned with improving their reception. There is a considerable group of listeners who enjoy, or by circumstance choose to use radio as their primary source of news and entertainment and C. Crane is here to support them.
I still have my original CCRADIO From late 1998. The presets no longer work. It has a chip in the lower left hand corner of the display. Other than those issues. It works fine. I have a second generation CCRadio that is working fine. It was a refurbished one that I bought back in 2006!
I have watched C. CRANE evolve from my first Select a Tenna through my first LED flashlight, metal detector, DX440, 2 Super tuners and finally Skywave SSB. Again, congratulations of C. Crane evolution in Management.
HUZZAH !
— Mark Sommers in Potrero, Cal.
Nice to hear all of the good things you folks have accomplished over the years. I have written a few times about how much I enjoy my Skywave Radio that I have had for over 2 years. I use the radio every day and the last time I needed to recharge the batteries inside the unit was almost 3 months to the date. Amazing long battery life.
C Crane Supplies Great Product’s with Exceptional Reception, Durability & Sound, Very Solid & a 5 Star ✨ Company 👍
I still use the Select-A-Tenna. It helps with a local AM that has a major reduction in power after sunset. I once sent an email to CCRANE regarding reception & talked with an employee that was very helpful. It’s been a few years, but I still remember how well that he helped!
I work in the radio business at a radio network in the rocky mountains of Colorado and have had listeners who want a better radio. I ALWAYS recommend CCRANE.com I know that they will be happy with any purchase. I have bought several radios from CCRANE over the years and have always been happy. My most recent purchase was the CCWifi3 I love it to do the testing of my stations streaming.
Congratulations CCRANE Here’s to the next 40 years!!
I prefer to get my news from certain radio talk shows and listen daily on my C. C. Crane Skywave which has been by my side for many years. Thank you for this well made machine, that has survived many falls to the floor when I reach for it on some sleepless nights.
Sincerely Marie Oser
I am a US Navy and Merchant Mariner, so I always wanted a way to listen to the World on my Radio. I listen to Coast 2 Coast AM whenever I can so I heard your advertisements. Good reception has always been a must for me and the fact that you work with Sangean is a plus. I still listen to my Model PR-08 EVERY DAY all Day. and I use the record feature! I am, was disappointed when I found out it was discontinued, because I wanted to have another one for travel on ships. I wanted a spare! I have the other models as well, and love them all. I even have some of your WiFi equipment. I have had other radios from other companies, but I have settled on CCrane and Sangean. I also have 2 of the GE Super Radios, just because! I was surprised when I read your History, that you have only been around since 1983, but then I remember that I am 75 and started listening to Radio when I was a child.