Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adid, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
Yesterday I found this short animation:
So I went to their website to look at this nice black and amber screen new model.
https://xhdata.com.cn/ (strangely enough, they sell there Tecsun stuff also)
I don’t plan on buying it any time soon as I don’t think they added “memories scroll” as there is in the R108.
So any of the members here can comment on the Black SIHUADON D-808 ?
Regards, Adi
Thank you for sharing this, Adid!
I’m also very curious if any SWLing Post readers have purchased the SIHUADON D-808 and could comment on any differences (other than the superficial ones) with it and the XHADATA D-808.
This particular radio happens to be one of my absolute favorite receivers to utilise. In fact, when it comes to weighing the quality against the price, I must say that it stands out as the finest shortwave receiver in my possession. It is worth mentioning that the ATS function performs exceptionally well, making it an even more remarkable device.
You can’t beat the price and features you’re getting for the price. It’s one of my favorite shortwave radios very sensitive and works decent on ssb . Sound is pretty good to
I own a Sihuadon R-108. I am very happy with this device. Very good reception, nice sensitivity etc.
I started to need the SSB function. R-108 isn’t equipped with such function. Since I was satisfied with the brand, I decided to stay in the ecosystem of Sihuadon-XHData-Radiwow, and moved to their advanced model D-808. The on line feedback was positive (especially for the sensitivity of the radio).
I receive it early December from European storehouse. Packaging was great. Immediatelly I started the familiarization and right after, the comparison with R-108. I was happy with RDS, the signal sensitivity of the AIR band (I am living in Greece and I am listening the radio beacon of Athens International Airport, and my distance is more than 40 km from there) but I am disappointed with the ATS function on SW.
I made multiple scans on all over the bands (FM, MW, SW, Air) and the ATS selectivity on SW is far below comparing R-108. Let me explain: During SW scan with ATS I can found 30 signals on R-108 (that 10 of them are just noise) and 13 signals on D-808 (that 2 of them are just noise). More or less that is the ratio of my findings. I repeated my scans with external antennas (dipole clipped on devices aerials and fed-end wires plugged in 3,5 mm antenna jacks) and the ratio remains the same.
When i am tunning manually D-808 on the frequencies that were “discovered” from the ATS function of R-108 (but not from D-808), i am see that indeed existing signal, with better clarity comparing to R-108 but it is just not selected. It looks like the ATS on D-808 selects only the really clear signals. Btw i adjust the squelch and the broadwidth but without any results.
The above situation happening only on SW. On FM, MW and Airband, D-808 is more sensitive and selective than R-108. (Exception is the LW band that both of them are not receiving anything at all).
If someone of you have similar experience or knows any “remedy” for my case i would be pleased to read from you.
Thanks in advance
CHRS77
Hi CHRS77,I have the same radio also and living north Greece in Thessaloniki.
You are absolutely right about ATS.I don’t own R-108 so I can’t compare it.
Its a great radio and my only complain is LW band that its absolutely deaf.Test it at the same places with my cars LW band radio and its totally deaf at the points that cars radio receives 4 strong signals.155,171,252 and 187 kHz.
Generally I’m very pleased with this radio having no problem with ATS because I’m not using it.Instead manual tuning.
Hello SWling readers!
I just received my Sihuadon D-808 last Sunday from the same seller on the Lazada e-commerce platform who had previously sold me the Tecsun PL-660, PL-330, PL-990 and a R-909 pocket receiver.
According to the seller, both the current production of D-808s are identical except that the XHDATA brand comes only in grey color while the Sihuadon is avaliable only in black. As I prefer the black color to match my Tecsun radios, I had to go with the less glamorous “Sihuadon” name.
Quality wise the sample that was shipped to me lacked quality control. The LCD panel’s contrast is poor compared to my Tecsuns, including the slightly cheaper PL-330. I have to view it from a slightly lower angle as if I looked at it perpendicularly the LCD segments look washed out like a quartz digital watch with a dying battery. Turning that orange illumination backlight makes the contrast worse, even when the radio is outdoors in broad daylight!
I’m wondering if other D-808 owners reading this have anything to comment on the legibility of their LCD panels, as I’m not sure if mine was fitted with a mediocre digital display or the poor contrast is the norm. I’m thinking of requesting for an exchange within the first 30 days’ warranty period but the rest of the radio is fine.
Thanks in advance!
Hi StratMan
I am an owner of a new Sihuadon D-808. I have it for almost 2 months (I bought it from China during the 11/11 discount period). I also own a Sihuadon R-108 (it is an exact copy of Radiwow R-108).
I observe the same fade LCD screen characters at D-808. I read somewhere that it is intentional from the manufacturer, and oriented to have a clear viewing angle while you are using the stand.
Hope that I helped.
CHRS77
Somebody already bought on xhdata.com.cn ?
I received three replies to my question regard SSB on Sihuadon d-808. Thanks to each, it solved my problem
I bought the SIHUADON D-808. I am unable oh shortwave to choose USB. Only LSB and NORMAL SHOW.
Does anyone have a solution
Hi, Michael
Turn the radio on, enter a frequency manually, 5505 for example, press the SSB button, it will either show USB or LSB, beneath the SSB button there is an info button, you have to press that to toggle between USB/LSB.
Hope that helps.
Vangellis
Once in SSB mode, try clicking on the ‘Info’ (Lock) button under the SSB button, to switch between LSB and USB.
Once in SSB mode, trying clicking on the ‘Info’ (Lock) button under the SSB button, to switch between LSB and USB.
I gave this radio a very bad review initially, I sent it back for a replacement as I thought it was a brick.
I got mine from Amazon btw. They sent me a replacement, but it was the same, rubbish.
Steve Thomson (member here) suggested I may have had two duff ones.
I thought I would try it, so I sent the second one back. Then this one I have now came.
It’s brilliant, it’s even better than my Eton E5 and Sangean 909.
I read a lot about people saying it was no good on LW. Mine’s fine, I can get the BBC World service on 198, no problem at all, there are about 15 others I picked up on LW, but there in foreign language, I have stored them all in memory, I dare say I will get round to finding out who they are one day.
I can’t believe I got two duds, never mind, this ones fine. (At last)
I forgot to mention, I am in the United Kingdom.
Happy to have been of help 🙂
I recently got this radio and mine seems very sensitive, equal to all my Tecsuns and Kenwood R1000. You must have got a duffer, send it back for replacement.
This IS the second one I have had, I sent the first one back because I also thought it may be a duff, but this one’s exactly the same, deaf as a post.
This one is from a different batch, so it is highly unlikely that this is a duff as well.
Hi, Steve.
Your comment got me thinking, maybe you were right and unfortunately I did have 2 duff Sihuadon D-808’s. I sent the other one back as well for a replacement, it arrived on Monday 27th September.
You were spot on Steve, the one I have now is 10 times better than the other two. In fact, it’s brilliant.
Cheers mate.
Here is my updated review of the Sihuadon D-808.
I have had this radio now for 48 hours.
I wouldn’t recommend buying this radio, because quite simply, it’s deaf as a post. Seriously.
It’s fine as an FM and AM (local stations) general kitchen radio.
The air band is pathetic, I have Bristol airport ATIS approx. 4 miles as the crow flies from me transmitting on 126.024. You have to strain to hear anything at all, even with the stock supplied long wire antenna.
I also have a Grundig Satellit 750, if I hook that up to the external antenna that came with the Sihuadon D-808, it blasts in with a signal of 20-25.
As for shortwave, again it’s deaf as a post, I tuned in to Shannon Volmet on 5505 USB. I couldn’t hear anything at all on the telescopic antenna, I tried it on the long wire, then you could hear it very faintly.
I turned on my Eton E5 and tuned it in to 5505 USB. on the fitted telescopic antenna, you could hear it quite clearly, no problem at all. I then inserted the long wire antenna from the Sihuadon D-808 into the Ext antenna socket, it blasted in, I had to turn the volume down.
So, it looks like I have paid £79.99p for a house brick.
I am unable to work out the memory system at all, I can store 10, easy enough. But I don’t have a clue how to change the memory bank, apparently there are 50 banks of 10 , but how you access them is beyond me.
Press “Page” then a number and it will bring you to that memory bank (i.e. “Page” and “1” will bring you to memory positions 10 to 19, so that you can then store or select those positions.
Thanks Liebherr.
This has been doing my head in .
It’s great now, after your instructions.
I owe you a pint, mate
Thanks
They didn’t fix anything. What about tactile bumps on the buttons so you can use it in the dark?
Did they fix the GAP between 450kHz and 520Khz ? Just different colors. Can’t get excited about it. Already have a Radiwow.
What are the SIHUADON D-808 improvements apart from max. 30 dB SNR in the display?
Is the loud pop each time you select another band solved?
Are the Up/Down switches or the knob at the side able to scroll through the presets?
I see no info button anymore, does it still has RDS with all modes?
Is it possible to read dBµV / dB SNR instead of 1st temperature, 2nd alarm and 3rd time before the meter? It is a radio so it should read the signal strenght indicator first as you switch on the radio!
Is the LW band still deaf?
When you carry the radio with the wrist strap on, the volume is impossible to use. Annoying because on AM/SW stations vary in volume. It should be at the right side. The USB charge entry can switch to the left instead because you don’t use it while carrying the radio.
What are these improvements apart from max. 30 dB SNR in the display?
1. How about the POP each time you select another band?
2. Are the Up/Down switches or the knob at the side FINALLY able to scroll through the memories?
3. Does it still has RDS, this because I see no INFO button anymore.
4. Is LW still deaf?
5. Is it possible to read dBµV and dB SNR instead of 1st temperature, 2nd alarm time and 3rd time before the meter? It is a RADIO so it should read the signal strenght indicator FIRST as you switch on the radio!
6. A pity that when you carry the radio with the strap, the volume is not possible to adjust, annoying because on AM/SW stations vary in volume. It should be at the right side, the USB charge plug can switch to the left instead.
1. Same as before
2. No. Same as before.
3. Yes. The INFO button is the same as the lock button. INFO letters missing from the picture above.
4. Same as before
5. No. Same as before
6. Completely agree, but same as before
“SIHUADON has also taken on board comments from all parties on the screen and has made improvements”.
What are the improvements, how about the POP each time you select another band?
Are the Up/Down switches or knob at the side FINALLY able to scroll through the memories?
Does it still have RDS? This because I see no INFO button anymore.
RDS: The renderings in the XHDATA/SIHUADON marketing material do not show the “INFO” button to be so marked for either the XHDATA or SIHUADON versions (i.e. the rendering is inaccurate at least for the XHDATA one – I have one and can confirm that). I would expect the RDS to there on both of them.
Screen: looks as if backlight changed from cold white to a yellow colour which most users will prefer based on comments in reviews I have seen.
As to other, major, changes that people are asking about that would require significant firmware and/or hardware revisions, looks like there aren’t any, Manufacturer is actually pretty clear on this, change to the screen and case colour and that’s it. The radio is 75USD inc shipping to the US, not much to complain about at that price IMHO!
Dave.
I wonder if it still has that annoying “pop” in the earphones when you change bands.
It does
Its a Radiwow r108, I was gonna get a radiwow, but couldnt find one,, so my wife got me the Sihuadon for my birthday, its a nice radio, better that the xhdata d808, much more pleasant to use with memories.
Our SIHUADON D808 and XHDATA D808 are identical in terms of performance, they are also produced by the same designer and the same manufacturer, and they are also sold in our shop.
The brand names do not match as we have used SIHUADON for registration of the exterior patent for this model in black.
SIHUADON has also taken on board comments from all parties on the screen and has made improvements.
On This seller
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1504908567.html?
I found that the first review of the black D808 was on March 28.
See further
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEh39RTkd4
The screen of the latest version of XHDATA D-808 has been replaced with yellow lights
I was an early-buyer of the XHDATA-D808. My initial correspondence, pre-sale with my inquiries, was with someone who replied from a RADIWOW email domain.
Not too long ago a “new” radio listed (online, incl. Amazon) as the SIHUADON R-108 (D-808 doppelgänger) next to the RADIWOW R-108 (another D-808 doppelgänger). One should also note – if you input SIHUADON’s or RADIWOW’s web address both redirect to xhdata.com/cn.
“SIHUADON’s (RADIWOW’s)” English-language web site has offered the XHDATA D-808, the SIHUADON R-108 & the RADIWOW R-108 (with Tecsun models).
Now, if you go to web site in the post, the banner states “SIHUADON D-808 the Black Version of the XHDATA D-808 2021 NEW”.
Unlike many past instances that we’ve seen, I don’t think the “new” SIHUADON D-808 is an instance where a company has copied someone else’s design, I think this is a company that simply is putting out the same radio under different branding.
So … XHDATA, SIHUADON, and RADIWOW by all appearances are the same radio. I assumed from the beginning when I bought my XHDATA D-808 that RADIWOW is the parent company because that was the email domain for my correspondence. However, if you research you’ll see that Dongguan Houxinde E-commerce Co., Ltd. is the company who holds the trademarks for SIHUADON and XHDATA while “Dongguan Ruidiao E-Commerce Co., Ltd.” holds the trademark for RADIWOW. Dongguan Ruidiao E-Commerce Co., Ltd. and Dongguan Houxinde E-commerce Co., Ltd. sound very much alike, right? So I’d conclude a derivative of a company named “Dongguan-something” is the parent company.
So why does the same radio have three different brands? Heck if I know? But we see it elsewhere with other consumer products.
three brands same radio, same story as the grundig and others; my take is that they use the alternate brand to sell radios which don’t match the QC for the primary brand
That could quite possibly be the case, Andrew.
I also have to wonder … Chinese companies enter non-compete agreements when they produce something that has a specific brand label. Could re-branding be a way to avoid breaking contractural agreements – so they can offer a product in a marketplace?
QC? Skirt contracts? Or maybe just producing a radio (the same radio) for different stakeholders through one company’s e-Commerce division? Regardless, my* guess* is they all perform the same with the same defect/deviation rates.
Isn’t this the same as the one on Amazon? Here is the link https://www.amazon.com/RADIWOW-Shortwave-Portable-Operated-Memories/dp/B08XVVCP9L/ref=asc_df_B08HCYYW88/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459618551949&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11023836051277156234&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012138&hvtargid=pla-1021044743447&th=1
Tom Stiles
Nope, different product (no SSB for example). Radiwow website says SIHUADON D-808 is black version of XHDATA D-808 with yellow backlight, no other differences claimed (“This radio has exactly the same function as xhdata d-808” per the website).
Dave.
Reply from Radiwow on amazon regarding the difference…
Our SIHUADON D808 and XHDATA D808 are identical in terms of performance, they are also produced by the same designer and the same manufacturer, and they are also sold in our shop.
The brand names do not match as we have used SIHUADON for registration of the exterior patent for this model in black.
SIHUADON has also taken on board comments from all parties on the screen and has made improvements.
Hello Marc and thank you for posting here.
A major culprit in the D808 is no Memory scroll by knob or “up/down” but only by key selection. I see here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwwYSbvKeb4
That the R108 can scroll memories. Way back when I bought my D808, early in 2018 I wrote the seller that I think in “STOP” mode the up/down or knob should do memory scroll.