MLite-880: Changes in FW 1.3 and Announcement by Malahiteam of DSP-4

by Dan Robinson

So, a lot of news to cover — thanks to MLite users on Facebook for some of the first alerts about firmware 1.3 now available for the MLite-880 on the Elecevolve website and this appears to complete without problems using the Windows app made available there. In attempting to upgrade with STMCube I ran into problems so I think the Windows app is the way to go — my issue with STMCube involved inability to connect with the receiver already placed in DFU mode via the 1 key so I am not sure what the deal is with that.

Thanks to Georgiy at Malahiteam for making the original 1.3 bin file available on the Malahit Telgram channel where discussions continue in addition to those found on the Facebook group for the receiver. In previous comments, he noted in response to a comment requesting coverage to include 55 mhz…that a “hardware limitation [involving] band pass filters and mixer circuit” prevents extension to that point.”

We see some very welcome changes including addition of a NIGHT display brightness mode and a “separation of frequency correction for frequencies below 27 mHz and above 108 mHz.” microSD card format has changed to exFAT. S-Meter now has a dBm display option with a note that levels above 73 dBm are not displayed due to “a hardware limitation.” Another interesting addition is SPECTRUM GAIN added under MENU 5. There is still no option for button-implemented selectable sideband in SAM mode, but as someone pointed out, it is possible to tune LSB/USB while in SAM by reducing STEP size.

Along with FW 1.3 for the MLite-880 comes perhaps bigger news from Malahiteam — they have announced initial stages of the DSP-4 receiver with the following information (NOTE: initial units are going to be limited to Russia).

Malahiteam Announcement: Due to the unavailability of the msi001 chip and its analogs, unfortunately, production of the Malakhit-DSP3 model has been discontinued.

However, I am very glad that my team and I were able to save the project. We have developed a new model, the Malakhit-DSP4. This model has the following features, differences, and similarities with the Malakhit-DSP3:

The DSP4 has a wider bandwidth – 650 kHz instead of 192 kHz for the DSP3;
The case dimensions and control layout are completely identical;
The power supply circuit is completely identical – the DSP4 is also powered by one or two 18650 batteries connected in parallel;
The dynamic blocking range is significantly higher than the DSP3 – at least 100 dB for the DSP4 compared to 85 dB for the DSP3;
The DSP4’s IQ signal transmission bandwidth is slightly lower than that of the DSP3 – 162 kHz for the DSP4 versus 192 kHz for the DSP3;
The DSP4’s power consumption is 1.5-2 times higher than that of the DSP3, depending on the operating mode. It’s worth noting that the DSP3 (yes, DSP3) is a low-power receiver, and few compare favorably to it;
The DSP4 significantly improves RDS reception for FM radio stations;
The DSP4’s frequency response bandwidth is somewhat narrower – from 100 kHz to 1.7 GHz, but it is continuous and does not contain “holes” like the DSP3;
The DSP4 has better sensitivity than the DSP3 – no worse than -140 dBm on the HF band, and noticeably better sensitivity on the VHF band than the DSP3, reaching around -140 dBm in some VHF bands.
The DSP4 has a built-in clock chip and Bluetooth module.
The remaining functionality is the same as the DSP1-3, and the DSP processing quality remains just as high.
The DSP4’s radio receiver solution is more sophisticated and advanced.

At the same time, we tried to keep the price low (by the standards of high-quality equipment). However, we still had to increase the price due to higher taxes. The Malachite-DSP4 is manufactured in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

A different way to listen to the radio – the CCrane CCWiFi3

5 Replies

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

I don’t know about you, but my goals when I switch on a radio are not always the same. Sometimes I want to communicate, to send and receive information, such as on the Commuter Assistance Network through ham radio. At other times, I want to gather information passively from first-hand sources, like the road condition reports that I can hear through the scanner from the highway crews on the New York State Thruway. And still other times, in the pre-dawn hours, my greatest desire is to hear the farthest possible station on the medium wave frequencies.

And sometimes, I simply want to hear something different . . . different from the usual fare that comes across medium wave, FM, or even shortwave. Hold that thought for just a moment.

The other day, an email popped up in my inbox from the CCrane Company, inviting me to check out their CCrane CCWiFi3. “Listen to Thousands of Radio Stations from Around the World With Clear Reception – No Static, No Fade, No Apps,” it promised.

I was intrigued and sent an email to CCrane asking if they would like me to do a review, and they sent me a CCWiFi3 without charge.

To cut to the chase, the CCWiFi3 really does deliver what the marketing copy says: you can “Listen to Thousands of Radio Stations from Around the World With Clear Reception – No Static, No Fade, No Apps.” No kidding! And no frustration in setting it up either. It is easy and fun to use.

The CCWiFi3 measures roughly 6.5 inches by 4 inches by 4 inches. On the front are six buttons, a knob, a speaker grill, and a small digital display. On the bottom are four rubbery white feet to keep it from sliding around on tables. On the back panel is a connector for a WiFi antenna (included), a line out socket, a headphone socket, and a socket for plugging in an external power supply. The unit comes with a remote control that can select stations, boost and lower volume, mute the audio, and much more.

Setting up the CCWiFi3 is super easy: attach the antenna, plug in the external power supply. It will then warm up, and the display will ask for your preferred language. Make your selection, push in the central knob to confirm it, and the CCWiFi3 will then search for WiFi networks. Select the one you want, put in your password (using the central knob to select and confirm the letters and numbers), and you are good to go. (A tangential but important note: the unit is very light, so moving it from room to room, so long as you have a place to plug in the power supply, is no big deal.)

In a sense, the hardest thing about using the CCWiFi3 is choosing from the dizzying number of stations available. At the top of the menu for internet radio stations is: Most Popular (US), By Genre (World), and By Location. Click on any one of these, and you begin drilling down into the possibilities. For example, click on By Location, and your next set of choices includes Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Internet Only, the Middle East, and Oceania. Click on Oceania, and up pops a list beginning with Australia, Bermuda, and the Cook Islands. Want to hear news/talk in Finnish? You can. The possibilities seem endless.

I clicked on By Genre, then Talk-based, scrolled down to Old Time Radio and Suspense, and within minutes had Amazing Tales, Western Old Time Radio, and the Best of Art Bell saved to my station presets. You can access 10 easy presets using the remote and over 100 presets in the sequence list. As is typical of CCrane, the manual is clear, well-written, and easy to follow.

Even better, the audio coming through the speaker or headphones is pleasant.

Don’t get me wrong: I still love my antenna-to-antenna radios, but whenever you have the itch for something different from the radio, the CCWiFi3 delivers almost endless possibilities in a way that is enjoyable, easy to operate, and pleasing to the ears.

Click here to check out the CC WiFi-3 at C. Crane.

Is Nasional FM on Shortwave Full-Time?

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes:

Hi Thomas

Regarding a post on the WRTH Facebook page from December 17, 2025, there was a report that “Nasional FM” was testing a new transmitter in Kajang, near Kuala Lumpur. It seems I heard them last night around 0200 hours UTC using my friend’s Kiwi SDR in northern Thailand. I’ve attached a brief recording of their transmission in Malaysian.

Wonder if they are on the air full-time now?

Dan Greenall, Ontario, Canada

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of BBC (March 13, 2026)

Mark spots a Grundig in Persons of Interest

6 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Mark Hirst, who writes:

I’m re-watching Person of Interest, which reappeared on Netflix recently, and spotted a Grundig radio (logo obscured) in one of the episodes.

Can anyone ID this model? I owned one of these at some point and gave it to a family member who was interested in shortwave. I recall it had great audio.

The Deepelec DP-666: A very interesting radio

4 Replies

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

My friend Andy, who is an expert medium wave DXer, calls it his “weapon of choice” and a “DX machine.” In fact, just a night ago, using a YouLoop passive antenna hanging from a birdfeeder on his porch in upstate New York, he snagged a couple of tiny Mexican stations above 1600 kHz at a distance of over 2000 miles. He was surprised the stations were there, and it was a bit of a hunt on the internet to find their livestreams and ID them.

The radio that made hearing these diminutive stations possible is the Deepelec DP-666, a radio based on the high-sensitivity, high-selectivity TEF6686 chip which is used in automotive radios. The DP-666 measures 5 inches wide (excluding knobs) by 3 1/8 inches high by 1 1/8 inch deep. On the front panel are a speaker grill, a 2.8-inch color display, and 15 buttons for various radio functions (including a full numeric keypad for direct frequency entry) and a red power button. On the right side are tuning and volume knobs. On the bottom panel is a master switch for power. On the left panel are a 1/8-inch headphone socket and a USB-C port for a communication interface and for charging the 5000 mAh rechargeable battery, which is not user-accessible.

The DP-666 can receive FM (from 65-108 MHz with various frequency ranges selectable for different parts of the world and over a dozen different bandwidths), SW (from 1700-27000 kHz), MW (522-1791 kHz, 9 kHz steps; 520-1720 kHz, 10 kHz steps) and LW 144-513 kHz. In AM mode, 3/4/6/8 kHz bandwidths are available. The DP-666 does not offer single-sideband reception.

You won’t hear anything, however, unless you connect an antenna to the standard SMA female connector on the top panel of the radio, because the DP-666 has no internal antenna. The DP-666 comes with a 29 ½ inch whip antenna that does a yeoman job of receiving MW and FM. For MW DXing, Andy prefers the passive YouLoop, and he uses the DP-666/YouLoop combo frequently. “It’s quiet,” he says.

For MW reception, I like a direct cable connection between the DP-666 and a Terk AM Advantage, which is an un-amplified loop antenna with capacitive tuning. I can hold the Terk antenna in my left hand (which allows me to rotate it from side to side and even tilt it for improved reception), and with my thumb, I can rotate the antenna’s tuning wheel for peak reception. At the same time, I hold the DP-666 in my right hand and operate the tuning knob with my thumb and forefinger. It looks a little weird, but works really well.

For FM reception, I use a scanner antenna, a Comet W100RX extended to about 31 inches. The DP-666 display offers a full complement of RDS information if transmitted by the FM station. I am not, by any means, an expert FM DXer, but it seems to be a “hot” receiver.

For SW reception, the DP-666 also works pretty well with the whip antenna that comes with it. When connected to my 50-foot indoor horizontal room loop antenna, it detected a lot of shortwave stations on auto-scan. My guess is that dedicated shortwave DXers will be pleased with this pocket-sized radio.

In addition to its excellent electrical performance on MW, SW, and FM (I did not test LW), there are a couple of things about the DP-666 that I really love. The first is that, straight out of the box, the DP-666 is easy to use without consulting the manual. However, if you want tons, and tons, and TONS of customizability, press and hold the MODE button to access the MENU screens, where you can “fiddle the bits” to your heart’s delight. I have never used any of these settings, but they are there if you want them. (I think I consulted the manual just once to learn how to store stations in memory.) The well-written manual can be downloaded in PDF format here: https://deepelec.com/files/dp-666/DP-666_Product_Manual_EN.pdf .

The second thing that delights me about the DP-666 is that it is a quiet radio to operate. The clicks from the buttons are soft, and the tuning knob has detents that are felt, not heard. With headphones on, I can seek distant stations without disturbing others in the room.

Bottom line, the Deepelec DP-666 is a sensitive and easy to use radio that delivers pleasing results on MW, SW, and FM. I would be delighted to hear from others who have used it, particularly with high-performance antennas.