Happy Holidays to You Andre! Nice collection of radios and receivers you have…. I heard ChoYong and Qodosen are working on new models with SSB and other features as well for 2025 🎉, we’ll stay “tuned” and see what happens. 🎄
Thanks for another interesting video Andre. It’s great that manufacturers are still offering such a wide range of SW-capable receivers. I’ve seen a few highly favourable reviews online of the CHOYONG LC90. You may care to take a look. I’m more of a general listener who doesn’t need SSB and likes easy to operate hardware. Horses for courses, as they say.. Keep up the great work and all the best to everyone for 2025.
Thanks Ian. The Choyong does look like a very interesting radio, I have seen some reviews also. But it is quite pricey, it is a bit out of my budget. When a radio costs more than $200, I think twice.
I would have to agree with your pick. I have the PL-680 and it is excellent. I am getting the DX-286 for christmas and am sure it will be great radio also. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Thanks for another great video Andre. I have been trying to decide which radio to get next. And I believe the Qodosen just might be the one. Like you though, I wish it had SSB. There are still a few others I am looking at as well, but the DX286 is still on top for now. I enjoy the channel and look forward to seeing more videos. You and your family have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
My pleasure Rodney, The Qodosen is definitely a great radio, just a pity about the SSB. However, I know there are many people who don't use SSB at all, so for them, if you are a SW, MW or FM DXer, the Qodosen is just perfect. Best you can get right now, in my opinion.
I would like to thank Andre for sharing this wonderful presentation and review of his present radio collection. 📻📻📻📻📻📻 After watching this video, I actually feel less guilty about having 16 radios and 5 SDRs though. 😐Oh wait, Todderbert has over 400 radios on his last count. The radio that I wouldn't buy again would be the XHDATA D-220. It looks nice with a retro look with a very loud, loudspeaker but that's about it. I got the orange D-220 and was disappointed with its FM tuning performance (won't go into SW tuning here). I wouldn't mind trading mine with a D-219 of similar vintage and condition though and would rather buy a Clooblut RD-218 like the one Andre has! 😀
I think you have a nice collection, and definitely no need to feel guilty! I don't feel guilty :-) I don't think I will ever have as many radios as Todderbert though. The Clooblut might be a nice radio for you, but perhaps the Raddy RF886 is a better option? I think it has a few more specs than the Clooblut, but performance is about the same.
@ StratmanII I feel exactly the same way about the XHDATA D-220. Its FM performance was very disappointing, even compared to less expensive AM/FM pocket radios. I passed mine on to a charity/thrift store. OTOH, I love my D-219 which is simply amazing. I don’t know how any company sell such an accomplished product so cheaply. Let’s at least give XHDATA 10/10 for innovation.
You can say that again Andre. I bought a second as a spare. OTOH, I wish XHDATA would ensure consistency in their products’ performance and reliability. An improvement in their after-sales service would be welcome too. I’ve just received your email and will reply soon. Best wishes to everyone for Christmas and the new year, however you pass the time.
Love your videos but as I’ve gotten older & more medical issues my hearing is worse & worse. I’d love if your videos had Closed Caption. Best to you in the New Year🎉
Hi Roxanne, I am sorry that you are unable to use the closed captions for this video, I don't quite understand why that happened. Closed captions are usually always available on all my videos, but for some reason not on this one. There is no setting on my side when I upload the video to turn closed captions on or off when uploading. But viewers can turn closed captions on or off themselves. However, as I said, for this one the closed captions are unavailable, I don't know why. I do hope that you will be able to enjoy many of my other videos, where closed captions are available.
I ordered the Qodsen after watching this, since my old Sony does not havr digital tuning. I thought SW waa kinda dead before fired up this radio when it came yesterday. Wow!! Phenomemal sensitivity. I put it near a desktop stand with a metal frame, it must act as an antenna - I crystal clear reception am/fm from very far away!!! thanks for the video
Hi James, this looks like a very nice radio! I did not know it, looked it up now to see what it looks like. I see it is also PLL, like my Sony and the Tecsun PL-680. I can understand why it is your favourite!
Great video Andre, enjoyed your insights, I too enjoy that D-608wb radio. Some of my own favourites have been a couple of second hand analogue radio's that I picked up this year, I enjoy the precision of a modern digital display but I still really like the old style tuning/sounds. That Qodosen looks like a winner though & I aim to add one to my collection. Thanks Andre, all the best from Scotland
Glad you enjoyed it Lew! What are some of the analogues that you are using? As you probably gathered from my video, I also really like analogue tuning, and with the digital display on the PL-680 and the Sony ICF-7600GR I think I have the best of both worlds.
Andre, I picked up a Panasonic RF1680L (circa 1985) and a smaller Philips AE3205 (circa 1990) both second hand and needed cleaned up a little. The audio and "feather touch" tuning on the Panasonic are just lovely. Thanks
I turn this Panasonic on every day Andre, just for it's sound quality, it fills the room & the tuning needle feels like it is floating when turned. Panasonic really made some nice stuff back in the day.
The first radio I recall was a radio my father had similar to the Hamerlind but an olive green army colour, I have no idea what it was called. It was about 1954 when as a three year old I became fascinated by its sounds and ability to pick up stations only my father could understand. He had been in India for many years with the British army and spoke many Indian languages, also he understood Russian. I would like to sit with him and just listen. Around 1958/9 he could not obtain any more replacement valves and sold the radio to a collector solely for the valve value. Rationing had been eased somewhat in the UK but it was impossible to obtain radio valves (The army was still requiring them!) so people would sell their equipment for the valve value so perhaps others could find their valves. He ordered a couple of Russian radios and a Japanese one each for my brother and myself. My brother (younger as I am the eldest) was not interested in anything but music. I always tried to get different countries English broadcasts. So a DXer was discovered - me! My father's radios morphed in time to a Spidola which he kept until he passed in 1984, and would always challenge my newer radios to DX session which the Spidola often won. As to your choices I have not the Tecsun nor the Qodoson, I have listened to you and others use and praise them. The Xhdata I have and like you I find it very good on everything, it's not perfect (SSB would make it a perfect radio!) but it's getting there. I like it on short wave and Medium wave. It works well to on FM but I have little to no interest currently on the FM band. So I do like your choices.
Hi Terry, thank you so much for sharing your radio story! It must have been fascinating to sit and watch your father listening to his old radio. I can see why the radio bug bit you :-) Do you still have any of your father's radios? Like the Spidola or other Russian radios? There were some very interesting Russian radios back then, I know many people in eastern Europe still use them. Maybe you can still find some of them even now there in Estonia, at markets? I would love to have one of those Russian radios from the Soviet times! In my case it was not really a family thing, I just started scanning the shortwave bands as a teenager because I was curious, and then I found all these interesting signals from around the world. This was in the 1980s and the stations from the eastern bloc countries fascinated me. Thanks for your comments about my choices.
You would like the Eton Mini for SW. Excellent on FM, very good on MW, but AGC is a bit slow. It’s better with earphones and in the dark. I use it when I go to bed.
You are right, I think I will like the Eton Mini, I have seen it on Amazon and I have always thought that it looked like a great little radio. I do own the Eton Traveler, and I am very happy with it.
@@racinchef I would like to get the Executive also one day. A bit expensive to ship to South Africa though. Because it is a higher priced radio, the import duties are very high here.
Excellent video Andre, it reminds me that communications receivers have disappeared from the market. It's time for me to acquire some of those receivers. Drake R8B, Icom, JRC, Watkins Johnson, Ten-Tec and Yaesu come to mind. It's extremely unlikely that we'll see radios of their quality again. Their prices are higher, but we won't see these again.
Thanks Henry, you are absolutely right, the quality of some of these old receivers is hard to find today. If one can still find any of these for sale in good working order, then it will always be a good buy. I have been very lucky with Facebook Marketplace, found some very good deals there.
@@swlistening I haven't seen the shape factors of DSP filters, but the performance of older (and expensive) receivers with ceramic and mechanical filters was amazing.
@@adrianmicallef4221 Is it one of those older JVC boomboxes? Or do they still make new ones? I remember they were very popular in the late 1980s and 1990s.
I have got tecsun pl-330 its wonderfull radio, AM, SW and FM are every good, I think all radios tecsun are wonderfull and heavy duty , So Im looking for Tecsun pl 680, or Tecsun pl 990 which has tf card, about AM broadcast, I prefer sangean PR-D4W, due its more portable without external antenna. Nice video, have a good time Andrea 👍
Thank you for your comment Eyad! I am glad you are enjoying your Tecsun PL-330, I have heard many good things about it. I don't own one, but many people who watch my channel do and they have commented in the past on how good it is. I also have the Sangean PR-D4W, I think it is a nice radio and it is definitely very sensitive, but I don't like the tuning on it. I would prefer a tuning knob. But I think I must use my PR-D4W more, I haven't used it for a while.
Todderbert does videos 📹 on the XHDATA radio 📻, telling ya about the pros and cons. Retekess is another brand. Kaito and Raddy is yet another. I'm not sure if I have a favorite radio. Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 and a very safe and Happy New Year to ya!! Your friend, Jeff!!
Hi Jeff! Thanks, yes, Todderbert has done some very extensive and good reviews, I watch his channel also. He has many more radios than what I have :-) Merry Christmas to you and your family also!
Andre I am trying to grow a money tree so I can buy all of them...! Why bother choosing just one...oh well I can still dream! I forgot to warn you when using Active antennas with the Sony 7600 GR that there is a 3 VDC on the external antenna input jack. Please don't ask me how I found out...! 73! have a great day! Happy Holiday's !
Please send me some seeds for the money tree :-) About the antenna input jack on the Sony. This is something that has had me quite confused. I know about the powered input jack and I searched online for information about this over the past week. I found many forums and comments from people who said they do use active antennas on the Sony, without any issues. I don't want to damage mine though. What happened with yours?
Hello André, thanks for this excellent extensive review of your radios. What a family picture it makes 😁 Many people are jealous of the fantastic bargains you made, the Hammarlund and the Sony especially. We'd all like to have these. Such radios are rare and sold for ridiculous prices when in working condition here in Europe and I think in the US as well. I share most of your preferences (well, for the radios I have too), but I will really differ for the D-608WB that I don't find that good on SW. Very noisy, overloads all the time and I don't like its speaker. Too much bass, not well balanced. Lack of direct frequency entry and cumbersome volume control. The Clooblut was a very bad surprise for me at first as you know. It was basically deaf when used at home and urban locations around. But I found out later that when used away from RFI and FM transmitters, it's a great performer. So I've made up with it now. I don't have a PL-680, but my PL-660 certainly comes at the top of my favourites. I don't do MW much so I can't tell whether it actually is better than the 680 as some people say. Air Band is mediocre, but for SW it's just great, just like your 680. I would have put my Xhdata R-108 in the top 5 too, because it offers much for its low price, especially a very sensitive air band. Merry Christmas you and all your viewers, enjoy the Holiday Season all of you. May Santa bring you radios 😁
Glad you enjoyed the video Alain! I think I should get myself an R-108 some day, so many people have commented on how good that radio is. I remember your experience with the Clooblut and I am actually quite curious to hear what you will think of the Raddy RF886. I think these two radios are probably quite similar in many ways. The Raddy feels a bit more sophisticated though. About the Hammarlund and the Sony. You are right, I am lucky that I am able to find radios like that at very good prices here in South Africa. Also, for that matter, my Kenwood R1000 and my Barlow Wadley. I think the market for second-hand receivers like these is very small here in South Africa, so prices are not comparable to Europe or the US. I don't complain :-) Merry Christmas to you also!
New DSP chips offer many bandwidths, but I have found that in 'real life' conditions 6 kHz (+- 3 kHz) is ideal. 4 kHz (+- 2 kHz) is excellent for difficult signals. Shortwave is limited to a 5 kHz bandwidth, wider filters will likely increase noise.
I agree, it's all about finding the right balance between bandwidth and noise levels, for me 3 kHz works well for weak and difficult signals, and 4 kHz for stronger signals.
@@swlistening I usually say + - certain kilohertz because newer models don't specify + - certain amounts in kilohertz. They just say 6 kHz, but they don't say + - 6 kHz which would mean 12 kHz. I have found that + - 3 kHz (6 kHz at -6 dB) is excellent; shortwave is limited to + - 2.5 kHz, 5 kHz total.
The Kenwood R1000 is really great, and also the Barlow Wadley! I still see Barlow Wadleys for sale here in South Africa every once in a while, but shipping to the US would be very high, it is quite a big and heavy radio. I have seen them come up for sale on eBay sometimes also. It is a very sturdy radio and should last for a long time if you can find one in a working condition.
I would take any of them, listening to radio caroline this evening together with BBC Wales and WLC radio.....on an old Tandy DX394 i bought for my late Father, which i kept after he passed away. Enjoy your channel.
@ AnthonyJones WLC SW broadcasts are some of the few I’ve been able to hear over the last few days. SW reception where I live (NW England) has been poor recently when you’re only using a receiver’s whip antenna.
I was tempted to jump to the end to see your ultimate choice, but I didn't! 😁 No surprise though, it's been obvious from your videos how much you have enjoyed the 680. Remember, "You can never be too thin or too rich, or have too many radios." 😎
Those are two great Tecsun receivers, but a bit more expensive than the radios that I usually buy. I don't have the D-328, but I assume it is quite similar to the D-368, which is a really great budget radio indeed! Interesting that you mention the RF-750, I have been looking at that one, I might just buy one next year. Looks like a very unique little radio.
Hi André, I agree with the Qodosen as this years favorite, also I like the Tecson PL-368. The PL-680 doesn't support an external MW-antenna and that's a pity, because I have to much interference where I live.
It's true, the PL-680 is let down by its MW coverage. It is not the best. The Qodosen is most certainly the best for SW and MW listening. It's a pity that it does not have SSB though.
Hi André, I appreciate your choice of Tecsun PL-680 as your best radio for 2024, but... I have an impression that you kinda forgot about the XHDATA D-808 you have. I forgot most of your video comparisons, and I'm sure you've been comparing these two at some point, except I think you haven't done it for SSB signals. Hence my question: what does the PL-680 do better than the D-808 that swung your preferences towards the PL-680? Other than it is full analogue :) As for the rest of your choices, I think I agree. Qodosen and the TEF6686 chip simply wipes the floor with other portables on FM, MW & LW 😂 You'll definitely want to try a TEF6686 radio with an external Yagi, it really opens a whole new world of FM DXing - as it did for me 😜 even though I still mostly prefer DXing on an SDR, even the 10-year-old SDRplay RSP1 - just because it is a wideband SDR. But both the Yagi and the TEF6686 chip have been breakthrough for me this year, each to its own 😉 As for MW... well... we're living in rather challenging times, DX just can't come through except a handful of stations.
Hi Arnie! I did not forget about the D-808. The reason it was not in the running this year, is because the fine-tuning wheel on mine broke, making SSB listening on it by far the worst of all my radios with SSB. Some viewers commented that it also happened to them. So the D-808 fell out because of quality issues. But if the SSB on my D-808 were still working, I would still have picked the Pl-680, because of the analogue tuning and the fact that the PL-680 does not mute. It makes a world of difference for me. The muting on the D-808 is quite strong. Interesting what you say about MW. Are conditions not good in Europe this winter for MW? You may recall, I had a very short winter this year, but there were some great catches from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, many new ones for me. But the "MW season" here was very, very short. There were only about three or four weeks where I felt that conditions were great.
It's a great radio, but it is a bit more expensive than what I usually like to buy. With the hefty import duties here in South Africa the PL-880 will be a very expensive radio for me, unfortunately. Maybe one day...
Best wishes for the festive period Andre & to all radio fans.
Thank you Lew, and best wishes to you also!
Great collection!
Thanks!
Happy Holidays to You Andre! Nice collection of radios and receivers you have…. I heard ChoYong and Qodosen are working on new models with SSB and other features as well for 2025 🎉, we’ll stay “tuned” and see what happens. 🎄
Hi John, SSB capable radios from Qodosen and Choyong willl be very interesting indeed! Happy holidays to you also!
Very informative video. And good choice for overall radio.
Thanks Anthony, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for another interesting video Andre. It’s great that manufacturers are still offering such a wide range of SW-capable receivers.
I’ve seen a few highly favourable reviews online of the CHOYONG LC90. You may care to take a look.
I’m more of a general listener who doesn’t need SSB and likes easy to operate hardware.
Horses for courses, as they say..
Keep up the great work and all the best to everyone for 2025.
Thanks Ian. The Choyong does look like a very interesting radio, I have seen some reviews also. But it is quite pricey, it is a bit out of my budget. When a radio costs more than $200, I think twice.
It’s too pricy and too complicated for me too Andre. I was just wondering how it compares with the Qodosen.
I would have to agree with your pick. I have the PL-680 and it is excellent. I am getting the DX-286 for christmas and am sure it will be great radio also. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Thanks for your comment Edward. I think the PL-680 and the DX-286 make a winning combination! Merry Christmas to you also!
Thanks for another great video Andre. I have been trying to decide which radio to get next. And I believe the Qodosen just might be the one. Like you though, I wish it had SSB. There are still a few others I am looking at as well, but the DX286 is still on top for now.
I enjoy the channel and look forward to seeing more videos. You and your family have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
My pleasure Rodney, The Qodosen is definitely a great radio, just a pity about the SSB. However, I know there are many people who don't use SSB at all, so for them, if you are a SW, MW or FM DXer, the Qodosen is just perfect. Best you can get right now, in my opinion.
THANK YOU for such an interesting video...
My pleasure Dougal, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video.
Thank you so much for watching Chuck!
I would like to thank Andre for sharing this wonderful presentation and review of his present radio collection. 📻📻📻📻📻📻
After watching this video, I actually feel less guilty about having 16 radios and 5 SDRs though. 😐Oh wait, Todderbert has over 400 radios on his last count.
The radio that I wouldn't buy again would be the XHDATA D-220. It looks nice with a retro look with a very loud, loudspeaker but that's about it. I got the orange D-220 and was disappointed with its FM tuning performance (won't go into SW tuning here). I wouldn't mind trading mine with a D-219 of similar vintage and condition though and would rather buy a Clooblut RD-218 like the one Andre has! 😀
I think you have a nice collection, and definitely no need to feel guilty! I don't feel guilty :-) I don't think I will ever have as many radios as Todderbert though.
The Clooblut might be a nice radio for you, but perhaps the Raddy RF886 is a better option? I think it has a few more specs than the Clooblut, but performance is about the same.
@ StratmanII
I feel exactly the same way about the XHDATA D-220. Its FM performance was very disappointing, even compared to less expensive AM/FM pocket radios. I passed mine on to a charity/thrift store.
OTOH, I love my D-219 which is simply amazing. I don’t know how any company sell such an accomplished product so cheaply.
Let’s at least give XHDATA 10/10 for innovation.
@@UKRO404 The D-219 remains a great radio, incredible what you get for the price.
You can say that again Andre. I bought a second as a spare. OTOH, I wish XHDATA would ensure consistency in their products’ performance and reliability. An improvement in their after-sales service would be welcome too.
I’ve just received your email and will reply soon.
Best wishes to everyone for Christmas and the new year, however you pass the time.
@@UKRO404 I bought four D-219s! I kept two for myself and gave two away.
Love your videos but as I’ve gotten older & more medical issues my hearing is worse & worse. I’d love if your videos had Closed Caption.
Best to you in the New Year🎉
Hi Roxanne, I am sorry that you are unable to use the closed captions for this video, I don't quite understand why that happened. Closed captions are usually always available on all my videos, but for some reason not on this one. There is no setting on my side when I upload the video to turn closed captions on or off when uploading. But viewers can turn closed captions on or off themselves. However, as I said, for this one the closed captions are unavailable, I don't know why. I do hope that you will be able to enjoy many of my other videos, where closed captions are available.
I ordered the Qodsen after watching this, since my old Sony does not havr digital tuning. I thought SW waa kinda dead before fired up this radio when it came yesterday. Wow!! Phenomemal sensitivity. I put it near a desktop stand with a metal frame, it must act as an antenna - I crystal clear reception am/fm from very far away!!! thanks for the video
I'm very glad to hear that you are enjoying the Qodosen so much! It really is a great radio that is extremely sensitive.
My current fave is a Realistic 398 that is almost 30 years old.
Made by Sangean.
Still like all the others.
Hi James, this looks like a very nice radio! I did not know it, looked it up now to see what it looks like. I see it is also PLL, like my Sony and the Tecsun PL-680. I can understand why it is your favourite!
Great video Andre, enjoyed your insights, I too enjoy that D-608wb radio.
Some of my own favourites have been a couple of second hand analogue radio's that I picked up this year, I enjoy the precision of a modern digital display but I still really like the old style tuning/sounds.
That Qodosen looks like a winner though & I aim to add one to my collection.
Thanks Andre, all the best from Scotland
Glad you enjoyed it Lew! What are some of the analogues that you are using? As you probably gathered from my video, I also really like analogue tuning, and with the digital display on the PL-680 and the Sony ICF-7600GR I think I have the best of both worlds.
Andre, I picked up a Panasonic RF1680L (circa 1985) and a smaller Philips AE3205 (circa 1990) both second hand and needed cleaned up a little.
The audio and "feather touch" tuning on the Panasonic are just lovely.
Thanks
@@lew9223 Hi Lew, these are two very interesting receivers! The Panasonic is quite a legendary radio, I have read some reviews about it in the past.
I turn this Panasonic on every day Andre, just for it's sound quality, it fills the room & the tuning needle feels like it is floating when turned.
Panasonic really made some nice stuff back in the day.
@@lew9223 I wish I could experience that sound! You are lucky to have this Panasonic.
Good choices and reasons.
Merry christmas.
Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you also!
The first radio I recall was a radio my father had similar to the Hamerlind but an olive green army colour, I have no idea what it was called. It was about 1954 when as a three year old I became fascinated by its sounds and ability to pick up stations only my father could understand. He had been in India for many years with the British army and spoke many Indian languages, also he understood Russian. I would like to sit with him and just listen.
Around 1958/9 he could not obtain any more replacement valves and sold the radio to a collector solely for the valve value. Rationing had been eased somewhat in the UK but it was impossible to obtain radio valves (The army was still requiring them!) so people would sell their equipment for the valve value so perhaps others could find their valves. He ordered a couple of Russian radios and a Japanese one each for my brother and myself. My brother (younger as I am the eldest) was not interested in anything but music. I always tried to get different countries English broadcasts. So a DXer was discovered - me! My father's radios morphed in time to a Spidola which he kept until he passed in 1984, and would always challenge my newer radios to DX session which the Spidola often won.
As to your choices I have not the Tecsun nor the Qodoson, I have listened to you and others use and praise them. The Xhdata I have and like you I find it very good on everything, it's not perfect (SSB would make it a perfect radio!) but it's getting there. I like it on short wave and Medium wave. It works well to on FM but I have little to no interest currently on the FM band. So I do like your choices.
Hi Terry, thank you so much for sharing your radio story! It must have been fascinating to sit and watch your father listening to his old radio. I can see why the radio bug bit you :-) Do you still have any of your father's radios? Like the Spidola or other Russian radios? There were some very interesting Russian radios back then, I know many people in eastern Europe still use them. Maybe you can still find some of them even now there in Estonia, at markets? I would love to have one of those Russian radios from the Soviet times!
In my case it was not really a family thing, I just started scanning the shortwave bands as a teenager because I was curious, and then I found all these interesting signals from around the world. This was in the 1980s and the stations from the eastern bloc countries fascinated me.
Thanks for your comments about my choices.
Thank you
My pleasure!
You would like the Eton Mini for SW. Excellent on FM, very good on MW, but AGC is a bit slow. It’s better with earphones and in the dark. I use it when I go to bed.
You are right, I think I will like the Eton Mini, I have seen it on Amazon and I have always thought that it looked like a great little radio. I do own the Eton Traveler, and I am very happy with it.
@ yes, I have the Eton Elite Traveller III and the Executive. Very satisfied with Eton radios.
@@racinchef I would like to get the Executive also one day. A bit expensive to ship to South Africa though. Because it is a higher priced radio, the import duties are very high here.
Excellent video Andre, it reminds me that communications receivers have disappeared from the market. It's time for me to acquire some of those receivers. Drake R8B, Icom, JRC, Watkins Johnson, Ten-Tec and Yaesu come to mind. It's extremely unlikely that we'll see radios of their quality again. Their prices are higher, but we won't see these again.
Thanks Henry, you are absolutely right, the quality of some of these old receivers is hard to find today. If one can still find any of these for sale in good working order, then it will always be a good buy. I have been very lucky with Facebook Marketplace, found some very good deals there.
@@swlistening I have been lucky with eBay, but I'll check other websites.
@@swlistening The Drake R8B was highly regarded by those experienced with communications receivers.
@@swlistening I haven't seen the shape factors of DSP filters, but the performance of older (and expensive) receivers with ceramic and mechanical filters was amazing.
@@Henry-d9d Absolutely!
One cannot choose a favorite One ,i now stand at 340 items
This is so true Adrian :-) But I try to choose one every year, although it is very hard!
@swlistening I have all the latest xhdata models ,very good ,this week I've got a jvc boombox
Very nice 👍
@@adrianmicallef4221 Is it one of those older JVC boomboxes? Or do they still make new ones? I remember they were very popular in the late 1980s and 1990s.
I have got tecsun pl-330 its wonderfull radio, AM, SW and FM are every good, I think all radios tecsun are wonderfull and heavy duty , So Im looking for Tecsun pl 680, or Tecsun pl 990 which has tf card, about AM broadcast, I prefer sangean PR-D4W, due its more portable without external antenna. Nice video, have a good time Andrea
👍
Thank you for your comment Eyad! I am glad you are enjoying your Tecsun PL-330, I have heard many good things about it. I don't own one, but many people who watch my channel do and they have commented in the past on how good it is. I also have the Sangean PR-D4W, I think it is a nice radio and it is definitely very sensitive, but I don't like the tuning on it. I would prefer a tuning knob. But I think I must use my PR-D4W more, I haven't used it for a while.
You are right a tuning knob looks like a nice classic style and confortable, so we will wait other video about your sangean PR-D4W
😊
Todderbert does videos 📹 on the XHDATA radio 📻, telling ya about the pros and cons. Retekess is another brand. Kaito and Raddy is yet another. I'm not sure if I have a favorite radio. Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 and a very safe and Happy New Year to ya!! Your friend, Jeff!!
Hi Jeff! Thanks, yes, Todderbert has done some very extensive and good reviews, I watch his channel also. He has many more radios than what I have :-) Merry Christmas to you and your family also!
Schöne Kollektion von Radios 👍
Vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen!
Andre I am trying to grow a money tree so I can buy all of them...! Why bother choosing just one...oh well I can still dream!
I forgot to warn you when using Active antennas with the Sony 7600 GR that there is a 3 VDC on the external antenna input jack. Please don't ask me how I found out...!
73! have a great day! Happy Holiday's !
Please send me some seeds for the money tree :-)
About the antenna input jack on the Sony. This is something that has had me quite confused. I know about the powered input jack and I searched online for information about this over the past week. I found many forums and comments from people who said they do use active antennas on the Sony, without any issues. I don't want to damage mine though. What happened with yours?
Hello André, thanks for this excellent extensive review of your radios. What a family picture it makes 😁
Many people are jealous of the fantastic bargains you made, the Hammarlund and the Sony especially. We'd all like to have these. Such radios are rare and sold for ridiculous prices when in working condition here in Europe and I think in the US as well.
I share most of your preferences (well, for the radios I have too), but I will really differ for the D-608WB that I don't find that good on SW. Very noisy, overloads all the time and I don't like its speaker. Too much bass, not well balanced. Lack of direct frequency entry and cumbersome volume control.
The Clooblut was a very bad surprise for me at first as you know. It was basically deaf when used at home and urban locations around. But I found out later that when used away from RFI and FM transmitters, it's a great performer. So I've made up with it now.
I don't have a PL-680, but my PL-660 certainly comes at the top of my favourites. I don't do MW much so I can't tell whether it actually is better than the 680 as some people say. Air Band is mediocre, but for SW it's just great, just like your 680.
I would have put my Xhdata R-108 in the top 5 too, because it offers much for its low price, especially a very sensitive air band.
Merry Christmas you and all your viewers, enjoy the Holiday Season all of you. May Santa bring you radios 😁
Glad you enjoyed the video Alain! I think I should get myself an R-108 some day, so many people have commented on how good that radio is.
I remember your experience with the Clooblut and I am actually quite curious to hear what you will think of the Raddy RF886. I think these two radios are probably quite similar in many ways. The Raddy feels a bit more sophisticated though.
About the Hammarlund and the Sony. You are right, I am lucky that I am able to find radios like that at very good prices here in South Africa. Also, for that matter, my Kenwood R1000 and my Barlow Wadley. I think the market for second-hand receivers like these is very small here in South Africa, so prices are not comparable to Europe or the US. I don't complain :-)
Merry Christmas to you also!
New DSP chips offer many bandwidths, but I have found that in 'real life' conditions 6 kHz (+- 3 kHz) is ideal. 4 kHz (+- 2 kHz) is excellent for difficult signals. Shortwave is limited to a 5 kHz bandwidth, wider filters will likely increase noise.
I agree, it's all about finding the right balance between bandwidth and noise levels, for me 3 kHz works well for weak and difficult signals, and 4 kHz for stronger signals.
@@swlistening I usually say + - certain kilohertz because newer models don't specify + - certain amounts in kilohertz. They just say 6 kHz, but they don't say + - 6 kHz which would mean 12 kHz. I have found that + - 3 kHz (6 kHz at -6 dB) is excellent; shortwave is limited to + - 2.5 kHz, 5 kHz total.
I have always wanted a Kenwood R 1000 and I see a Barlow Wadley that I have never seen here in Tennessee but would love to have .
The Kenwood R1000 is really great, and also the Barlow Wadley! I still see Barlow Wadleys for sale here in South Africa every once in a while, but shipping to the US would be very high, it is quite a big and heavy radio. I have seen them come up for sale on eBay sometimes also. It is a very sturdy radio and should last for a long time if you can find one in a working condition.
I would take any of them, listening to radio caroline this evening together with BBC Wales and WLC radio.....on an old Tandy DX394 i bought for my late Father, which i kept after he passed away.
Enjoy your channel.
Thank you for your comment Anthony. How I wish I could hear Radio Caroline here in South Africa!
@ AnthonyJones
WLC SW broadcasts are some of the few I’ve been able to hear over the last few days. SW reception where I live (NW England) has been poor recently when you’re only using a receiver’s whip antenna.
I was tempted to jump to the end to see your ultimate choice, but I didn't! 😁 No surprise though, it's been obvious from your videos how much you have enjoyed the 680. Remember, "You can never be too thin or too rich, or have too many radios." 😎
Thanks William, you were very patient to wait until the end 😁 I do enjoy the PL-680 a lot.
My best radio for 2024 and 2025 is the Tecsun S-2200X and Tecsun PL-990X But the best budget SW radio has to be the XHDATA D-328or the Raddy RF-750
Those are two great Tecsun receivers, but a bit more expensive than the radios that I usually buy. I don't have the D-328, but I assume it is quite similar to the D-368, which is a really great budget radio indeed! Interesting that you mention the RF-750, I have been looking at that one, I might just buy one next year. Looks like a very unique little radio.
Hi André, I agree with the Qodosen as this years favorite, also I like the Tecson PL-368. The PL-680 doesn't support an external MW-antenna and that's a pity, because I have to much interference where I live.
It's true, the PL-680 is let down by its MW coverage. It is not the best. The Qodosen is most certainly the best for SW and MW listening. It's a pity that it does not have SSB though.
@@swlistening I don't listen to utility stations or hams to much, so for me it's not a problem that the Quodosen doesn't have SSB.
@@hammockdweller Then the Qodosen sounds like the perfect choice for you!
Hi André, I appreciate your choice of Tecsun PL-680 as your best radio for 2024, but... I have an impression that you kinda forgot about the XHDATA D-808 you have. I forgot most of your video comparisons, and I'm sure you've been comparing these two at some point, except I think you haven't done it for SSB signals. Hence my question: what does the PL-680 do better than the D-808 that swung your preferences towards the PL-680? Other than it is full analogue :)
As for the rest of your choices, I think I agree. Qodosen and the TEF6686 chip simply wipes the floor with other portables on FM, MW & LW 😂 You'll definitely want to try a TEF6686 radio with an external Yagi, it really opens a whole new world of FM DXing - as it did for me 😜 even though I still mostly prefer DXing on an SDR, even the 10-year-old SDRplay RSP1 - just because it is a wideband SDR. But both the Yagi and the TEF6686 chip have been breakthrough for me this year, each to its own 😉
As for MW... well... we're living in rather challenging times, DX just can't come through except a handful of stations.
Hi Arnie! I did not forget about the D-808. The reason it was not in the running this year, is because the fine-tuning wheel on mine broke, making SSB listening on it by far the worst of all my radios with SSB. Some viewers commented that it also happened to them. So the D-808 fell out because of quality issues. But if the SSB on my D-808 were still working, I would still have picked the Pl-680, because of the analogue tuning and the fact that the PL-680 does not mute. It makes a world of difference for me. The muting on the D-808 is quite strong.
Interesting what you say about MW. Are conditions not good in Europe this winter for MW? You may recall, I had a very short winter this year, but there were some great catches from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, many new ones for me. But the "MW season" here was very, very short. There were only about three or four weeks where I felt that conditions were great.
I have three speakers with fm radio.
No Baofeng for VHF/UHF?
Hi David, no I don't own a Baofeng. The little Raddy RF886 has VHF, but it is not a band that I use often, so I haven't really tested it on that band.
@@swlistening Many thanks
The TEF6686 silver can hold its own against the 286 radio and has a much better interface.
Thanks for your comment, I do want to try the TEF6686 silver at some point.
You Did Not Have A Tecsun Pl-880 in Your Stash of radios. That Sucked! You Should Have had One! Great Radio!
It's a great radio, but it is a bit more expensive than what I usually like to buy. With the hefty import duties here in South Africa the PL-880 will be a very expensive radio for me, unfortunately. Maybe one day...