(paid link below) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you. ▶ The XHDATA D-808 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/3T9CeU1 (paid link below) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you. ▶ The XHDATA D-808 at eBay: ebay.to/2ZsFQWb
I have one. On SSB I have received here, in Romania, an amateur ham radio from US. It seemed absolutely incredible at that time. With no internet to be able to hear what somebody on the other continent is saying it is absolutely mind blowing.
Just got this radio as a portable alternative for RTL-SDR. The thing is a beast - was able to hear amateurs on 40m and 20m without external antenna from my balcony in city center, even though there are buildings all around. The sensitivity and filtering on this thing is insane.
This is the best overall transistor radio I've ever owned, and I've owned many. I use the internet a lot, but will never give up radio as long as there's something interesting to listen to. This one has great sound and is feature packed. I particularly like the ability to choose between several bandwidth sizes, which often makes a big difference in sound quality. The tuning knob is aIso a big plus. My second radio is the Tecsun R9700DX, and is for my analog fix. These two together are all I need in radios.
Dear Mr. Todderbert, this is a great review indeed. I am happy to see that there are people who still love listening to the radio. I am ordering this radio based on your and some other reviews. I am sure I am gonna love this one..... I am from India, pricewise it is among costlier radios here, but I can not wait to put my hands on it and try all those superb features.
Thank you for the informative review. I ordered the radio from the seller whom you suggested. It came four days after I ordered it, even though the estimated date of delivery was between three weeks and two months!!
When I was a kid I had a beat up Roberts radio, just MW LW & SW. Manual tuning and that was it. SW was full of propaganda from behind the iron curtain and loads of foreign language stations with weird and wonderful music. Spent hours listening and learning how to tune with just that single rotary control knob. Had a Sony ICF 2001 once - that vanished when I moved house! So to me, any of the SW receivers out there now are just astounding - and cheap! To get all this all those years ago would have cost the earth. Great review.
I really LOVE my XHDATA D-808, it’s amazing!!! And weak signals, the speaker is at a pitch I can hear the voices better than on other radios! That’s easy for me to judge because I don’t have the best attention/concentration, so my mind will drift while trying to hear the weak signals on other radios, but I will follow right along on my XHDATA! :0)
From Amazon France just under 100 euros now unpacked and charged, my last radio a Sony ICFSW7600G BOUGHT 20 years ago, felt time to update,. Many thanks for your review which decided me to buy the XH Data. especially with good reviews such as yours on RUclips, unlike the pre internet days of my childhood where one used polished wood mains pre transistor sets rented in England , then bought as I did for very little money after transistors replaced valves. This set is much lighter than the Sony for a start ,which means it will be taken in my small weekend case on short cross frontier trips to nearby Spain.I will now look at the aerial wire and the Sangean aerial also just received yet unopened
I have been addicted to your video reviews ever since I found your channel here on RUclips, Todd. Great job! I am a licensed amateur radio "ham" BUT a dedicated "radiophile" since the early sixties! This XHData 808 looks like an interesting little guy! I am having a hard time finding one these days, I suspect they MIGHT (?) be out of production? I will try to pick one up when and if I can find it anytime soon! Thanks for all you do to help grow our hobby!
@@todderbert Good point! I just have ( typical for my age?) hearing challenges! I do LOVE the audio via the headphones as well as the noticeable selectivity and sensitivity build into this compact receiver!
I got mine from Amazon in the UK, next day delivery. It's a great radio, very sensitive on AM. The auto tune on SW will miss a lot of weak signals, so pick a broadcast band and slowly tune through for the best results. It's a good radio for SW even on the whip, especially outdoors.
@20.35 If you press and hold the scroll up or down button in Air band it will scan through fairly quickly to find activity.. You probably worked that out by now. Just thought I would mention it for viewers who are new to the radio..
So. I just got this radio a few days ago, very impressed! All of the quirks mentioned here, I'm getting. popping while switching bands on headphones, and while tuning close in on fm. However, its still excellent, reception wise. I'm still curious though about the CC skywave SSB, and from the reviews I've read, here's what I've come up with, in terms of similarities and differences. Skywave is smaller than D-808, and runs on regular AA batteries as opposed to an 18650 battery. Slightly shorter whip antenna on the skywave, 21' as opposed to 26'. Sensitivity on FM, SW, airband very similar between the two radios. MW is better on the d-808, because of the larger ferrite antenna. But the skywave is still perfectly acceptable and excellent for its size. D-808 has a true external antenna jack. nice! Skywave doesn't have pops of the d-808. Headphone output very similar, perhaps with less noise at low volumes on the skywave? Both radios, being based on the same DSP chip, have soft muting while tuning. bleh. However, don't think you can go wrong with either radio! Thoughts?
This is the first time that I have my radio first and then your review. Good review too. I am pretty in love with this radio and is nearly my every day radio after my Sony 7600D. The only thing is, how long it will last. (my Sony 7600D is over 30 years) As for the popping sounds, I also noticed the they sounded when you changed the SW bands. However they are absent on my set. Could they be because of some rf interference at your end? This being my first set with SSB and air bands, I am exploring them. Fully engrossed in this radio. Thanks again for the review.
Yes I think the buzzing (not the popping) sounds you refer to are RFI. The popping is a different sound. Mine does the same and it comes and goes depending on interference. My Radiwow R-108 exhibits exactly the same behaviour - buzzing and popping. It's never really a problem. Both brilliant radios but I think Radiwow need to work on the shielding.
I own one and I am very pleased with it. Very good fm am performance, and even lw is fine. Air is a bonus. Battery life is average. SSB is working very well.
It's a great radio. Suprisingly sensitive on airband which is great. FM audio through headphones is excellent. SSB is a real bonus. Can't really go wrong at the prices being asked for this.
Looks like a real hit in the market of full featured portable radios. Was wondering if the 18650 was replaceable if you could buy additionals and pop them in and out as needed? Gotcha on the gun metal grey have always thought that was attractive on a high quality radio such as this. Keep up the good work on reviewing these radios.
If anyone is looking at this video as of March 2022 I was able to order one for about 75$ from their official website. Everywhere else it seems to be more expensive. Weirdly the website let's you select where it ships from- it was like 72$ from Russia but with everything going on now I opted to get it from China for 3$ more. I live on the US East Coast and it took about 12 days to arrive.
This is the radio I have been thinking about...I am a HAM operator but I only have my Tech License and right now getting my General is not feasible as I am about to start my Grad program but I have been wanting to see what I can get on SSB as right now I only have an a cheap UHF/VHF radio, so this seems something I would like. I would like to definitely touch into the Short Wave as well!! THanks for a good video!
Nice review. One suggestion, though, would be to compare the size to common objects that everyone might have, like a cellphone or CD or some other household item. That way everyone can understand the size. Most people don't have other brands of shortwave radios just sitting around.
@@todderbert No worries, I watched more of your videos and saw you normally use them. Funny to see you on Polski FM in Chicago. I grew up in the Chicago area and now live in Poland.
probably because there is almost nobody using CB anymore. here where i live CB radio is dead. nobody is using it anymore. looked for days hours on my SDR.. not a single signal.. searched with my XHData D-808.. same. looked with another SDR.. same. its dead here. and i heard the same about other locations.
13:10 I charged the included battery to 4.2v on my miimix2 and discharged it with a rating of just 1658mAh 22:22 OMG I've had this radio 2 months, I didn't know you could continuously scan using the up and down arrows! The manual says to press and hold the respective band button. (which scans and stores just once) ha! Thanks.
I received mine two days ago.The radio seemed to have many good features, but I am not sure about the built quality. The plastic that hold the telescopic antenna broke off at the base. Now the antenna is loose and comes out of the radio and so does the strap. Over the years I have owned many radios. My first one was a gift from my brother who lived in the UK and shipped it to me surface. It took a long time to make it to the US but it was worth it and it was what made me fall in love with shortwave listening. It was a pocket size National (don't remember what model it was). During Desert Storm I purchased a Sony ICF SW7600 (after 20 years it suffered from the leak capacitors syndrome that plagued many Sony radios ( I'm seriously considering have it rebuilt)), ICF SW77 (purchased 1996. It was still working after 23 years later when I sold it last year), ICF SW10 ( purchased 1996 still works till now), Tecsun R9012 (purchased 2018), used Realistic DX-440 (purchased last month on eBay), and this Xhdata D-808 (purchased it brand new on eBay from none other than hlhl2014 who refuse to respond to messages now that sale is completed). I'm now waiting on a white Sangean ATS-909X that I ordered on Amazon (should be here May 8). I like the DX-440, but my favorite of all them was the SW77. I should have never let go of it, but at the time I didn't think I had any passion left for shortwave listening. I'm hoping the ATS-909X is as good as the SW77 was. In my opinion all of these radios performed good with some have advantage over the other ones in features. The D-808 is the first one ever where the antenna breaks off of its enclosure and come out after only two days of ownership. I doubt I will be shipping it back to China for repair. That's why I filed a purchase protection claim with AmExp. Hopefully they will cover the purchase cost.
@@todderbert The radio does have good features. I never said it is a bad radio, performance wise. But let's not go too far in loyalty to one product/manufacturer. You can't convince me that there is a manufacturer who can make 100% fault free products, not even NASA can. In this case the antenna was not installed properly causing the plastic that holds it to break. I never had this issue with my other radios. Note: A little search on RUclips and there is another owner whose radios's speaker went out on him. Others made modification to improve the AM reception.
@todderbert Update: Seller, hlhl2014, requested that the radio with defective antenna be sent back for a full refund. I elected that a replacement be sent instead over a refund because I want the radio. The new unit will be shipped back to me upon receiving the one with defective antenna. Seller even offered to compensate for shipping cost of the damaged radio to which I counter offered to pay for return shipping cost and they pay the shipping cost for the replacement unit making it fair to all parties. A win win situation.
@@todderbert The battery cells are connected to one another by a thin strip of aluminum. When cutting them apart if you leave enough of the strip on the positive top then you can fold it and make a crude tip that will work.
Another findings: the speaker's diameter is 76.8mm and 21mm thickness if someone will search for better speaker. Also the stock battery is NOT protected, AND sucks. With minor work to the positive post in the battery socket i managed to make good contact with flat top Sony Murata VTC6 - the battery indicator not fluctuatie when i raise volume anymore and i feel the radio even more sensitive, selective and with better sound.
1.2 and 1kHz dsp is mixed in the menu. I hate when it mute speaker when tune and I came back to tecsun pl600 without any dsp and no mute during tuning.
No Mute on Tuning is great for exploring the bands. This radio is good for those who know the frequencies they want to go to. SSB is Fun on this radio as well, just have to go slow while hunting HAMs, versus the quicker tuning of the PL-600.
@@todderbert performance is very good if I compare to others. I have 808, PL600, grundig satelite 650, degen de 1103v1 and v3 ( I hate v3 as it's also sdr and memory didn't keep ssb mode), globo comander and some japan toys with HF like Yaesu Ft991, ft857, Vr500, IC R20, kenwood th7e and confirm - xhdata is worth each EUR you spend for that... But I hate it because of muting when tune it. Try to check what is going on at amateur 10m band (close to 2MHz wide) ... Nightmare. I recomend to have tecsun 600 for fast tuning and xhdata for receiving particular freq.
I use a C.Crane Transmitter 2 hooked up to a MP3 Player so I may broadcast royalty free music to a clear channel on the FM band. You can then listen to the audio, and compare it to other radios I have reviewed using this same method. There should be a difference in tonal quality since I use the same microphone, room, table, music, ect.
Hi Todderbert,I bought d808 with your this video suggestion. i want buy backup battery for xhdata d 808. i ask 3400 mah Panasonic ncr18650b is it suitable? if not Which model battery should I buy? i prefer Panasonic Sony Samsung brand battery Thanks
A Protected Button Top Panasonic 18650B will work along with an Unprotected Button Top. Flat Tops will not work unless you altered the radio or the battery, which I recommend against for personal safety.
One thing that drives me to distraction with a lot of portables is the muting between tuning steps. I understand the Tecsun PL660 does not do this...what about this Xhdata D808? Does it mute? Or at least, is its muting somewhat less? I like that it has narrow bandwidth, the better to tune cw with, and that makes me more positively inclined to it. But want something to replace or supplement or...my aging Radio Shack DX398 aka Sangean ATS909 original variety, and the price is right on this one ...
todderbert Thanks. I reckon it might be a worthwhile tradeoff at the price point, as the Tecsun is slightly more expensive. Guess I'll have to give it some thought. It does sound like storing and recllling memories is easy, direct entry of stuff is dead useful for us blind guys :-)
Yeah I can't enjoy a band scan with that muting. My 310ET has it and while it's worth having, my SSB radio just can't do that. Got a 660 but have to send it back for an AM whine defect. Also the standby drain is 350uA vs the spec of 80uA (still too much) so I may not get another. AirSpy HF+D is looking better and better. All these SSB portables seem to have (IMHO) fatal flaws.
currentsitguy, I don’t think you need this one already having a Skywave SSB :) Well, unless you are a radioholic that collects every item worth attention. People say XHDATA D-808 is technically a copy of a Skywave SSB ;)
I love the extra bandwidth filters the 808 provides on both MW/SW and SSB. The D-808 is better on MW and I enjoy tuning SSB with the fine tuning wheel on the 808. With all that said, I would buy this radio first if I was on a budget and did not need the compactness and NOAA weather alerts the Skywave SSB provides. The V115 is outclassed in this comparison. Though I love that cheap radio for basic reception duties.
Hi there! I have it for a day, but there is something that I do not understand, How do I delete the saved frequencies? I tried with the reset button but it did not work.
@@todderbert Found many negative comments about the battery but still want to try. I will order this next week in Lazada. And I wanted also to bu the Tecsun AN03 I believe it will improve the signal reception but an external wire goes with this radio I do not know if that would be fine or what.
If you know the brand Nitecore they sell expensive batteries such as this 18650 but a better one and I guess any brand of battery will fit into this radio if I am to change it. But how long after you change the orignal battery of it, the XHDATA battery. THanks.
I have a good question. I dont know the term for this shift problem but China Radio is broadcasting on 9460 but I can only get it on 9440 on the radio. In another review of maybe a Tecsun, i cant remember, the reviewer said this is how you fix a problem like this, you hold down (some key) while you re-adjust to the correct frequency and then in the future you will hit the station when you key it in. I was trying to get China Radio and heard nothing on 9460 or near it. Just by accident it showed up at 9440 as I was tuning around. Do you know the problem im talking about and is it fixable on D-808?
Question, will your settings be lost if you remove the battery? Example, on Sony radios you have 3 minutes to change batteries before your presets are lost. The manual doesnt say.
Maybe, but you'll only find out by trying. It's quite common nowadays though, that devices have a small capacitor to bridge that time or they use non-volatile memory.
Thanks for up-loading. I have one, and I take this with me when I go to the sea duty. It is my own opinion, but I dare say that this radio works very well with the ordinary signals AM, FM ...but not good with SSB. ; ) How about you ? Anyway, I do recommend everybody to have one ! 73!
Great value, good sensitivity, airband good. One flaw is hissing on low volume or no volume, very noticeable . Also present on headphones, for this reason I'm returning. Think it's a design flaw. I'm a ham so familiar with radios in general, sadly returning for refund. Amazing what money can buy nowadays compared with 90s
Yes, I noticed this as well, hiss at low volume on headphones. This radio and the cc skywave ssb seem quite similar, at least in terms of the radio features.
hey todderbert, can you put alkaline batteries on these radios? And can you use this radio without a battery, just plugging the micro USB into wall socket? please answer my question :(
Nice Informative video Sir...... Does Radiwow R 108 have overloading issue on SW & FM in comparison to Xhdata D 808 when connected to external Antenna..
@@todderbert Sir, I am planning to buy R-108 for SW listening , So can I ask your advice regarding the performance of R- 108 & D-808 which is Good & which is better on SW both using external antenna & telescopic (internal )antenna.......
16:59 I heard Polish language in USA? Wait you live in Chicago? I heard there lives big minority of Polish pepole but I did nor realised they have any Polish radiostations in Chicago. It is always nice to hear my native language outside Poland. Greetings from UK. Pozdrawiam z Wielkiej Brytanii.
It is smaller and more lightweight. I have my 660 in the closet while this one sits on my radio desk getting used. Portability with good reception with the 808 or the Digitech AR1780. ruclips.net/video/j3T_cheffC8/видео.html
Thanks for your detailed review, I was wondering if this radio has ATS (like radiwow)? and I didn't hear you mention VF/VM function, does it have it? If it is missing both these features then Radiwow would be a much radio for me. your thoughts
I paid $79 with free shipping from China, May 30. You get a lot for the price. But are the components quality and long lasting like a Sony 7600GR? This remains to be seen in all of the current China radios. I would have paid $150 or even $200 for the same radio if it could last 20 years like the Sony.
@@johnbusuttil3911 Thats a surprise...or maybe not. Did you ask for a refund? Try. Depending on the company, electronics have no warranty to 1 year warranty. When you see "1 month" something is wrong. Could be a customer return, fake, etc. Who is selling is important. Dealers who have no factory or distributorship standing have to bear the loss for warranty so they say "1 month" to limit their liability because they have no recourse with the factory. But an honest dealer wants your business and would take it back in 6 weeks. Did you buy at AliExpress? Did you read reviews of the buyers? If AliExpress, did you get AliExpress on chat at their site and discuss the problem?
Great video, from which I bought an R-808. I've read the manual cover to cover several times and I can't find it, nor can bing search LOL. is there a way to scan through memory presets? also/aside, have you done a video on the uniden bc365crs? thanks ahead of time
(paid link below) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you.
▶ The XHDATA D-808 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/3T9CeU1
(paid link below) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
▶ The XHDATA D-808 at eBay: ebay.to/2ZsFQWb
I have one. On SSB I have received here, in Romania, an amateur ham radio from US. It seemed absolutely incredible at that time. With no internet to be able to hear what somebody on the other continent is saying it is absolutely mind blowing.
Just got this radio as a portable alternative for RTL-SDR. The thing is a beast - was able to hear amateurs on 40m and 20m without external antenna from my balcony in city center, even though there are buildings all around. The sensitivity and filtering on this thing is insane.
RTL SDR (25 - 2,600 MHz)
Some RTL SDR such as the V3 can receive below 25 MHz, by using a baseband switching inside, direct injection
@@nine7295 Qual marca e modelo de antena usa, caso tenha o link melhor ainda.
This is the best overall transistor radio I've ever owned, and I've owned many. I use the internet a lot, but will never give up radio as long as there's something interesting to listen to. This one has great sound and is feature packed. I particularly like the ability to choose between several bandwidth sizes, which often makes a big difference in sound quality. The tuning knob is aIso a big plus. My second radio is the Tecsun R9700DX, and is for my analog fix. These two together are all I need in radios.
What do think about the Tescun 330/ 600 or the Xhdata?
Have you compared it to the tecsun pl 365?
Transistor radio! There are many transistors but most are now hiding inside ICs
Quando fala internet seria algum aplicativo específico ?
Dear Mr. Todderbert, this is a great review indeed. I am happy to see that there are people who still love listening to the radio. I am ordering this radio based on your and some other reviews. I am sure I am gonna love this one.....
I am from India, pricewise it is among costlier radios here, but I can not wait to put my hands on it and try all those superb features.
Did you buy it
@@timepass-eh6iv yes, I ordered it last weekend, it's on the way.
@@timepass-eh6iv why do you ask ?
I bought Tecsun PL380
Chegou ? Caso sim, gostou ?
Thank you for the informative review. I ordered the radio from the seller whom you suggested. It came four days after I ordered it, even though the estimated date of delivery was between three weeks and two months!!
When I was a kid I had a beat up Roberts radio, just MW LW & SW. Manual tuning and that was it. SW was full of propaganda from behind the iron curtain and loads of foreign language stations with weird and wonderful music. Spent hours listening and learning how to tune with just that single rotary control knob. Had a Sony ICF 2001 once - that vanished when I moved house!
So to me, any of the SW receivers out there now are just astounding - and cheap! To get all this all those years ago would have cost the earth. Great review.
So many features and bands on such a portable radio. Thank you for reviewing it. Great job. 👍📻
Thank you TVRadio1972.
Just went ahead and bought one of these based on your review, all around spectacular radio for the price. Been enjoying it, thanks!
A very versatile receiver. Light, affordable, decent in most the bands. Thank you Pete! Another excellent review. 73
Light is the name of the game with this one. I didn't realize that the Lithium makes it lighter. My satellit is noticeably heavier than the 808.
I just bought this after your review. Thank you. Look forward to delivery.
Bedankt
I really LOVE my XHDATA D-808, it’s amazing!!! And weak signals, the speaker is at a pitch I can hear the voices better than on other radios! That’s easy for me to judge because I don’t have the best attention/concentration, so my mind will drift while trying to hear the weak signals on other radios, but I will follow right along on my XHDATA! :0)
Same experience with mine. Great for DXing durning Dusk/Dawn hours.
Just bought the SIHUADON D808, can’t wait to receive it. Already have the R108 which is amazing.
From Amazon France just under 100 euros now unpacked and charged, my last radio a Sony ICFSW7600G BOUGHT 20 years ago, felt time to update,. Many thanks for your review which decided me to buy the XH Data. especially with good reviews such as yours on RUclips, unlike the pre internet days of my childhood where one used polished wood mains pre transistor sets rented in England , then bought as I did for very little money after transistors replaced valves. This set is much lighter than the Sony for a start ,which means it will be taken in my small weekend case on short cross frontier trips to nearby Spain.I will now look at the aerial wire and the Sangean aerial also just received yet unopened
Thanks for the link! I just bought 2. Better late than never!
I have been addicted to your video reviews ever since I found your channel here on RUclips, Todd. Great job! I am a licensed amateur radio "ham" BUT a dedicated "radiophile" since the early sixties! This XHData 808 looks like an interesting little guy! I am having a hard time finding one these days, I suspect they MIGHT (?) be out of production? I will try to pick one up when and if I can find it anytime soon! Thanks for all you do to help grow our hobby!
This is a solid radio. I love how light it is compared to its older brother the AR-1780 that uses 4-AAs instead of a single 18650.
@@todderbert Good point! I just have ( typical for my age?) hearing challenges! I do LOVE the audio via the headphones as well as the noticeable selectivity and sensitivity build into this compact receiver!
@@todderbert Just got one. Seems like a great little radio and the audio is so much better than the CC SSB! Thanks again for your fantastic reviews!
I agree! 💯%
Thanks for the review. I picked one up on your and the concurring recommendations and am looking forward to checking it out.
Thank you Tod for all the great reviews. Best wishes,
Frank
It is definitely one of the best small portables I own. Very nice review. Have a good day. :)
Thanks Danny, I'm enjoying this radio for sure.
I got mine from Amazon in the UK, next day delivery. It's a great radio, very sensitive on AM. The auto tune on SW will miss a lot of weak signals, so pick a broadcast band and slowly tune through for the best results. It's a good radio for SW even on the whip, especially outdoors.
Thank you very much for this informative 73's for all Dxer
@20.35 If you press and hold the scroll up or down button in Air band it will scan through fairly quickly to find activity.. You probably worked that out by now. Just thought I would mention it for viewers who are new to the radio..
So. I just got this radio a few days ago, very impressed! All of the quirks mentioned here, I'm getting. popping while switching bands on headphones, and while tuning close in on fm. However, its still excellent, reception wise.
I'm still curious though about the CC skywave SSB, and from the reviews I've read, here's what I've come up with, in terms of similarities and differences.
Skywave is smaller than D-808, and runs on regular AA batteries as opposed to an 18650 battery.
Slightly shorter whip antenna on the skywave, 21' as opposed to 26'.
Sensitivity on FM, SW, airband very similar between the two radios.
MW is better on the d-808, because of the larger ferrite antenna. But the skywave is still perfectly acceptable and excellent for its size.
D-808 has a true external antenna jack. nice!
Skywave doesn't have pops of the d-808.
Headphone output very similar, perhaps with less noise at low volumes on the skywave?
Both radios, being based on the same DSP chip, have soft muting while tuning. bleh.
However, don't think you can go wrong with either radio!
Thoughts?
I tend to use my D-808 more often, because of the slightly better MW performance. I do like the portability of the Skywaves.
@@todderbert Podemos considerar como sendo seu preferido ou tem outro ?
This is the first time that I have my radio first and then your review. Good review too. I am pretty in love with this radio and is nearly my every day radio after my Sony 7600D. The only thing is, how long it will last. (my Sony 7600D is over 30 years) As for the popping sounds, I also noticed the they sounded when you changed the SW bands. However they are absent on my set. Could they be because of some rf interference at your end? This being my first set with SSB and air bands, I am exploring them. Fully engrossed in this radio. Thanks again for the review.
Yes I think the buzzing (not the popping) sounds you refer to are RFI. The popping is a different sound. Mine does the same and it comes and goes depending on interference. My Radiwow R-108 exhibits exactly the same behaviour - buzzing and popping. It's never really a problem. Both brilliant radios but I think Radiwow need to work on the shielding.
I own one and I am very pleased with it. Very good fm am performance, and even lw is fine. Air is a bonus. Battery life is average. SSB is working very well.
It's a great radio. Suprisingly sensitive on airband which is great. FM audio through headphones is excellent. SSB is a real bonus. Can't really go wrong at the prices being asked for this.
Thank You Todd for your diligent and informative reviews!
I'm so glad mine turned out to be orange backlight rather than blue
Thanks for the review. I just got one and enjoy it.
Looks like a real hit in the market of full featured portable radios. Was wondering if the 18650 was replaceable if you could buy additionals and pop them in and out as needed? Gotcha on the gun metal grey have always thought that was attractive on a high quality radio such as this. Keep up the good work on reviewing these radios.
I'm warming up to these 18650 powered radios. They make them much lighter to carry. My S-8800 has them also.
@
mickey brumfield
Ive talked a lot about the batteries in the comments. Take a look.
The 18650s are stupidly cheap on Amazon.
@@todderbert é a melhor bateria existente no momento.
Perfect review👌
Regards from Ireland☘
If anyone is looking at this video as of March 2022 I was able to order one for about 75$ from their official website. Everywhere else it seems to be more expensive. Weirdly the website let's you select where it ships from- it was like 72$ from Russia but with everything going on now I opted to get it from China for 3$ more. I live on the US East Coast and it took about 12 days to arrive.
This is the radio I have been thinking about...I am a HAM operator but I only have my Tech License and right now getting my General is not feasible as I am about to start my Grad program but I have been wanting to see what I can get on SSB as right now I only have an a cheap UHF/VHF radio, so this seems something I would like. I would like to definitely touch into the Short Wave as well!! THanks for a good video!
Does this radio XHDATA D-808 require any license 🤔
@@arjunpa8648 não
Nice review. One suggestion, though, would be to compare the size to common objects that everyone might have, like a cellphone or CD or some other household item. That way everyone can understand the size. Most people don't have other brands of shortwave radios just sitting around.
Thanks, I forgot to use my deck of Iron Man cards for some reason :)
@@todderbert No worries, I watched more of your videos and saw you normally use them. Funny to see you on Polski FM in Chicago. I grew up in the Chicago area and now live in Poland.
@@larrymcardle Not many move out of America. Military, work or family there is my guess?
This is probably a stupid question but why don't I hear CB radio on the 808 ?
probably because there is almost nobody using CB anymore. here where i live CB radio is dead. nobody is using it anymore. looked for days hours on my SDR.. not a single signal.. searched with my XHData D-808.. same. looked with another SDR.. same. its dead here. and i heard the same about other locations.
no problem with broken antenna foot, due to low material quality?
Ordered it now via Amazon. Delivery on April 20th 😊
How is it performing?
@@hpvspeedmachine4183 Very well 👍
13:10 I charged the included battery to 4.2v on my miimix2 and discharged it with a rating of just 1658mAh
22:22 OMG I've had this radio 2 months, I didn't know you could continuously scan using the up and down arrows! The manual says to press and hold the respective band button. (which scans and stores just once) ha!
Thanks.
Hi Chazzy, can you scan as well the memory by pressing up and down arrows ? Thx
@@patricelemarie765 no, unfortunately you cannot scan the pre-sets.
@@chuck2501 thx for your answer. 73's
I received mine two days ago.The radio seemed to have many good features, but I am not sure about the built quality. The plastic that hold the telescopic antenna broke off at the base. Now the antenna is loose and comes out of the radio and so does the strap. Over the years I have owned many radios. My first one was a gift from my brother who lived in the UK and shipped it to me surface. It took a long time to make it to the US but it was worth it and it was what made me fall in love with shortwave listening. It was a pocket size National (don't remember what model it was). During Desert Storm I purchased a Sony ICF SW7600 (after 20 years it suffered from the leak capacitors syndrome that plagued many Sony radios ( I'm seriously considering have it rebuilt)), ICF SW77 (purchased 1996. It was still working after 23 years later when I sold it last year), ICF SW10 ( purchased 1996 still works till now), Tecsun R9012 (purchased 2018), used Realistic DX-440 (purchased last month on eBay), and this Xhdata D-808 (purchased it brand new on eBay from none other than hlhl2014 who refuse to respond to messages now that sale is completed). I'm now waiting on a white Sangean ATS-909X that I ordered on Amazon (should be here May 8). I like the DX-440, but my favorite of all them was the SW77. I should have never let go of it, but at the time I didn't think I had any passion left for shortwave listening. I'm hoping the ATS-909X is as good as the SW77 was.
In my opinion all of these radios performed good with some have advantage over the other ones in features. The D-808 is the first one ever where the antenna breaks off of its enclosure and come out after only two days of ownership. I doubt I will be shipping it back to China for repair. That's why I filed a purchase protection claim with AmExp. Hopefully they will cover the purchase cost.
I have only heard of this problem from you. Mine seems solid and I use it daily.
@@todderbert The radio does have good features. I never said it is a bad radio, performance wise. But let's not go too far in loyalty to one product/manufacturer. You can't convince me that there is a manufacturer who can make 100% fault free products, not even NASA can. In this case the antenna was not installed properly causing the plastic that holds it to break. I never had this issue with my other radios.
Note: A little search on RUclips and there is another owner whose radios's speaker went out on him. Others made modification to improve the AM reception.
@todderbert Update: Seller, hlhl2014, requested that the radio with defective antenna be sent back for a full refund. I elected that a replacement be sent instead over a refund because I want the radio. The new unit will be shipped back to me upon receiving the one with defective antenna. Seller even offered to compensate for shipping cost of the damaged radio to which I counter offered to pay for return shipping cost and they pay the shipping cost for the replacement unit making it fair to all parties. A win win situation.
@@marwanbaayoun4266 Have you received the replacement?
Be gentle with it
I discovered that my old portable drill power-pack contained numerous GOOD 18650 cells which work great in my XHDATA.
oh nice, what do you use to make the connection at the positive side? do you add your own button tops?
@@todderbert The battery cells are connected to one another by a thin strip of aluminum. When cutting them apart if you leave enough of the strip on the positive top then you can fold it and make a crude tip that will work.
@@thedesertfathers interesting. I have salvaged cells and know about these nickel plated connection straps.
Really descriptive video.
Please include metric measurements if possible.
Thank you
Nice review - thanks! A great tuning knob like that needs VM / VF station navigation ( like the RADIWOW R-180 ).
108 you meant?
Another findings: the speaker's diameter is 76.8mm and 21mm thickness if someone will search for better speaker. Also the stock battery is NOT protected, AND sucks. With minor work to the positive post in the battery socket i managed to make good contact with flat top Sony Murata VTC6 - the battery indicator not fluctuatie when i raise volume anymore and i feel the radio even more sensitive, selective and with better sound.
Good to know, I can fit protected 18650s into mine.
@@todderbert better try with high drain battery. There is no such thing as protected high drain cell...
@@satamototo I'm sure this radio doesn't pull like a vape does. 200mA-300mA tops.
@@todderbert better battery = smoother voltage i guess
Might want to look at the ebay listing now....9-7-2022, they are a little higher than 85$, they are more like $120 almost double.
Inflation World. Might see a down trend. I at least noticed this on Music gear.
Hello, Thank you for the video tutorial. Is there a video on how to listen to Amuture Radio with this Radio?
Does this radio require using a "protected" 18650 battery? I can't seem to find this information in the manual or online?
It comes with an unprotected button top, but a Orbtronic Protected cell fits just barely :)
@@todderbert Good info. Thanks. Can’t wait to try it out. Cheers!
1.2 and 1kHz dsp is mixed in the menu. I hate when it mute speaker when tune and I came back to tecsun pl600 without any dsp and no mute during tuning.
No Mute on Tuning is great for exploring the bands. This radio is good for those who know the frequencies they want to go to. SSB is Fun on this radio as well, just have to go slow while hunting HAMs, versus the quicker tuning of the PL-600.
@@todderbert performance is very good if I compare to others. I have 808, PL600, grundig satelite 650, degen de 1103v1 and v3 ( I hate v3 as it's also sdr and memory didn't keep ssb mode), globo comander and some japan toys with HF like Yaesu Ft991, ft857, Vr500, IC R20, kenwood th7e and confirm - xhdata is worth each EUR you spend for that... But I hate it because of muting when tune it. Try to check what is going on at amateur 10m band (close to 2MHz wide) ... Nightmare. I recomend to have tecsun 600 for fast tuning and xhdata for receiving particular freq.
hi, what is the FM transmitter you were using for a test, and why is it used? thanks for the video
I use a C.Crane Transmitter 2 hooked up to a MP3 Player so I may broadcast royalty free music to a clear channel on the FM band. You can then listen to the audio, and compare it to other radios I have reviewed using this same method. There should be a difference in tonal quality since I use the same microphone, room, table, music, ect.
Do you know how to turn off the sound of buttons when pressed? Buttons make a sound when pressed
Press and hold Button 5 when the radio is off to disable the BEEP. I'm not a fan of the Beep myself :)
Hi Todderbert,I bought d808 with your this video suggestion. i want buy backup battery for xhdata d 808. i ask 3400 mah Panasonic ncr18650b is it suitable? if not Which model battery should I buy? i prefer Panasonic Sony Samsung brand battery
Thanks
A Protected Button Top Panasonic 18650B will work along with an Unprotected Button Top. Flat Tops will not work unless you altered the radio or the battery, which I recommend against for personal safety.
Comparison with the pl 660? Fm, Mw, Sw, Ssb,Air?
I'd be sure the pl 660 would be the better choice 👍💯
The 660 has sync AM but has got less than stellar AM & FM reviews. For SW, the 660 seems to be better.
Quilia yep
Funny thing I never knew XHDATA and RADIWOW were the same company. I did notice that they looked a lot alike.
I just saw that XHDATA are now selling 18650 batteries that are rated at 3000 mAh. I haven't seen those yet so I thought it was interesting.
Is this better than Sangean ATS-909X?
do you think this radio is superior to tecsun PL880 in FM and AM reception. I would only like your opinion before buying it thank you
For the money this radio is superior, but as a tuner the 880 has the edge in performance.
One thing that drives me to distraction with a lot of portables is the muting between tuning steps. I understand the Tecsun PL660 does not do this...what about this Xhdata D808? Does it mute? Or at least, is its muting somewhat less? I like that it has narrow bandwidth, the better to tune cw with, and that makes me more positively inclined to it. But want something to replace or supplement or...my aging Radio Shack DX398 aka Sangean ATS909 original variety, and the price is right on this one ...
It does mute on tuning. It is not smooth like the Sangean or 660's, but I still enjoy searching the bands with it.
todderbert Thanks. I reckon it might be a worthwhile tradeoff at the price point, as the Tecsun is slightly more expensive. Guess I'll have to give it some thought. It does sound like storing and recllling memories is easy, direct entry of stuff is dead useful for us blind guys :-)
@@kb5elv I'm glad they included the fine tuning wheel on the side. It is very handy.
Yeah I can't enjoy a band scan with that muting. My 310ET has it and while it's worth having, my SSB radio just can't do that. Got a 660 but have to send it back for an AM whine defect. Also the standby drain is 350uA vs the spec of 80uA (still too much) so I may not get another. AirSpy HF+D is looking better and better. All these SSB portables seem to have (IMHO) fatal flaws.
@@todderbert Como assim ?
I'm curious of your opinion as to how it stacks up against the Skywave SSB or V115, both of which I already own.
currentsitguy, I don’t think you need this one already having a Skywave SSB :) Well, unless you are a radioholic that collects every item worth attention. People say XHDATA D-808 is technically a copy of a Skywave SSB ;)
I love the extra bandwidth filters the 808 provides on both MW/SW and SSB. The D-808 is better on MW and I enjoy tuning SSB with the fine tuning wheel on the 808. With all that said, I would buy this radio first if I was on a budget and did not need the compactness and NOAA weather alerts the Skywave SSB provides. The V115 is outclassed in this comparison. Though I love that cheap radio for basic reception duties.
Hi there! I have it for a day, but there is something that I do not understand, How do I delete the saved frequencies? I tried with the reset button but it did not work.
Hello, how's your radio now especially the life of the battery?
ok run times on the stock battery, I upgraded to a 3,600 Panasonic and get many hours more than the original.
@@todderbert Found many negative comments about the battery but still want to try. I will order this next week in Lazada. And I wanted also to bu the Tecsun AN03 I believe it will improve the signal reception but an external wire goes with this radio I do not know if that would be fine or what.
If you know the brand Nitecore they sell expensive batteries such as this 18650 but a better one and I guess any brand of battery will fit into this radio if I am to change it. But how long after you change the orignal battery of it, the XHDATA battery. THanks.
I have a good question. I dont know the term for this shift problem but China Radio is broadcasting on 9460 but I can only get it on 9440 on the radio. In another review of maybe a Tecsun, i cant remember, the reviewer said this is how you fix a problem like this, you hold down (some key) while you re-adjust to the correct frequency and then in the future you will hit the station when you key it in. I was trying to get China Radio and heard nothing on 9460 or near it. Just by accident it showed up at 9440 as I was tuning around. Do you know the problem im talking about and is it fixable on D-808?
Great review would you recommend this over a ats25 max please may I ask.
i get background white noise on the speaker even with the volume all down in all modes, is it normal?
The more I read about this, the more I wish XHData would make a radio with the features and performance of the D-808, but put it in the R-108 case.
The inscription «timer» is constantly glowing on the display... How to clean?!!
If you have to compare it to PL 680, which would you say has a better SSB operation? And SW sensitivity?
Don't own a 680. My 660 is good on SW, easy to dial in HAMs with versus the D-808...the D-808 on the other hand is more portable.
It's have a tone control or equalizer setting likes radiwow r108?
It has only has am bandwidth controls, no tone control.
Question, will your settings be lost if you remove the battery? Example, on Sony radios you have 3 minutes to change batteries before your presets are lost. The manual doesnt say.
Maybe, but you'll only find out by trying. It's quite common nowadays though, that devices have a small capacitor to bridge that time or they use non-volatile memory.
Best radio under 100 usd plz suggest me
Budget sw, Sihuadon R-108: amzn.to/42oxVpQ, need SSB then Tecsun PL-330: amzn.to/3NG18Ir
Where can I get the attenuator for external antenna? Or what kind?
I think, i will buy this radio 😊👍
Me gusta las revisiones de las radios... Excelente..
Is the SIHUADON D-808 identical to the XHDATA D-808? Thank you for your comment back on this
I imagine they are, just a name plate change.
@@todderbert Thank you! My thought as well
Literally both the same radio except for the name and the colour... If its D-808, its GREAT!
Does the type of battery make this a dealbreaker? Can you use aa instead
The 18650 is very popular and easy to find. I like that it can operate at colder temperatures and is lighter weight. I don't think it can use AAs.
@@todderbert thanks a lot! Do you think it’s better than the pl-660 I have? Or is silly to get it....
I was able to buy an external charger for the 18650. Kicks butt of AA
The battery is great- Don't be fooled if it drops to two bars right away, it will stay there a long time.
how long does it last from a full charge?
How do you change the temperature from centagrade to fahrenheit?
With the power off press and hold the numeral 3.
which is better the plugged in external antenna or the clip on to the arial antenna type of antenna extension?
usually the plug in style if the radio supports it.
Hello friend, can you tell if this radio works directly connected to a cell phone charger, without his own battery?
Charger may add too much noise on am and sw.
Works for me
Thanks for up-loading. I have one, and I take this with me when I go to the sea duty. It is my own opinion, but I dare say that this radio works very well with the ordinary signals AM, FM ...but not good with SSB. ; ) How about you ? Anyway, I do recommend everybody to have one ! 73!
I have to explore SSB more...I need a good wire setup, or take it outside when the 20mb is open.
SSB seems great to me.
I am absolutely stumped as to why a Panasonic or a Sony doesn't make a radio like this. It's just odd.
They run with globalist.
Radio is freedom from censorship.
Great value, good sensitivity, airband good. One flaw is hissing on low volume or no volume, very noticeable . Also present on headphones, for this reason I'm returning. Think it's a design flaw. I'm a ham so familiar with radios in general, sadly returning for refund. Amazing what money can buy nowadays compared with 90s
Yes, I noticed this as well, hiss at low volume on headphones. This radio and the cc skywave ssb seem quite similar, at least in terms of the radio features.
That's amazing! Just discovered I can rotate the antenna. 16:44
tighten the antenna screw. Mine came loose
Help! How do I disable the alarm? I've had to remove the battery.
With the radio off, press Alarm then quickly press the Tuning Up button to select wake to radio, buzzer, or off.
@@todderbert Thanks. That fixed it. BTW, you have a great RUclips channel.
@@coolspace2136 You're Welcome CoolSpace. Glad your enjoying the videos :)
hey todderbert, can you put alkaline batteries on these radios? And can you use this radio without a battery, just plugging the micro USB into wall socket? please answer my question :(
Maybe impossible to put alkaline batteries in xhdata,
Is this the one shortwave radio I should buy?
Stick with the Sangean 909X or Eton Elite Executive since they have support in the USA.
Nice Informative video Sir...... Does Radiwow R 108 have overloading issue on SW & FM in comparison to Xhdata D 808 when connected to external Antenna..
I don't have a large antenna to try this one, but my normal 22' wire doesn't overload on the D-808 or R-108.
@@todderbert Sir, I am planning to buy R-108 for SW listening , So can I ask your advice regarding the performance of R- 108 & D-808 which is Good & which is better on SW both using external antenna & telescopic (internal )antenna.......
16:59 I heard Polish language in USA?
Wait you live in Chicago? I heard there lives big minority of Polish pepole but I did nor realised they have any Polish radiostations in Chicago.
It is always nice to hear my native language outside Poland.
Greetings from UK.
Pozdrawiam z Wielkiej Brytanii.
"Nearly one third of all Polish immigrants in the U.S live in the Chicago area."
todderbert pozdrawiam z Polski 😉
Please tale me.
How long can the radio last after it is fully charged?
Depends on use and battery installed. Factory battery at low to medium volume I get around fifteen to twenty hours. Standby, about a month.
Is this good radio from pl660
It is smaller and more lightweight. I have my 660 in the closet while this one sits on my radio desk getting used. Portability with good reception with the 808 or the Digitech AR1780. ruclips.net/video/j3T_cheffC8/видео.html
@@todderbert Your 660 review also says that the FM & MW AM are not that great, whereas on this one they are?
@@radellaf My 660 is mostly a dud. It is a newer model. A friend of mine has a 660 that is five years old and runs circles around mine.
Would it kill them to do a better manual?
there is an unofficial manual that is much better or follow YT videos..
Just a thought but maybe include metric dimension measurements. As you may know only three counties in the world still use imperial.
Whoa, hold on. On the scan it jumped from 6295 to 7100. Does it not tune in between?
Hello sir, between pl-660 and xhdata 808, which is better in shortwave?
Thanks
PL-660 for smooth no mute on tuning, the XHDATA for better Bandwidth filters while on SSB.
Tq sir
Just got one myself. Any idea how to switch between 12 and 24 hour modes on the time settings?
A quick question about this radio. Do the presets get removed if the battery is taken out and replaced?
Presets stay on mine.
@@todderbert Thanks!
Thanks for your detailed review, I was wondering if this radio has ATS (like radiwow)? and I didn't hear you mention VF/VM function, does it have it? If it is missing both these features then Radiwow would be a much radio for me. your thoughts
No ATS. Simple Page Presets. You have to use the frequency key to use the numeric keypad for direct entry, otherwise it will load your presets.
I paid $79 with free shipping from China, May 30. You get a lot for the price. But are the components quality and long lasting like a Sony 7600GR? This remains to be seen in all of the current China radios. I would have paid $150 or even $200 for the same radio if it could last 20 years like the Sony.
I would think the Sony most likely will outlast this radio, but I'll have fun tuning with this one till it dies ;)
Mine got dead after 6 weeks the Chinese seller only offer 1 month as aguarantee for replacement or refund
@@johnbusuttil3911 Thats a surprise...or maybe not. Did you ask for a refund? Try. Depending on the company, electronics have no warranty to 1 year warranty. When you see "1 month" something is wrong. Could be a customer return, fake, etc. Who is selling is important. Dealers who have no factory or distributorship standing have to bear the loss for warranty so they say "1 month" to limit their liability because they have no recourse with the factory. But an honest dealer wants your business and would take it back in 6 weeks. Did you buy at AliExpress? Did you read reviews of the buyers? If AliExpress, did you get AliExpress on chat at their site and discuss the problem?
Does this radio SSB include Marine ones?
Great video, from which I bought an R-808. I've read the manual cover to cover several times and I can't find it, nor can bing search LOL. is there a way to scan through memory presets? also/aside, have you done a video on the uniden bc365crs? thanks ahead of time
no way to browse/scan presets like a tecsun can. you have to manually press the keypad.
Does Xhdata D808 have a RT(Radio text ) function?
Bruh, I can't even power it on. Is the battery pre-charged? It instantly turned off when I unplugged the charger
Check the Battery bay, they may have placed an isolation disc on one of the terminals for safety reasons.
@@todderbert I reinserted the battery and it worked! I thought I got a faulty unit so I did a refund request.
@@MiiMaker Now I would charge the battery. I'm almost sure there was a plastic piece they use for isolating the battery for shipping purposes.
In the description you have your "todds shop" and I went there, and this radio is not listed........
yeah, it is basically an Amazon Shop, but I'm keeping it up to one day have a Blog there.