D220 Transistor Radio

XHDATA has quite a few excellent radios, and here's another good one with a retro "transistor radio" vibe that performs a lot better than the ones did back when these types of radios were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Still, there are a few operational details that might make it less suitable for some listeners than some other radios. Reception: FM and shortwave are exceptionally sensitive. In fact, I compared the shortwave reception of this radio to a couple of digital receivers I have. I was able to get everything on the D-220 that the bigger radios would get. And on a few of the stations, this little D-220 actually delivered cleaner reception than the larger, more expensive radios. Quite a surprise. But here's the problem: The entire shortwave band, which runs on this radio from 5.6 MHz to 22 MHz, is packed into one band. Finding a particular frequency can be a challenge. But with patience and a steady hand you can eventually get there. If there is ever a revision of this radio, I would hope they would consider dividing shortwave into two bands to make it easier to find specific frequencies. FM works really well also, especially given the relatively short antenna. I am able to receive an FM station about 70 mi away that's right between two local stations on the dial. Again, though, you need to really tune slowly to do that because not much movement of the tuning thumbwheel can sweep you right past the station you're looking for. AM (Medium Wave) reception is predictably not as good as FM and shortwave because the radio's small size means the internal AM antenna isn't very big. It works fine for local and stronger regional stations, though, and it will pull in some distant ones at night. Sound Quality: The biggest strength here is that the radio gets pretty loud without audio distortion, making it suitable to use outdoors or in noisy environments. Overall, I would rate the sound as good for a radio this size. You don't have a lot of bass, but the audio is clear and crisp for news/talk and casual music listening. Operation: Because of this radio's overall simplicity it might seem suitable for an elderly person who prefers a radio without a lot of extra buttons, knobs and controls. However, because tuning it requires fairly precise movements of the tuning wheel, a person with limited hand dexterity might find it frustrating to use. On the plus side, though, once you do find the station you want, the radio's digital signal processing chip homes in on the center of the signal, so there isn't much need to do any fine tuning. Battery Life: Phenomenal. To test this, I took a couple of previously-used AA batteries out of a different radio and checked their voltage, finding that each battery was between 1.2 and 1.3 volts - significantly less than the 1.5 volts of a new one. I then put them in the D-220 and turned it on at a moderate normal listening volume on an FM station. So far the D-220 has been playing for over 48 hours continuously on those previously-used batteries. Overall: The XHDATA D-220 is a high-quality radio at an attractive price. For those who intend to do a lot of shortwave listening, I suggest also looking at XHDATA's D-219, which costs about the same and divides the shortwave spectrum into several bands, making it easier to find the exact frequency you want. But if you prefer the slightly smaller size and vertical orientation of the D-220, the shortwave performance is excellent on this radio as well, albeit requiring a little more time to tune.

I own a few pocket radios. This is a very good value for the low price. Does it sound like a $1200 Stereo? No it doesn't. It's a pocket radio. But I can say for a pocket radio it has decent sound quality. Tuning is on point and it gets good reception both am/fm. There is an fm1/fm2 feature. Here in the U.S. fm is broadcast 87-108 mhz. Some nations use 64-108 mhz. Both frequency ranges are totally useable in the Americas. A.M. reception is good too. Weaker stations may require rotating the radio for best reception. It has a mast antenna for fm/shortwave reception. I haven't used sw as it presently isn't an interest of mine. The tuning is a little stiff, this may wear in with repeated use but is a non-issue for me. It does require a little finesse to use the tuning knob but again is a non-issue for me. It is small enough to nearly disappear in a t-shirt pocket. The corners are well rounded for comfort. What would I like to change? 1. It had a fold out stand on the rear for table top use. I would prefer a clip so it can attach to a belt or other article of clothing. 2. I would like a tuning light. 3. I would like The Weather Channel instead of Shortwave. 4. Some pocket radios have a built in flashlight. This is a handy feature as it also can be used for tuning at night as well as a flashlight. These changes are by no means IMHO a deal breaker, but they may be for some users. It's much like a Classic 1960's or 1970's pocket radio. I didn't test the 3.5mm ear jack. It uses two AA batteries. It represented to me a very good value for the money. Hiking, lawn work, fishing etc. If money is tight, you won't be disappointed. It is among the least expensive pocket radios, batteries weren't included so add that into the cost.

Uncle is B52(plane, not the band), Cotton Club, Joe Louis is champ, years old. He hates the boob-tube (television) and he reminisces about the old Bell and Howell he used to have on his work bench. I remember it, he used to attach a coat hangar to the antenna and listen to the shortwaves in the middle of the night after work. This thing breaks all the rules of that old Bell and Howell. Shortwave during the day, 3feet from a wifi router, with the lights on, at 1500 hours (3PM), using the whip antenna. He heard something and asked for a dime. He used the edge of the dime to fine tune the transmission, turned up the volume, and listened to someone speaking Portuguese. (He speaks several languages fluently and knows Morse Code) You're not going to pick up everything on the shortwave band that is possible. The scale is too small. Unlike his old Bell and Howell which had AM/FM/TV/WB/Air and an 8 inch tuning width, the transmissions will be a little cramped when the airwaves get busy. That being said, Uncle was able to tweak 26 discernable transmissions while sitting on the couch in the middle of the afternoon on the East Coast. Portuguese, Japanese, Morse Code, Mandarin, Spanish, Polish, Church Sermon in Tennessee, The time track from Canada, Some guy in Ocoee, Florida who loves Maui, and a bunch more, spoke through the radio.....CLEARLY. It's a very capable little thing, whose reception and sound are better than a lot of things that have claims of grandeur and can't stand up to them. It's simple, familiar and instructions are not required. Don't worry about whether or not you can see the station's exact position or the lack of back-lighting. The ears and sometimes the edge of a dime are all you need. P.S. The.close proximity of cellphones introduces static.....give the radio at least 3 feet to shine.

This is a good little $9.00 radio. But overall it is cheaply made unit. I'm sure it will be toast after the first time it is dropped. As others have mentioned; the battery life is exceptional, it ran almost a week before the 2 AA batteries were dead. And in fact the batteries add appropriately to the weight and feel of the radio. The sound is a bit "tinney" but it has plenty of volume w/o doubt. I would say the reception sensitivity is good. It will meet the needs of most people. For an emergency radio, this one is perfect. Just make sure that batteries are not in the unit when stored (in case of battery leakage) & place some bubble wrap or some other cushion material around it. ALWAYS REMOVE BATTERIES FROM ANY PRODUCT BEFORE STORING.

Clear sound, small and easy to travel with, strong speaker.

Love it. Listening to Yanks/sox game. If the Yankees came back to win it would be better though. They’re down 2-0 in the sixth. Real nice radio for the price. I live in CT and it picks up NY am radio station perfectly.

This radio works great for the price and I'm happy with it. Just need it for listening to Sports, Weather and News as I work around the house. A little music here and there. Sounds clear and picks up a lot of stations. It does what I need it to do. I like that it is small and portable too.

Your emergency kit needs a battery powered radio, ideally a radio that takes off the shelf batteries. This is a great choice - it's inexpensive, easy to use, and takes regular AA batteries. Lasts for AGES on a single set of alkalines, so you can leave it playing while you listen for emergency alerts and other important announcements. It also has shortwave, which is interesting and useful. The sound quality is good and it's plenty powerful if you turn it up. The tuning is quite sensitive, especially in shortwave mode - so you have to turn the knob carefully. But it's a great little radio and excellent value for money. Have a couple in your emergency kits, and a couple sets of batteries.

Efficace et facile d'entretien

Después de probarlo por varios días, en A.M., tiene un alcance superior al de otras marcas que tengo. En F.M. si le cuesta alcanzar estaciones más distantes, tal vez por la antena tan corta, se soluciona con un potenciador externo de frecuencia. En S.W., se necesita un horario, precisión y paciencia para encontrar alguna estación (muy pocas). En conclusión es una radio muy eficiente. Lo recomiendo ampliamente.

Se ve de buen material, resistente. La bocina suena muy bien para su tamaño. Buscaba que se pudieran conectar audífonos, lo cual es un plus.

Rádio com ótimo acabamento e boa recepção de sinal.