Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frank, who shares the following:
Hello Thomas,
HanRongDa has built a new mini portbale called HRD-700. Information of it is still rare, and of course it is not a professional radio. But it is interesting as it is a special analogue tuner with digital background.
I have bought one and i am really estonished about its reception quality and features. Very small, so good for camping…
Actually nowhere a manual can be found on the internet, but I have got an English document and I scanned it to share here. Perhaps it is interesting for some readers?
Friendly regards
Frank from Germany
What an interesting radio design! We hope you report on the performance and share your thoughts soon, Frank! Thank you for the English manual!
It appears that the zws-702 has been registered as a product on amazon.
It has not yet been registered with the FCC and is not yet available for sale.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLRWRNVG/
According to information from Japanese social media, ZHIWHIS will be selling larger size (3.2x2x5.2inch) products.
It has a built-in hand-crank generator, solar power, SOS alert, and flashlight for use in emergencies.
It seems to have a built-in larger battery and function as a mobile battery.
So folks please tell me about the reception strength on FM and SW of the 701 version. While many comments on aliexpress or Amazon are very positive, the Youtube videos leave the impression as if the radio has lot’s of self-generated noise and is actually very weak on reception?
So folks please tell me about the reception strength on FM and SW of the 701 version. While many comments on aliexpress or Amazon are very positive, the Youtube videos leave the impression as if the radio has lot’s of self-generated noise and is actually very weak on reception?
ZHIWHIS version of the ZWS-787 (HRD-787) appears to add the ability to audio-record directly without a smartphone.
HRD-787 now available
VHF band, Bluetooth connection control, and headphone output added to HRD-701.
It appears to be thinner and easier to hold in the hand.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005021961404.html
According to the Japanese amazon review, the HRD-701 and ZWS-701 for shipment in late August have V/U meters added to the top of the LCD and the beat noise in the radio audio has been eliminated.
This is expected to improve reception sensitivity.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/customer-reviews/RMLYLR6BQ32MI/?language=en_US
earphone output circuit via Japanese tweet.
red line is earphone shield line antenna option.
https://imgur.com/JjIb7Ef
Now Arrival Digital Display Version
HRD-701 or HRD-700 upgraded
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003830623125.html
I made a couple videos on this (links below). I really like it, considering I got it on sale for about $20 back around Black Friday. It pretty much does everything a Retekess V115 does, only with analog tuning. It also auto tunes like a DSP radio, but the analog makes it much better for dial scans than the V115. Plus it has Bluetooth and Weather Band! It’s not something you’d want as your only SW radio, but it’s a lot of fun. Its biggest flaw is the lack of a headphone jack. While it can receive Bluetooth, it doesn’t transmit it, so there’s no way to listen through anything but the speaker. While the speaker is good for its size, but since I do most of my SWLing at night, that’s a serious limitation. Maybe I’ll try to mod it one of these days. Anyway, check out my videos:
https://youtu.be/0rNLTGjvaPs
https://youtu.be/zpeyqU9iSNY
I had a similar looking radio from Petticoat lane market 40 odd years ago when I was a nipper! Loved it but performance was dire, hope this is slightly better and encourages new listeners
I’ve own this radio for a couple of weeks. Picked it up for just under $30 from AliExpress. It’s better than most pocket radios out there in terms of performance. Sensitivity on FM is especially good. AM is solid. SW is mostly garbage. Battery life is not good. They overall built quality is superb. Nice solid feel to it.
Thanks Frank and Thomas. It’s always interesting to see what’s on the radio market these days. The offbeat ones, as pictured above, reflect the varied tastes and preferences designed by manufacturers from all areas of the globe. I think this particular model, while it may not be a star performer, certainly stands out.
It reminds me of my first radio, a crystal radio, that was shaped like a rocket, reflecting back to a time when the US was heavily into the Space Race.
I’ve had one for a few days now, and it’s actually not a bad little radio. It’s an odd mix of digital and analog. The FM band is clear, and better than expected from a tiny tuner. AM is good for locals. Shortwave is OK for the majors, but will overload with a wire clip longer than a few feet. The weather band is far more impressive than I assumed it would be. The audio packs quite a punch, and is well balanced. The tiny LED’s show tuning and channel status, and can be selected to show battery power or audio meter. I’m still running it through the paces, but it shows promise of a decent pocket multi-band
I think if you modulate the coding platform pulley in synchronization with the coded rotary volume knob, you can hear “All your base are belong by us” out of the external speaker.
It has a hidden feature of a slot machine?