{"id":59728,"date":"2024-05-22T08:03:24","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T12:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=59728"},"modified":"2024-05-22T08:03:24","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T12:03:24","slug":"dans-in-depth-review-of-the-new-raddy-rf-919-shortwave-portable-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/05\/dans-in-depth-review-of-the-new-raddy-rf-919-shortwave-portable-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan’s in-depth review of the new Raddy RF-919 shortwave portable radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following review:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Note that all Amazon and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support the SWLing Post.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/a>Raddy RF-919 Receiver: Best Portable in Years \u2013 Held Back Only By Soft Muting While Tuning<\/h1>\n

by Dan Robinson<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s quite extraordinary that in these days of reduced use of shortwave some manufacturers continue to develop portable receivers for the worldwide community of radio listeners.\u00a0 We have the Choyong LC90<\/a>, which for the first time attempted to combine HF, MW, FM and Internet radio (still a work in progress). And now out of nowhere comes the Raddy RF919<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Like many receiver enthusiasts, I was excited when I saw the first photos and videos of the 919, by Shenzhen Hanrongda in China.\u00a0 The company has an amazing number of portables in its lineup\u2013in addition to the 919 there are the:\u00a0 RF320<\/a>, RF760<\/a>, RF747, RF75A<\/a>, and RF750<\/a> along with various hand crank emergency sets.\u00a0 The RF919 under the Raddy label also sells as the Retekess TR113 (which can be seen on its Amazon page<\/a>).<\/p>\n

It is interesting that the RF919 (TR113) appeared on the market just as the Choyong receiver continues to experience growing pains, but obviously both had been in the planning stages for some time.\u00a0 One of the strengths is its very decent SSB performance, though see my comments below about one of the issues with the RF919.<\/p>\n

The number of reviews of the 919 by YouTube influencers is rapidly increasing as the radios get into the hands of more users.\u00a0 For the purposes of this commentary I won\u2019t go into every single feature other than to observe the high points.\u00a0 And here\u2019s a headline \u2013 from a software standpoint this is a very complex radio with a steep learning curve requiring regular looks at the manual.\u00a0 But enough use brings familiarity with the many features it offers:<\/p>\n

Displays<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>The RF919 has two superb displays:\u00a0 a main information center under which there are buttons for activating various functions and options, and a second beautiful signal level screen that has a lot of information on its own, under which there are four buttons for TIME SET, ALARM, DISPLAY, and SLEEP. \u00a0 These displays are probably the best we have ever seen in a portable,<\/b> offering 7 colors selectable from the front panel!\u00a0 The Eton Elite Satellit (no longer made) offered a few colors on its display but it was nothing like this.\u00a0 Raddy publicity materials focus on this:<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike other radios, you can choose and set your favorite backlight color to match your style or mood, all while staying updated with a clear 3.54-inch main screen that shows reception status. It\u2019s not just a radio; it\u2019s an extension of your personality.\u201d<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Body Design<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>The 919 is quite a throwback to such classic receivers as the SONY ICF-5900W and other \u201cmilitary style\u201d portables from decades ago \u2013 one user noted the similarity to the old National Cougar 877<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 919 has a solid, confident, body with a space at the top rear that functions as a hand grip.\u00a0 On top are two jacks for a LOOP ANTENNA, and a mobile WHIP style antenna with an OFF\/ON rotary switch.\u00a0 That switch is awfully close to the LOOP jack.\u00a0 On the back is a 3.5 mm antenna jack with a three position slider control for specific tuning ranges.\u00a0 The backstand is basically the same type found on the Tecsun H-501.\u00a0 One wishes that there would have been a rubber friction grip placed on it and that it had some additional tension to allow it to hold the radio up in other degree positions.<\/p>\n

Antenna<\/b><\/h1>\n

The telescopic whip antenna is impressive \u2013 robust, and notably designed to work while the radio is positioned on a desk using its backstand, something that the Choyong LC90\u2019s antenna is not able to do.<\/p>\n

I will note that the whip antenna cannot be extended up and out of the radio cabinet which limits it to a single angle when the radio is used with the backstand \u2013 placement of the 919 left carrying strap hook on top left is the limiting factor here.\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n

Again the 919 telescopic design is a contrast to the LC90 which both lacks a backstand, and flexibility in the antenna.<\/p>\n

A major headline is the manual antenna tuning feature on the RF919. Utilizing the rear antenna jack and switch with MW, SW 1, and SW 2 options, along with the side adjust knob, the user can fine-tune signal strength, with the secondary screen providing real-time viewing of signal strength changes.\u00a0 On top of the radio, there is a mini jack input next to an ON\/OFF switch that, according to the instruction card explanation, enables selection of the LOOP (they call it \u201cring\u201d) position.\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 The last time we saw this kind of peaking capability on a portable was the SONY ICF-2001 back in the late 1970\u2019s and perhaps the Grundig Satellit 700.\u00a0 Hats off to Raddy for this design!<\/b><\/p>\n

Controls<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>The RF919 has a large central concentric tuning outside \u201cshuttle\u201d knob for fast tuning, and a smaller center knob for fine tuning \u2013 the center shuttle doubles as a selector with a push function.\u00a0 I am not a fan of encoders that rock back and forth as the outside concentric ring does.\u00a0 At least one user remarked that this feels flimsy.\u00a0 Time will tell whether these hold up in daily use.\u00a0 The keyboard, which is nicely backlit, appears to be quite good.\u00a0 Frequency entry is accomplished by hitting ENT, then the frequency, then ENT again.\u00a0 You can enter in MHz or kHz.\u00a0 There are buttons for VOLUME UP\/DOWN, and for TUNE\/NEXT, TUNE\/PREVIOUS.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>One curious thing:\u00a0 if you\u2019re tuning to 22 MHz you can just hit 22 and ENT.\u00a0 But you can\u2019t do that at 23 MHz and above \u2013 you have to enter 23.000 and ENT.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t, you get 2.300 MHz.\u00a0 At least that is what I notice on my 919 \u2013 perhaps Raddy will be able to clarify why this is so.\u00a0 Another point on controls: the MW\/SW1\/SW2 switch on the back of the radio is very flimsy and should be improved by Raddy.<\/p>\n

Audio<\/b><\/h1>\n

The huge front-firing speaker on the 919 produces superb audio in all tuning ranges.\u00a0 Rated at 20 watts, it rivals the wonderful audio of the Choyong LC90 and combined with the 10 position EQUALIZER makes the 919 even more attractive for someone purchasing it for this level of sound production not to mention a receiver that tunes from LW all the way up to 999 MHz.<\/p>\n

Fire up the BLUETOOTH on the 919 and you can not only use it as a speaker linked with your phone, but it will play tracks from the microSD.<\/p>\n

ATS\/Memories<\/b><\/h1>\n

We have all become accustomed to the convenience of ATS, from the excellent performance on Tecsun radios, and the 919 falls right in line.\u00a0 A scan conducted on FM here in Maryland stored 23 stations and I found sensitivity to be excellent.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Though noise levels were still high from the recent solar activity, a scan on HF yielded a number of stations.\u00a0 It did take <\/span>quite a long time to complete ATS on shortwave \u2013 about 15 minutes, <\/b>so one hopes this could be improved in future firmware versions.\u00a0 And there is this:\u00a0 <\/span>when scanning with ATS, the 919 scans the entire HF range rather than just bands.\u00a0 In comparison, ATS on a Tecsun S-8800 takes about 3 minutes, and includes only the main SW bands.\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n

I am not yet sure if the 919 can be made to scan this way, but if not it\u2019s something Raddy should consider.\u00a0 Both displays remain on during ATS.\u00a0 This avoids the need to mess with the display functions while scans are ongoing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Presets<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>There are 1600 memory channels on this radio! \u00a0 Once stations are memorized, they can be accessed by hitting the PRESET button on the lower right edge of the main shuttle dials and using the TUNE\/NEXT and TUNE\/PREV buttons on the keyboard.\u00a0 Note that when going from one present to another the first thing that appears on the display is the CHANNEL number, followed by the frequency.\u00a0 That seems logical but it prevents the user from seeing first<\/b> exactly what frequency has been memorized without having to wait for the display to shift to the frequency itself.<\/p>\n

Bandwidths<\/b><\/h1>\n

The 919 provides bandwidth options not only on shortwave, varying depending on whether one is using AM or LSB\/USB, but also in FM \u2013 a truly great feature for a portable, and something seen on Malahit SDRs.\u00a0 Bandwidth clarity in SSB is excellent.\u00a0 Maximum bandwidth in AM mode is 6 kHz, similar to portables by Tecsun, with 4 kHz the maximum in SSB.\u00a0 Some users have observed that they would like an 8 kHz AM filter position.<\/p>\n

Manual<\/b><\/h1>\n

An extensive manual goes over all of the controls, modes, etc. \u2013 the drawback here is that the printing is so small as to make reading it impossible, so better to download the manual in pdf form from the Raddy website and print it out.\u00a0 A bonus is that a three page card guide comes with the radio showing the circuit design and tips for manual antenna tuning and the antenna switching on the back.\u00a0 A very thoughtful addition to the package!<\/p>\n

Battery<\/b><\/h1>\n

The 919 continues the trend of radios using 18650 batteries, familiar to professional flashlight users and also seen in Tecsun and other receivers.\u00a0 It takes not one, but two 18650s like the Tecsun H-501.\u00a0 I recommend purchasing a good quality multi-bay battery charger in addition to the ability to charge the radio directly on its USB-C port.\u00a0 Keep in mind that using these radios while charging will create noise, so don\u2019t expect to have the best reception doing it that way.<\/p>\n

Recording Capability<\/b><\/h1>\n

Wow!\u00a0 After years of seeing radios with a microSD slot but no recording function, Raddy has gone ahead and done it. You can record any audio to the card and play it.\u00a0 Seems like we could have seen this feature years ago from receiver manufacturers, but we didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Thank you Raddy!\u00a0 That said, I have not yet been able to get recording to work on my unit, using a 64 GB microSD (see below).<\/p>\n

Reception Performance<\/b><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>I am very impressed so far with the 919.\u00a0 Sensitivity on HF and AIR appears to be excellent.\u00a0 MW reception is good as well and can be further improved using the antenna tuning feature and the ability to use a loop antenna connected to the receiver.\u00a0 FM reception appears to be quite good.\u00a0 On long wave I was able to hear beacons at levels equal to what I hear on some premium communications receivers.<\/p>\n

One observation:\u00a0 when using the RF919 inside my home here in Maryland, I noted what appeared to be some break-in on shortwave from AM or FM signals.\u00a0 I am still investigating this and will report later.<\/p>\n

There are many more details to discuss for the RF919.\u00a0 But I need to talk about what I would call the elephant in the room on a relatively short list of CONS, but this is a big one and a bit of a disappointment.\u00a0 The 919 suffers from the issue that is so familiar to us from other portables:\u00a0 MUTING WHILE TUNING.\u00a0 <\/b>See my video discussing this at:<\/p>\n