ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- I received many requests for an FM comparison of the new Qodosen SR-286 and other radios. I am not an FM DXer, but what I did here is to look up some FM transmitters outside Johannesburg, South Africa, where I live, and try to catch them. I compare the Qodosen SR-286 and the XHDATA D-808.
It is very clear that the Qodosen SR-286 is excellent on FM. It also offers 16 FM bandwidth settings! It helps to hold the radio in your hands when catching distant FM signals.
This test is on the whip antennas only, so the D-808 should, theoretically, have had an advantage with a longer antenna. But the TEF6686 chip in the Qodosen simply stumps the SiLabs Si4735 DSP chip in the XHDATA D-808 in terms of sensitivity.
The signals here range from a distance of 110 km (68 miles) to 50 kilometres (32 miles), and there is also one local signal.
00:00 FM on Qodosen SR-286 and XHDATA D-808
01:09 Lotus FM, 50 km
02:01 Bosveld Stereo (50 km) and Pretoria FM (110 km)
04:25 5fm from Carletonville, 70 kilometres
05:05 RSG, local Johannesburg transmitter
05:44 Pretoria FM, from 50 km transmitter - บันเทิง
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The Qodosen has attracted a lot of interest among DXers. Perhaps XHDATA/Tecsun/Sangean/Eton will take notice, and we'll have a new generation of super sensitive receivers based on the TEF 6686 chip.
Hi Paul, I am hoping for the day when the big manufacturers will start using the TEF6686 chip, or even newer versions of the chip. It will be revolutionary.
So do I, hoping that it will bring prices down, because this one is a bit over the top. Think that the D-808 is half its price.
another great comparison video. Thanks
Thanks Dan!
Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure!
Thanks for sharing,, I got the XHDATA D-808, but i think I´m going to buy Qodosen SR-286 looks very nice!! Best regards from Malaga, Spain!!
Hola Juan, gracias por tu commentario! I think the D-808 is good, but the Qodosen seems to be really great on FM.
I don't really listen to local FM stations. Singaporean, Indonesian and Thai FM stations are just too far from my QTH so that leaves me only shortwave to go by since MW reception is limited to one VoA run transmitter that airs only Burmese language programmes.
That SR-286 is really a nice looking radio if only it didn't cost more than the Tecsun PL-680. 📻😭 Hope its price goes down by the year's end, because I'm really saving up for the Malahit DSP2 SDR.
Thank you so much sir really sensitive on FM . Super sensitive Radio.
It's a pleasure Ashu! This radio is really very sensitive, on all bands.
I think everything has been said about the Qodosen/TEF6686 FM DX performance, so I'll just notice that a 5:19 moment gave me answer to a question that boggled my mind... can the SR-286 show PI codes? Yes, it can! 😻
In fact, I've never seen a commercial portable (I consider other TEF6686 radios and some ATS-series devices more like "handicraft" units 😛) that would decode complete RDS data a DXer needs, that is, PI codes in addition to PS (station name field). This is particularly essential during Sporadic-E openings as well as when looking for extremely brief Meteor Scatter receptions to ID a distant station - in conjunction with FMSCAN (or FMLIST, where you can actually log your catches!).
Thanks Arnie, I think I might try some FM DXing myself, especially now that you mentioned the PI codes and how to use that to ID FM stations! This is a whole new field for me.
By the way, do you know of any station transmitting on 4790 kHz? I heard something on the Qodosen at 15:30 UTC today, I have never heard anything there before. And I don't see anything listed.
dear Andre, you shall monitoring FM in the summertime for unusual sporadic-e or alternate troposheric receptions. Best wishes !
Thanks Klaus, I am planning to try this, it is not something that I have ever done before. But the SR-286 is so sensitive that I will definitely try this.
Andre great video. Great comparison! The “Q.” Is the winner on WBFM…😂, but no SSB…😢! Oh well can’t have everything…but I can wish…😂!
73! Have a great day!
Thank you! Maybe SSB will come one day :-)
+ Also, -unlike D-808,- SR-286 should be able handle outdoors antennas (yagi, dipole - no amp) without overloading and greater effect due to variable BW.
Yes, SR-286 will handle outdoors antennas very well I think. I have used a simple wire on it for FM and it works exceptionally well.
The D808 handles outside antennas very nicely 👍
@@AnkjellOK, noted 👍🏻
Now that's a conclusive test if I've ever watched one, André. Thanks for this. This Qodosen radio is a real champ on FM. I guess that's chips made for car radio really aim for, be really good performers on FM. On the other hand, the D-808 isn't the best on FM IMHO. When I stay at the family house in Brittany where FM coverage is patchy at best, I get better reception on a old analog Grundig portable radio than on the D-808.
So maybe this wasn't the best radio to give the SR-286 a run for its money. How about matching it with the yellow newcomer? 😄
Thanks Alain, I think a comparison between the D-608WB and the Qodosen should be very interesting indeed. Nice idea! I'm not really an FM DXing person, so I just grabbed the D-808 for this test as I generally see it as among my best portables. But perhaps not on FM, as you say.
I predict by the end of the year Andre will be using the ChoYong LC-50 hybrid receiver and we'll be getting literally crystal clear reception reports of WRMI from Lake Okeechobee! 📻😊👍🏼
That radio is way too expensive for me, I hope ChoYong takes notice of your comment 😂
That radio has some 1st gen product issues. Maybe the 2nd version will be a polished product.
@@swlistening Looks like I have to mention the LC-50 in your videos every now and then - who knows the ChoYong marketing folk will send you over one of their Internet radios that you like! 😀
P.S. I'm kind of behind you, really....just ordered the XHDATA D-608WB and they've just shipped it from China! ☺🌏
@@StratmanII Sounds like a good idea to me! I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on the D-608WB once it arrives. Out of curiosity, how long does shipping from China to Malaysia take?
@@swlistening It depends on the seller. My XHDATA dealer will inspect, pack and ship the radio within 24 hours. Then its logistics partner will handle the transportation to their international airport's warehouse (probably Shenzhen) where it will spend 2 days before the flight to Malaysia. It will take an additional two days for the local customs clearance and transportation to the sorting domestic hub.
I would say 10-15 days on the average, from date of order to final delivery to my address. The problem is when the seller's status is still stuck at "packing and pending handover to their local courier", which has taken over a week until the order was automatically canceled. It took me five attempts to purchase the ATS-25 AMP receiver because the first four purchases were ultimately cancelled by the seller. 😠
I suspect the sellers were drop shipping, i.e., they don't physically have the item but gets a third party to fulfill the order. That's when problems and delays arise because they blindly accepted my order but had no control over the packing and shipping to the courier. Fortunately I've not had this issue with eBay - just Lazada.
Although my XHDATA vendor is quite efficient, it only sells XHDATA, Sihuadon, Tecsun (Chinese market) and one or two Degen radios. It's not allowed to sell other radio brands - not even the international Tecsun version which could only be sold in Hong Kong. 😞
best test is to leave the radio on a table as hand capacitance has varied effects of different radios.
Hi Tanu, thank you for your comment! For this comparison I found the best possible signal for each radio, sometimes it meant that I had to hold the radios in different ways.
i am so impressed by this radio. kind of feel the itch to buy one, but at the same time might wanna wait to see what they come up with using the tef 6688 chip.
certainöy want to do an fm battle between the sr286 and a degen 1103 (pll version), which is my personal fm winner in that price range
Perhaps XHDATA will develop one, if they see there is so much interest. Maybe then the price will come down a bit. There are some other TEF6686 radios on Ali Express, but I am not so sure about the quality. FM battle between this one and the Degen would be very interesting!
@@swlistening i'm just always scared of buying 'first generation' electronics. look at my sony icf-2001 and compare it to the successor icf-2001D ;)
@@VintageOils That's true, but I think the Qodosen is probably not completely first-generation. Apparently it has been around in China for some time, and I guess they also improved on all those home-made radios that you can buy on Ali Express. I found a Chinese website where they say the "second batch" of the Qodosen was released in August 2023. So there must have been a "first batch" before that already.
Ali Express won't deliver to U.S. But eBay has these for $177.
Ouchies
@jamesglenn6461 Hi James, thanks for your comment. That is very interesting. Do you remember, when the D-808 was released, it was, initially, also not shipped directly to the US? This was, apparently, because it was so similar to the CC Skywave SSB internally, if I remember correctly. Which makes me wonder, maybe a US company is planning to release something like the Qodosen SR-286 and the Chinese are, therefore, not shipping to the US because of intellectual property issues. Just some wild speculation from my side here, but it is kind of strange that they will not deliver to the US.
@@swlistening I've seen several radios over the years that were not sold here directly. And they complied with F.C.C. rules.
A person would have to buy through a U.K. company, ship directly from South Africa, China, India, Russia, etcetera. This also applies to cars, and car parts, ammunition, firearms, and footware.
Maybe, due to the power supply on some radio models being compatible.
Maybe due to politics.
Sooo many models are marketed under different names, like cars, it could just be a "sales region" contact requirement.
I wish there was a logical reason.
@@jamesglenn6461 That's interesting James, it kind of makes me think of the Eton and CCrane radios. They are widely available in the US, but when I search for them on websites outside the US, they appear almost impossible to find. Shipping directly from the US with the high shipping fees that implies seems to be the only option for me to get an Eton radio (I am looking at the Eton Elite Executive). It is quite strange. I suppose it does have something to do with the power supply.
@@swlistening There is eBay Europe , IOffer, and other sales sites by which you might purchase.
Actual account. I tried to buy a large box of Pop Tarts on Amazon, to ship to a friend in Germany. The shipping was not allowed . No reason given.
Mongolia seems to be able to exchange, ship, and convert currency with no problem.
I could buy an Eton, or other, and ship to you from my local post office. Shipping could be high, and warranty claim problematic.
Going by reviews and personal purchases, Grundig, Eton, and Tecsun were the same. Redsun and CCrane are the same.
Either rechargeable by/or direct USB power items are opening the sales options.
have you checked for sporadic e in the last couple days? i think the sun storms at the moment could cause this. at least something to do while shortwave is kind of being killed by solar flares
I haven't, FM DXing is something that is quite alien to me :-) I still need to teach myself how to do it. Have you had any good catches?
@@swlistening this year no crazy catches so far. i got a few belgian stations here in north-western germany last night, as well as many dutch stations.
last year i was getting french, italian and swiss fm stations in germany. was a crazy day: the etm scan on my pl380 got me over 100 fm stations where i usually get between 25-50.
there are some forums where people collect infos on sporadic-e etc. usually happens in the morning and peaks around noon if i understand correctly. it is also possible to dx with analog tv when the tropospheric conditions are right.
your location would be kind of interesting for that. i wonder if you could catch some signals from across the ocean
@@KekmanForTheRestOfTheWorld You know, I've never actually really considered FM DXing. For no reason really, just that it is new and still a bit unfamiliar to me. But I am beginning to get interested. It would be really interesting to see what I might catch here in South Africa. I will read some of these forum posts you mention and also try it.
@@swlistening good luck, i think the SR286 will be the perfect fm dx machine. might be the best fm portable ever build. i wonder how i would compare to a degen de1103. the adjustable filters (which seem to go very narrow) will be just perfect for fm dxing. i think they go narrower than what many people use if they mod their DE1103 to become even better at dxing. Would be a really cool video. maybe you can even do a comparison between the 286 and i.e. the xhdata 808 with both set on their narrowest fm filters. doesn't have to be dx, normal use would be interesting too. My DE1103 for example gets more station than many of my radios even with the antenna folded in :D i think the 286 will do the same, but even better. really need to get my hands on a qodosen
@@KekmanForTheRestOfTheWorld Thank you for the good luck wishes, and for the comparison suggestion. I will do that. The bandwidth settings on the Qodosen for FM are really quite spectacular, there are 17 different FM settings. The RDS also displays PI codes, which, from what I can gather, are very useful for FM DXing.
FM here is as dull as dishwater as the saying goes. At least there it seems radio is still alive and kicking. Really good radio that is though. Still very tempted to get one 🙈
Hi Matt, FM is still big here, we are testing DAB+, but everything is basically still on FM. We have what we call community radio stations, almost every town has at least one, some even more. Like Bosveld Stereo and Pretoria FM in my video, they are community radio stations. They target very specific "communities", like language groups or religious groups. We have a Jewish station here in Johannesburg also, and there used to be a Chinese station but they stopped broadcasting. And very many others. Also the campus radio stations. I think the Qodosen might get me into FM DXing :-)
@@swlistening Wow the joys of living there! I used to love getting French radio stations when we had sporadic-E…….To hear different music back then was just great. It got me into all sorts of French, Spanish and other music. I haven’t experienced any sporadic-E activity in years on FM.
@@MattinLapland I think the SR-286 might get me into some real FM DXing, like sporadic-E. Not something that I have ever tried.
@@swlistening here in Poland, I can count all community stations broadcasting in the country on a single hand's fingers. In fact, I think I'd need one finger... because I know about only one "community station", and it's Radio Maryja 🙄
There are a few campus stations though.
@@ArnieDXer Here they are very big indeed, I checked now, we have about 50.
Im curious as to how you're getting Telugu broadcast on an FM transmission which is a regional language in India.
Good question! This station is called Radio Lotus, it is a public service station from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The SABC has public service channels for all big cultural communities in South Africa, including the Indian population, which is the target audience of Radio Lotus. Radio Lotus uses Hindi, English and Telugu.
oh, interesting@@swlistening
Xhdata d808 or Tecsun pl330, which one has a better chance of capturing UVB 76 radio (THE BUZZER 4625KHZ)? Thanks.
I think they both have an equal chance, but I have never really picked up the Buzzer here in South Africa. Once had a very, very weak catch on the Kenwood R1000.
I concur. I can catch the Buzzer fairly easily from here in France in the evening (well, not from my noisy home deep in the city, but when I'm out) and as far as I can remember there's no significant difference between the PL-330 and the D-808 over this.
Impressive reception performance - no surprises here. 👍🏻 The only minus in SE-286 is the speaker and its arrangement. They should simply copy whatever Retekess V115 has for acoustics. D-808 has more pleasant sound, although I hate to say that (it's not ideal anyway).
A Retekess-type speaker would be nice...
D 808 is extremely weak on long waves. I have no idea to who can be compared.
Hi Pavel, that is very true, but in this video it is an FM comparison though.
I must add, I did have good LW catches on my XHDATA D-808 a month or so ago when I was travelling in Europe. I caught Poland, Algeria, Denmark in Germany and Slovakia. Here is one video: th-cam.com/video/Ndy2_D0n_L8/w-d-xo.html
Hi! Thank you very much! I have that opportunity to compare with low-end radio receivers. My area is far from longwave transmitters. It has its peculiarities. So far, every low-end receiver I've owned has fared much better than the XHDATA D-808.
@@PavelYonchev Thanks Pavel, this is interesting. Which low-end receivers have you compared?
@@swlisteningThanks! These, for example: LIFETEC LT40738, GRUNDIG OCEAN BOY 330 and MEDION MD 81157. They are precious to me, but kept like
low end receivers.
There's another video here on TH-cam where the SR-286 really gets a lot of praise for LW reception.