radiojayallen

Last February (2026) Sangean invited me to evaluate an upgrade to their flagship multiband portable radio ATS-909X2, a radio I have favorably reviewed, and of course I was eager to do so.

The XHDATA D-226 is an interesting new model in the compact category.

Sangean is known as one of the foremost producers of excellent quality radios, both portables and tabletops.

2 Cool Portables from Radios’ All-Analog Heyday A reader sent me two interesting radios for review.

The Magnavox 789 is a model I had never heard of and so far, I have not been able to find any service information for it after days of searching all of the usual sources.

The PL-520 is a compact portable multi-band radio and is an apparent upgrade to Tecsun’s popular PL-320 and PL-330.

(A nice radio with one big surprise)!

Qodosen DX-286 $65 (Includes Shipping to 48 US States) I have come into possession of a quantity of Qodosen DX-286’s which are customer returns…many appear to have never been used…all look brand new.

Without a doubt the MLite-880 is one amazing little device.

The tiny J-328 is not a new model but it has received a few updates since it was first introduced several years ago.

The Raddy RF206 offers exceptional value for the money with good performance overall.

The new Sangean WR-8/WR-9 Compact Radios are interesting and innovative new models which fill a niche few other radios fulfill.

In the Fall of 2013 I reviewed the original XHDATA D-219 AM/FM/SW radio and noted that it was a solid performer and very competitive at its very low price (currently an unbelievably low $12.76 at Amazon).

The new GP-1 follows the tactical concept of many CountyComm products designed to be survival tools.

The 1980’s was a period of rapid development in digital radios.

I am releasing 20 more DX-286’s for sale…here is my auction link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/326746599574 Jay

Recently a reader sent me 5 radios he no longer uses and when I saw them I thought it would be fun to see how these would compare with modern radios made today.

Raddy offers a wide range of radios including several with frequency coverage well beyond the typical multi-band radio and the new RF757 is a recent addition to the line.

The Raddy RF750 Plus may be one of the most unusual radios I have seen.

The Deshibo GA800 from GOOZEEZOO is an update to their GA450.

Qodosen DX-286 $55 (Includes Shipping to 48 US States) I have come into possession of more Qodosen DX-286’s which are customer returns…many appear to have never been used…all look brand new.

Qodosen DX-286 $55 (Includes Shipping to 48 US States) I have come into possession of more Qodosen DX-286’s which are customer returns…many appear to have never been used…all look brand new.

Recently a reader suggested that I check out the Avantree Soundbyte T Streaming Radio because it has one unusual feature…it can not only act as a Bluetooth speaker as many modern radios do but it can also transmit via Bluetooth to a pair of supplied earbu…

Dear Subscriber, I just updated the Qodosen reviews to include an exciting new discovery concerning the use of passive loops connected directly.

Several years ago, Sangean sent me their fantastic U4 Rugged Jobsite radio and I was impressed not only by its overall performance but especially by its strong audio.

AM/FM/NOAA Weather Alert Radio – Updated Feb 2025 The CC Pocket Radio from C.Crane was introduced in 2013 and has recently been updated adding new features and other improvements, including the inclusion of 3 rather than 2 AM bandwidths and is an excellent

Qodoesen is now selling an accessories package for their DX-286 and it looks like an incredibly good deal to me.

The GE P-990A was sold between 1964 and 1967, priced at $125 and is yet another fine example of heavy-duty, old-school design, featuring a massive steel chassis housed in a beautiful two-tone leather covered cabinet.

I last reported on Pocket Portables in 2016 and 2022 but things in this arena continue to evolve rapidly and it was time for an update.

I just received the new D-221 which is essentially a D-220 with the addition of the NOAA Weather Band…it is available in Ornge or Green and is currently selingo nAmazon for $18.80.

The National Panasonic R-2500B was sold between 1971 and 1974 and is a great example of old-school portable radio design.

Although I provide in-depth reports on portable radios past and present, to help you shop here is a quick way to find that perfect radio for yourself or as a gift.

Although I provide in-depth reports on portable radios past and present, to help you shop here is a quick way to find that perfect radio for yourself or as a gift.

Released in 1962 or 1963 the General Electric P-840/P-875 are the apparent successors to GE’s ground-breaking, tour de force P-780 series of portable AM radios.

Some online sources say the Emerson 31P61 was introduced in 1966 but my SAMS Service Manual is dated 1968 so that may be the better guess.

I must admit I was both curious and excited when I heard that Tecsun was replacing the discontinued S-2000 with an all-new S-2200X.

When C.

The XHDATA D-220 is a no-frills compact AM/FM/SW portable radio measuring 2.8″L x 1.1″W x 4.9″H.

A Very Cool Wide Coverage Receiver but with some issues to be ironed out Overview: The Raddy RF919 packs a world of reception into an arrestingly handsome and solid instrument.

The Motorola X31A/X31N Ranger were introduced in 1961 or 1962, the later X31A-1 (Gray), X31B-1 (Blue), X31E-1 (Black) and X31N-1 (Ginger) arrived in 1962.

The GE Superadios are among the best known and best performing AM/FM portable radios ever made anywhere near their price and have achieved cult status among knowledgeable radio hobbyists.

When the original Qodosen SR-286 was introduced, it caused quite a sensation in the radio community.

The original SR-286 was immediately accepted as a breakthrough in small portable radio performance with its TEF-6686 Automotive chip.

Once again, I have updated the very popular AM and FM Mega Shootout articles.

Zenith, like some other manufacturers (such as Sony) often played games with confusing model numbers, using similar model numbers for very different radios and conversely, issuing very different model numbers for some very similar radios.

The Panasonic R-1492 (aka The Elmhurst) is an AM only analog portable radio from 1972.

Readers of the Ultralight Group are aware of Gary DeBock’s pioneering efforts with FSL antennas and loopstick modifications to Ultralight radios and none have garnered more interest than his latest efforts adding a large 7 ½” loopstick to the amazing Qodo…

This is an update to the Radiwow R-108 Review published in 2019.

Here’s another vintage radio which a reader loaned to me for review.

Since I first published a review on the Sears Model 6223 series I have obtained other Silvertone 800/900 models in the 3223 and 4223 series, some of which are called Silvertone 800 or 900 and others which are not.