My favourite radio in 2023, and my choices for FM and MW listening  

Thanks for your comment, I think those are two nice radios. I have seen many comments and reviews about the Sihuadon R-108, it seems to me that it is a very nice radio indeed. Also has air band, I think? Interesting that you say the MW on that one is really good, it is quite a small radio, so it sounds to me like it is really sensitive. Do you also have the D-808? If so, how do they compare? I think the R-108 has much better sound. The Retekess radio you mention is new to me, I looked it up now and I like the look of that one. The recording functionality is great! I use my Tecsun ICR-110 for recording via a cable, or the V115 sometimes.

@@swlistening The Retekess TR629 doesn't have the selectivity of the Sihuadon R-108 because it doesn't have tone control. You will also need a real out attachable antenna to go onto the whip antenna to improve reception on the TR629, but there is no added noise when recording on SW. FM is OK, but MW is poor because of a repeated buzz caused through the built in temperature reader. The R-108 does have the Air band and a squelch control, for aviation signals. I have received chatter from Newcastle Airport which is about 20 miles away from just the whip antenna, but the radio does have an external antenna input jack. Both radios have a good overall sound.

@@radioweebdx7680 Thanks for this, the good recording quality on the Retekess sounds like a real plus point. My ICR-110 seems to pick up electronic noise sometimes when recording. I do like to use the ICR-110 for recording because while recording I can listen to my catches on its excellent speaker.

I did actually take my Sihuadon R-108 radio on holiday with me to Ibiza, it was really strange that daytime SW reception was much more poorer than it was from my own QTH, but MW reception was really good pulling in more than 50 stations in the daytime. I was even lucky to catch Radio Algiers English service on MW, which oddly sounds more like a SW broadcasting service with some very different news that I would not usually receive from the UK. The station was 800+ miles from Ibiza. Travelling by Air was ok, considering it uses a Lithium Ion battery, I simply removed the battery from the radio when travelling and placed the radio and battery in a separate plastic ziplock bag along with a rechargeable electronic cigarette and then placed that in my hand luggage. I just needed to put the zip lock bag onto a tray at customs, which they paid no attention to at all.

@@radioweebdx7680 Ibiza sounds great for MW DXing! I did not know that Radio Algiers broadcasts in English also. Thanks for the tips about the batteries, I will be leaving this Saturday, travelling to the Netherlands and Germany for my holiday. I will do what you did with the batteries. I assume the battery in the XHDATA D-808 will be fine as hand luggage? The 18650 type? I am looking forward to some MW DXing especially during my trip.

Thank you so much Angel! It makes me happy to hear that you enjoyed the review. Seems to me like XHDATA radios are your radios of choice 🙂 All three the ones you mention are great radios, I love them all!

@@swlistening I was very interested in the Tecsun PL330 but decided myself for the D808 because of the battery, I think the D808s is supperior in length, quality and you can upgrade it easily 👍

@@Ankjell I think the D-808 is a very good choice, it is a remarkable all-rounder, and really very sensitive. The page memory system on the D-808 is not great, but you get used to it.

I bought both today , I like their individual functionality that I could not resist. I think I will have a lot of fun with them.

I don't own the Sangean unfortunately, but it seems to be very good, from what I have seen and read.

@@swlistening there are some complaints about SSB.

@@user-ss1jx8og4u The Sangean seems to have some big fans, but others say it is not that good, especially considering the price. I don't have one, so I can't really say.

@@swlistening if it worked better on SSB, I wouldn't mind the price.

Thanks John! The Icom IC R-8600 looks like a dream receiver. Quite pricey though, that seems like a real long-term investment for many years of enjoyment!

@@swlistening it is quite pricey though. As per Icom products their quality matches the price range, but I never see that model on sale. It is a “dream receiver” though, I may need to take the “plunge” lol

@@NJF60 Sometimes we need to take that plunge 🙂 I would love to hear about your experiences with it once you get it.

@@swlistening I definitely will… I’ll report back to you once I go through the learning curve.

@@NJF60 Thanks John!

Thank you so much for your comment, really appreciated!

Hi Richard, thanks for your comment! You started at a very young age, I think I was about 14 when I started listening to SW. The Kenwood R1000, as far as I know, was called Trio R1000 in the US? The R5000 you have is a much more sophisticated version, it looks like a great receiver. Very sad that Kenwood no longer makes these. The Yaesu you have also looks like a really great set, you have some very impressive equipment. I've actually just ordered my first little hand-held, the Quansheng UV-K5. Just for fun, it's so cheap and I've never actually experimented with those. Seems like you can modify the Quansheng in very many ways, looks like something I will enjoy.

That's great to hear, hope you will find some videos of interest! I rediscovered this hobby during the covid times, it was also a teenage hobby of mine. Been enjoying it again for the past three years or so. Some unsolicited advice, if you are in the market for a new radio, I really suggest buying one from overseas, the radios that we get here are not so good on shortwave. They are OK and pick up the strong signals, but for pretty much the same money you can get something really nice from China. XHDATA and Tecsun are two good brands.

Thanks Gary! It's interesting how one always seems to return to a specific radio, it becomes the main workhorse. The D-808 for me, the PL-880 for you. I think the speaker on the PL-880 is really good. As far as I know it uses the same speaker system as my Tecsun ICR-110, a passive radiator speaker.

Hi Rob, thank you so much for your comment. I am really happy that SWLing has led you back to your ham hobby! I have been talking to some of my viewers who are hams and it is a whole new world that I might explore in future, . As you probably saw on my channel, I also just returned to the SWL hobby over the past two years or so, after about 30 years. And this time the bug has really bitten me! I really enjoy exploring new signals and radios, and I enjoy sharing my videos here. Thank you for your kind comments about my reviews and catches! You and others have pointed out the usefulness of the RDS function on the D-808, which is a really great feature, I think more so when you are travelling and you don't know the FM stations in a new city or country. It seems to me as if the D-808 is a real favourite for many, and I can understand why. It is, indeed, very sensitive, and I particularly like it for being sensitive on both SW and MW. The muting, as you say, is a drawback, and perhaps quality control is not perfect (with my fine-tuning wheel giving up after just a year and a half), but all in all it is a great radio. FM and air band on the D-808 are mere bonuses for me, not my main interests, but nice to have. I do listen to air band on occasion, I am about 50 km from OR Tambo, our biggest airport, and I catch signals from there quite easily and clearly. Also a local airport called Lanseria, about 30 km away. Have a good Christmas and great new year! You, like us here in South Africa, are lucky to have a summer Christmas :-) Although, this year, I will be having a winter Christmas in Amsterdam, only my second winter Christmas ever.

I will try warming up the Kenwood R1000 next time, because I do think it is strange that SSB does not seem to work on my version. I do hear sounds in SSB mode, but impossible to really isolate the signals, when at the same time they are nice and clear on the XHDATA D-808. Maybe the warming up will help. Or maybe my Kenwood, because it is so old, just does not work in SSB mode anymore.

Thank you so much! The Tivoli is really a great radio for FM, and I also use it for streaming music over Bluetooth, terrific sound quality. You don't really find this kind of sound quality in a radio easily these days. And it is very sensitive on FM.

Hi Dave, thanks for your comment! The Tecsun PL-660 (or the PL-680) is on my to-buy list. I definitely want one! The Eton Elite is a great radio, I love the sound on my little Traveler and it is very sensitive, picks up distant signals well.

I think you are right, it becomes very addictive 🙂

Thank you Albert, and Merry Christmas to you too! I will be visiting your country this Christmas, I will be in Amsterdam for Christmas 🎄

Have a nice time in Amsterdam , Nederlands/Afrikaans praten veel plezier 👍

@@Albert-zl3zd Ek sien uit daarna, dankie Albert!

Thanks for your comment Don! Once the bug has bitten, it is hard to leave! I love this hobby. I agree with you about the PL-680, it is right at the top of my wish list, together with the Eton Elite Executive. Like you, I also enjoy it when my radios have SSB, I enjoy utility signal DXing a lot.

Hi Henry, I also quite enjoy both FM and DAB+ for music. We have quite a number of stations on DAB+ in South Africa now, but it is only a testing phase. I do have a DAB+ radio, so I listen to a number of music stations there. The sound is, indeed, very good!

Thanks George! Since I made this video I got to know some newer radios, so I think when I choose my favourite radio of 2024, it might be something else. But I still think the D-808 is a terrific radio!

@@swlistening I still swear by my old 1978 Sanyo RP8880 radio, takes about ten minutes to warm it up before using to prevent drift but it is a nice chunky big lump that is very easy to use.

@@george-ev1dq Hi George, sometimes old technology is just the best. I still use an old Sony ICF-J40 for MW listening sometimes, and my Kenwood R1000 is a trusty companion. Also very stable for SSB listening after warming up a bit.

Thanks for your comment Ali. I wish I had a Sony ICF SW77. Legendary radio. I assume you have one? You are lucky!

Thank you so much Jim. I always do keep my eyes open for second-hand radios, that's how I got my Barlow Wadley and the R1000. But, sadly, there are very few Sony radios that seem to be sold on the second-hand market in South Africa. I think people love them so much, they just never sell their sets!

Sure, and thanks!

Thank you, and the same to you, may you have a great holiday and new year! I will be leaving soon for my Christmas holiday, looking forward to it very much. You will see on the channel later where I went :-) As a matter of interest, I was a journalist at different newspapers for many, many years, before I started teaching. Thanks for the Belka suggestion, I actually know about the Belka and it is also one of the radio on my wish list. There are about five radios that I still want, the Belka is one of them.

@@swlistening The Belka is great for DXing even MW when hooked to my Trek Magnetic Loop (passive) your loop should do fine ! I use a 3.5 mm jack to BNC connection between the loop and Belka which has a BNC connector. Amazing what they can fit inside a radio smaller than a Deck of Cards, but a true DX machine. Merry Christmas 🎁 and have a Happy New Year 🎊! 73!

@@Kw1161 I have heard so many good things about the Belka! The small size is actually a real plus point for me, makes it very convenient to take on trips as well, as long as you can cart your antenna along.

I think they are quite hard to find now, but if you do find one and it works, I think you will really enjoy it. It is quite a special radio and I am particularly proud of this one because it is South African, like me :-)

@@swlistening The XCR-30 was quite an achievement; it has an interesting history.

@@user-ss1jx8og4u That is true! It was a very advanced radio for its time.

I have one.......

@@robertvandervelde60 Hi Robert, thanks for your comment. Great radio!

Thanks!

Hi Niladri, thanks for your comment! I do know that Indians love cricket, like us! Thanks for the comparison to Hansie Cronjé, I think it is my accent that reminds you of him 😀

Hi thanks for your reply. No it is not just the accent ;I am pretty familiar with the South African accent -Zulu -Dutch - British English ; well it is a mix of all the three but it is sound the sound o your voice which is so much like Hansie's.

We just do not live Cricket ; it is our religion and we are mad about it. Bet the South Afrucans , well for that matter no one in the world not even the British Foitball hooligans can match our vocal chords in a Cricket stadium 😀

@@niladrimukherjee2098 Thank you. That's a real compliment, to sound like Hansie 😀

@@niladrimukherjee2098 Maybe we can beat you when we play a World Cup rugby match against the All Blacks 🤣

Thank you! There are actually none that I know of right now, I have been looking for one like this myself. I think the backlit buttons might cause interference and that is why nobody seems to provide that. But there might be some or other radio that I do not know of.

Hi - I have been searching for the same. Ones that I am aware of are the Degen ./ Kaito DE1103/KA1103 - originall a PLL analogue receiver, now it is sold as a DSP (the older one is rated as better), The Tecsun PL-398BT/MP - I have heard both of these have backlit buttons, and I have also heard the Eton Elite Executive and Field both have some of their keys backlit. I would say the Degen or Tecsuns are better for this purpose though. From memory there is another brand (maybe Raddy) which has one radio with backlit keys but I will need to check..

@@Protocallireland The New Eton Elite Executive HD will be released early 2024 at the CES Show. It will have a Color LCD. Maybe backlit buttons too.

Nice, will have to check that out. Tks

@@Protocallireland Thanks Garech, I didn't know about these back-lit options. I am actually looking at getting the Eton Elite Executive myself, nice to know some of the buttons are back-lit.

Thank you so much for your comment Franco, and thank you for watching my videos! I do agree with you about the TEF6686 radios. When I made this video it was before I had bought my Qodosen SR-286. It is really an amazing piece of equipment, it might actually get me into FM DXing. I picked up some very distant FM stations (one from 120 km away) while just casually tuning around in the FM band. As for the other radios, I have had the Tecsun PL-680 or PL-660 on my to-buy list for some time, for the reasons you mention here. I am looking for something else for my SSB listening. Currently I mostly use the D-808 or the Kenwood R1000 for that.

I’ve not seen the SR-286 for sale in the U.K. I’d like to try one of those. Same here, the TEF might encourage some FMDX. Yeah the chugging on SSB with a lot of portables is really irritating for me, I think I just got used to the smooth tuning on my Kenwood HF transceiver I use for Amateur Radio. The larger Tecsun radios are all quite nice, 680 and 660 both good on SSB, never owned the 880. Good dx to you!

@@FrancoDX Thanks Franco, and good DX to you also! I bought my Qodosen from Ali Express, I think there are still very few sellers elsewhere.

Thank you Alex, nice to hear from Mexico! I think my D-808 just looks a bit beat to you because of the camera or lighting or something, it's actually still in very good shape. I bought it new, some years ago already, but it still works perfectly, except for the fine-tuning dial that doesn't work anymore.

Thank you for your comment and I hope you will enjoy the D-808! Radio Romania has some very strong MW transmitters. This means, when propagation conditions are good, you might be able to catch it in very faraway places. That's how I could catch it. But it was only once or twice, I haven't been able to catch it again. They do broadcast in Romanian on shortwave also, that would be an easier catch. You can search on short-wave.info for Radio Romania and choose the languages as Romanian.

HI there Intisar, a very good choice! I hope you will be happy with the radio.

Thank you so much for your comment Garech. I think the PL-330 is a very good radio, it is basically the same as the PL-368 on the inside, just looks different and has a slightly better speaker. I agree with you, the ETM function on the Tecsun radios is just great, it works so well and is really sensitive, on each scan I pick up loads of signal. The R-108 is on my wish list for next year, I have heard so many good things about that radio. I don't know the Philips radio you mention, I looked it up now. I really like the look of it, and the map at the top! I think some of these older full analogue radios are really very sensitive. I am curious, why the PL-660 and not the PL-680 (slightly newer version)? On my side the PL-680 is definitely on my wish list, even though it is, apparently, not that good on MW. But great for SSB listening.

I really like the look of that radio but I would settle for the 680 either!

@@Protocallireland The PL-660 is, from what I have read, better on MW than the PL-680, while the 680 is better on SW. So it's give and take 🙂

Quality :-)

Thank you very much Harpreet! Thank you for the suggestion about the D-368, I have also heard many good things about that radio. If you say it is more sensitive that the D-219 then it sounds like a real powerhouse, because I think the D-219 is already very sensitive. I will try to get a D-368 to do a review.

Hi Bradley, thanks for your question. Actually I need to buy almost all my radios from e-commerce sites abroad, none of these radios are available in South African stores. I have not tried the PL-310 yet, nor any other Tecsun radios, apart from the ones that I show in this video. I am quite interested in the Tecsun R-9700DX, as well as the PL-680. Those two are on my wish list for next year.

@@swlisteningthanks so much for getting back to me, I have the PL-310et as well as the Eton Traveler, which is part of why I was interested in your thoughts on the Tecsun. I used to have the 9700dx, and although the speaker sounds great, I found the tuning to be too touchy and would drift. The antenna was otherwise very sensitive but susceptible to a lot of environmental interference that doesn't seem to come through on DSP radios. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough but if you know of any analog radios that aren't too big but have large stable tuning mechanisms (knob or wheel), that would be my ideal. Seems most cram a bit too much movement in a tuning mechanism on medium and smaller designs. Anyway, cheers!

@@theGoodTheBradAndTheUgly Hi Bradley, actually there are very few full analogue radios on the market these days. The Tecsun R-9700DX is one of the few. Did you ever use your 9700 with a long wire? Just a thought, maybe a wire of about 10 metres, stretched out outside your house, as far away from the house and buildings, might not pick up too much RFI? One other possible option for you is the Tecsun PL-680. It is a PLL radio, does not use a DSP chip, and receives very good reviews. The earlier version, the PL-660, is also still available and a little bit less expensive.

@@swlisteningI did get a chance to use my long wire antenna with the 9700dx, it was very good and capable for shortwave. However it was just very sensitive to anything and everything on any band. Standing near it or walking away from it would effect signal, and touching the case or not touching the case would also effect signal. These things do make sense (but don't happen on my other radios as much), and you do get better reception holding it and tuning around, but it was difficult to find something and then set it down without the signal being effected, with or without the wire. It may also have been something related to quality control, I'm not sure.

@@theGoodTheBradAndTheUgly You know, I found something similar on my Tecsun R9012, it seems to be very sensitive to the touch. Maybe it is just the way that Tecsun designed these analogue circuits. A bit of a pity, I have had my eye on the R9700DX for some time already. My R-909 does not behave like this though. But perhaps I will just save up for the PL-680.

I think you do 😀 It is such a nice receiver!

Hey Gary, I agree, it is a terrific little radio. Just incredible how well it performs when one considers the very affordable price.

Thanks for this, I am afraid you are probably right, I think my radio might have a fault. I briefly mention in my video that I think there might be an issue with the SSB, so that is probably why it is not working on my unit. The radio was cleaned up and serviced before I bought it, but I guess the guy I bought it from did not fix the SSB issue. I will, however, as someone else has suggested here, try warming up the radio for a longer time next time, maybe that helps. I know the R1000 needs warming up for SSB use.

Hey John, unfortunately I do not own this radio. If I did (the original full analogue version), I am sure it would have been very high on my list! I have heard that this is a really excellent radio.

Oh no, I have nothing against the PL-330, it is actually one of a couple of radios I am still looking at getting. I have seen many reviews though that say the IC on the PL-368 and the PL-330 is basically the same. The biggest difference is, from what I can gather, a better speaker on the PL-330. I am interested in comparing these two though, so it is on my wish list.

@@swlistening I have both Tecsuns, they have the same features. The speaker of the PL-330 is better. I like the ETM scanning of the Tecsuns better over the XHData/Sihuadon D-808. The D-808 has a good sensitivity and the speaker is also good, so I use it often. The RDS on the FM band of the D-808 is nice. So it is hard for me to recommend one over the other.

@@hammockdweller Thank you for this! So it is true what I have read, that the speaker on the PL-330 is better. Like you, I think the ETM scanning on the Tecsuns is excellent. The D-808 is not very good when it comes to auto scanning. And I don't like the page memory system on the D-808 at all, the Tecsuns are much better for accessing and scrolling through saved frequencies in the memory. RDS on the D-808 is nice.

@@swlistening I had a D-808 and there is no doubt that is an excellent radio, but I also have a PL330. The memory storing system on the 808 was very clunky and basic, so the 808 was sold on eBay, In my opinion Tecsun has really perfected the searching, saving and scrolling of frequencies.

@@swlistening I remember this RU-vidr who was a homeless guy in California had a Tecsun PL-330 radio and he used to do some number station catches with it with crystal clear reception. He used to catch S06, HM01 and V07 with it. He used to be a veteran in the military and he used to repair military radio equipment such as RTTY machines and such. He also did climbing videos and camping etc. He was also a Ham radio guy and he did this weird QSO with this Russian guy during the Ukraine conflict, this Russian guy called Roman appeared to be a very strange character and he appeared to get to very exotic places for an average guy. I did check this guys call sign and that Russian guy had a very dodgy track record online and over the airwaves. I eventually unsubscribed from the channel as some of his views I did not agree with, but I did understand because of his position why he was like that.

Unfortunately I haven't picked up anything on LW here in South Africa, except one NDB. So I cannot really say which radio is best for LW.

Ireland last LW broadcast stn was close down this year. I currently am able to pick up 198 bbc 4 (probably soon to be no more), a French station on 224 or so, and sometimes I can hear the Algerian stn on 252 which was previously blocked by rte locally. Also some ndbs from the locality. I believe a long wire can be used with a loop of wire as sw antenna without needing to connect to the radio but I have yet to try this trick.

@@Protocallireland I think the loop of wire will work well, it is probably the same principle as the passive loop antennas that one can buy for MW, like the Tecsun AN-200. I have one, and it works very well on MW. You simply place the antenna close to the radio. So the same principle will surely work for LW.

Very handy BBC 4 on LW

Hi there Nisar, thank you so much for your nice comment. I think for you the season is changing to summer now, while here for me it is changing to winter. So it is also a bit chilly here :-) Thank you for the comments about my oral skills! You are right about the radio addiction, I find it very hard myself sometimes to stop buying radios. But I am much more selective now. Interesting that you have three of the Grundig Mini 100s, those are quite sought after now. My little Tecsun R-808, which is basically the same as the Grundig, is a terrific little radio. Very sensitive and with quite a long antenna. For a while it was actually one of only three SW radios I had, namely the Eton Elite Traveler, the R-808 and the Retekess V115. The Eton was my first purchase when I returned to SW listening a few years ago. Then came the R-808 and the V115. I added your details to my WhatsApp, will get in touch. Maybe you should delete the number here now, I don't know if it is a good idea to put your number on RU-vid, you will get lots of spam calls :-)

@@swlistening Thank you. Yes I just edited my earlier comment and deleted the phone number since you already noted it down. I will save your number once you send a WhatsApp message. FYI- I was looking at eBay the other day and there were tons of Grundig mini 100’s still available there. So no worries about your Tecsun R 808. Have you ever looked into Grundig FR-200. It’s a small emergency radio with built in rechargeable battery and crank. It’s short wave coverage and reception is phenomenal. I have added a small solar panel of appropriate output voltage to it and that made it very versatile emergency radio by having 3 power sources. I really appreciate your radio passion. Keep it up. Hope to see you one day in SA as I do have plans to visit there within a year or two. 73 and God bless.

Hi João, it is Radio Kansel, 657 kHz. They also have a transmitter in the Cape, Kaapse Kansel, 729 kHz. But the Afrikaans programmes are not on all the time, Radio Pulpit and Cape Pulpit use the same frequencies, so there is a mix of English and Afrikaans programming throughout the day. Their websites list the times. For Kaapse Kansel it is here capepulpit.co.za/show-schedule/ and for Radio Kansel it is here: www.radiokansel.co.za/radiokansel-programskedule/

@@swlistening Thanks so much for your reply! Greetings from Brazil!

@@joaoacast It's a pleasure, João, and greetings from South Africa!

New to shortwave, what is DX ing?