Category Archives: Deals

Some select Black Friday Deals for 2022

[Note: This info. is also posted on our sister site, QRPer.com.]

The very affordable, tiny, and retro Raddy RF750 is on sale for $34.39. We have never tested it, but it receives mostly positive reviews.

I’ve been trying to avoid looking at sales this week because I don’t really need anything. That said, I’ve had a few pieces of gear on my mind that I’ve been wanting to review/evaluate and Black Friday has made a few of them more accessible.

Nanuk Waterproof Cases

If you’re not familiar with Nanuk, they produce a wide variety of waterproof cases in Canada. They’re essentially Canada’s version of the Pelican case.

I’ve been eyeing their Nanuk 903 which is actually a very compact case–something similar in size to the Pelican 1060 and the Evergreen 56.

Nanuk, DX Engineering, and Amazon all have their Nanuk cases on sale today. I picked up a Nanuk 903 that I hope to use with one of my ultra-compact field radios (perhaps the Penntek TR-35).

Prices vary, but Amazon seems to have the lowest. I just purchased a blue Nanuk 903 with pick foam for $28.00 shipped (affiliate link). Other colors may cost a few dollars more, but they’re all exceptional deals (I picked the least expensive color).

CP Gear Tactical

I believe it was Rod (VA3ON) who first introduced me to this Canada-based pack manufacturer.

I’ve had their their Aircrew/Pubs Bag with Padded Tablet Pocket on my wish list since the Ham Radio Workbench podcast episode where we talked about backpacks and pouches. CP Gear Tactical manufactures a wide variety of gear primarily for the Canadian military market. Everything is made either in Canada (NB) or the US (or both), thus prices are much higher than mass produced gear.

I’m hoping their Aircrew bag might fit my 2nd Yaesu FT-817ND which is now outfitted with the TPA-817 pack frame I purchased from a reader. If it doesn’t, I still have many other uses in mind.

Everything in their store is 20% off today if you use the coupon code BKFRIDAY20.

The pack, shipped to my address in the US was $92.60 CAD.

Yaesu FT-891

I noticed that Gigaparts and Ham Radio Outlet has the venerable Yaesu FT-891 on sale for $599.95 US. That’s a brilliant deal.

Last year, I came so close to buying the FT-891 for $629 during a Black Friday sale. I decided against it at the last moment because I know I tend to reach for my lightweight QRP field radios that can provide me a few hours of radio fun on a 3Ah battery. Even at QRP output levels, the FT-891 needs a larger capacity battery.

That said, if you’re looking for a new 100W radio for the shack or field? The FT-891 is a solid choice. The ‘891 is also an excellent general coverage radio for shortwave radio listening.

Radioddity

Radioddity always has deep discounts on Black Friday. This year, they have a store-wide 15% off sale with a coupon code.

Radioddity is a great place to purchase Xiegu Products. They are a sponsor of QRPer.com.

SDRplay RSPdx

SDRplay manufactures affordable, high-performance SDR receivers in the UK. They are currently offering their RSPdx for £130/€156/$169.95. Click here for details and click here for my review of the RSPdx. The RSPdx is a choice radio for mediumwave and low band work. That said, the frequency range is exceptionally wide. This and the RSPduo are my favorites from SDRplay. Note that SDRplay is a sponsor of the SWLing Post.

Airspy

Another SDR and radio accessory manufacturer, Airspy, is offering 20% off of all of their products. I consider their HF+ Discovery SDR to be one of the best sub-$200 SDRs for the HF bands–check out these posts and reviews on the SWLing Post.

Amazon portable radio deals

I noticed that Amazon.com does have a wide variety of shortwave portables in their Black Friday sale. Click here to search through the ones listed in the Black Friday promotion (affiliate link).

Ham radio retailers with Black Friday deals

Here’s a list of ham radio retailers who have Black Friday sales today. If you’ve been looking for an item in particular, you might compare prices between these stores:

DX Engineering (US)
Gigaparts (US)
HamRadio Outlet (US)
ML&S (UK)
Radio World (Canada)
Radioddity (Global)
Waters and Stanton (UK)

Spot any other great deals? Share them in the comments section!

Spread the radio love

SDRplay Special RSPdx holiday promotion

4 Replies

SDRplay RSPdx SDR

(Source: SDRplay)

SDRplay Special RSPdx holiday promotion

At SDRplay, we recognise that times are very tough for a lot of people. In view of the economic pressures that people are facing, we want to lend a helping hand by offering the very popular RSPdx at a special low price for this holiday buying season. After discussions with our dealer network, from Black Friday until the 31^st December, we (along with participating dealers) plan to offer the RSPdx at a holiday discounted suggested retail price of £130/€156/$169.95 plus shipping and any applicable taxes. This represents a substantial discount of more than one fifth when compared to the normal retail price.

Starting midnight EST, Thursday November 24th visit https://www.sdrplay.com/purchasehome/ to purchase an RSPdx at the special price or contact your local SDRplay dealer for more details. Please also note that stocks are limited and this offer will certainly end on the 31^st December and prices will revert to normal commercial levels thereafter.

This is a great opportunity to get the RSPdx as a gift for a newcomer or a returning radio enthusiast at a price which won’t be repeated, as our suppliers are already increasing their prices for the new year.

Prices shown are prices offered when buying direct from SDRplay. Shipping and taxes are extra. SDRplay ships from the UK to most countries in the world. However some countries will require import duty to be paid on top.
SDRplay dealers who usually include free shipping will adjust the prices accordingly
Check with your local dealer to see if they are participating.
Links to both the SDRplay direct purchasing page and our list of authorised resellers can be found here

Spread the radio love

Ham & HiFi offers readers discounts on the original CHA-RXL mag loop antenna

1 Reply

I received the following message/announcement below from Ethan at Ham & HiFi regarding some inventory they have of the original Chameleon CHA RXL loop antenna. This antenna is the one Dan Robinson originally reviewed and Josh at Ham Radio Crash Course demonstrated in a video.

Note that they’re offering this deal as an exclusive to SWLing Post readers and also volunteered to give back a modest percentage of the sales to the SWLing Post coffee fund. They would obviously like to move this inventory, hence the discounts, etc.

This antenna would benefit from a BCI filter especially if you live near a broadcast station; something like this one (you would need adapters for SMAs). As Ethan notes this loop has been replaced by the CHA RXL-Pro at Chameleon (click here to read Dan’s review of the new loop).

Many thanks to Ethan for sharing the following announcement/promotion:

Here’s a great chance to pick up a Chameleon RXL LOOP antenna at an unbeatable price! This broad-banded receiving antenna is perfect for shortwave listening and other applications as it covers 137.5KHz through 30.0MHz. The only difference between this antenna and Chameleon’s new RXL PRO is the preamp design, otherwise its construction is identical.

Ham & HiFi is making these RXL LOOP antennas available to SWLing.com subscribers for $320 + shipping. The new RXL PRO retails for $525, so this is a great chance to save some money! Again, this price is only available to SWLing Post subscribers, so please be sure to reference this promotion.

Place your order by contacting Ethan at 866-988-0073 or email at KG7LOV@hamandhifi.com.

Spread the radio love

Les spots a near-mint Lowe HF-225 on eBay for $550 shipped

6 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Les (K3JTP), who writes:

Lowe HF225 with FM and AM Synchro offered on eBay at about US$500 + US$50 shipping from Netherlands. Almost mint condition,. A rare find of a highly rated receiver made in the UK.

Click here to view on eBay (partner link).

Thank you so much for sharing this, Les. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always wanted a Lowe and I’m quite fond of the simple display on the 225. INdeed, I think one of the strong points of Lowe was a focus on audio and reception all while keeping the controls and package so incredibly simple. This seller has a perfect rating and the radio is obviously in wonderful cosmetic shape. This will make someone a happy Lowe owner.

Thanks again for sharing, Les!

Spread the radio love

Grab a new Eton Elite Executive at Woot for $79.99

12 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ulis (K3LU), who notes that the discount retailer Woot has the Eton Elite Executive on sale for $79.99 US.

Click here to check it out.

Thanks so much for the tip, Ulis!

Spread the radio love

A selection of Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2021 Radio Deals

7 Replies

While I’m not exactly in the market for anything other than a few radio accessories, I have been checking out some Black Friday Deals online. I must admit that there seems to be even more deals this year than there were last year.

A few retailers worth checking out (in alphabetical order):

Airspy

As we mentioned in a previous post, AirSpy is once again offering huge discounts via their international distributors. This is a great time to snag the HF+ Discovery.

C.Crane

C.Crane has a small selection of items on deep discount for Black Friday including two of their popular SoftSpeaker pillow speakers and an LED flashlight. Click here to check out their deals.

Elecraft

US manufacturer, Elecraft, has included a number of products in their Black Friday sale. Note that some items may have a 6-8 week lead time. I’m a massive fan of their KX2 and KX3 transceivers–they currently have shack-in-a-box KX2/KX3 packages in their promotion. Click here to check out their sale.

GigaParts

GigaParts always has an impressive number of items in their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. They have the super popular Yaesu FT-891–which is a great general coverage transceiver for broadcast band listening–for $629.95. I also noticed they have the Icom IC-R6 wideband handheld receiver in stock for $185.95. Click here to check out all of their deals.

Ham Radio Outlet

HRO has a number of radio items in their Black Friday sale. In particular, they have the SDRplay RSP1A wideband SDR for $99.95. They also have the Yaesu FT-891 for $629.95. They’ve many more deals, so check out their homepage for details.

Ham Test Online

Ham Test Online is offering a sale on their online license self-paced programs. Everyone in my family used this system for at least one license level and it worked brilliantly. From their newsletter:

Take advantage of our Black Friday Cyber Weekend Sale from Black Friday through Cyber Monday (November 26-29). If you’ve been wanting to get your license or upgrade, do it now and save $10 on each of our courses and $35 on the FCC fee:

Technician — $19.95 (33% off the $29.95 list price).

General — $24.95 (29% off the $34.95 list price).

Extra — $29.95 (25% off the $39.95 list price).

Renewal — $14.95 (50% off the $29.95 list price).

Click here to check it out at Ham Test Online.

Main Trading Company (MTC)

Two readers note that MTC is having a year sale which includes a Tecsun PL-880 for $169 and a number of radios and accessories.

Click here to check out their home page.

Radioddity

Radioddity’s Black Friday sale includes 15% off site-wide. They’re one of the biggest Xiegu retailers, so if you’ve been considering a G90, X5105, or the new X6100 for example, this would be a great time to purchase. Click here to check out their deals (use the discount code BFCM).