By Robert Gulley K4PKM
XHDATA recently contacted me about a new portable radio, the D-221, which will look very familiar, as it is based on the popular D-220 pocket radio. While not exactly listed as such, this is basically a radio intended for the American market with the inclusion of the NOAA weather radio coverage, and the elimination of the FM2 band geared toward a broader world-wide FM band coverage.
The D-220 (Left) and D-221 (Right) compared for size. (I like the Red!)
I was definitely interested in a weather band version of the D-220, especially since I was very impressed with the D-220 before the addition of this new feature. Within a few days I had a pre-release red(!) copy of the radio.
Here is how I described the D-220:
“The radio is small, 5” tall, 2-1/2 inches wide, and about 1 inch thick, very reminiscent of my first transistor radio in the (ahem) 1960s. It has an analog tuning dial, volume control, and slider switch to go between FM1/2, MW, and SW. It also has a headphone jack. It takes 2 AA batteries (very old school!), and, unlike my transistor radio of old, has a swing-out stand. That’s it. And, interestingly enough, that’s all it needs.”
The stand is a nice feature, and the AA battery makes a solid snap in place
As I already mentioned, the FM2 band has been replaced by the FM weather band, and reception quality is good. I am able to pick up three NOAA weather stations in my rural location, and that is quite acceptable. Any weather radio should be able to pick up at least two stations so that if one goes down, you can hear another station. Three stations or more is the gravy on top.
As with the D-220, the D-221 is simple to operate (no manual needed!), no menus, no bells and whistles, just the basics. Like its predecessor, for some, the tuning dial will be an aggravation as the tuning dial is very sensitive. It takes a light touch and has to be turned very slowly on the AM/FM/SW bands to avoid skipping over stations. I find it is still relatively easy to tune, even with my wide fingers. (The weather band is very easy to tune because of wide spacing between station frequencies.)
While the Tuning Dial is very sensitive, I had no problem selecting stations, just as with the D-220
Again, like its predecessor, the tuning dial is very firm and crisp tuning between stations, even on a very crowded FM band or on a tight SW band covering 5.6 to 22MHz.
AM and FM reception deliver a surprising number of stations, and even shortwave reception was better than I expected. The antenna is solid and unlikely to break except by rough handling, something many small radios overlook.
As for the sound, it remains very clear in this model, with the same oversized speaker producing loud but clear audio. As I have noted with other modern radios I have reviewed, one of their advantages is smaller components, which in turn, allows for bigger speakers.
Pros
- Great sound
- Solid antenna
- Impressive reception on all bands
- Weather Band!!
- Analog dial tuning, solid and easily turned slowly (see Cons)
Cons
- Very tight tuning dial with little space between stations (see Pros)
- Loss of FM/2 band and addition of weather band means this is basically geared toward American listeners, but the D-220 is still available and should be for a long time I suspect.
Conclusion
This is another solid little radio you can carry in a shirt pocket or jacket pocket easily, and is powered by the always available AA-sized batteries. The addition of the weather band really makes this a great carry around radio, especially if you live in parts of the country where it’s a good idea to keep abreast of what the weather is doing, as I do.
Here is a note I received today regarding the availability of the Radio on Amazon with a discount for Thomas’ readers (U.S. Amazon):
We’re excited to let you know that the new XHDATA D-221 Red is now available on Amazon US.
We’ve prepared an exclusive 20% discount code for your followers:
Discount Code: JYDB92HE
Promo Link:
A big thanks to XHDATA for supporting Thomas’ Blog and readers!
73, Robert K4PKM