Unboxing and a brief overview of the next great portable? The Raddy RF919...

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@ThunderWarrior01 4 ай бұрын

Mine arrived yesterday and it is fantastic and I’m loving it. I bought it for SW as i used to listen to it as a child and have basically not been into the hobby again until last year when i purchased a tiny SDR radio last year. I ordered the same colour as yours because a friend of mine in the early 80’s had a small radio that look similar which i wanted so bad but he’d never swap it or sell it

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Glad you're enjoying the RF919! It's a great radio to use for sure. 73

@reynradio 4 ай бұрын

Hi Clint. I have to agree with you it does look nice and well made and no doubt you’ll navigate your way around it in no time. All the best. 👍🏻

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks my friend - yes I'm working through it slowly but surely! 73

@claudio6493 4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! you are always so kind to us! I think that this radio is a bit expensive but needs to be tested beforehand. 73

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

It's my pleasure! You're right, this radio is too expensive for what it is, but I still love it! 73

@STR82DVD 4 ай бұрын

I'm looking forward to your full review on this particular unit lad. I trust your opinion on receivers. 73

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thank you Sir. I'll be checking it out on all bands, testing with small and large antennas etc. So far, I'm not convinced, but let's see! 73

@STR82DVD 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog I wasn't myself when I first inventoried the spec. I'm still not. Thanks again my lad. 73

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

You're welcome. I'm converging on the opinion that it's not worth the money (£240) but there's still a lot to love about it. The ergonomics are pretty terrible, but it has charm - in a retro 1970s sort of way! 73

@STR82DVD 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog I was thinking Radio Shack vibe but the seventies vibe also applies to as well. 😊😂 73

@RJDA.Dakota 4 ай бұрын

Keep up your good work. If you’re testing works out well, then I may yet have to buy one of these receivers. It seems like various versions of this model are everywhere. Thank you for all you do, especially your research and review of this product.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks my friend! So far so good, but I will post some more videos! 73

@Kw1161 4 ай бұрын

Thanks Clint, I bought the Gun metal Gray version on pre-order in May 2024. A bit of a steep learning curve and the early manual needed the update they later uploaded. Happy they sent me the external antenna at no extra charge. I hope the firmware update will be soon sorted out. I prefer the Green model you have, but it wasn’t available at initial release, so therefore, “GunMetalGray”. I find the app handy when in another room to control volume, frequency or to change frequency, much easier to set the alarms and sync the clock for time. My main gripe was changing the antenna settings and controlling the LNA, LPF for SW and MW. I am disappointed that you can’t use SSB mode on MW and LW for QRM purposes. Getting to receive the 10M Ham NBFM band is a pain also since they limit your choice while in SW,MW etc. I prefer the Belka choices over the RF919. Also a minor gripe they left out the 160M band and the temperature is only in Celsius. Well can’t have everything, but love the backlight keyboard for outdoor use ,minimal flashlight (torch) use needed…👍! Have a great day! 73!

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thank you my friend! I think I'm going to leave updating the firmware for now - several sources have warned it can be problematic! If I'm honest, I don't think this is a great receiver, but it's decent enough (I have a good recording of Radio Tarma 4774 kHz from the early hours of this morning) and there's still a lot to love about it! 73!

@Kw1161 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog Clint I agree that this is not going to be your last receiver unless it upsets you so much you get out of the hobby….😀! 73! P.S. Radioddity said not to._Dan Robison bricked his. I hope when it’s ready it will solve a few of my grievances, like allowing you to select any available mode like the Belka!

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Ha ha you never know! It's a shame that the last two (new) radios I've bought have been disappointing in one way or another - particulary the H501x and the ATS-990X2. I'm hoping the RF919 repairs that run of failures, but let's see! 73

@johnrobinson2643 4 ай бұрын

Looking forward to your reviews Clint 73!

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks John!

@paulnortham 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for this! Looking forward to the tests you've got lined up. On the cost, I know you said that it was expensive - and I certainly can't afford one... yet! - but the price of far less capable portables approach, and even exceed, £200. So I would say that this seems value for money, all things considered.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Cheers, Paul. Right now, I don't think it's worth the £240 I paid for it - but it's early days. It's got something though, but I can't put my finger on it! Retro 1970s charm, if not much else! 73

@paulnortham 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog Thanks! You've definitely got a job on your hands, as it doesn't seem the most intuitive thing, and they've certainly thrown a lot of features into it. On the cost, in your opinion what do you think is the best similar radio at that price point?

@6643bear 4 ай бұрын

Great looking radio , reminds me of my very old Sony icf5900 , it’s looks god all rounder . Interesting that the am is a bit narrow , yes it’s sensitive but I hope it some overload with a decent antenna. I also like the bands it has. Yes great to have ant tune option, like u Sony icf2001 I had years ago, I think these is an option with a rotating ant plugs in on the top of the radio . I also understand that it’s got good bass where as majority of radios not bassy . 73s mark

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments. Definitely overloads on a decent antenna - such as a wideband active magnetic loop, but it's still got something that makes it interesting! 73

@TurnFullCircle 4 ай бұрын

I am so tempted with this radio..been watching a lot of reviews - look forward to your thoughts after you have had a chance to familiarise yourself. Cheers

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

It looks great and the two displays are brilliant, but I'm not sure it's a brilliant receiver - well not yet anyway. 73

@TurnFullCircle 4 ай бұрын

@OxfordShortwaveLog OK.. I look forward to an assessment... all the best...

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Cheers!

@bingobongo8309 4 ай бұрын

Hi, a very interesting radio. When I read the amazon reviews, I am a little bit afraid, the radio got some problems. The knobs should get loose very fast. 1*= 18%!!!; 2*= 10%; 3*=0%; 4*=11%, 5*=61% I bought the little bro...Retekess TR112, a good sensitive receiver. I can`t wait for your test of the RF919. Bye

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info! I think it's ok, but it might not be brilliant! More videos to come. 73!

@FrancoDX 4 ай бұрын

Hi Clint, I look forward to your tests with this. It’s certainly an interesting radio and handsome as you say. I recently picked up the desktop version of the TEF6686 for armchair listening, I’m not a FM DX’er but they do work quite well on the other bands. Quite surprised how clear Polskie Radio is on 225 kHz at night just using a Discone antenna for example. The Chinese receivers are coming thick and fast now aren’t they, we’ll all have cupboards full of them soon haha 👍🏼 73 Franco

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thank you, Franco. The TEF6686 desktop version is quite a handsome little beast - albeit in a slightly home-brew way. I'm not surprised Polski Radio was strong - even on a discone - their signal seems to boom in. Lol yes, but if it's only Chinese manufacturers prepared to support our hobby, I'm good with that! 73

@arcticradio 4 ай бұрын

It erm looks…….hmmmm 😆 I just modified my Sony ICF-2001D and it’s out-performing things like the Qodosen SR-286 now. The external antenna is now super sensitive.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

It looks like it was designed in the 1970s - by Sony! But I like that. Remember your 2001D was released in 1984 - I have one also and it's still one of the best portables of all time. 72

@bucksboatanchors3328 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for showing this radio and it'll be interesting to hear how it does out portable in your local woods if you can try it there. 73.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thank you! Great idea to take it out to the woods! 73

@kenharvey9714 4 ай бұрын

You can get the HanRongDa C-919 version of this radio on line for £175 including shipping.. I don't think that the radio is worth any more than that. You don't get the extra antenna though, that' will set you back an extra £14.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

That would have been a better deal! 73

@Frip36 Ай бұрын

What's with all the bracelets? You some sort of rock star?

@OxfordShortwaveLog Ай бұрын

Er, yah

@jimgordon1563 4 ай бұрын

Hi again Clint, I have jus seen a KZbin post by Dan Robinson . His 919 BRICKED following an update he applied from Raddy. This has happened to at least one other of his respondent's. Good luck but exercise caution with the update. 73 and GDX.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks, Jim. I'm not going to bother updating the firmware for now. Several subs have mentioned it's fraught with difficulty! 73

@george-ev1dq 4 ай бұрын

The 1978 Sanyo RP 8880 has an antenna tuner and also has a two stage X-TAL marker, vastly superior radio to the Sony 2001 imo.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comments, George. I assume you've owned or used the 2001 or are you referring to the 2001D?

@george-ev1dq 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog I have the original 2001, very poor digital display and hard on the AA memory batteries.

@OxfordShortwaveLog 4 ай бұрын

I also have the original 2001...stopped working and nowhere near the peformance of it's replacement - the 2001D/2010.

@george-ev1dq 4 ай бұрын

@@OxfordShortwaveLog a well known weak point on the 2001 is the memory battery connections inside the radio and they are a total pig of a set to dismantle and work on, when these connections fail the radio will not switch on, I had the same problem with my one.