Category Archives: Deals

The Hidden Woodsmen 2026 Holiday Sale: Great Pouches for Field-Portable Shortwave Radios

The Mlite-880 in the Hidden Woodsmen General Purpose Pouch

A quick note for SWLing Post readers: this article has been re-posted from our sister site, QRPer.com. Although the field kits I mention below are amateur radio kits, these pouches and packs could just as easily hold any number of portable shortwave radios. For scale, I’ve taken a couple of photos of my MLite-880 and Qodosen DX-286 with two of the pouches and inserted them below. If you spot one you like, simply measure your radio and compare it against the dimensions listed on the Hidden Woodsmen product page to confirm the fit.


by Thomas (K4SWL)

Our friends at The Hidden Woodsmen are having a sale on many of their pouches. They’re all made in the USA and are very high-quality.

The sale prices are an incredible value.

Click here to check out the sale.

I’m a big fan of several of these pouches and packs.

The Possible Pouch is on sale for $25 (normally $40). I use mine for a wide variety of field kits, including my Xiegu G106:

It easily holds an entire field kit, including my bare-bones throw line and weight. I love the super beefy zipper.

I also love the General Purpose Pouch, which is on sale for $20 (normally $35).

I’ve fit an entire field kit in it for both my TR-25 and, later, my QMX.

It’s small, but it holds a surprising amount of gear. You can read the field report where I used this with my TR-25 here.

The Stash Pack is also on sale for $15. An insane value, in my opinion.

I’ve purchased a few of these for my family, friends, and myself.

These are small waist packs, but they’ll easily hold a minimalist QRP field kit. The one above holds a small kit I built around the MTR-3B Currahee and TinyGawant antenna. Read about that here.

Of course, it easily holds an Elecraft KH1.

A few other items are on sale, too, and I have to assume the sale runs while supplies last.

As many of you know, I’m quite the pack geek, and I can’t stress enough what a value these items are. The Hidden Woodsmen is selling hand-crafted, made-in-the-USA gear for prices you’d find for cheaply made items on Amazon.

I’ve no affiliation with The Hidden Woodsmen, just a very happy customer.

The Haversack you see above isn’t on sale, but at $150 I feel it’s an excellent value. This pack has been my main EDC bag for the better part of the year. I even took it to the UK this summer; I love it so much.

This is a great opportunity to buy a high-quality product from a cottage-industry company for your holiday gifts.

Check out The Hidden Woodsmen products here.

XHDATA D-228 Reader Discount Code: 40% Off Through September 20

I just received a message from our friends at XHDATA, and they’ve prepared a discount code for their D-228 portable receiver that they asked me to pass along to SWLing Post readers.

From now through September 20, 2026, you can take 40% off the D-228 using the promo code below:

  • Product: XHDATA D-228
  • Regular Price: $26.99
  • Discount: 40% off
  • Final Price: $16.19
  • Promo Code: CNEXZI9K
  • Valid through: September 20, 2026

At sixteen dollars, the D-228 falls squarely into “impulse buy” territory—handy as a backup travel radio or a spare to keep in the field bag. I haven’t posted a full write-up on this model yet, but when I’ve had a proper chance to put it on the air, I’ll share my thoughts here.

Full disclosure: this discount was provided to us by XHDATA, which is a proud sponsor of the SWLing Post.

Many thanks to our friends at XHDATA for supporting the SWLing Post!

XHDATA D-808 Radio

XHDATA Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals

Hi Folks!

Here are some discounts for popular XHDATA radios in time for Black Friday. Please note the dates listed for each item so you get the best deal.

Promotion Period: November 20 – December 1

Products & Links:

D808 (Black) – Black Friday Deal: $84.24
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4oOsPi0

D220 (Orange) – Black Friday Deal: $9.35
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4pgYiJs

D221 (Orange) – Black Friday Deal: $15.88
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/44dwMo7

D221 (Green) – Black Friday Deal: $15.88
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4oIMDDz

D219 1k (Green)  – Black Friday Deal: $13.59 (Promotion Period: November 28 – December 1)
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/48njBU4

Many thanks to XHDATA for their continued support of Thomas’ blog and its readers!
Robert K4PKM

Please note that these are Amazon affiliate links that support the SWLing POst at no cost to you. 

Radio Deals: Qodosen DX-286 on Sale

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Barry, who writes:

Thank you for the tip about the XHDATA deals on Amazon. I picked up a D-808; I’ve always wanted one.

Your readers might be interested to know that the Qodosen DX-286 is also on sale for $67.99 on Amazon. I already have one and love it. I paid $80 last year for it. This is the lowest price I’ve seen for it. Thanks.

Thanks for the tip, Barry! Click here to check out the Qodosen DX-286 on Amazon.com. Note that this spring sales event only lasts a few days and while supplies last. Also note that this link is an affiliate link that supports the SWLing Post at no cost to you!

[Updated] Radio Deals: The XHDATA D-808 and D-220 via Prime Spring Sale

Please note that two excellent shortwave portables are on sale during Amazon’s Prime Spring Sale:

XHDATA D-220 PortableThe D-808 remains a favorite among SWLing Post readers for its all-around great performance (Carlos Latuff even uses it for many of his recordings), while the D-220 earns praise for its affordability and simple, ultralight design — you might remember Jock Elliott’s “Nutty Idea” DX Contest last year, inspired by this little radio.

Additionally, XHDATA is a proud sponsor of the SWLing Post, and purchasing through these affiliate links helps support the site at no extra cost to you.

UPDATE: Additional Discounts

XHDATA sent me the following additional discounts for SWLing Post readers:

Note: Only available on Amazon US for the time being.

Exclusive Discount Details:

  • 5% Discount Code for R108 and D808 Radio (Black & Gray): 05D808SPRING
  • This discount can be combined with the Spring Deal Price!

Product Links:

R108: R108 Radio (Black)   R108 Radio (Gray)
D808: D808 Radio (Black)   D808 Radio (Gray)
Effective Dates:

From Mar 25, 2025, 00:00 to Mar 31, 2025, 23:59 (PST).

Amazon’s Prime Day: Radios and accessories on sale

Today is Amazon’s Prime Day and there are a number of radios and accessories at a heavier discount than they normally would be. I’ve been browsing this morning and made a list of some of the shortwave radio products included in the sale. Please note that the following links are Amazon affiliate links that also support the SWLing Post at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

There are actually many more models of shortwave radios (click here) and ham radio accessories (click here) in the sale today. I’ll try to add other items of interest today.