An astonishing DXing radio: Unboxing the Qodosen SR-286 and first look

[@richardmerriam7044]

Just got my DX-286 two days ago. It's pulling in stations that were not there on my other twenty radios, and some are quite nice. Everyone who's a radio hobbyist needs this radio!

[@swlistening]

Hi Richard, that's great to hear! I agree with you on this, it is one of the best radios I have used, ever.

[@StratmanII]

I'm very impressed by the SR-286's high dynamic range on shortwave. Its noise floor is even lower than your most featured radio, the XHDATA D-808. On FM, this thing is virtually untouchable! What's amazing is the fact that the automotive audio manufacturers aren't even exploiting the TEF6686 DSP to its fullest. No one bothers to include the SW band anymore (probably citing RF interference as their biggest reason) and the last car stereo which I had tried for its SW band was the old Sony Xplod audio head unit back in 1999. SSB is not a native feature of DSP radio chips. The radio manufacturer has to write a piece of SSB microcode that is uploaded to the DSP microprocessor unit and this upload takes a few seconds to take effect. Thanks Andre for the virtual tour of the Qodosen! Does it have an RSSI display mode? 📻☺

[@swlistening]

The low noise floor is a very big plus for me! You mention SW on car radios, I actually had a car radio in my previous car (about four years ago) that had SW. It was an after-market radio, there was no radio installed in the car when I bought it. For the life of me I cannot remember the brand name now. The Qodosen does have an RSSI display mode, I actually just missed the display button when I was doing my first test.

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Car radios don't even include any AM band here. It's been like this for quite a few years already. LW has been dead for a couple of years and MW since even longer. No one but us geeks is interested in SW. It's mandatory to include DAB+ here now, though. It seems that they're eventually pushing it. France is far behind some other EU countries for this (e.g. Germany).

[@saevans63]

I’m in Australia and my Kenwood car stereo has SW. It’s great for night drives

[@StratmanII]

@@swlistening I'm impressed that the SWL King truly lived up to his name by installing a shortwave capable car radio! 🙂 Was it a Becker Mexico head unit, a Kenwood KDC-U356R or a Sony CDX-GT270MP? Word has it that only Pioneer and Kenwood still make tuners with SW bands and even then they're only found in certain markets around the world. Do you remember if your Volvo's ignition affected the shortwave band or if you only listened to SW with the engine turned off? 🌍🤔

[@swlistening]

@@saevans63 Hey Steve, that sounds like a lot of fun! I can imagine that you can pick up quite a lot in the car at night away from the cities.

[@kanonhasan9107]

4750 is Bangladesh betar, the song was playing titled "Amar bhaier rokte rangano Ekushey February (Twenty-first of February, reddened with my brother's blood)". which is dedicated to the martyrs who were killed in the language movement on 21 February 1952. That is why currently 21st February is celebrated as International Mother Language Day across the world. Love your videos from Bangladesh.

[@swlistening]

Thank you for your comment Kanon and for confirming that it is Bangladesh Betar. Thanks for watching!

[@FiveEars]

I have one. The price is nothing compared to a Tecsun PL880. Reception is quite good on the SR-286, better than the PL880 for sure. The optional (switchable) amplification on the external antenna jack is nice. Audio quality is better on my XHDATA D-109. And the SR-286 sounds like a tin can compared to the PL880. The SR-286 is poorly made. The clock cannot keep time. Cuts out. Jumps. Effectively useless. The back battery cover looks like it will be the second thing to die. It came with the screen scratched and no battery. The button controls are not as intuitive as either the Tecsun or XHDATA. The manual a PITA. But picking up Spain on SW from western Canada one afternoon was... unexpected. I look forward to your further reviews.

[@swlistening]

Thank you for your comment! I think your remalr about Spain sort of summarises my feeling about this radio. There are quirks, all these things you mention, but if it performs well, I will be happy with it. I found basic operations fairly intuitive, but I will need the manual for any other operations. Like the page memory system, haven't figured that out yet :-)

Each to its own. Audio quaity is superb, mine keeps perfectly time, usability is great, much much better than a XHDATA 808.

[@FiveEars]

@ The PL880 is superb. SR-286 is not in same league.

[@swlistening]

@ Thanks Johann, I tend to agree with you, I think this SR-286 is definitely a bit better than the D-808. I am still testing it, but so far I am very impressed.

[@user-bj2ku8xc5t]

I received my SR-286 today. Awesome radio, my new favorite radio. I have watched a lot of videos on this radio before I decided to buy because of the high cost for it. This is a very special radio with many features and to all thinking about getting one just do it before they're all gone. Thank you SWL for all the videos you do for all of us to be able to see the radios in action before buying, your videos are excellent, thank you. I also had a big scratch on the read out on my radio but the scratch is just on the protective film only. Carefully get a finger nail under the film and pull it off.

[@swlistening]

Thank you so much for your comment! I am really happy that my videos helped you make a decision and that you are happy with your purchase! It is an expensive radio, you are right. It might not be the radio for everyone. But for catching distant and weak signals on FM, SW and MW I think it is almost unbeatable right now in the portable class. And, as you say, there are so many features on the radio, for me it kind of makes the high price a bit easier to swallow. But I do understand that some people really want SSB as well, they will not be happy with this radio. I have left the protective film on my screen for the time being, but I will pull it off at some point. I kind of see it as a screen protector at the moment :-)

[@richardmerriam7044]

Just got my DX-286 two days ago. Best $80.00 I've spent in years! Pulls in stations that weren't even there on the rest of my collection. Bravo!

[@radiojayallen5781]

I enjoyed your review...thanks for referencing my website as well! Jay Allen

[@swlistening]

Thank you so much Jay! I follow your site and your reviews with much interest, thank you for that!

[@marcosmza1962]

Thanks Jay. Greetings from Argentina. 73

[@kenandbarbie-b6c]

Astonishing! Most good SW radios have a plethora of features this radio lacks, but the basics of sensitivity & selectivity is still really important. It goes back to the IC designer. Thank you for sharing this, I never would have given this radio any attention if I just looked at a photograph of it in an ad. I have a more conventional Tecsun PL-680 to entertain me when I travel. I live in a neighborhood with too much digital noise.

[@swlistening]

Thanks for your comment Kendrick! The PL-680 is a great radio, I don't have one (yet) but it is very high on my wish list. I agree with you, I think two of the really important things on a radio are selectivity and sensitivity, and, thirdly, good sound. That being said, the SR-286 does have quite a lot of features, I will cover them in future videos.

[@Manny_News_Blogs_Tutorials]

This kinda reminds me of that small vintage shortwave radio from 1987, the Sony ICF-SW1

[@swlistening]

Hi Manny, it does indeed! It looks very similar to the ICF-SW1. I am sure the Sony design was the inspiration for this one.

[@canyondan]

Very interesting radio. Thank you for reviewing.

[@swlistening]

Thanks Dan! It really does look like a very interesting radio, and seems to be very capable!

[@dx-dx-dx-dx]

fine video, thank you for showing this new radio. best wishes from Klaus

[@swlistening]

Thank you Klaus, it looks like a very interesting radio.

[@joeh52]

A radio buff on the US West Coast, DXer Gary, has done some medium wave tests on the SR-286, with the whip and with loop antennas. They are impressive with this chip; it's putting the SiliconLabs chips on other portables to shame.

[@swlistening]

Hi Joe, thanks for your comment! I saw that test, it is really quite incredible what the Qodosen can achieve on MW. I think this radio is really revolutionary.

[@hammockdweller]

Thanks, interesting. Also for mentioning Ray Allen, he has some nice reviews on his website. Also a review of the first real shortwave radio I used to own, the Sony ICF-2001.

[@swlistening]

Thank you!

[@tlebryk]

Thanks for the review! For that much money, I would require SSB (and for it to also work well).

[@swlistening]

Thanks Tom, I will be happy with the radio and the price if its performance is as good as people say, particularly on MW. The reviews that mentioned the excellent MW performance were what convinced me to buy it, even at this price.

[@youtou721]

Actually the first testing model does have SSB, if you look into the display there's also a SSB indicator, but I have no idea why it's removed when it's finally introduced (I got mine in August 2023)

[@swlistening]

@@youtou721 Thanks for your comment, that's very interesting! I wonder why they removed it when they introduced it. Maybe it will return later.

[@saevans63]

Interesting radio but I think I’ll wait until they come down in price. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this radio

[@swlistening]

Thanks Steve. The price is a bit high indeed, but I don't know if it will drop any time soon, someone actually pointed out here that this radio is about $170 on eBay. I think it's because it is relatively hard to find the chips for the radio.

[@tomki6asp]

I ordered one a couple weeks ago. NXP for the win.

[@swlistening]

Thanks Tom!

[@any_username]

It's definitely the next big thing... Nice pick! Looking forward to seeing comparisons with Si4732-based receivers 👍🏻

[@swlistening]

I will definitely do more of those comparisons! On all bands.

[@isleifoterogarcia4478]

I just found that Amazon is selling a new version of this radio, the DX-286 for $80. The keyboard interface has been improved and is more easier to use. Is the same radio and comes with a list of the new keystrokes. It will shipped with no battery.

[@swlistening]

Hi there and thank you! I just saw this myself last night. The lower price makes this a very good buy!

[@isleifoterogarcia4478]

@@swlistening I just thinking in getting another one! 😂

[@swlistening]

@@isleifoterogarcia4478 I actually did, I ordered one of the new ones. So now I will have a spare, if anything goes wrong with the first one 😀

[@richardmerriam7044]

Best battery is the XHDATA 3000Mah. Works very well.

[@swlistening]

@@richardmerriam7044 That's actually the one I am using! Took it from my D-608WB.

[@ArnieDXer]

WHAT?????????? Qodosen SR-286?!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@swlistening]

Indeed! Something quite new, I am reading up about these TEF6686 chips and the radios that use it, very interesting development!

[@ArnieDXer]

@@swlistening yeah, I think they came out last year if not 2 years ago - I mean those non-branded, cheap-looking sets, not Qodosen 😜 and they became quite a sensation especially among FM DX community. There are a number of outstanding FM bandscans from Europe on YT using these radios & just their telescopic whip. And have I seen an instance of a TEF6686 radio controlled via Wi-Fi through famous XDR-GTK software?? On AM side, I read Gary DeBock evaluating it on IRCA and Ultralight DX mailing lists, and he says that while the SR-286 is incredibly sensitive indeed, its narrowest filter is just 3kHz, which is not enough in heavy adjacent-channel interference situations such as chasing Asian MW stations on 9kHz channels in a 10kHz-spacing environment of North America. Personally, I'm really curious of that radio and any od the TEF6686-based devices, but on the other hand, I think I'd wait until somebody addresses the issues of lack of SSB and not narrow enough filters on AM. For FM DX alone though, they're beasts 👹 Although I've still yet to see a comparison of any of these radios or the SR-286 with an SDR like any Airspy or SDRplay model XD PS. Recently I saw some of the non-branded makes on generous discouts at Aliexpress, like, half the price of Qodosen. But that was a week ago, just before Chinese New Year holiday, so I don't think it lasts still 😂

[@Funk-DX]

have changed my channel and must say that Quodosen is a new name for me. But 211 thumbs up for your video are a good sign or argument, great. Thank you from Klaus

[@swlistening]

Thank you Klaus, this radio looks very promising indeed. I am still testing it, so I will add more videos in the coming weeks.

[@Funk-DX]

@@swlistening thank you, dear Andre

[@keimahane]

Nice first look at this radio, were these signals all received on the built in whip antenna or did you have an external antenna plugged in. I ask because you received shiokaze. I have a hard time receiving that signal and I live in Japan, so much noise where I live and direct jamming from dprk and ccp on certain targeted stations.

[@swlistening]

Thanks! Sometimes it is actually quite hard to hear SW signals from transmitters very close to you. It is a signal that I hear quite often, I think I am kind of in the right direction, from Japan to Korea and then it bounces around until it reaches me here in South Africa. Very interesting signal. I used a 10-metre wire, that is my usual antenna and I use it almost all the time when I am DXing.

[@keimahane]

@@swlistening Thank you.

[@swlistening]

@@keimahane Sure!

[@johnbeckham1483]

SWL, this radio has good sound quality!

[@swlistening]

Yes, I agree, the sound is very good. With the low noise floor even weak signals seem to come through clear enough to ID.

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Hello André, I'm really glad that you've eventually received this much anticipated exciting new toy. Thanks for the informative quick first review. It does seem to be quite an interesting radio, as I don't use my radios for much but SW, I'll probably wait until your really compare it with your best performers on this band to build my own opinion. It certainly seems to perform above average during this first test. Even if it's clearly superior, and as much as your reviews usually raise quite an appetite for me to buy the radios you review, I think I'll pass on this one. It's 150+ euros with free shipping and prepaid VAT (so no import taxes) for us in UE from Ali and that's really more than I'm willing to pay for a radio without SSB, without air band, tuning that mutes between steps and even without a battery. The build quality would appear to be so-so as well. I'd expect better in this price range. I hope the price of this radio or other ones based on the same new chip will go down with time. I would go for it at 80 euros max.

[@swlistening]

Thanks Alain, I agree with you, the price is really quite hefty. I am hoping it is worth it though, I am particularly interested in the MW capabilities. On MW with an external antenna in a quiet area it is said the be really, really good. But even with the internal ferrite antenna MW is said to be superior to many of the other radios I have. I will see as I test it more. I did do some MW testing last night with the internal antenna and I was quite happy with it. I think part of the reason for the high price is that it is not mass-produced. And the TEF6686 chips are, from what I have read, not easy to procure. The car manufacturers buy them all. Someone else also commented about the build quality, but in my opinion it seems quite good. No better but also not worse than Tecsun or XHDATA radios.

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Let's see how it goes on MW but again, not my main focus. I'm looking forward to a SW shootout with the D-608 and maybe a couple of your best performers like the D-808 and the PL-368? (hint, hint 😉) Build quality: just an impression based on the video so of course this is vague. The stand for example seems rather tiny, thin and fragile but we don't use these much, do we?

[@swlistening]

@@F4LDT-Alain The stand does look a bit flimsy, you are right, but it seems to feel stronger than what it looks like. I actually use the stands quite a lot, so I hope this one will last. We will see. As a matter of interest, someone just pointed out here in another comment that this radio looks like the Sony ICF SW1, and it does actually, very similar! The numerical keypad, the speaker and many of the other buttons look exactly the same. A SW shootout between the D-808 and the PL-368 will be up later today! Just did a short comparison earlier today on Radio Farda.

[@arcticradio]

Really interesting. I might buy one next month. I certainly would be interested in the mw reception combined with the AN200. I could really use this while outdoors it’s a great size.

[@swlistening]

Thanks Matt. It is interesting indeed, I am surprised I had never heard of this radio and the TEF6686 chip, until very recently. There seems to be quite a community of people who are very excited about this chip and creating all kinds of modification on their radios. There is a Facebook group, here facebook.com/groups/tef6686dspdxtuner if you are interested.

[@arcticradio]

@@swlistening many thanks I will look at that. That was my first thought - could I modify it with a really good ferrite antenna or something.

[@arcticradio]

@@swlistening Oh btw a target station for you to DX is Saudi Arabia, Riyadh on 585kHz MW. I get it here strong in the evenings a distance of 5,100km

[@swlistening]

@@arcticradio Thanks Matt, I'll add this one to my list. Stations from neighbouring countries like Mozambique, Botswana and Tanzania, a bit further away, are beginning to come through a lot now, but further afield still seems to be rare.

[@michaelbogdanowicz5059]

Love your videos

[@swlistening]

Thanks Michael!

[@normanhill535]

Priced like the Sony ICF-SW1 too, only without the accessories like amplified antenna.

[@dadwire1483]

Thanks for the review! I don't know why it took so long to have these chips (TE6686), in portable/table radios, when this technology has existed for some time now!? Why not take this audio chip, reverse engineer it, and mass produce it for portable , am/fm clock radios, ham radios, etc... ! Perhaps, there can be a Sangean ATS-909X3 with this chip, and have it for air band, am/fm/saw/ marine/let, etc., as the large volume can be placed into more radios. Since, America will not adopt IBOC, DAB+, DRM, then by all means use the TE6686 for domestic radio production...?

[@swlistening]

Thank you for your comment! I also wonder why it is taking so long for the big manufacturers to adopt this chip. I think it might have to do with pricing and the fact that these chips appear to be hard to procure. The car manufacturers buy them all. But one can just dream about the wonderful radios that might come out if big manufacturers start using this. There are various radios available using the TEF6686 chip, not from any known manufacturer, they seem to be almost like "home-industry" products. Most are priced at $100 and above. If you search for TEF6686 radio on eBay you will find various options. I would advise some caution though, I have heard that some of these TEF6686 radios actually do not really use the TEF chip. It would be a good idea to check reviews and to try to find some information before buying any of these radios.

[@StratmanII]

Reverse engineering the TEF6686 chip is a sure fire way of inviting corporate lawsuits from NXP Semiconductors! You can only legally reverse engineer a chip if its copyright patent had lapsed, is an obsolete product which is no longer made and the effort is done for research, educational and non-profit usage. There are many radio-on-a-chip DSP solutions out there. The TEF6686 happens to be just one of them and it's not even considered the top of the line. 🙂

[@dadwire1483]

..if the TEF6686 is not the "top of the line", then by all means, use another chip that is close enough or better than the one mentioned..! This kind of radio technology has been around since the 1970's (remember the Chrysler Cordoba 1979..?). and it should be used for all radios, and if the cost/price is more, than so be it..! You can go to a bar, and blow $200 in one night, so instead save you rmoney and purchase this kind of radio...!@@StratmanII

[@sleeve8651]

No SSB......Deal Breaker for me ! I can't believe anyone would manufacturer a radio today, without SSB ! Seems they exclude otherwise interested people ? Too, perhaps it is made for a European sales Market ?

[@swlistening]

Thanks for your comment! I do agree that SSB would have been nice, but this radio has really helped me catch so many stations that I just haven't heard before, on MW, SW and FM. So I am quite happy with it, it is for regular broadcast stations only and works very well for that. Kind of like the Eton Elite Field, the Eton Elite Traveler and various other radios without SSB. I think it is aimed at broadcast listeners worldwide, you can change MW steps to 10K for North America, 9K for the rest of the world. So it can be used anywhere. Maybe SSB will follow some time in the future.

[@medc3509]

Oooh I saw this in AliExpress awhile ago

[@kwdavids1]

Scooped again. My Qodosen SR-286 was supposed to be delivered today, but it didn't show. I'm looking forward to some FM DXing when it comes, plus some exploration of longwave. Do you have LW stations within range of you? Algeria at night, perhaps?

[@swlistening]

Hi Kevin, I was actually surprised that mine arrived so fast, it took only 12 days, which is really quite something. I am used to waiting at the very least two weeks, but usually three to four weeks for my overseas deliveries. Are you a former newspaper man? I am asking because of your use of the word "scoop" :-) I have never caught anything on LW here, but last night I heard some noises on the SR-286 on 225 kHz (the Polish station) that sounded like music and not the usual static. So I might get lucky with LW still. I haven't heard Algeria, but maybe this little SR-286 will be the breakthrough I need.

[@kwdavids1]

​@@swlistening I found using an external long wire antenna and ground on LW opened up and entirely new world on my PL-990, and the Qodosen allows an external antenna on MW/LW too. The radio passed customs 6 days ago and there is no tracking update.

[@swlistening]

@@kwdavids1 Thanks Kevin, I have actually tried a wire on my Qodosen already, but it was a bit noisy. I will need to go somewhere away from houses I think. The wire is outside, but still noisy, much more noisy on MW and LW actually than on SW. Even through the noise it is clear though that the Qodosen is very sensitive!

[@Ankjell]

Wow, so interesting 😮. What a rrrrip off though...

[@swlistening]

Thanks! And, yes, it is quite expensive... I suppose it is not mass-produced like all the Silicon Labs-based radios, so costs are higher. These chips are, apparently, also quite scarce.

[@Ankjell]

I have actually sent and email to Xhdata requesting a radio with this kind of chip 😂. Let's see what happens 😜

[@swlistening]

Let's see!

[@petegallaguer8978]

I'd surly buy it!!

[@swlistening]

@@petegallaguer8978 So would I!

[@mickeythompson9537]

I still use my old Sony ICF-SW1... so this was a bit uncanny-valley for me.

[@swlistening]

Hi Mickey, thank you for your comment! I don't own the Sony ICF-SW1, but now I can, kind of, imagine that I have one :-)

[@jamesglenn6461]

Just from a different chip. I wonder what cost difference is from different chips. Receiving a transmission where not received before is quite a feat.

[@swlistening]

Thanks James, this is quite a radio! I think the TEF6686 chip is better with processing weak signals, and locking on to them. My thinking here is that when you drive around, you lose signal all the time. So this chip, used in cars, can handle that better than the Silicon Labs chip.

[@petegallaguer8978]

I read somewhere that the silicon labs chips were designed for DTV, but modified for AM/FM/LW/SW.

[@swlistening]

@@petegallaguer8978 Hi Pete, I haven't seen this myself but hopefully someone else will comment about this.

[@any_username]

The manufacturers pay ±17 bucks for this NXP's TEF6686 chip vs ±5 bucks for Skyworks' SI4732-A10; everything else is production cost + hype. The cheapest TEF6686-based receiver nowadays costs ±45 bucks, but... I'd not want to own it at all...

[@swlistening]

@@any_username I'm interested, which one is available at $45? I might like to get a second one!

[@williamtallonneau877]

5:40 i think it's just inspired of the sony icf-sw1

[@swlistening]

For sure, it looks a lot like the Sony ICF-SW1. That's probably where the designer got his inspiration from :-)

[@williamtallonneau877]

@@swlistening 'inspiration' 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@williamtallonneau877]

@@swlistening 'got this design from...'

[@swlistening]

@@williamtallonneau877 I suppose, yes 🙂

[@radiowavemaniac]

mine sr-286 came in a hard case and with 18650 akku and USB cable

[@swlistening]

Thanks for your comment! It seems to depend on the seller, some other viewers on my channel have also commented that they received theirs with a battery. Then again, many others received theirs like mine, no battery and no box...

[@walleyvideo8297]

I absolutely love my Retekess V115. I use it to play MP3 files. How does the audio of the SR-286 compare with the V115?

[@swlistening]

Hi Walley, I agree, the Retekess V115 has terrific sound, for such a small radio. I would say the sound on the Retekess has more bass and overall a slightly better sound than the Qodosen.

[@walleyvideo8297]

Thanks for your reply. Keep up the great work. @@swlistening

[@swlistening]

@@walleyvideo8297 Sure Walley, and thank you 😀

[@omaral-amoudi2295]

Great radio i.think good reception then xhadat d-109

[@swlistening]

Thank you Omar, I agree with you, this one is definitely better than the D-109.

[@The06201980]

It seems to me you pick up much more shortwave stations from South Africa than the USA. It must be in wider use still in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia perhaps

[@swlistening]

Thanks for your comment. You are right, SW is still widely used here, there are many broadcasters who still target Africa. I also pick up Asian signals quite easily and often, and the Middle East, and Europe. That is why it seems to you that I can pick up so many stations :-) I am lucky that there are still so many signals that I can catch here.

[@The06201980]

@@swlistening that’s awesome! And I enjoyed your video, you have a new subscriber here today

[@swlistening]

@@The06201980 Thank you so much and thank you for subscribing!

[@VEC7ORlt]

Law of headlines is a harsh mistress...

[@CommercialThyme]

You said there was an English version of the manual available online / I have not been able to find it - do you have a link for it? Thanks

[@swlistening]

Hi there, yes, it can be a bit tricky to find. Here is a link that you can use: drive.google.com/file/d/1HvK5vb9F0kQaXFKH1_SHbYbbvFrDa7UM/view?usp=drive_link

[@CommercialThyme]

@@swlisteningThank you !

[@swlistening]

@@CommercialThyme Sure!

[@ditto1958]

@@swlisteningI tried it, but the link doesn’t work

[@swlistening]

@@ditto1958 Apologies, here is another link to the DX-286 manual: drive.google.com/file/d/1kOIQMs6kGOrAtrWFVJUgdB7eR7uecnFt/view?usp=drive_link

[@normanhill535]

Looks like a Sony ICF-SW1 or ICF-SW10, a radio from the mid 80s.

[@swlistening]

You are right, it does look a lot the the Sony ICF-SW1, which is nice, that was a legendary radio 😀

[@timbermicka]

What is the deal with SW receivers being produced in small numbers? Are their chips no longer manufactured / only available in limited quantities?

[@swlistening]

The Silicon Labs Si 4732 chip and newer versions of that chip are mass-produced and cheap, that is why a radio like the XHDATA D-219 can be sold for just $10. The TEF6686 chip, though, is bought up by car manufacturers, which means very few remain for radios.

[@timbermicka]

@@swlistening Oh ok. Thanks, I get it now. I had no idea that a single chip could be used in 2 completely different technical areas.

[@StratmanII]

@@swlistening Ahem bru...the XHDATA D-219 uses the low priced Si 4825-A10 DSP, not the advanced Si 4732 which you'll find in the ATS-25/ATS-120 DSP receivers. 🙂

[@swlistening]

@@timbermicka Sure! And sorry, I should have clarified, it's the same area. The car manufacturers use these chips for their radios.

[@swlistening]

@@StratmanII Oh, thanks for the correction, I actually did not know this.

[@SB-mi2ii]

No SSB? I honestly wouldn't pay that amount for an unknown radio from China.

[@swlistening]

I can understand that, many people miss SSB on this radio. But I still think it actually offers such good reception across all the bands that it does cover that I can live without SSB on this one. It is the only radio I have that seems to really dig out very weak signals that my other radios simply don't hear at all - on FM, SW and MW. Even my Kenwood R1000 doesn't hear everything that the Qodosen does.

[@Homer19521]

And annoying soft mute like most new portables

[@swlistening]

@@Homer19521 Not as bad as most though.

[@hielmyz]

it's looks like Sony ICF SW1

[@swlistening]

Now that you mention it, it certainly does, a lot! Thanks for pointing this out.

[@oz_dx]

4750 kHz is Bangladesh Betar.

[@swlistening]

Thank you for confirming this! That really does show how sensitive the Qodosen is. It is not a signal that I have ever caught, on any of my radios.

[@trytrytrytrytrytryt]

It looks like C.Crane radio :)

[@swlistening]

It does, very much, and also like the Sony ICF-SW1. The reason it looks like a C.Crane is because the person who designed this radio also designed some C.Crane radios, as well as the Eton Elite Executive.

[@trytrytrytrytrytryt]

@@swlistening ...but I would buy a superhet, not a DSP radio. When tuning in frequency radio signal does not disappear

[@swlistening]

@@trytrytrytrytrytryt That is very true and one of the unfortunate flaws of the DSP-based radios.

[@KongKingman]

For that price they couldn’t even included a battery? Never heard of such a thing…around 12:20 sounds like Godzilla

[@swlistening]

Hi Richard, it is indeed a bit strange that the battery is not included. As I mentioned in some of my other replies here, I think the price is so high because the radio is not mass-produced and the TEF6686 chips are hard to get. The car manufacturers buy them all. Maybe the Qodosen people realised the price was high and just excluded the battery to save a few dollars.

[@KongKingman]

@@swlistening I understand that, but seriously, even a low end generic battery should be included. I see now you got a bargain, they are trying to get 179 plus 6 USD on eBay.

[@swlistening]

@@KongKingman Good to hear I got a bargain 🤣

[@KongKingman]

@@swlistening 🤑

Reason is that including a Li-Battery woud require UN-save packaging, adding about 10 USD shipping costs. You get a high quality 18650 locally for less.

[@nine7295]

It's micro USB, not mini USB which is thicker

[@swlistening]

Thanks, my mistake there.

[@rainer4030]

on shortwave is not the best, right?

[@swlistening]

Hi Rainer, actually I have had some excellent catches on shortwave. It is more well-known for MW, LW and FM. But it is also very good on shortwave. It has become my main SW DXing radio. It is more sensitive than all my other portables, including my XHDATA D-808 and Tecsun PL-368, and many other small ones. It is also less noisy.

[@rainer4030]

@@swlistening i get a Eton e1 next days.

[@swlistening]

@@rainer4030 Wow, that sounds great! It is said to be a wonderful radio!

[@WApnj]

Says it's not in a box while holding a box

[@swlistening]

😊 That's the shipping packaging I'm holding.

[@robertvandervelde60]

I have a Barlow Wadley........real battleship

[@swlistening]

I also have a Barlow Wadley, maybe a comparison between these two will be interesting!

[@Paul_JAMET]

This receiver is well known to radio listeners ... But this receiver, however powerful, is of little interest to the European market: 1 - Long-wave transmitters are practically all shut down; the BBC is going to stop transmitting on 198 kHz! 2 - Medium-wave transmitters are gradually being shut down... In Belgium, France, Switzerland... 3 - Even FM transmitters are beginning to shut down, as in Norway and Switzerland ... Soon in Germany? 4 - We're looking forward to DAB+ receivers with beautiful color screens! My car radio has a 10" screen ... 5 - Its only interest as a radio listener lies in its short-wave performance, but unfortunately it doesn't even offer SSB mode! Too bad, really. 6 - The QODOSEN has a micro USB socket ... It should offer a USB C That's why I wouldn't invest 120 - 140€ in such a receiver ...

[@swlistening]

Hi Paul, thanks for your comment! Sadly everything you say is true, but it is also true for all other portables without SSB and with FM/MW/LW/SW coverage. The Eton Elite Traveler, Sangean ATS-405, Eton Elite Field (almost the same price as the Qodosen). And many radios with only FM and AM (and sometimes WB), like the Sangean PR-D4W that I just got, the CCrane EP Pro (almost the same price as the Qodosen), the CCRadio 3 (double the price, with one ham band added, admittedly) and various others. Many of these are great radios and still useful. For me, the Qodosen is worth the price. The sensitivity and features are just beyond believe, it really is a quality product and does not feel cheap. It has features that no other small portable radio has. I receive signals on this one that I have never caught before. There is still a lot to hear on SW and MW here at my location. It is sensitive enough to pick up very distant MW signals. In South Africa we have almost no MW stations left, there are five in the entire country. Only two in Johannesburg. Which is kind of a plus point, it clears all the MW frequencies, so that I can catch really long-distance signals. And the Qodosen can do that. I think I will be able to catch shortwave and MW signals on the Qodosen for many years to come. A UCB C-type socket would have been nice though! The battery takes very long to charge. But I charge my battery inside any of my other radios now, much quicker.

[@xszl]

DSP receivers suck, no matter how good the rest is. if you're a real listener-hobbyist It makes you go crazy when scrolling the bands POP POP POP POP POP Serious makers should stay away from dsp.

[@swlistening]

I know many people don't like DSP receivers, I have grown to like them a lot though. I even find that some of my DSP receivers are quite a bit more sensitive than my Kenwood R1000, which is a great receiver. For me, each type of radio has its uses.

[@TalmidAndy]

There is nothing special about this low grade all digital radio and is outperformed by many others in the same price bracket or cheaper.

[@swlistening]

Thanks for your comment Andy. Please do share the names of some of those radios here, because I don't seem to own any of them. My XHDATA D-808, Tecsun PL-368, Kenwood R1000 and many others are all great radios, but the Qodosen is simply in a different class. It is a really amazing radio.

[@forgetmyname5166]

He just trying hard deciding to buy it, Same as me lol

[@corpo33]

I might get 1 😂😂😂

[@swlistening]

It looks like a nice radio!

[@markr.1984]

No SSB, no buy. In the western United States, broadcast SW is basically not receivable except for a few very weak religious stations from the eastern United States! They are weak because they don't aim their antennas towards the west. I can barely get any of the WWV time stations at any time of day or conditions. So amateur hams on SSB is our only hope to hear anything.

[@swlistening]

I can certainly see that the lack of SSB is a serious drawback for many people. However, do you do MW DXing? The MW reception on the Qodosen is quite incredible, none of my other radios come close. I will get some MW comparison videos up in the next week or so.

[@user-sp9wr5rf4c]

I live in Arizona USA and I listen to lots of foreign SW stations at distances approaching 15,000km. The secret is to build a low noise, high gain outdoor antenna (such as a sky loop) to reach across the Pacific to SW broadcast stations. I find listening to hams on SSB boring as hell - what medications they take, what they watched on TV etc.

[@swlistening]

@@user-sp9wr5rf4c Thanks for your comment, I agree with you, with a good antenna there is still a lot to hear!

[@dxace1]

So, why is this astonishing? No SSB and pretty basic.

[@swlistening]

Hi Dan, thank you for your question. The TEF6686 chip is groundbreaking in terms of radio performance. Just like the Silicon Labs DSP chips brought about a revolution in portable radios, the TEF6686 chip offers next-level performance. The Qodosen SR-286 makes this technology available to users of portable radios, previously only found in car radios. It is a radio with a long list of features, too many to name here. The highly-advanced TEF6686 chip works very well on external antennas. FM and MW are, based on many reports by others and my own experience so far, better than pretty much any other portable on the market. Selectivity and sensitivity is excellent. The radio has the ability to pull in weak signals that other radios don't catch at all. Noise floor is very low. I only got my radio recently and I am still testing it but so far I have pulled in various SW and FM signals that my other radios, like the D-808, simply don't catch.

[@dadwire1483]

We need SSB in all radios...! And weather band, AM/FM/SW/AIR/LW/MARINE/ CW/Citizen Bands..! With cheaper chips, the radio manufacturers can place so much on a single chip......

[@swlistening]

@@dadwire1483 This would be the ideal radio! Some of the handheld scanners like the Quansheng UV-K5 get somewhat close to your ideal radio, if you modify the firmware, but I don't think any radio currently offers all these options. I think it would push prices up. Also, WB would not be of any use to people outside the US.

[@markr.1984]

@swlistening Canada also uses the same VHF weather channels.

[@swlistening]

@@markr.1984 Thank you, I did not know that Canada also uses it.

[@HSRA-hg9gc]

"Unboxing" is stupid.

[@swlistening]

Well, I did take it out of a box 😉

[@alviejgrover]

The "Unboxing" shows the significance of the symbols associated with the device...