Sihuadon R-108 USB C AM FM LW AIR Shortwave Radio Review

[@todderbert]

(paid links below) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you. ▶ The Sihuadon USB C R-108 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/3UJqf0Q ▶ The Sihuadon USB C R-108 at Amazon CA: amzn.to/3SWNzGS ▶ The Kaito T-1 Antenna Wire at Amazon USA: amzn.to/4bFP5ol

[@scottrogers2971]

I don't believe either of these links is for the USB C unit.

[@todderbert]

@@scottrogers2971The company told me that they are supposed to be all Type C radios. I mentioned the pictures show a Micro USB jack, but they have not changed the pictures yet.

[@steveb2756]

If anyone has purchased the USB C version, I would appreciate the info for all of us to purchase also.

[@todderbert]

@@steveb2756 The Sihuadon R-108s at AMAZON USA are TYPE C! XHDATA notified me Today, March 11th 2024, that all R-108s will have Type C. If you get one with a Micro USB, contact them and they will send the correct model.

[@todderbert]

The Sihuadon R-108s at AMAZON USA are TYPE C! XHDATA notified me Today, March 11th 2024, that all R-108s will have Type C. If you get one with a Micro USB, contact them and they will send the correct model.

[@reyesalejandrolandaverdeol3181]

Awesome! I have this radio. My sister gave it to my birthday in January. I love it!💯❤️

[@todderbert]

The Sihuadon R-108s at AMAZON USA are TYPE C! XHDATA notified me Today, March 11th 2024, that all R-108s will have Type C. If you get one with a Micro USB, contact them and they will send the correct model.

[@michaelturner4457]

I like the cheap Chinese radio review channel. My favourite cheap Chinese radio is still the Tecsun PL660

[@ditto1958]

People seem to like the PL-660 a lot. I’m tempted to get one even though I don’t actually need one.

[@The06201980]

Great review as always! Do you have any plans on trying get your hands on the odd little Qodosen radio that’s supposed be so good?

[@todderbert]

When it comes to the States I will.

[@melvinstewart7266]

Love your channel, you put a lot of work into li, I’m a radio nut too, keep up the good work. I probably have seventy five radios. Thanks for the good work.

[@todderbert]

Thanks for the positive comment. They go a long way :)

[@ritmo1130]

I'd love to see a comparison between this radio and the Tecsun PL-330 on a daytime MW scan !!

[@markr.1984]

The 330 would win and it has SSB too, unlike this one.

[@ritmo1130]

Probably, I really like the 330 but if the MW reception is better in the Sihuadon I'd go for that one.

[@joeh52]

Yes, the Qodosen 268 where I have seen impressive reviews. I hope you get your hands on this radio and do a series of videos concerning reception of SW/MW/FM. Note: this radio uses a chip that is found in car radios, so its performance may surprise you!

[@todderbert]

If it comes to a US seller, I'm all for it. Ali is not a place I shop with. Cool radio though from what I hear.

[@joeh52]

@@todderbert You are right... I am concerned about dealing with such online retailers. The problem we have is the radio stores that we depended on for mail order are dwindling; all we have left are Universal Radio, Ham Radio Outlet, and C Crane. A US-based distributor would be very helpful and it would protect consumers from shady businesses overseas i e China, Hong Kong etc.

[@markr.1984]

@@todderbert I've never had a problem with AliExpress, they have a reputation to protect. However, all items are obviously shipped from China and so it takes a looooong time to get things. The wait is usually about 2 months. Ouch!!

[@markr.1984]

@@joeh52 Have you ever ordered from Ali? I doubt it but it's easy to criticize from an easy chair. I have ordered lots of items from them and the only bad thing is the wait times. All items I've received from them are in good shape and working order and they have better customer service than most US based companies. I got a Tecsun from them and it had a glitch (was not the fault of Ali, was Tecsun firmware issue) and the lady there was extremely helpful and with her advice I fixed the problem. She went out of her way and very personable too. So sit back in your easy chair and reply to me if you have the guts.

[@xavigt6409]

Which radio is better? ( Sihuadon R108 or XHdata D-109WB ). Thank's for your videos. Best wishes from Barcelona, Spain.

[@flynnstone3580]

It seems to have great reception but I just got the Retekess V 115 three days ago. I'm in northern California and been picking up RNZ New Zealand International loud and clear with a long wire. C. Crane has a list of a the countries and their call numbers online and just type it in. The bass sound is quite amazing for a small radio.

[@todderbert]

The V115 still surprises. I use one as a recording tool.

[@flynnstone3580]

@@todderbert if been doing play overs on songs with my guitar for years. I've been plugging my Altec Lansing stereo amp into my tablet, but when I plugged it into the V 115 the volume, separation, and especially the bass was unbelievable. It was even better clarity than Spotify. I'm surprised this thing is legal.

[@VitaminT805]

@flynnstone3580 I have the same radio, I have some questions for ya. Which antenna/wire? How did you set that up?

[@flynnstone3580]

@@VitaminT805 I used a 30 foot piece of bare copper wire out to a tree into the house with an alligator clip to the antenna. I used a bungee cord off the tree for an insulator and to keep the wire taught. If you try that, enter 17675 and see if you pick up New Zealand, I bet you will. C. Crane has list of all the countries and their frequencies in Google search. The later at night the better. The scan skips a lot. Just enter the frequency for what country you want.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

Yeah the Retekess V115 is pretty impressive for such an inexpensive radio. I think my only gripe with that one is I don't love the font choices on the LCD, however if that is my one gripe with the radio, then they are doing pretty well.

[@Jaxon1776]

XHDATA/Sihuadon has really been putting out some nice stuff lately. The speaker quality on their little radios is quite good. I'd love to see them do an update to the D808.

[@RJDA.Dakota]

I thought that they did do an update on the D 808.

[@todderbert]

@@RJDA.Dakota I heard they are now shipping with Type C jacks as well, I have yet to confirm that though.

[@RJDA.Dakota]

@@todderbert I saw someone else on KZbin mention that the insides of the D 808 have been changed. Not saying it’s better or worse but it’s been done.

[@NTPTM]

​@@RJDA.DakotaHej yes they have also upgraded the Sihuadon D-808 witha usb c jack it might depends on where you buy the Sihuadon D-808 from, because on XHDATA's website it says that the Sihuadon D-808 has a micro usb jack, but that might be a typo. But i gonna contact XHDATA and ask them if the Sihuadon D-808 they sell now has usb c jack. But i saw that Amazon us sells Sihuadon D-808 with usb c jack so they seems to have new upgraded Sihuadon D-808 i have the old Sihuadon D-808 with micro usb jack but with amber backlight a fantastic radio great reception nice audio take care and have a lovely day.

[@ditto1958]

Excellent point. I read and watch D-808 reviews and almost every review is very positive. But I think it needs an update. Meanwhile, I’m drawn to this little R-108 even though I have no need for one.

[@NTPTM]

Hej Todderbert thanks for the review yes the Sihuadon R-108 is a lovley radio but yes gonna upgrade to the new Sihuadon R-108 i also love mine Sihuadon D-808 take care and have a nice day.

[@todderbert]

The headphone audio is where its at. They got rid of the annoying pops, kudos to XHDATA.

[@Steven-re7xt]

I have the #1 R-108. And tk fer ur reserch. You are a good guide tks agn

[@georgeamanor-boadu6771]

Got myself one a couple of months ago. Great sound and easy to use, however two issues: Firstly no matter how long I charge the battery it quickly falls to two bars and secondly if I switch off for a couple of hours, it defaults to MW band even though I was listening to FM.

[@todderbert]

Firmware bug. Probably taken care of now. The battery thing is normal...all of my 108s do this.

[@gerardorincon9881]

It would be nice to see a comparison on MW and SW between the the old R-108 with the new R-108 to find out if they made changes in the radio sensitivity...

[@todderbert]

The only issue I noticed is that the loudness on the MW band is slightly lower on the new model. Most likely from the upgraded audio amp to stop the pops/clicks when using headphones.

[@gerardorincon9881]

Thank you for the very quick response@@todderbert Your shows are excellent! I just ordered this radio using the link you provided below.

[@joistein]

You have many FM mono stations in the US, here in Sweden we don't have any mono FM stations only FM stereo. I love this radio and I love the D-808 to that has SSB and RDS but it is bigger. Waiting for my new XHDATA D-608 WB to arrive.

[@todderbert]

I have quite a few FM Stereo stations near my area, I'm just on the fringe of the big city of Chicago, and sometimes can't get the full Stereo signal.

[@NTPTM]

Hej samma här jag tycker mycket om Sihuadon D-808 men jag har den gamla modellen med micro usb kontakten jag har också beställt XHDATA D-608WB nödradio så jag ser fram i mot att få den och testa den jag önskar dej en trevlig söndag.

[@huntercarver1851]

Something happened to my original RADIWOW. I have a black SIHUADON with the amber backlight now. I think I'll replace my [original] grey one with this Type C version.

[@todderbert]

The headphone experience is 100% improved. No clicks, and pops when changing bands, or browsing.

[@markr.1984]

As an experience air band listener, I think the only really good way to do air band is to listen on a scanner. This type of radio is basically just a single frequency monitor. You can memorize a bunch of air frequencies and cycle through them but you miss so much. I have several scanning radios and have as many as 290 or so Civilian and Military air band frequencies programmed into them and to be able to fast scan through them all is fantastic. Plus, radios like this only do civilian air band. Military air band is very cool, trust me on that one.

[@honesttroll]

Lol you can't listen to military band because of encryption but keep the bs

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

I just placed an order for this version as I am curious how it stacks up to my Radiwow R-108 from about four years ago which is a fantastic radio. I do like the amber colored display as the white one on the Radiwow is a bit harsh.

[@todderbert]

The headphone experience is better with no pops or clicks while browsing, or changing bands. Reception seems similar, the MW band might be slightly better on the original.

[@steveb2756]

I ordered the R-108 thru your link to Walmart. Received it quickly. Uh oh, it is not the USB C upgrade model. It works great, but would like the USB C charging port and no clicks on band change using ear phones. Walmart will take radio back. I shopped around and could not find sellers having the new R-108 with USB C. Any suggestions? Love your reviews.

[@todderbert]

Must be only on Amazon that they are available, or they have mixed stock atm. I would contact them to see about them replacing it for you.

[@kobolila-yt]

Nice review, thanks. I'm looking at getting one, are you aware of any higher capacity batteries that will fit in this unit?

[@todderbert]

XHDATA sells a 1500mAh battery on Amazon USA. I recommend it, the others may be misleading. The BL-5C package typically is 1,000mAh.

[@Btr223_]

Do radios like this one, or the tecsun or xhdata d109 get better am/ fm reception more so then radios like the panosonic rf 2400d in places further away from cities( backcounty, canoe camping scenarios) or would the reception be similar ?( places where ypu drive far enough from any city town that your truck radio will sometimes get no stations)

[@todderbert]

They both are great, but the D-109WB has greater sensitivity while it scans using the whip antenna, versus the R-108. Attach a long wire to either radio, and they perform the same on Shortwave.

[@Ciudadana_Cero]

Hello there, I have a question, what radio would you recommend for someone living in a congested urban area like New York? I have a Grundig radio that has terrible reception, I'm interested in Shortwave. I love your channel. Thanks!

[@todderbert]

A radio with an external antenna jack, like this one, and possibly pairing it with the MLA30 Loop Antenna. Those Loop antennas help null out noise to help with reception on the Shortwave band.

[@Ciudadana_Cero]

@@todderbertThank you so much! Keep the good work.

[@markr.1984]

I'd like to see reviews on Malahits, both the real Russian and Chinses clones. Also radios like the ATS-25 and similar, such as the Belka DX would be good. Lets get some more serious receivers on this channel if possible. Also these radios cost more and are better performers ( from what I've read) than the standard China ones. They defy the cheapo radio market in many ways. I have a Malahit DSP2 and I love it. Although I do like some cheap brands, like Tecsun. My PL330 is really good for its size.

[@todderbert]

Eventually Mark, I want to explore the world with those radios.

[@dominikstachurski8105]

How would you compare this one to HanRongDa HRD-737? Especially the airband, I wanted to buy something for planespotting and I'm thinking about those two.

[@todderbert]

They both should work well, the R-108 has a better squelch function, and the ability to browse presets, or quickly move through them manually.

[@dominikstachurski8105]

@todderbert Did you test them with the default antenna or did you get a better one installed?

[@todderbert]

@@dominikstachurski8105 Using whip only, no wires. though in some cases a wire will help.

[@digginggopher]

Hi i thjnkni heard you in a flashlight video say you have a 18650 radio, which one was that??

[@todderbert]

XHDATA Radios in General. D-109WB, D-109, D-808, D-901, and others.

[@ditto1958]

I’m confused about the positioning of this radio in the XHData/Sihuadon lineup. It costs $10 more than the XHData D-109WB. The latter has AM/FM/SW and WB, as well as NOAA weather alerts. Plus, it is a Bluetooth speaker and MP3 player. The R-108 is AM/FM/SW and air band. Both radios get generally positive reviews, and both are said to be sensitive radios. Other than that the R-108 intentionally looks like a C. Crane Skywave, what are buyers getting for the extra $10?

[@todderbert]

Compact Size, and the AIR band. It sounds good, and is easier to carry around with you on the go. If you are home more than the 109WB would be the better choice, unless you are an AIR junky, but those guys have scanners :)

[@lawrence.porter]

I have the previous R108 but it’s getting worse in the UK with them switching everything off. Soon all I’ll be able to pick up is SW and DAB or internet stations. We will also lose Satellite and digital terrestrial TV. The UK sucks.

[@matrixismyname]

The knob scroll through presets is something Sihuadon R108 specific? The D808 doesn't have it or I don't know how to activate it, by default it's tunning.

[@todderbert]

It is the same as the Tecsun's out there that have a VM feature. The D-808 uses pages, and you have to use the face buttons to access them.

[@thedailybench2527]

How does this compare to a pl-310et for FM primarily?

[@todderbert]

Slightly better when manually tuned. Not great for seek tuning.

[@mustardketchup]

How bout some SDR radios 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@jvanb231]

Who the heck is this Emmanuel you keep talking about ? :)

[@aryanJanwda]

Hi Todderbert, I want a sensitive FM radio to listen distant FM stations. Can I buy this or more pricy d-808. Please suggest.

[@todderbert]

If you don't need SW, the PR-D12 from Sangean has been the best performing FM portable I have used. The D-808 is good on FM, along with the R-108 with a wire attached.

[@aryanJanwda]

@@todderbert Thanks for your kind information.

[@Radioloverandlistenerbd]

Which of these 3 radios will have medium wave and smooth sound quality? Tecsun 310,380, Sihuadon/Radiow/xhdata r108

[@sudiptamallick6302]

When it doesn't show stereo on display,that means the signal is mono at that time?

[@yaltay]

Does it come with one or two BL-5C batteries? I saw an unboxing video with two batteries.

[@todderbert]

Mine came with one, and every R-108 I have purchased came with just one.

[@lew9223]

Which is better in your opinion Todd, Sihuadon R 108 or XHdata D 109? Thanks

[@todderbert]

They both have their pluses. If I had to pick one, it would be the R-108, mainly for its portability. The inclusion of proper tuning, and the AIR band is nice. The battery is the weak part, but I would charge it every three to four days of average use.

[@lew9223]

I'm torn between both, they are similarly priced right now on a well-known Chinese platform. I think I prefer the battery on the 109, I mainly enjoy searching SW, believe both radios are made by the same company. Many thanks for replying, enjoy your channel. Thanks & best wishes from Scotland

[@StevenSeagul783]

How does the compare to the daddy fr919

[@konradmedia]

Hello, what material does it make buttons, rubber, plastic?

[@todderbert]

plastic.

[@Radioloverandlistenerbd]

For AM Band best which Tecsun 310 etm or sihuadon r 108

[@Jaxon1776]

So which sounds better? The Sihuadon or the Skywave?

[@todderbert]

Speaker Audio goes to the R-108, headphone experience is close, with the Skywave taking the trophy. Also Battery life goes to the Skywave with over Seventy Hours on two AAs.

[@crmayer88]

What is that little Sony Display for?

[@todderbert]

MP3 player, to show what is playing through the fm transmitter.

[@fjdkfdfjdf33]

i have tried lots of radios, but I can never pick up Todderbert radio

[@todderbert]

I'm an elusive Pirate Station operating on low power, with an audience range of 40-60' :)

[@BasimAltemimi]

nice!

[@adrianilie28]

Does your wife share your passion for the radio? If yes, it's great.

[@todderbert]

She tolerates it, so it's great :)

[@QBDad18]

currently $49 on amazon

[@noelwalterso2]

I do wonder if the reason the Chinese make so many affordable SW radios is because they want us all to tune in to China Radio International. Nonetheless I've got one of these on order.

[@raulmures1389]

I bought this one with a MICRO-USB... 🤔but with amber lights.

[@todderbert]

It is a good model still, if you mainly use the speaker. Headphone use may get annoying with the audio pops while browse tuning, and switching bands.

[@markr.1984]

If it has USB, it should also have LSB also. What a rip...

[@kobolila-yt]

I believe the USB he is referring to is as in 'USB power', not Upper Side Band; hence no Lower Side Band either.

[@sbk1909]

How battery percentage last

[@todderbert]

Ten to Twelve hours.

[@sbk1909]

@@todderbert THANK YOU FOR INFORMATION

[@jcmontecarlo6123]

❤lovely!

[@yannisgk]

what abour airband reception quality???

[@benadams1538]

I think the tecsun pl330 is better option than this….