For anyone looking to buy one of these...definitely do, it's a fantastic little radio but be especially careful about which build you choose and which seller you get it from. If you want rich, room filling sound then splurge for the build you see here in this video with the larger knobs and the two nice speakers on the back. It also has a long lasting battery pack built in. I would recommend buying the unregistered version and then contacting the Russian Malachite gmail address directly for your firmware activation. DO NOT buy the activation from Ebay. I made that mistake and they are using hacked keygens to give you a code that will then brick the device when you try to upgrade to later versions of firmware! Then you end up having to contact the Russians anyway to get a legit code and shell out another $55 again.
Does anyone know what the small LED on the left hand side of the headphone icon means??? It turns red or green when you adjust the Frequency or the Volume dial. Thank you!
I use my version with a 50 foot wire through a 9 to 1 transformer. I have found the maximum gain can be set to about 20. One has to adust the as needed. There is a near FM broadcast tower (2 miles) that causes problems. Its signal can be as high as -26 dBm. A fm band reject filter works wonders.
Hi Gilles, A year on from this video tutorial, I'me wondering wether you have registered this device to gain the latest firmware and access the full frequency coverage capabili and any thoughts and issues good and bad on a potential upgrade. I'me keen to buy this particular model and would want access the full capabilities this model can offer. Thanks for the review.
I agree when I attached to my external antenna I have to run the gain down as well. Very mixed bag. -I have to see if anything has been developed that will allow mine to upgrade the firmware on mine. Jealous about that. :|
Got mine today it came with a broken antenna and the wrong power cable. Not able to change modes. Any help would be nice. I did get insurance on this item.
I wonder if radio has a strange rechargeable sequence like mine? I needed to “reset” turn the battery switch off then on before charging. The battery indicated half full but it seems that’s not true it’s near empty. It now recharges in shot time and holds the charger longer. Hmm. I really appreciate the demonstration of using the RF gain. It’s a shame it’s not more easily available . now I’m using it all the time. Thanks for videos
The Mala design was made to have a daughter board included with attenuator, filters and an impedence matcher for using a telescoping whip. All controlled by the firmware. But the Russians never included that daughter board. They now charge $50+ extra for it. That's why some menu options do not work. Missing parts! It is a cool little radio. It would have been a lot cooler if the designers had finished it and not gone for extra money first. Radio + $50 firmware update + $50 daughter board = 100% silly.
Thanks for that explanation. I was wondering why the attenuator, pre amp, and several other functions dont work at all. Thought the firmware was to blame. I'm on 1.10a
That was fun tuning around with ya. im still trying to figure out the FLT , im new to this dsp stuff, im guessing is the inflow of antenna AGC etc . but if get flt 30-3000 i get more stations, but i have to trick the radio into flt 30-3000 still unsure how i did it? and just move from bottom of tuning and scroll up, without touching the menu pads.
the overload happens on all recivers with the gain full up even on my professional Ham Gear if the RF gain is to high you get overload on the front ends.
If only i knew about this RF gain and external antenna issue to begin with, it's caused me numerous problems to such a degree, that i sent the Malahit back thinking it was broken..Oh well, live and learn..
I can hardly receive any of my "local" stations on AM broadcast. It seems that I live in a radio hole in the Skykomish River Valley in Western Washington State. I have a long-wire and an MLA-30, and can rarely hear anything but noise, using both a RSP1A (SDRPlay) and a Belka DX. So disappointed...
They are only good for FM with its own telescopic antenna, you either need a long HF antenna or a MLA30plus loop ant with an amp for lower freqs remembering to set your Pre-amp on & switch the gain to around 20 plus the 50 ohm/HI-Z option, this setting has to be done each time you try another freq or mode.
That is some of the best noise reduction I have ever heard! 73, WC0L
amazing crisp sound, wow.
My go to channel for reviews!👍😁
For anyone looking to buy one of these...definitely do, it's a fantastic little radio but be especially careful about which build you choose and which seller you get it from. If you want rich, room filling sound then splurge for the build you see here in this video with the larger knobs and the two nice speakers on the back. It also has a long lasting battery pack built in. I would recommend buying the unregistered version and then contacting the Russian Malachite gmail address directly for your firmware activation. DO NOT buy the activation from Ebay. I made that mistake and they are using hacked keygens to give you a code that will then brick the device when you try to upgrade to later versions of firmware! Then you end up having to contact the Russians anyway to get a legit code and shell out another $55 again.
Good. Informative infomation.
I'm looking into buying this particular device.
Good informative infomation.
Thanks fir the tip.
What a cool little radio, man!
Is that a tuning light I see next to the headset icon? And what is the clock like timer just below the speaker 🔈..
Does anyone know what the small LED on the left hand side of the headphone icon means??? It turns red or green when you adjust the Frequency or the Volume dial. Thank you!
I use my version with a 50 foot wire through a 9 to 1 transformer. I have found the maximum gain can be set to about 20. One has to adust the as needed. There is a near FM broadcast tower (2 miles) that causes problems. Its signal can be as high as -26 dBm. A fm band reject filter works wonders.
Hi Gilles,
A year on from this video tutorial, I'me wondering wether you have registered this device to gain the latest firmware and access the full frequency coverage capabili and any thoughts and issues good and bad on a potential upgrade.
I'me keen to buy this particular model and would want access the full capabilities this model can offer.
Thanks for the review.
hi Gilles, do you think attaching that power cable works as an antenna and improves the reception? or what
I agree when I attached to my external antenna I have to run the gain down as well.
Very mixed bag. -I have to see if anything has been developed that will allow mine to upgrade the firmware on mine.
Jealous about that. :|
Firmware 1.10b is out now and seems to be the last.
Got mine today it came with a broken antenna and the wrong power cable. Not able to change modes. Any help would be nice. I did get insurance on this item.
Hello. Not to sure I'm going too order this. Is it any good on just the whip. Thanks. Ron. Z.
I wonder if radio has a strange rechargeable sequence like mine? I needed to “reset” turn the battery switch off then on before charging.
The battery indicated half full but it seems that’s not true it’s near empty. It now recharges in shot time and holds the charger longer. Hmm.
I really appreciate the demonstration of using the RF gain. It’s a shame it’s not more easily available . now I’m using it all the time.
Thanks for videos
Is this much better than the ats 25 love to see comparison video if possible thanks
The Mala design was made to have a daughter board included with attenuator, filters and an impedence matcher for using a telescoping whip. All controlled by the firmware. But the Russians never included that daughter board. They now charge $50+ extra for it. That's why some menu options do not work. Missing parts!
It is a cool little radio. It would have been a lot cooler if the designers had finished it and not gone for extra money first. Radio + $50 firmware update + $50 daughter board = 100% silly.
Thanks for that explanation. I was wondering why the attenuator, pre amp, and several other functions dont work at all. Thought the firmware was to blame. I'm on 1.10a
Any system cranking up gain also amplifies noise.
That was fun tuning around with ya. im still trying to figure out the FLT , im new to this dsp stuff, im guessing is the inflow of antenna AGC etc . but if get flt 30-3000 i get more stations, but i have to trick the radio into flt 30-3000 still unsure how i did it? and just move from bottom of tuning and scroll up, without touching the menu pads.
FLT is your RX filter bandwidth. Ideally you want it only as wide as the signal you see on the FFT display.
Can you monitor local UHF repeaters on this handheld?
Once the firmware is opened up, yes you can.
the overload happens on all recivers with the gain full up even on my professional Ham Gear if the RF gain is to high you get overload on the front ends.
If only i knew about this RF gain and external antenna issue to begin with, it's caused me numerous problems to such a degree, that i sent the Malahit back thinking it was broken..Oh well, live and learn..
Please let me know where to buy it!
I can hardly receive any of my "local" stations on AM broadcast. It seems that I live in a radio hole in the Skykomish River Valley in Western Washington State. I have a long-wire and an MLA-30, and can rarely hear anything but noise, using both a RSP1A (SDRPlay) and a Belka DX. So disappointed...
Maybe try a RA0SMS mini whip? I also live in a mountainous valley and it works great for me. I have this SDR and a SDR play and its wonderful on both.
They are only good for FM with its own telescopic antenna, you either need a long HF antenna or a MLA30plus loop ant with an amp for lower freqs remembering to set your Pre-amp on & switch the gain to around 20 plus the 50 ohm/HI-Z option, this setting has to be done each time you try another freq or mode.
It is a shame about the overloading. Could it be that this radio was not meant to be connected to an external antenna?
TOO BAD MANY ARE H.F ONLY, USELESS FOR MY NEEDS.
they are not they are 50 kHz to 2 GHz wideband receivers, you need to upgrade the software for full capability