{"id":64668,"date":"2025-11-18T15:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T19:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=64668"},"modified":"2025-11-18T15:59:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T19:59:37","slug":"the-xhdata-d-219-shirt-pocket-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/the-xhdata-d-219-shirt-pocket-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"The XHDATA D-219 Shirt-Pocket Radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

The XHDATA D-219<\/strong> is a shirt-pocket radio which performs quite well, especially given the low price point of\u00a0 ~$13. Paul Jamet has already done an excellent review of this radio (even the same color as mine!) which can be found here<\/a>. I encourage you to check out Paul\u2019s excellent review, as I am only going to add my experience with the review radio I was sent by XHDATA.<\/p>\n

As I typically do, I tested the radio stock \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Jacks<\/a>

On\/Off switch, DC 5V input, and headphone jack along with Kickstand<\/p><\/div>\n

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?!).<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 as I have noticed with many of the newer Chinese radios, miniaturization allows more room for speakers, and the D-219 does not disappoint.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 what\u2019s not to like?! Besides, being a retro kind of guy, I like these portable radios for on-the-go listening!<\/p>\n

73, Robert K4PKM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The XHDATA D-219 is a shirt-pocket radio which performs quite well, especially given the low price point of\u00a0 ~$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\u2019s excellent review, as I am only going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":64670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,26,43],"tags":[4342,34],"class_list":["post-64668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-radios","category-shortwave-radio","tag-guest-posts","tag-shortwave"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC0234.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-gP2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64843,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/rediscovering-simple-radio-joy-with-the-xhdata-d-219\/","url_meta":{"origin":64668,"position":0},"title":"Rediscovering Simple Radio Joy with the XHDATA D-219","author":"Thomas","date":"December 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Thomas (K4SWL) It\u2019s been a long while since I\u2019ve written a receiver review. Years ago, I cranked them out several times a year and genuinely loved the process--evaluating performance, quirks, economics, and overall user experience. Writing reviews is, to this day, one of my favorite things to do. But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/XHDATA-D-219-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/XHDATA-D-219-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/XHDATA-D-219-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/XHDATA-D-219-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/XHDATA-D-219-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63665,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/xhdata-d-219-a-classic-budget-shortwave-receiver-in-fresh-new-colors\/","url_meta":{"origin":64668,"position":1},"title":"XHDATA D-219: A Classic Budget Shortwave Receiver in Fresh New Colors","author":"Thomas","date":"August 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following article:\u00a0 The XHDATA D-219 Receiver Gets a New Look by Paul Jamet Two and a half years ago, I shared my enthusiasm for an XHDATA receiver, the D-219, first launched at the end of 2022: Read: Paul explores\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/D-219-Colors-Paul-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/D-219-Colors-Paul-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/D-219-Colors-Paul-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/D-219-Colors-Paul-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/D-219-Colors-Paul-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55682,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/02\/paul-explores-the-incredibly-affordable-xhdata-d-219\/","url_meta":{"origin":64668,"position":2},"title":"Paul explores the incredibly affordable XHDATA D-219","author":"Thomas","date":"February 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor,\u00a0Paul Jamet, who shares the following article that was originally published in the Radio Club du Perche Newsletter. 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Not only can it receive FM\/MW\/SW bands, but the price will be surprisingly good value.\u201d Okay, well that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"XHDATA D-220 available in three colors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/d220-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/d220-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/d220-01.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65548,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/xhdata-d-221-a-d-220-now-with-weather-band\/","url_meta":{"origin":64668,"position":4},"title":"XHDATA D-221: A D-220 Now with Weather Band!","author":"Robert Gulley","date":"March 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"XHDATA D-221","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/D-221.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/D-221.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/D-221.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/D-221.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61220,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/xhdata-d-808-another-users-review-and-discount-codes\/","url_meta":{"origin":64668,"position":5},"title":"XHDATA D-808: Another User’s Review (and discount codes)","author":"Robert Gulley","date":"November 28, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 By Robert Gulley I admit to being hesitant to review this radio when XHDATA contacted me, as our own armchair portable radio guru, Jock, had written an excellent review of the radio back in June of this year, and because the radio has been out for some time (6\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Guest Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Guest Posts","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/guest-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"XHDATA D-808 Radio","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/D808.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/D808.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/D808.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/D808.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64668"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64675,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64668\/revisions\/64675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}