Tag Archives: shortwave

The XHDATA D-219 Shirt-Pocket Radio

The XHDATA D-219 is a shirt-pocket radio which performs quite well, especially given the low price point of ~$13. Paul Jamet has already done an excellent review of this radio (even the same color as mine!) which can be found here. I encourage you to check out Paul’s excellent review, as I am only going to add my experience with the review radio I was sent by XHDATA.

As I typically do, I tested the radio stock – no additional antenna support or boost. Like any portable, a clip-on wire would likely boost performance, but I test radios in their basic state when promoted as a portable radio like the D-219.

Reception was quite good from the solid antenna and (presumably) internal ferrite. AM stations were plentiful and loud; FM stations were also solid and plentiful to my rural location. Shortwave radio was surprisingly good considering the use of the telescopic antenna. The antenna is made well, rotatable, and solid enough for any typical handling.

The side tuning dial is sensitive but very controllable, with slight adjustments bringing in new stations. For such a small radio, I had no difficulty reading the analog-style display, and the front slider moved between bands easily.

On/Off switch, DC 5V input, and headphone jack along with Kickstand

I appreciate that the radio runs on two standard AA batteries, and has a fold out kickstand. It does also have a DC 5V input (power cable not included), but I did not test it for noise/birdies as again, to me a portable radio will not, under normal circumstances, be tethered to an outlet (did I mention I hate wires?!).

With headphones plugged in the audio is strong and clear, mono, but coming in both sides for that middle of the head effect. Of course, it also works with a single earbud with a mono or stereo plug on the end. Audio without the headphones is also good – as I have noticed with many of the newer Chinese radios, miniaturization allows more room for speakers, and the D-219 does not disappoint.

At this price-point it is hard to find fault with the radio. Within its reasonable limitations, it performs way above what one might expect, as do many of the new radio offerings. Analog looks with digital precision – what’s not to like?! Besides, being a retro kind of guy, I like these portable radios for on-the-go listening!

73, Robert K4PKM

Giuseppe’s Ingenious Recycled Antenna Board for SW & MW Listening

6 Replies

Screenshot

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Giuseppe Morlè, who writes:

Dear Thomas,

I’m Giuseppe Morlè, IZ0GZW, from Formia, in central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

I’d like to show you my antenna board for shortwave and mediumwave listening with portable receivers like the Tecsun PL-660.

The board has two distinct circuits:

- - A small-diameter loop with two turns for shortwave reception (3.5–18 MHz).
  - Three ferrite rods with 30 turns each, plus a four-turn link coil that carries the signal to the receiver for mediumwave reception.

In the video, you’ll see how the board works on its own, and then how performance improves when I connect a 15-meter wire and throw it over the balcony of my house. In that case, the signal becomes much stronger.

Tuning is done with a 900 pF variable capacitor. To listen to mediumwave, I simply disconnect one side of the shortwave loop. With just that single variable capacitor, I can tune all of the bands.

It’s a surprisingly effective antenna for small portable receivers, and it’s built entirely from recycled materials—at no cost.

I hope you enjoy it. Greetings to all the friends of the SWLing Post.

73, Giuseppe Morlè, IZ0GZW

Click here to view on YouTube.

Many thanks, Giuseppe, for once again sharing your creativity with us. I’m always impressed by the antennas you design and by the performance you achieve—especially considering they’re largely homebrewed from recycled parts. That’s radio at its very best!

[Note that his video is in Italian, but you can turn on subtitles for your preferred language.]

Raddy RF750Plus: A Miniature Wonder!

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Robert K4PKM

Raddy has come out with what I call a miniature wonder – a feature-rich radio that really does fit in the palm of your hand!

The Raddy RF750Plus is a very small radio. It measures roughly 2”x3”x1-1/2” without either antenna extended/attached. In fact, one of the reasons I agreed to review yet another shortwave radio from Raddy was because this was so small. Frankly, I was curious whether this radio would have real usability, or would it just be a cute little “toy” radio. Well, it definitely falls into the “real usability” category for those who want to take a small radio along with them wherever they go, even in their shirt pocket!

This is truly a hand-holdable radio!

Quite the size difference!

Okay, enough about the size, for now. This radio has most of the typical features we have come to expect from small portable radios these days. Rather than repeat what features it has myself, here is the main information from Raddy’s website:

RF750 PLUS Brings You:

Multi-band and 3-in-1 Receiver: BT speaker, SD card music player.

APP Control.

Enhanced AM Reception with an extra T-type antenna.

User-friendly features like USB-C charging & headset port, a replaceable lithium battery, and SOS alarm

Specifications
Reception Range:
FM: 64.0-108MHz
AM: 520-1710KHz
SW: 4.75-21.85MHz
WB: 162.40-162.55MHz(Only US)
Receiving sensitivity: FM/WB: ?18dB / AM: ?86dB / SW: ?30dB
Preset Stations: Total 297
Quiescent current: ?50uA
Max current: ?800mA
Speaker: 4? 3W
Bluetooth version: Ver 5.2
Min working voltage: 3.4V
External input voltage: DC5V
Lithium battery: 3.7V
TF card playback Format: MP3/WMA/WAV /APE/FLAC
TF card capacity: ?256GB
Battery: BL5C 3.7V 1000mAh
Earphone output: Type-C
Dimension: 2.2×3.0x1.7 inches / 75x56x44 mm
Weight: 7.9oz / 226g

What’s in the box?
1 x RF750 PLUS Shortwave Radio
1 x T-Type Antenna
1 x Type-C Charging Cable
1 x Type-C to 3.5mm Adapter
1 x Strap
1 x Carabiner
1 x User Manual

I have tested the app on an iPhone and it worked right out of the box, using the same app as other Raddy radios, and I have to admit, it’s the way to go if the radio is stationary. It is easy to tune through the app keyboard, as well as change various settings.

Several nice features deserve special mention with the radio. One is its heft. This is not a lightweight radio compared to its size. It will easily stand on its own without blowing over in reasonable conditions. As one might expect, the weakest point is the antenna – one must be aware of its limitations. It is telescopic, but not rotatable. In reaching for the radio, it stands quite a bit taller than the radio itself, so you should be careful to look at what you are grabbing!

A second nice feature is the included external AM antenna which does rotate, and which does a nice job of pulling in signals. You may already have similar, larger external antennas which will also work with the radio, but the one included performs well.

A third feature I find well-thought out are the covers for the various jacks, such as the external antenna cover, the USB-C cover, and the TF card cover. These open easily, but also snap into place to provide a good level of dust and moisture control.

Finally, the included cables for charging and for adapting a set of earphones/headphones are a welcome touch at this price point.

You will definitely want to read the manual to operate this radio!

Performance

Audio quality is good, with full sound despite the speaker being housed in a small unit. FM sounds excellent (though not in stereo through the earphone jack/adapter, but does come out of both sides), as does AM with strong signals. Naturally weaker AM signals are typical of any radio, but there is some adjustment possible with the equalizer settings available should you want to experiment.

Shortwave reception is adequate given the length of the antenna, but not a powerhouse, which is to be expected for a radio in this class. Stronger stations come in fine with good audio, but this is not a radio with which you will go DX hunting on the SW bands. Like many small portable radios, this is primarily an AM/FM/Weather radio, with shortwave thrown in as a bonus.

As for the NOAA weather stations, I receive only one of the stations at my home, while other portables may receive up to three. Of course, location is the primary factor here, so your mileage may vary. The one it receives is very strong, and a second station is very faint – but that might also be due to being inside when testing.

Pros and Cons

Pros –

Small size (see also Cons)
Solid case with good weight
Good sound
2-speed scanning – hold the joystick to start tuning and then release, or hold it a bit longer and get much faster tuning, great for shortwave bands
Excellent app for iPhone (and likely excellent for Android)
Dust/Moisture covers
Lots of lights 🙂
Included cables and replaceable battery
External antenna included
Includes a bubble level – who knows when that might come in handy?!
SOS feature
Price (currently $34.99 on Raddy site during anniversary sale)

Cons –

Small size (see also Pros) – large hands may have difficulty switching modes with the power button
Power button requires quick double press to change modes – at first I thought it was not working until I moved more quickly.
Multi-function joystick has a lot of tasks depending on mode – being small might make this more difficult to operate or achieve desired action. I did adjust pretty quickly to this.
Antenna is flimsy, but if handled properly still should last without issue.

Conclusions

This is a nice little radio which takes up very little space, can be carried in a shirt pocket, and has a lot of features packed inside its solid frame. The price is very reasonable for what it offers, and the ability to use an app to control it is a great feature given its small footprint. Frankly, I cannot see how one could make a smaller radio with all this functionality, except perhaps in a James Bond movie! We do live in rather amazing times! Cheers!

Available at Raddy ($34.99 USD at time of writing; $41.99 regularly)

Available at Amazon

Paul’s Vesti FM Test Broadcast Recordings and eQSL

Off-Air Recordings

Vesti FM on 13,730 kHz at 19:40 UTC on May 19, 2025:

Vesti FM on 13,730 kHz at 19:43 UTC on May 19, 2025:

Remembering Pope Francis through Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Reports

Pope Francis in the Archives

A few illustrated radio listening reports about Pope Francis from 2021 to 2025

Solar Ham Website News

7 Replies

A website I have used (and supported) regularly for the last 18 years is currently off-line, taking, according to the site’s founder, “an extended break” for the foreseeable future. The SolarHam.com site, operated by Kevin Gibeau, VE3EN, has been an amazing resource for solar weather news for amateur radio folks, astronomers, and, I suspect, hobbyists and professionals from many fields.

I, like many others, will miss the site, and wish Kevin well, and look for his (hopefully soon!) return.

Here is the note posted today on the Solar Ham Space Weather Website:

After 19 years SolarHam will be taking an extended break. The current world events and life in general has made me want to refocus my attention on what matters most, my daughter, my family and my health. Thank you all for the support over the past two decades, I really cannot thank you enough. Space Weather will always remain a passion of mine, but as of right now my heart is not fully committed and that is not fair to you my followers. I hope to return once I feel well enough. Sorry for the sudden departure and I hope you understand.
Kevin (SolarHam).

Robert, K4PKM

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of Radyo Pilipinas (November 12, 2024)

Shanghai Meteorological Bureau radiofax

Shanghai Meteorological Bureau radiofax, just received in Rio de Janeiro (12382 kHz).
Philippines is the target of three tropical storms: Usagi, Toraji and Man-yi.