{"id":30988,"date":"2018-02-25T13:59:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-25T17:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=30988"},"modified":"2018-02-25T13:59:28","modified_gmt":"2018-02-25T17:59:28","slug":"a-review-of-the-tivdio-hr-11s-self-powered-shortwave-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/a-review-of-the-tivdio-hr-11s-self-powered-shortwave-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Tivdio HR-11S self-powered shortwave radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A few months ago, the radio manufacturer Tivdio contacted me to see if I would be interested in evaluating their new Tivdio HR-11S self-powered emergency radio. I receive requests like this frequently, and often pass on the opportunity since I generally don\u2019t have the time to evaluate the overwhelming number of inexpensive DSP radios that have hit the market in the past few years.<\/p>\n

But this time, I seriously considered it. \u00a0There were two reasons I was interested in the HR-11S:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I purchased a Tivdio V-117 last year, and have been pretty pleased with it; indeed, I\u2019m overdue a review on this unit. We’ve also posted several positive reviews of the Tivdio V-115<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. At our non-profit ETOW<\/a>, we\u2019re always looking for reliable self-powered radios with shortwave for use in areas of the world where radio remains the primary news source.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Thus this radio is a rather rare breed. \u00a0Tivdio dispatched the radio very quickly, but my work with the Radio Spectrum Archive<\/a> and several other reviews already in the pipeline took priority.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve had the HR-11S in service for several months, and have now explored every feature to some degree. What follows is my summary and review notes.<\/p>\n

    Green and Red radios are different models<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    First things first: note that I\u2019m reviewing the Green<\/b> HR-11S<\/b>. Tivdio also makes a Red<\/b> version which is actually a different model number: the HR-11W<\/b>.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The main difference between these models, as I understand it, is the green HR-11S is a shortwave version, and the red HR-11W is a NOAA weather radio version<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Both are useful; why not combine the two roles in one unit? \u00a0I\u2019m not surprised this radio can\u2019t include both shortwave and NOAA weather radio. Through Ears To Our World, I\u2019ve worked with self-powered DSP radios for many years, and know that a limitation of the DSP chip is that it can be set to feature either shortwave or<\/i> weather radio, but not both, simultaneously, if both AM and FM are included.<\/p>\n

    Form factor<\/h2>\n
    \"\"<\/a>

    The HR-11S has a built-in solar panel.<\/p><\/div>\n

    The HR-11S adopts the standard \u201cflashlight\u201d form factor found in so many other self-powered radios. I think the flashlight functionality is a useful feature and results in a handy form factor. \u00a0It\u2019s compact, lightweight, and seems relatively sturdy, so is suitable for camping, travel, and off-grid utility.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>

    Flashlight\/Siren switch<\/p><\/div>\n

    A small switch on top toggles between four positions. The first two positions are off\/on for the main white LED. Though the flashlight aperture is relatively small, the white LED provides enough luminosity to light your immediate path at night, and certainly more than enough to read by.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The third switch position engages a flashing red LED. The red LED is not terribly bright and I\u2019m not sure how helpful this would be in an emergency situation.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>

    The red LED is rather dim and can only flash.<\/p><\/div>\n

    I would much rather have the red LED maintain a steady beam which would be great for amateur astronomers, campers, or anyone else wishing to preserve their night vision.<\/p>\n

    The fourth position engages a LOUD siren. More than once when attempting to turn on the flashlight in the dark, I\u2019ve accidentally engaged this pain-inducing feature. The switch is small, thus it\u2019s very<\/i> easy to engage the siren. In a quiet campground, this might annoy your neighbors\u2013\u2013not to mention you, yourself. \u00a0Of course, in an emergency situation, a loud siren could come in handy. I just wish its switch wasn’t combined with the flashlight switch.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The display HR-11S display is backlit and easy to read.<\/p>\n

    The HR-11S sports a keypad that allows direct frequency input\u2013\u2013a very good thing, considering there is no tuning knob.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    To band scan, you must use the #7 and #8 key on the keypad to increase and decrease frequency in predetermined steps. And, yes, the radio mutes between frequency changes.<\/p>\n

    You can also press and hold the #7 or #8 buttons to engage an auto-tune feature that finds the next strong signal.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>

    The HR-11S’ rechargeable battery pack.<\/p><\/div>\n

    To input a frequency directly, simply press the enter button, key in the frequency, then press the enter button once more to engage that frequency. Very simple.<\/p>\n

    The volume up\/down buttons are #1 and #2 on the keypad.<\/p>\n

    The keypad is not backlit and the layout for volume control, tuning, mode switching, etc., is a bit confusing; it doesn\u2019t match any other radio I\u2019ve ever used. \u00a0Of course, with time you\u2019ll master the keypad functions, but the design could be made more user-friendly.<\/p>\n

    Performance: setting expectations<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    SWLing Post<\/i> community members know that I tend to review what I call \u201centhusiast grade\u201d radios: receivers that perform well enough to attract the attention of DXers and dedicated listeners.<\/p>\n

    Self-powered radios, with few exceptions, rarely impress me in terms of performance. Indeed, some of the best that have been on the market have been analog units (I\u2019m particularly fond of the Grundig FR200).<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The Tivdio HR-11S is no exception\u2013\u2013don\u2019t expect to snag elusive DX with this unit. It\u2019s not going to happen.<\/p>\n

    FM<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The HR-11S is a capable FM receiver. Performance is on par with most average FM radios: you\u2019ll easily receive all of your local broadcasters, but distant stations may require holding the unit in your hand, careful positioning, or adding an extra bit of wire to the antenna.<\/p>\n

    The FM audio is quite good via the HR-11S\u2019s built-in speaker.<\/p>\n

    AM<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    The mediumwave, or AM broadcast band, is the HR-11S\u2019 weakest suit. AM is plagued with internally-generated noises–especially in the lower part of the band–thus you\u2019ll only be able to clearly receive local AM broadcasters that rise well above the noise floor. Thus I cannot recommend this radio for AM reception.<\/p>\n

    Shortwave<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Shortwave reception is on par with other DSP self-powered radios I\u2019ve tested. As I write this section of the review, I\u2019m listening to China Radio International on 9,570 kHz in my office without even having the telescopic whip antenna extended. (CRI is a blowtorch station, however).<\/p>\n

    I find that the HR-11S can receive most strong broadcasters and even weaker stations, though the AGC is not ideal when fading is present.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re seeking a self-powered radio with shortwave, the HR-11S is somewhat useful in this regard and is worth consideration.<\/p>\n

    Keep in mind, though, that an inexpensive dedicated ultralight shortwave radio like the Tecsun PL-310ET will perform circles around this unit.<\/p>\n

    Bluetooth<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    One feature I\u2019ve found incredibly useful is the Bluetooth functionality. \u00a0With Bluetooth mode engaged, you can connect the HR-11S to pretty much any mobile device and use it as a wireless portable external speaker. Since the speaker has decent audio fidelity for the size, and can be powered by battery, it\u2019s a brilliant feature and will make watching videos on your smartphone, for example, that much better.<\/p>\n

    One negative? At least in my unit, I can hear some internally-generated noises in Bluetooth mode. This is especially noticeable at lower volume levels.<\/p>\n

    Recording<\/h2>\n

    In full disclosure, I haven\u2019t tested the recording functionality extensively. Built-in radio recording is an interesting feature, but one I would rarely use in a self-powered radio. I did make a handful of test recordings, however, and like many other DSP radios with a recording function, the HR-11S injects noise in the recordings.<\/p>\n

    Summary<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Every radio has its pros and cons. When I begin a review of a radio, I take notes from the very beginning so that I don\u2019t forget my initial impressions and observations. Here\u2019s the Tivdio HR-11S pro\/con list, from the first moments I turned it on to the present:<\/p>\n

    Pros:<\/b><\/p>\n