The Best Budget Shortwave Radio Setup - Malahit DSP2 SDR Receiver & Loop Antenna

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The Malahit DSP2
www.banggood.c...
Code:BGa53831
Code price:$315
Original price:$359
CN warehouse free shipping
Exp:12/30
The Loop Antenna
www.banggood.c...

[@noirmagique]

Love you brother but in America that radio is 300 and the antenna is another 100. There are dozens of more budget friendly ways to do this lol

[@PRODIGY5369]

I know you can and I have been looking at them. I haven't found one yet that does everything I want and most importantly sounds great, with an SDR display and good looks/build quality. All the budget ones have far too serious drawbacks for me to buy one. The cost of this radio is definitely not budget BUT for someone serious about buying a quality radio in this category, it might be worth shelling out or shuffling some coins away until they don't notice it.

[@raymondmartin6737]

Thanks Lewis, I have seen this receiver lately, and it seems really good, for a fair price for what it accomplishes. I have a few of the DSR receivers, such as the ATS-120, ATS-125, the original version, and the latest ATS-125 D..... Version. 😊73 de W2CH Ray New Hampshire.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

Hello and 73 de N4YPR

[@jaymzx0]

OK, I resisted the temptation when watching the first video on this guy, but you caught me at a weak moment and if all goes well the rig and antenna will be here in early to mid December. I guess I'll just eat canned beans for Thanksgiving dinner 😆 That said, I think such a setup may get me back on the air. Living in an apartment surrounded by cheap phone chargers and other broadband emitters has made SWL and HF QSOs less than pleasurable. I've had decent luck with a small mag loop, but maybe between the noise reduction and the little SWL loop sitting on a window sill I may have some luck - or at least be portable enough to take it somewhere without the noise. Also it has CAT control using Omnirig. With that, plus the wide range, it can be used for satellite work and all manner of other things. It's a Swiss Army Knife of radios and I can't wait.

[@RingwayManchester]

😂😂 enjoy!!

[@sarkybugger5009]

Sorry, Lewis, but over £300 is in no way a _budget_ radio, unless your surname is Sunak.

[@PRODIGY5369]

I get what you are saying. I'm a man of very modest means but I am blessed with a 1st in class HF transceiver at my homebase. It's no way portable though. I have been looking at getting a truly portable HF receiver for SW for a while and all the ones I look at in the more budget range have a lot of serious issues which I know would be extremely disappointing for me. Sure, you can go cheaper but at a big sacrifice in quality. I don't like compromising personally and spending half the money on something less than a quarter as good doesn't make sense to me. This isn't the first positive review I have seen on these radios from this manufacturer and they seem to have a good name for themselves. I want one and I have done for a while. Thanks for the outstanding review Lewis and on the antenna. Dear Santa.... 😂

[@sarkybugger5009]

@@PRODIGY5369 I'm sure it's a fine piece of kit. It's the word _budget_ that I have an issue with. It is generally used to describe items at the lower end of the price bracket, e.g. Low-budget. When you can get a bottom of the range SW receiver for less than a tenner, something costing orders of magnitude more is not a budget device. At the very least, he should classify the statement with "In its class." If not, let's compare it to his Icom...

[@Matt_The_Hugenot]

No way I'd pay 300 for budget. That sounds like mid range to me.

[@PRODIGY5369]

@@sarkybugger5009 I do understand your position but, if you compare it to the price of a Yaesu or Icom which both do this task excellently against the price of the budget options, which don't do it excellently. This is at the upper end of budget spectrum but with a premium quality. Could I afford one tomorrow? No. Do I need one? Probably not. Do I crave one? Absolutely.

[@sarkybugger5009]

@@Matt_The_Hugenot For that price, I'd be wanting a microphone socket, too. 😉

[@sausagehider]

That looks like a smart piece of kit, but I was hoping it would be less than £100. I wonder if they do a UK version with a 'Hi-Zed' input?

[@suprlite]

You're looking for ats-25 max 😊

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

I was blown away by how well the noise reduction works on that thing, very impressive.

[@WilhelmTell_CH]

I got this fantastic receiver today and I must say the noise reduction is excellent.

[@chrisbarnes5016]

A budget option is a PL-330 & MLA-30, it'll also recieve the same signals for 1/5th of the price

[@thumbs1964Hereiswisdom]

Except 6m VHF and UHF Of course.

[@johnbauman4005]

Does it offer the same degree of noise reduction and filters?

[@KD9ZHF]

@@johnbauman4005of course not.

[@Homer19521]

...and you have to put up with SOFTMUTE on the PL330. Dealkiller for me.

[@Banquet...]

I just wanted to post to say, after watching this video, I ordered this radio from Bangood on 22nd November, and it arrived here in the UK today (18th December) So it took slightly less than a month to arrive - and I did pay an extra tenner for the quick delivery option. The radio is lovely... comes in a nice case and all the bits mentioned here. Bangood does say VAT is included, and I didn't have to pay an extra import duty - it was delivered to my door. So thanks Manchester Ringway for putting me onto this and to anyone else tempted, it's well worth it.

[@Rob2]

For those that do not consider this "a budget solution", and willing to use an existing laptop computer, consider the RTL-SDR BLOG v4 USB dongle that can be used with SDR software on the laptop.

[@suprlite]

Or use RTL-SDR with a mobile or tablet.

[@bak2bassix]

This looks amazing but hardly a budget radio. Something like the ATS25 receiver for under £100 might be more attractive to the first time SWL

[@paulperry7091]

I expect you wouldn't need state of the art gear to pick up number stations, because spies are hardly going to erect giant antennas!

[@z0n0ph0ne]

I always enjoy youre posts Ringway but to describe this wonderful product an "budget" is way beyond my budget! Love your show and will always tune in!

[@Sonnell]

Agreed. It is always painful when other channels do this. I would think budget is around or below 100usd. And many gadgets costs sometimes a lot more if you do not live in the US or the UK...

[@darrenhanson3875]

I agree! Little steep fer us old coots on fixed income!😁😉

[@HouseholdDog]

Yeah. You can get started on shortwave at tenth of the price. I would say that Maybe $150 would be the limit for "cheap".

[@fretlessfender]

If you really want to squeeze the budget, go for a RTL-SDR dongle... sets you £45 back, don't expect wonders, but it works!

[@iamrocketray]

@@darrenhanson3875 Especially as some won't get their winter fuel allowance any more 😮😮😒😒🤔🤔🤢🤢😵‍💫😵‍💫😎😎

[@ErikTheVikingMechanic]

Yeah for 300 I can get an actual HF transiver or ALL used transiver. I was honestly expecting £30-60 to be a budget HF receiver

[@gbamck]

Cheers Lewis - nice review and demo. I think I remember some very early versions of this; it's come a long way. Nice bit of kit. Interesting. Unlike the amateur radio chat 😂😂

[@MrsG7swr]

wow budget but out of mine for now. Ill soldier on with my SDR Blog dongle and occasional use of an ancient realistic sw radio that you never know what the frequency is. but if i had the money probably would give it some serious consideration.

[@suprlite]

How about a ATS-25 max?

[@kandigloss6438]

I feel like even though this is a good radio and antenna setup that the price of the radio and antenna together would still be a bit prohibitive to some that are just starting out and/or on a tight budget. Maybe for those it would be better to go with one of Tecsun's radios and an MLA-30 antenna instead.

[@iamrocketray]

Well that's it! in for a penny, in for a pound😮 I have ordered Both items from Banggood using Klarna, so when they arrive I will only have one payment left. I just hope they are as good as you say because they have nicked my winter fuel payment, maybe the airwaves will keep me warm🤔🤔😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@AdamSWL]

Between Ringway Manchester and Tech Minds, I am almost assured that retirement will be a long way off. They have been responsible for stoking the fires of my radio acquisition syndrome. It is a serious problem in this shack. Thanks again Lewis!

[@fretlessfender]

Same happened to me!😂

[@raylowe3324]

For a lower price, the RTL-SDR version 4 with sdr console software works very well on HF. I works much better than version 3 below 30 MHZ.

[@london19657]

That's $430 bucks.(over here). Hardly budget but that radio does look great. Thanks for the video. P.S. I'm a Brit but moved to the US 20 years ago. Do you ever hear American cber's or ham? I like hearing all the accents in the video.

[@bryngerard4334]

The link he gave to Bangood has it at £267 ($326). Still pricey but it seems like a really nice bit of kit and good value at that price.

[@paulsengupta971]

@@bryngerard4334The antenna is another £90.

[@JoJon536]

Im in the uk on cb we hear the sates here just about everyday atm

[@kandigloss6438]

@@bryngerard4334 I'm pretty sure they are combining the price of the radio and the antenna....

[@iamrocketray]

@@bryngerard4334 ADD VAT and Duty to that!🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢

[@c128stuff]

I often use this radio for monitoring shortwave amateur bands but also for listening to the airband. The sound quality it manages from am and ssb is really nice, and the noise reduction is quite good.

[@Peter_S_]

Could you please comment on how it might perform for listening to NOAA weather satellites on 137 Mhz? It seems a very intriguing option instead of the typical SDR in a box.

[@c128stuff]

@@Peter_S_ From what I know NOAA at 137mhz is image data, I've never tried to receive and decode such things without a computer and sdr.

[@Peter_S_]

@@c128stuff Thanks. Satellites add the challenge of Doppler shift and I've heard comments about the selectivity of DSP radios being less conducive than standard PLL tuners. A small kit like this seems fairly ideal for bringing on a hike to good spot.

[@factcheckersbranch]

Hi Lewis, this radio is not budget. If you'd have put the price at say £150 I'd go for it. But sadly not £300, to me that's more of a mid way valued receiver. Lewis, do you purchase these devices or do they send them out to you to keep if you promote them on your channel?

[@kandigloss6438]

I'd say that even that price isn't budget, you can get decent radios for $60 - $80 these days. Sure they won't have the features of something like this but they will get you started if you are on an actual tight budget. The days of having to spend over 100 for a decent radio are pretty much over.

[@Rob2]

The first generation Malahit was priced like that. No idea if the better performance of the new model justifies the much higher price, I only have the old one.

[@Travis-xf1hm]

Could you review the malachite dsp sdr v5 ? I believe that it would be a possible budget version of this dsp2?? Ive been investigating it for swl...

[@burprobrox9134]

$500, seems like a lot to listen to some lonely geezers and associated jibber-jabber, buzzes and beeps. I would certainly pay $200, maybe, though

[@LiveseyMD]

One thing about the antenna: it technically works up to 145MHz, but the amplifier should be turned off in this case. If found my simple telescopic antenna working much better in FM and upper frequencies. But as for LW/MW/SW reception it is actually good.

[@darrenhanson3875]

Close to $500.00 not budget! Mabey the antenna is a good buy but could you look for a bit cheaper one for us people on fixed income?😁😉

[@RevMikeBlack]

Too expensive. Not a budget setup.

[@r0tekz]

Budget in comparison to the radios shown at the start of the video. This meaning of budget was made clear.

[@raymondmartin6737]

Knowing German, it was interesting to hear Radio Taiwan in the German Language! 😊

[@Quietus6]

Very informative. Two questions: 1) Are we seeing the 2.3 or the 2.4 versions? If 2.4, what have you found to be the difference. 2) How good is the included telescopic antenna? Thanks!

[@sunsoundz]

the 2.4 firmware has FT8 and RTTY decoding, the 2.30 not! ... In this video in the mods menu you see the FT8 and RTTY option, so he got the 2.40 beta or 2.40 final in...

[@GeeBeeMike]

I think 2.40 is only at Beta still. I’ll be interested in one of these once they start shipping with the final non-beta 2.40. I’d also like to see the firmware upgraded to the latest board housed in the Malahit. This is still at the previous generation board.

[@thenextlevel3567]

It's not Malahit, it's a cheap chinese clone.

[@joelee24]

I am confused, there are many similar radios from either Malahit or Malachit, as far as I know Malahit is a product from a Russian company called Malahiteam, and they do not carry this DSP 2 on their website but the DSP 3, and the DSP 2 is unlike this one and out of production. From the reviews I see that the original DSP 3 uses the common 18650 cell that can be easily replaced, where the clone DSP 2 uses a custom cell like cell phone. The clone has more features and is much better looking and handling, but my concern is the quality control and technical support. From experience, china design and produced products do not have long term and good after sales support, I don’t know about this model, but I don’t want to invest on something that will become a dead paper weight in a couple of years.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

I have an old DX 440 a Hallicrafters S38 and an Icon 775 DSP, I am a Ham Operator N4YPR and use them all and enjoy using an audio filter. It is fun using old and new technology

[@kirkmorrison6131]

Oh yes I use a long wire and a 80 meter G5RV with a auto tuner on both pressing tune

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

I have a Hallicrafters S-120 that hasn’t been used in well over thirty years, and has been sitting on a shelf in my house for a year after having gotten it from my dad. I may have to pick up that ring antenna mentioned on here and give it a try. Otherwise, I’ll continue to rely on the University of Twente WebSDR until I have the time-if ever-to set something up for myself.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

@@RobCamp-rmc_0 Order new caps for it for the Power Supply about an hour job and replace the paper caps with mylar and it will last another 70 years. I can Recommend Antique Radio Supply

[@iamrocketray]

@kirkmorrison6131 So compared to the cost of what you have already spent on Radio gear, this radio IS budget😮😮🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@kirkmorrison6131]

@@iamrocketray Yep, but to me real radios glow in the dark. I enjoy working on them

[@delmare1]

I have a Tecsun PL-330 which covers LW/MW/SW ans has very good SBB abdcis a very sensitive radio. You can get this radio for just over £80.00 and it's the best pocket radio I have come across for under £100.00. I wouldn't be without it. Well worth the money.

[@billr55]

@delmare1 Totally agree. I have mine on me wherever I go. Great radio

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

I was impressed with both radio and antenna. I thought about picking one up, but when I saw the price (US $323 for the radio and $104 for antenna) I decided that I'll wait until they show up on the used market. As an added bonus, by that time all of the defective units should have been weeded out.

[@Ixquick979]

There is v1 on Bangood which is 145 USD:

[@jiriwichern]

@@Ixquick979 The Chinese clone v1s usually only have the test software, or a hacked earlier version of the software. This is upgradable, if you know what to do and/or if you buy a license from the original Russian creators. Also, all v1's are missing various filters, the Hi-Z input and have a larger gap you can't tune them to. The Chinese clones additionally have usually flaky timers (so time settings are always running (very) slow), possibly bad or no shielding on the RF sensitive components, generally bad rotary switched, usually less quality housing... in other words, you get what you pay for.

[@StratmanII]

@@jiriwichern I have the V2 version of the Malahit DSP1 clone, running firmware 1.10d, which I presume was modded by "HFDY". Mine has the flaky timer which you mentioned, but after gathering some intel I found out that even the original Russian-built Malahit had the same hardware bug. The Chinese manufacturer copied the Malahit's original hardware to tee which included that same timer clock issue and the same frequency gap. Other than that I'm satisfied with the one I've bought. It has a 4-layer circuit board and dual port thin film speakers which are covered but rear facing like the original Malahit DSP1. I think it has the additional PCB built-in as the attenuation control and Hi-Z mode are functional. However, I wished I had waited a little longer as newer designs based on the DSP1 architecture appeared as the V5 and V9 (which incidentally uses the same housing as the Mahalit DSP2 clone). The newer ones have the hardware bugs from the early versions ironed out although they run the same ver 1.10d firmware.

[@johnbauman4005]

​@@jiriwichernThank you!

[@glennvanderbusse4137]

I'm in New Zealand and the US $323 sounds a lot better than my NZ $527.20. I may just get the Antenna first and see how it performs with my Digitech AR 1780

[@oyarzun8871]

I got it !!its realy very impressive with a big loop antenna in my garden I paid 273€ shipping included Very good SW radio Before i use ATS 25 X2 a good one less 80 bucks

[@choppergirl]

$225 is a lot of money to spend just for a reciever though I've been looking at the UV K5 or UV 17R, or some of the low end SDR dongles, 4.3" Software Defined Radio SDR Radio Receiver, or even the the ATS25X1, but I can't even justify spending $40 on a radio of questionable utility.

[@BillyNoMates1974]

I have the Ga800 antenna. above 12 Mhz, I find it really noisy and dont use it. shame as it does really pull in the signals, just too much noise

[@johnmknox]

Seems like a pretty decent portable short-wave receiver, and the antenna is a great find too. I wonder how it compares to a Sangean ATS 909X or a Tecsun 880 or 330 for reception. Or to a 360/368 for portability and reception? I bet the SWL channel would like to test this out. The only thing I would probably find frustrating is using a small stylus to press the touch screen.

[@Sonnell]

Indeed, real life comparisons are the best.

[@beeryes2723]

me thinks you misspelt expensive there is no b or u or d and so on in it. These are two very nice pieces of gear but not for the frugal. RTL-SDR dongle very budget.

[@marsgal42]

My go-to radio these days is an Airspy HF+ Discovery. I've taken it travelling, it fits easily in my laptop bag. The last actual shortwave radio I bought was an Eton Satellit. It works fine (and doesn't need a computer...), but it's nowhere nearly as much fun as the Airspy unit.

[@iamrocketray]

@marsgal42 The airspy HF+ discovery cost £150(over half the price of the Malahit) and you still need a computer and antenna.

[@phoneticau]

Look at SDRPlay RSP1 clone mated with at least i5 8GB RAM laptop, with good scrounging around should get the lot for under $200

[@soundguydon]

I would love to get this little radio. It looks pretty awesome and capable. It seems that SW is more prevalent over on the other side of the pond than it is here in the States.. Don't get me wrong, I can still receive a decent amount, but with all of Europe being in your back yard, it seems you have more things to listen to ;) I still love my SDR and am saving up for a HackRF currently !

[@chrishunt1941]

What is the point of just a receiver? How do I get a transceiver of this?

[@terrytartu]

Although originally a Russian designed product it is Chinese made and meeting the required stardard allowed access to malahit updates. Malahit does not profit from these clones though due to the current situation it accepts them. All this detail is explained in the details if one researches fully. I was viewing an article on this radio about 4 weeks ago, wishing I could afford it.

[@maschwerer]

My wallet is lighter thanks to you, Lewis! 😂. Can’t wait for mine to arrive.

[@charlesthistlethwaite]

I bought just this combo after watching your excellent video and hope it arrives before the end of the year. This will be my first SDR receiver (other than a modded Quan Sheng UV-K5). Radios have come a long way since my first one; a Sony ICF-6700W. 73's

[@johnbauman4005]

How has your experience been so far? 500mAh built in battery sounds small - how much listening time does that get you? Wish it had replaceable LiFePO4 battery. Thanks!

[@charlesthistlethwaite]

@@johnbauman4005 It is not up to an all night listening session, but it is serviceable plugged into a Li-ion battery pack. Another good question is whether an exterior antenna pre-amp is redundant given the DSP 2's built in pre-amp.

[@TwitchRadio]

Still too pricy for me😢

[@dave10524]

I've had the original Russian DSP2 for 2 years now, since before the Ukraine conflict, while using the same MSI2500 chip as my SDRPLay unit it does actually hear better mainly due to the superior NB and NR

[@TymexComputing]

Today I was visiting a friends electronic shop in cracow,poland and an englishspeaking gentleman came asking for a shortwave antenna, they didn't have any so I asked him which spectrum is he interested in, he replied that 9-45 m, I tried to be intelligent and told him that usually the people that use amateur radio make theirselve antennas but he politely replied that he only needs to receive ;)

[@MultiPetercool]

You’re making me ashamed of owning a Sony ICF7600G and a Tecsun PL-330.

[@telosmonos_gustavo]

Just found your channel this week after wading through nearly countless videos on shortwave radio. I'm in Austin, Texas and have been thinking seriously about taking this up as a hobby. Thanks to you I may have just found the initial setup I need to get started. I've subscribed and I will send you a few quid when I can. Appreciate all you do, your content is very informative, enlightening and entertaining, in a way that no one else seems to be doing. Godspeed!!!

[@Pointverse-zs4bs]

Arrived my ga-800. It is rubbish, its power circuit makes strong noise at 27mhz,29.2mhz... just connect a different 27-29mhz antenna in your RX and turn on/off the GA-800. Just ridiculous the noise it makes, just like many HT or phone chargers, how an antenna can do that, ridiculous,just avoid this. purchased in bangood.

[@Pointverse-zs4bs]

I got the radio Malahit SDR2, sota-atu (USDX+Atu100), QUT CB-58 foe CB UK and UV-K5 modded as auxilar full band receiver (with SI4732 mod).and PMR TX, and this antenna GA800. This radio is freaking impressive,. specially in SSB, so many coms sounds as a mobile phone. In FM and AM is less impressive, specially airband

[@Desert-edDave]

SDR-Play RSP1A + MLA-30+ antenna = best shortwave listening for the money, regardless of environment.

[@raymondmartin6737]

I see the GA800 loop on line, after I saw it on Tech Minds KZbin video, for about $100.00 US price. 😊

[@bobbyvandam74]

I have played some time with it and this is absolutely a budget setup as the quality, options and performance compare to much more expensive radios. Highly recommended!

[@migalito1955]

Nice receiver, but one may as well think ahead to getting an amateur license and buy a RS 918 transceiver for $350 ish plus tax. I just ordered mine and hear it has a darn good receiver. After all there is only about $50 difference in price.

[@murrij]

If you can't afford an SDR based radio I suggest picking up a TECSUN PL-380. I love mine. Hook a piece of wire on the end of the built-in antenna if needed. Under $50.00 USD then spend more if you outgrow it.

[@EgoChip]

$440 isn't exactly budget.

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Certainly a nice piece of radio but at a eye watering price IMHO... I really wonder if it's worth the price difference with an ATS-25 AMP for example. Granted, that one doesn't go over 30 Mhz but we're discussing SW here right? I really like mine. When connected to my MLA30+ balcony antenna, it matches my best TEF6686 receiver (Qodosen) on AM... and it has SSB/CW What do you think? You also have the ATS-25 AMP I think.

[@bryngerard4334]

Now it is confirmed that you are a Russian bot :) That can't have been a Russian Military buzzer, the Russian firmware will block all of their stuff out. :) I knew I would read some hysterical Russophic comments with this video, but there is no denying the superior performance of this Russian made bit of kit. It is on the top of my wish list.

[@kandigloss6438]

This is a chinese version, the original Russian one is very hard to get ahold of and would be even more expensive. The funny thing is if that was more widely known you would get a ton of people getting angry over it being "CHEAP CHINESE GARBAGE!!!" like someone did when I mentioned tecsun radios in a comment thread, lol.

[@bryngerard4334]

@@kandigloss6438 I believe that the Russian's are happy with quality of the build from their Chinese partners. They have allowed for genuine FW updates when you register your device on the website. The specs for all of the Chinese sellers state this. I have outstanding Chinese products and have been more than happy with their performance and the price used to be so low it allowed people to put together a reasonable electronics lab or radio shack for little money. Those days of cheap stuff are largely over but it was fun while it lasted.

[@anthonyperkins7556]

I have a Gospell DRM SW / MW / FM radio and I get various transmissions during the day and night BBC World Service on DRM Shortwave in the mornings, Radio Romania International at various times, sometimes a tickle from Radio New Zealand International from the other side of the world, and several transmissions from other parts of the world plus America at night aimed towards Europe.

[@skinnyblinddude]

“Budget” is subjective. To me, “budget” simply means within my affordable price range. I regard this radio as a budget radio. Keep in mind that one gets what one pays for. Same goes for any product.

[@makerofthingsunique]

Is it just me or is the 2m band always really quiet. I'm wondering if my yupiteru mvt7100 is a bit deaf now as it's very very old

[@sebrassino]

This is what I'm gonna buy. Everything I need in such a small package

[@safugpac2691]

Can the Malahit DSP2 receive DAB, DAB+ in UK? 170 Mhz-240 MHz?

[@laurincavender5412]

I already have a Malahit can I down load the software with setups and memory from it and load it to a new one so that they are transparent in functionality.

[@theuniqid]

Can I just add my two cents on how to pronounce its name? It is Malacheete. It is a slavic word, means sort of a semi-gemstone, and the last I is actually an e :-)

[@HighWealder]

'Malachite'?, an ore of Copper.

[@Funkteon]

Am I a weirdo for the fact that the M23 Numbers Station is ASMR to me? I could listen to morse code with a low pass filter hum/static all day long...

[@petercarter9034]

A lovely piece of kit, I would love to be able to afford this,

[@factcheckersbranch]

Sadly it's not budget & not really worth the price tag.

[@dskentfield]

My opinion, absolutely worth the price and for the quality and features it provides, a bargain...Side by side with my 7300, your not comprising for RX..

[@iamrocketray]

Its NOT budget unless you have a shed full of £4000 plus ham radio gear, then it's budget compared to your other gear.

[@fadingbeleifs]

That won't break the bank?? That SDR is over $200!! That is insane considering we have things like the RTL SDR available.... which was recently updated, so it supposedly doesn't require an up or down converter.

[@heckelphon]

(For UK purchasers) Isn't there a distinct risk that you also get caught for import tax and VAT on such goods over £135 these days? That would add considerably to the price. So if Banggood at present state £270.84 VAT inclusive, that's no guarantee that you aren't going to be asked by the courier or Royal Mail to pay another tax plus their handling fee (Royal Mail is around £8). Only if the goods have already been imported and are held in stock and tax paid for in the UK, would you avoid this. If goods are coming direct from China you could be in for a nasty surprise.

[@frrichard1307]

I ordered mine from Banggoods in China, come through Heathrow customs no problem, no import tax etc incurred, and the next day RM delivered it my door! Took 9 days in all from placing the order, very impressed and even more impressed with the radio! Thanks for the great video!

[@SocialistDistancing]

I'm Impressed with the clean reception.

[@2013Davey]

Very good video... so good I just had to subscribe / like / and order one, but I do think the word 'budget' is errrrrr open to debate, lol

[@JamesHalfHorse]

What do you make of so many devices using SMA for an antenna now instead of BNC or similar larger traditional connectors? They seem fragile especially once you stack some adaptors or a large antenna on them. I have had them fail on wifi equipment but so far no radio equipment.

[@Rob2]

Use a short pigtail with 2 SMA connectors and then your adapters to N or UHF. The pigtail relieves the stress on the connector.

[@hermask815]

I wish my dad had receivers like these in the mid 60ties where his development aid job took him . Now with the internet this technology is wasted because all stations on all bands that we used to hear (BBC,France inter, Deutsche Welle)have disappeared and moved to the internet. The rest is Chinese or even jammed.

[@mrcondorazo]

excellent video.. a question, is the link you mention for purchasing the radio a Russian or a Chinese version?--is there a big difference?

[@PedroNord]

A very inexpensive receiver considering the high quality. Thank you for the review.

[@sigint99]

I would never spend money on this no-name overpriced receiver no matter how good it looks and performs. It will be trash in a few years time.

[@Robert-cd5zr]

Can this unit scan? Can it record frequencies (either built in or to a separate recorder via headphone jack)? Is there any video output (for displaying on a larger monitor when at home)?

[@Raveheart]

I do listening only and have a huge discone in my backyard connected to a SDR Blog V3 on a Raspberry Pi 4. I have my Spyserver public so everyone can play around. For mobile scanning, I use the dipole that came with the SDR and a Steam Deck. It's a bit janky but works for quick & dirty on-the-go scanning. I don't recommend buying the Steam Deck for scanning only, but if you're also up for some gaming on the go, it might be an alternative. The Malahit seems pretty cool aswell. However, if you do Radiosonde chasing it might not be optimal because of the notch around 400MHz. Most common sondes transmit around 400-406 MHz I believe.

[@DJGunnary]

I must say, this radio is pretty impressive. But thats really not a budget option. Budget is more like a rtl sdr stick. Nontheless thanks for taking the time to make a video on how to get into shortwave

[@michaelnoardo3315]

when you listening to 70cm 433 band , were you using the same Loop antenna?

[@Paul-bl2dk]

Hi Louis, is there a big difference between the DSP1 and DSP2?

[@frankbowman22]

Sorry bro but it looks like I won't be buying one unless I Hawk my left leg

[@stephenodonoghue464]

HI STEVE HERE,COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE I CAN BUY THIS LOOP ANTENNA,I LOOKED ON EBAY AND THEY DONT SEEM TO HAVE THE BNC TO SMA CONECTER WHITH THE ANTENNA,IF I BOUGHT IT FROM THE SAME PLACE AS YOU IT MIGHT HAVE THE BNC TO SMA TO CONECT TO THE MALAHIT ANTENNA SOCKET THANKS STEVE.

[@Homer19521]

What S/W is it running? Have you tried updating? That would be a good vid. 👍

[@glennvanderbusse4137]

Hi,is this the Chinese made version as I thought it was Russian, cheers

[@davidsradioroom9678]

That is a really nice setup. Wish I had one like it.

[@iblackfeathers]

this reminds me of a techminds video. lol. malahite goes by various spellings because the russian x is pronounced like a hard letter h. so you see some sites list this as malachite.

[@yourstruly1665]

I own one of these and it is a nice receiver though not budget by any means. I also own the Belka-DX and find it even more impressive. Not all the eye-candy of the DSP2 but, my goodness, it is so small and light. You can easily carry it around in your shirt pocket and the quality of receptions on HF is superb! Ordered directly from the designer, it's also considerably cheaper than the DSP2. People need to also note that the DSP2 is a very heavy radio! That thick metal case adds tremendously to the weight.

[@gyorgypalasti9709]

Since you have both the Belka and the Malahit DSP2 would you please let me know that for SW only (AM & SSB) which one is better? Thanks in advance!🙂

[@WPGinterceptor460Interceptor]

these arnt cheap... better to get a Grundig!

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks for your opinion…

[@OxfordShortwaveLog]

Hi Lewis, I've got one of these - it's a cheap Chinese copy and perhaps as a consequence it's terrible to operate. Yours looks much better quality. Great video. 73

[@RingwayManchester]

Ahh I see Clint, what are the issues?

[@OxfordShortwaveLog]

The touch screen was horrendous - just wasn't sensitive and the firmware really slow to react. 73@@RingwayManchester

[@rider275]

Would this set up allow a novice shortwave user to listen to the numbers stations mentioned in your other videos? Thank you again for the interesting content.

[@rider275]

Should have watched the video all the way through before commenting. Still a great video!

[@JimHUdson-d9s]

Radio 4 is gone now on SW correct?

[@rogerking2933]

I use Century 21d waddle loop recever works great on a short antenna a bit of a collector's item now.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video, Lewis...👍

[@TheSillyshyguy]

Good Review

[@RingwayManchester]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@boweandrew3]

Do you use the 50 ohm antenna outputs or the Hi Z with the loop antenna?

[@r0tekz]

I just got mine, and I'm really impressed with it. One minor niggle is that the FM station RDS is not working, even with strong stations and all the settings carefully checked. Have you had this problem? A few letters came though just for a second but nothing since.

[@colintinker7778]

Mine is exactly the same. Even with a super strong signal the RDS doesn't work or just shows a few letters that mean nothing. I got the morse decoding to work though!

[@r0tekz]

@@colintinker7778 Thinking now, the other big niggle is that every time I change HF band, I have to set the tune increment back to 1khz. It defaults to .1khz, which is far too fine for scanning about. Is there a way to get it to remember the setting?

[@colintinker7778]

@@r0tekz I've just been checking things out. Chose 6mhz as an example. Set usb and lsb to different steps. Even am. Went to FM band at 88.8mhz with wide band set for this. Moved between all these and the previously set steps didn't change. Fully switched off the radio via the power switch too... although only for 30 seconds or so. When powered up again the clock still had the correct time and the various step increments hadn't changed.

[@r0tekz]

@@colintinker7778 Well, I must have a duff unit because 100% of the times I change between hf bands, the unit reverts to .1khz tuning steps.

[@colintinker7778]

@@r0tekz I hope you don't have a duff one. Maybe it's a software related issue. If I select "Radio" then on the bottom right above the "Band" button I have FW : 2.40