Category Archives: Mediumwave

Helmut’s overview of the MLite-880

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Helmut Matt, who shares the following article, which originally appeared on his website:

The MLite-880

by Helmut Matt

SDR without a PC? Is that even possible? Even with a spectrum display? With the MLite-880, Elecevolve presents a world receiver that is as unusual as it is powerful—and truly one of a kind. A radio you can actually look at! What was previously possible mainly on a computer screen can now be enjoyed on this small, handy radio from Hong Kong in southern China—without any additional hardware—and with truly remarkable reception capabilities.

The Malachit MLite-880 was designed and developed by Russian reception experts and amateur radio operators Georgy Yatsuk (RC9CIM) and Vadim Burlakov (R6DCY). The company Elecevolve, which has long specialized in building extraordinary radio equipment, manufactured the radio and is also responsible for its particularly beautiful design.

The enclosed functional description is in English. Here is a German translation: To the manual

At first glance, the MLite-880 is simply a small, handy world receiver. What lies behind its 14.5 × 10 × 2 cm dimensions, however, is all the more surprising. In addition to a continuous AM frequency range from 130 kHz to 30 MHz and an extended FM range from 65 MHz to 108 MHz, it also covers the entire airband frequency range (108 MHz – 136 MHz) and the 2-meter band (144 MHz to 148 MHz), which is used by North American NOAA weather stations. The fact that the radio supports LSB, USB, and CW modulation modes is sure to delight amateur radio enthusiasts in particular. It also supports DSB, AM, SAM, NFM, and WFM. All of these settings can be customized individually.

The fold-out feature on the back of the device is very practical. The small tab—which allows the radio to be tilted into a DXer-friendly angle—also displays key information, including the frequency spectrum, modulation types, battery status, and more.

RDS information is recognized and displayed exceptionally quickly: both station names and information about the programs currently being broadcast appear on the display, if available.

On the top of the device is a slot for a mini-SD card. With the MLite-880, you can record music tracks or even entire programs up to a maximum of 16 GB—and listen to them again at any time later. The recording function is available for all frequency bands and all reception modes, making the device not only a radio and world receiver but also a full-fledged recorder.

The display is very clear and context-sensitive—meaning it adapts depending on the mode the radio is currently in. Particularly striking and, in my opinion, truly appealing is the visual representation of the currently received stations in a dynamic spectrum display.

The MLite with a waterfall display. On FM, it also features an RDS display.

The user can enter the desired frequency directly at any time, or adjust it using the rotary knob after selecting the desired frequency range. The step size for station search can also be customized. The rotary knob in the upper right corner has a dual function. By pressing it once, the user can switch between station search and volume control.

There’s also an equalizer that lets you adjust the sound profile. Whether it’s voice, pop, jazz, or much more—everyone can configure the radio to suit their own taste.

If you plug headphones into the designated jack—provided the signal is strong enough—you can enjoy FM stations in beautiful stereo sound. This is also possible with compatible Bluetooth headphones; the necessary functionality is built in. However, the MLite-880’s Bluetooth is not (yet) compatible with the iPhone or similar devices.

In the following, I would like to discuss the various features in detail.

FM

The FM frequency spectrum ranges from 64 MHz to 108 MHz. It can receive both the OIRT band (65.9 MHz – 74 MHz) and the standard FM band (87.5 MHz – 108 MHz)—as well as all frequencies between 74 MHz and 87.5 MHz.

Even when first turned on in the predefined standard mode, this small device sounds full and clear. Even more impressive is its excellent reception performance, which a Grundig Satellit 700 or a Sony ICF 7600GR cannot match in a direct comparison. At best, only newer devices such as the Choyong LC90, the Qodosen DX-286, or the Deepelec DP-666 offer comparable reception performance.

Both on FM and across all other frequency ranges, there are manual search and automatic scan options. On FM, both methods work very well; on shortwave, however, I would recommend manual search—especially for weaker signals—because weaker stations can easily be skipped during an automatic search. Of course, direct frequency entry is also possible anytime and anywhere.

Stations you particularly enjoy and listen to frequently can be saved in the memo section—again, regardless of the frequency band. Up to 500 stations can be saved this way.

The “WFM” (Wide FM) mode is the default for listening to FM stations. However, for very weak signals, you can switch to “NFM” (Narrow FM). Both settings can be adjusted individually in the audio menu. The bandwidth can also be freely configured, but in my tests, the “Auto” mode has proven to work exceptionally well, so I haven’t often needed to use the manual settings, even with weaker stations.

In addition to the built-in telescopic antenna, the MLite-880 also allows you to connect an external antenna. There is a built-in jack socket for this purpose. A jack-to-SMA adapter is also included in the package, so you can certainly connect a Yagi or other antenna for FM. This feature is particularly useful in the AM band, where my rotatable Wellbrook Loop roof antenna has performed very well and produced amazing results.

Longwave / Mediumwave / Shortwave

Long-wave reception is particularly susceptible to external influences. It is becoming increasingly rare to find rooms that are truly free of interference. However, when such a room is available, reception with the built-in antennas is relatively good—even compared to other world receivers. In this regard, the use of an external loop antenna has proven particularly effective. This morning, with the roof antenna connected, I was able to receive the XEPPM station from Mexico on 6185 kHz. However, the station could not be heard using the built-in telescopic antenna. On longwave here in southwestern Germany, for example, the BBC signal on 198 kHz could be heard very clearly. It’s worth noting that the longwave band on the MLite-880 starts at 130 kHz, making it easy to receive DWD weather signals as well.

The back cover

The MLite-880’s noise reduction is truly impressive. The volume of the noise-reduction function can be adjusted individually, but even with the device’s default setting, you can listen to heavily noisy AM signals with virtually no interference. The usual crackling and chirping, familiar from earlier models, is also largely a thing of the past. For example, today Channel 292 at 6070 kHz was relatively weak, with a SINPO rating of 35333. After pressing the “NR” (Noise Reduction) button, virtually none of the noise was audible anymore.

Noise Reduction on the MLite-880

It’s certainly worth mentioning the distinction between amateur bands and broadcasting bands. When a specific band is selected, the corresponding reception mode (LSB, USB, AM, etc.) is already preset. Of course, the frequencies and modes can also be changed manually [1]—as can the step size [2].

AIR-Band / NOAA

Frequencies above the FM band can also be received. However, the NOAA weather service is only available in the United States. Overall, the frequencies from 108 MHz to 165 MHz are available without interruption, so that aviation radio can also be monitored, provided you are within range or in the reception area of an airport.

Radio Recording

A microSD card with up to 16 GB of capacity can be inserted into the designated slot. You can record quite a lot on a card like that. The files are saved in WAV format and can then be played back either on the MLite-800 itself or on another device, such as a PC. This allows you to record entire programs—or even individual tracks. With tools like “Audacity,” you can easily cut, edit, and convert the recordings. Unfortunately, scheduling recordings in advance is not yet possible—at least, I haven’t found a corresponding feature so far. Hopefully, this can be implemented with a future firmware update. By the way, such updates can be found on the Elecevolve website under the “Downloads” menu item. Updating the firmware is very easy using the Windows Updater (also available there).

Firmware Update

So they’ve thought of that, too: From time to time, Elecevolve provides its customers with firmware updates that fix potential vulnerabilities and add new features. These are available for free at https://www.elecevolve.com/download/. To update the firmware, you’ll need the Windows Helper, which you can also find there. Using the search function, the “Helper” automatically finds the latest version. However, you should make sure the device has sufficient battery power before updating. You may see a warning or error message when installing the “Windows Helper” on your PC for the first time. If you downloaded it from the official website, you can ignore this message and install the program without concern.

Conclusion

A visual delight and technically sophisticated. That’s how I’d describe the MLite-880 from the Hong Kong-based company Elecevolve in a few words. Sure, there’s still room for optimization here and there. I expect there will be firmware updates, enhancements, and improvements in the future as well. Even now, I’d recommend buying this radio. It’s a lot of fun, and so far I haven’t found any other radio or world receiver where AM is this much fun. The variety of tuning and reception options is overwhelming. In my opinion, the noise reduction in particular is a huge success, and the beautiful waterfall display is a nice bonus.

Tips

The high-performance 21700 battery is included free of charge with the purchase of an MLite-880. It can now also be ordered from online retailers and specialty stores. A charging cable and an antenna adapter are also included in the package.

The most affordable way to purchase the MLite-880 right now is to order directly from the manufacturer. Elecevolve has also set up a download section on its website where all important manuals, firmware, and utilities can be downloaded for free.

SWLing Post readers: You can find Helmut’s original English review of the MLite-880 by clicking here. You can find the German version of his website by clicking here. Full disclosure: Elecevolve recently became a proud sponsor of the SWLing Post.

Radio Bonaire 1530: A Mediumwave Station Built for Emergencies

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

Hi Thomas

Radio Bonaire 1530 went on the air July 27, 2026.

According to its website,

“Radio Bonaire 1530 is your source of information during emergencies, specifically for residents and visitors of Bonaire. Thanks to an off-grid system and continuous broadcasting, you stay informed at all times, even during power outages or other emergencies.”

It continues:

How did the idea come about?

During the major, prolonged blackout of 2023, all sorts of things went wrong.

The FM transmitters located at Subi Rincon had no audio; the studio also had no power, so nothing was being sent to the FM transmitters.

Most FM stations had already gone off the air, and those still broadcasting had no sound. Eventually, these stations also went off the air as their backup power ran out.

For many, the internet was also inaccessible because the Wi-Fi modems in their homes had no power.

Phones could still be used for quite a while; however, making calls was virtually impossible because everyone wanted to do so at the same time. But after 36 hours, the telephone connections also failed one by one.

In response, a few amateur radio enthusiasts put their heads together. Some already had experience setting up so-called LPAM transmitters in the Netherlands—LPAM stands for Low Power AM on the medium wave band. These LPAM transmitters achieved a remarkably wide range despite their low power output (400 watts).”

You can find more information on their web page at: https://bonaire1530.nl/en/

I came across the station last night, purely by chance, while doing some random tuning on a KiwiSDR located, where else, but on Bonaire. Here is a recording that I made around 0400 hours UTC.

While most of the announcements (about the 3:20 mark) are in (presumed) Dutch, there is a brief one and a jingle in English.

Mark’s First Impressions of the PK MW Loop

4 Replies

by Mark (M7MHY)

It was while travelling in the Greek islands a few weeks ago, I first spoke to Paul Karlstrand.

I’d sent him an email, requesting a shipping quote from his home country in Australia to mine, Scotland, UK. I got a prompt reply, and he was only too happy to answer any questions I had, not only regarding shipping, but with any other queries I may have had concerning his loops. What a nice guy.

Fast forward to present day and I’ve been using his 36cm MW passive loop (catalogue code ‘TAM’) for a few days now. From paying the invoice through PayPal, the loop being built and assembled, to arriving on my doorstep around 11,000 miles later – it took just 10 days.

The free pen is a nice touch!

This is most certainly not a review of the antenna, it’s just a quick note on my observations and experience from the hours of enjoyment I’ve now had using it.

My conclusion? It’s brilliant.

I’ve caught several stations now generally not audible through the day with the Tecsun AN-200. The signal gain of the larger 36cm diameter PK loop compared with the 22cm Tecsun, improves reception quite drastically. Combined with a ‘split band?’ switch from 525 to 710kHz in the left position and from 710 to 1725kHz on the right, it does a great job of matching the radio’s tuned frequency to the loop without feeling finicky while turning the knob.

MW band is split into two sections

Of course, during grey line propagation or after dark, things just keep getting better. I have a few low power ‘test’ stations that I’ll use to check conditions and test radios and antennas with and am pleased to report, that the PK Loop 36cm performed remarkably in its job of funneling those weak signals into my receiver.

Pulling in some weak signals during the twilight hours

These products are very well made and are obviously manufactured with passion, care and attention. I think it would be very difficult to break or damage one, within the confines of normal use.

As soon as I can think of an elaborate enough story to tell my other half, explaining why another large package has arrived from Australia – I can see myself ordering the larger 50cm version from Paul, too.

Click here to check out PK’s Loop Antennas.

Mark (M7MHY)

BBC Radio 5 Live Closing More AM Transmitters

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Majid Hussain, who points us to this RadioToday report on the BBC’s continuing reduction of its mediumwave footprint.

The BBC has begun the phased closure of some BBC Radio 5 Live AM transmitters, with the first two transmitters scheduled to close at the end of July. The move is part of the BBC’s broader transition toward FM, DAB, television, and online listening, and marks another significant step in the gradual decline of AM broadcasting in the UK.

Click here to read the full article.

Bob’s Radio Corner: Which Antenna Input is Better? – A Case Study

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By Bob Colegrove

A DXer recently posted the following question on the Internet: “Why do I get a much stronger signal if I clip a long wire to the telescoping antenna than if I connect it to the external jack”? He then postulated that this might be due to different input impedances at each point. Different receiver input impedances could affect the performance of a long wire antenna at a specific frequency.

The question reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago with both the Grundig Satellit 750 and 800. Different radios than that in question, but the same results. What follows describes a little-known feature I stumbled across (no claim to discovery) on the Satellit 750. Later, when I got a Satellit 800, I found it also worked on the older big brother.

The 750 and 800 radios share similar appearances and many of the same features, among them the various antenna input options, including a 50-ohm SO-239 for LW, MW, and SW; a 500-ohm pair of compression clamps for long wires when tuning the same bands; an F-connector for VHF; and a lengthy whip antenna which can be used on any band. Input selections are made with a pair of switches adjacent to the terminals on the back or side of the radio.

To mitigate noise, I use resonant loops to the exclusion of almost everything else. Just for fun, I tried the whip antenna as an input for a loop. Understand that the whip is a single-pole, electric field probe. There is no accompanying ground, or, as it is more euphemistically termed these days, a “counterpoise.” Thus, for application of a dipole or loop antenna, one must find a counterpoise. This was easier than expected, as it turned out to be the otherwise unused compression ground terminal for the 500-ohm input. When coupling antennas on radios, it does not always have to be invasive. I managed to temporarily jury-rig the connections to the loop antenna. The receiver came alive.

What’s going on here? A check of the block diagram and schematic provided the answer. The circuit for the radio’s whip antenna input contains an additional RF amplifier stage, which is not used for either the 50- or 500-Ohm external antenna inputs.

For anyone interested, the easiest download for the block diagram (Sheet 2) and RF schematic (Sheet 4) is at https://elektrotanya.com/grundig_satellit-800_sch.pdf/download.html#dl. These drawings are labeled for the Chinese Ham-2000 branding of the Satellit 800 and are fuzzy but readable.

Besides this subtle suggestion, the only other clue I have been able to find for this circuit came from the review in the 2002 edition of Passport to World Band Radio. “Weak-signal shortwave sensitivity with an external antenna can be boosted by setting antenna switch to ‘whip,’ thus adding preamplification…” (p.129); [sic] and using the whip for the input.

The effort soon became one of rendering the connection between the loop (or any dipole) antenna and the receiver more permanent. There was a time when I might have violated the integrity of the radio and done a proper job of it. A proper job would be to completely bypass any potential unshielded source of RF, in this case, the whip itself, and connect a shielded lead-in directly to the amplifier. At this point I didn’t want to make any permanent alterations to an otherwise museum-quality unit. Truth be told, I’ve grown averse to exertion of any unnecessary effort. The result is certainly not elegant. Further, the lack of shielding around the exposed whip might potentially compromise the results. Nevertheless, the kluge pictured below was fabricated and works surprisingly well, maintaining normal peak and null responses from the loop.

The ”hot” terminal of a 3.5-mm jack, compatible with the plugs on my antennas, has been soldered to an alligator clip, which, in turn, is connected to the top of the collapsed whip antenna on the radio. The “counterpoise” is a short piece of hookup wire connected between the ground lug on the 3.5-mm jack and the grounded compression terminal on the radio. Without a counterpoise for a loop or dipole, it will simply act as an electric field extension of the whip. The only other requirement is to set the “SW” switch (also used for LW and MW) to the “WHIP” position.

If you’re working with a long wire (monopole), forget all that stuff above, and just clip the wire to the top of the whip. I will add a caution about connecting long wires. Semiconductors are vulnerable to high voltage input. Electrostatic discharge, either atmospheric or bodily, has been known to ruin input circuits. Fortunately, this does not appear to be a problem in recent years, and the external wire packed with your radio is likely quite safe for experimentation.

I am not a big fan of active antennas, feeling they are often a source of additional noise. However, in the case of this little deviation from the normal antenna inputs on these radios, the amp is already there, and the result has been very satisfying, proving once again that a bit of tinkering in this pastime is sometimes advantageous. Note: For many portable radios, the whip input does not work on LW and MW, so this approach will only apply to SW.

If there is a point to this posting, it is in the form of a question: Are there any other radios having one of their inputs augmented (amplified) – likely the whip? The fact that a radio is equipped with a whip antenna indicates that, by design, it is intended to be portable. For LW, MW and SW, this means whip antennas pose an acceptable operational handicap. This compromise permits the listener some flexibility to move around with the radio. So, it’s reasonable that designers may have chosen to augment the whip with some internal amplification.

Finally, don’t give up on an antenna input which appears to be less sensitive. It may be more responsive on a different band, or it may mitigate overload produced by the hotter input. Whether it’s a case of different input impedances or an extra RF amplifier inserted on the whip, it’s in a DXer’s interest to find out if performance differs for each input on their own radio.

Sharp SG-220 all-in-one stereo system

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes:

Since the Brazilian government adopted legislation allowing AM stations to migrate to FM, the medium-wave spectrum has become more favorable for the propagation of radio signals from other countries—specifically, in the case of southern Brazil, from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. As night falls, the radio dial in Porto Alegre fills with Spanish-speaking broadcasts. And any receiver can pick up these transmissions—and I mean *any* receiver, including this Sharp SG-220 all-in-one stereo system from the late 1970s.

As long as the neighbors don’t turn on any electrical appliances (which cause terrible interference), it’s possible to tune in perfectly to stations from those countries. In this video, I take a quick tour of the stereo system’s dial so you can get an idea of ??what I’m talking about, including an Illustrated Radio Listening Report.

Pocket-Sized DX: Mark’s Roberts Sports 995 Review

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (M7MHY), who shares the following review:

Impressive Pocket Performance!

‘Shirt pocket’ radios are one of my favourite aspects of the hobby. For me, nothing quite beats the enjoyment of cruising the MW band (and a little SWLing on radios that allow), with a tiny, generally inexpensive unit and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with these receivers and their mini-sized internal ferrite bars. I think there should be another subsection of the ultralight category to accommodate such radios – “super ultralight”!

Both radios are of ‘ultralight’ status, but note the size difference.

A couple of days ago, the mail arrived and with it, brought another ‘shirt pocket’ radio for my ever-growing collection – a Roberts Sports 995, which I believe to be a rebadged Sangean DT-120 for the UK market.

Two AAA batteries brought it to life, and a quick glance at the manual told me how to set the clock. I plugged in my headphones and confirmed all was working before waiting patiently for the dark hours to arrive.

I live in a rural location just outside of Edinburgh, Scotland and my band scan was done indoors ‘barefoot’ – with no passive MW loops or suchlike, anywhere in sight.

I settled in with the new radio around 12:30 am and began to scan the medium wave frequencies.

I have omitted the strong daytime stations from this list. Here are my results;

648 kHz – Radio Caroline, Orford Ness, Suffolk, 4kW

327 miles

882kHz – BBC Radio Wales, Washford, Somerset, 10kW

324 miles

972kHz – Sunrise Radio, Southall, London, 1.6kW

323 miles

999kHz – Cadena COPE, Madrid, Spain, 50kW

1067 miles

1035kHz – Lyca Gold, Southall, London, 2.5kW

323 miles

1116kHz – BBC Radio Derby, Burnaston Lane, Derby, 1kW

217 miles

1170kHz – unable to ID foreign station

1260kHz – unable to ID foreign station

1296kHz – Radio XL, Birmingham, 10kW

239 miles

1305kHz – Premier Christian Radio, Chingford, London, 0.5kW

322 miles

1368kHz – Manx Radio, Foxdale, Isle of Man, 20kW

129 miles

1386kHz – Radio Baltic Waves International, Viesintos, Lithuania, 75kW

1093 miles

1458kHz – BBC Asian Network, Birmingham, 5kW

239 miles

1467 kHz – TWR Europe, Roumoules, France, 1000 kW

930 miles

1557kHz – Radio Letna, Kaunas, Lithuania, 50kW

1064 miles

1602kHz – unable to ID foreign station

I am fortunate enough to own a number of this style of radio, and this is without doubt the best performance I’ve experienced with one of these. The Roberts Sports 995 truly is, in my opinion, a tiny DX machine, which will only improve further with an MW loop. I know of no better performing “super ultralight” in this price category (RRP £39.99). It is well worth considering if you happen to enjoy this area of the radio hobby as much as I do.

Best 73’s

Mark

M7MHY