The Best Budget Shortwave Radio Setup - Malahit DSP2 SDR Receiver & Loop Antenna
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- Опубліковано 8 лис 2023
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The Malahit DSP2
www.banggood.com/2nd-Upgraded...
Code:BGa53831
Code price:$315
Original price:$359
CN warehouse free shipping
Exp:12/30
The Loop Antenna
www.banggood.com/GA800-Radio-... - Наука та технологія
I was blown away by how well the noise reduction works on that thing, very impressive.
I got this fantastic receiver today and I must say the noise reduction is excellent.
I just wanted to post to say, after watching this video, I ordered this radio from Bangood on 22nd November, and it arrived here in the UK today (18th December) So it took slightly less than a month to arrive - and I did pay an extra tenner for the quick delivery option. The radio is lovely... comes in a nice case and all the bits mentioned here. Bangood does say VAT is included, and I didn't have to pay an extra import duty - it was delivered to my door. So thanks Manchester Ringway for putting me onto this and to anyone else tempted, it's well worth it.
I always enjoy youre posts Ringway but to describe this wonderful product an "budget" is way beyond my budget!
Love your show and will always tune in!
Agreed. It is always painful when other channels do this. I would think budget is around or below 100usd. And many gadgets costs sometimes a lot more if you do not live in the US or the UK...
I agree! Little steep fer us old coots on fixed income!😁😉
Yeah. You can get started on shortwave at tenth of the price. I would say that Maybe $150 would be the limit for "cheap".
If you really want to squeeze the budget, go for a RTL-SDR dongle... sets you £45 back, don't expect wonders, but it works!
Just found your channel this week after wading through nearly countless videos on shortwave radio. I'm in Austin, Texas and have been thinking seriously about taking this up as a hobby. Thanks to you I may have just found the initial setup I need to get started. I've subscribed and I will send you a few quid when I can. Appreciate all you do, your content is very informative, enlightening and entertaining, in a way that no one else seems to be doing. Godspeed!!!
A budget option is a PL-330 & MLA-30, it'll also recieve the same signals for 1/5th of the price
Except 6m VHF and UHF Of course.
Does it offer the same degree of noise reduction and filters?
@@johnbauman4005of course not.
...and you have to put up with SOFTMUTE on the PL330. Dealkiller for me.
Between Ringway Manchester and Tech Minds, I am almost assured that retirement will be a long way off.
They have been responsible for stoking the fires of my radio acquisition syndrome.
It is a serious problem in this shack.
Thanks again Lewis!
Same happened to me!😂
I often use this radio for monitoring shortwave amateur bands but also for listening to the airband. The sound quality it manages from am and ssb is really nice, and the noise reduction is quite good.
Could you please comment on how it might perform for listening to NOAA weather satellites on 137 Mhz? It seems a very intriguing option instead of the typical SDR in a box.
@@Peter_S_ From what I know NOAA at 137mhz is image data, I've never tried to receive and decode such things without a computer and sdr.
@@c128stuff Thanks. Satellites add the challenge of Doppler shift and I've heard comments about the selectivity of DSP radios being less conducive than standard PLL tuners. A small kit like this seems fairly ideal for bringing on a hike to good spot.
I'm Impressed with the clean reception.
Cheers Lewis - nice review and demo. I think I remember some very early versions of this; it's come a long way. Nice bit of kit.
Interesting. Unlike the amateur radio chat 😂😂
For those that do not consider this "a budget solution", and willing to use an existing laptop computer, consider the RTL-SDR BLOG v4 USB dongle that can be used with SDR software on the laptop.
Or use RTL-SDR with a mobile or tablet.
That looks like a smart piece of kit, but I was hoping it would be less than £100.
I wonder if they do a UK version with a 'Hi-Zed' input?
You're looking for ats-25 max 😊
I got it !!its realy very impressive with a big loop antenna in my garden
I paid 273€ shipping included
Very good SW radio
Before i use ATS 25 X2 a good one less 80 bucks
I bought this set and it works great. First day I tried I was disappointed as I hardly received anything. The second day I received a lot with the antenna hanging behind the window inside! The radio is absolutely brilliant. So much options and it screams quality!
Thanks Lewis I have seen these radios on a online site but I had never seen one working wow wow it’s fantastic. Nice on Lewis !!!!!😊😊😊😊😊
I have played some time with it and this is absolutely a budget setup as the quality, options and performance compare to much more expensive radios. Highly recommended!
This is what I'm gonna buy. Everything I need in such a small package
Fantastic work as always, great video 💪🏽
Picked up during the 11-11 sale...Very impressed..Super nice radio..
Love you brother but in America that radio is 300 and the antenna is another 100. There are dozens of more budget friendly ways to do this lol
I know you can and I have been looking at them. I haven't found one yet that does everything I want and most importantly sounds great, with an SDR display and good looks/build quality. All the budget ones have far too serious drawbacks for me to buy one.
The cost of this radio is definitely not budget BUT for someone serious about buying a quality radio in this category, it might be worth shelling out or shuffling some coins away until they don't notice it.
I was impressed with both radio and antenna. I thought about picking one up, but when I saw the price (US $323 for the radio and $104 for antenna) I decided that I'll wait until they show up on the used market.
As an added bonus, by that time all of the defective units should have been weeded out.
There is v1 on Bangood which is 145 USD:
@@Ixquick979 The Chinese clone v1s usually only have the test software, or a hacked earlier version of the software. This is upgradable, if you know what to do and/or if you buy a license from the original Russian creators. Also, all v1's are missing various filters, the Hi-Z input and have a larger gap you can't tune them to. The Chinese clones additionally have usually flaky timers (so time settings are always running (very) slow), possibly bad or no shielding on the RF sensitive components, generally bad rotary switched, usually less quality housing... in other words, you get what you pay for.
@@jiriwichern I have the V2 version of the Malahit DSP1 clone, running firmware 1.10d, which I presume was modded by "HFDY". Mine has the flaky timer which you mentioned, but after gathering some intel I found out that even the original Russian-built Malahit had the same hardware bug. The Chinese manufacturer copied the Malahit's original hardware to tee which included that same timer clock issue and the same frequency gap.
Other than that I'm satisfied with the one I've bought. It has a 4-layer circuit board and dual port thin film speakers which are covered but rear facing like the original Malahit DSP1. I think it has the additional PCB built-in as the attenuation control and Hi-Z mode are functional. However, I wished I had waited a little longer as newer designs based on the DSP1 architecture appeared as the V5 and V9 (which incidentally uses the same housing as the Mahalit DSP2 clone). The newer ones have the hardware bugs from the early versions ironed out although they run the same ver 1.10d firmware.
@@jiriwichernThank you!
My go-to radio these days is an Airspy HF+ Discovery. I've taken it travelling, it fits easily in my laptop bag. The last actual shortwave radio I bought was an Eton Satellit. It works fine (and doesn't need a computer...), but it's nowhere nearly as much fun as the Airspy unit.
That is a really nice setup. Wish I had one like it.
wow budget but out of mine for now. Ill soldier on with my SDR Blog dongle and occasional use of an ancient realistic sw radio that you never know what the frequency is. but if i had the money probably would give it some serious consideration.
How about a ATS-25 max?
I bought just this combo after watching your excellent video and hope it arrives before the end of the year. This will be my first SDR receiver (other than a modded Quan Sheng UV-K5). Radios have come a long way since my first one; a Sony ICF-6700W. 73's
How has your experience been so far? 500mAh built in battery sounds small - how much listening time does that get you? Wish it had replaceable LiFePO4 battery.
Thanks!
@@johnbauman4005 It is not up to an all night listening session, but it is serviceable plugged into a Li-ion battery pack.
Another good question is whether an exterior antenna pre-amp is redundant given the DSP 2's built in pre-amp.
One thing about the antenna: it technically works up to 145MHz, but the amplifier should be turned off in this case.
If found my simple telescopic antenna working much better in FM and upper frequencies.
But as for LW/MW/SW reception it is actually good.
the moment I heard the ATIS on this thing i was sold. this is a neat little SDR and I think It will be joining my collection of radio gadgets shortly\
Great video, Lewis...👍
Knowing German, it was interesting to hear Radio Taiwan in the German Language! 😊
Yeah for 300 I can get an actual HF transiver or ALL used transiver. I was honestly expecting £30-60 to be a budget HF receiver
I have an old DX 440 a Hallicrafters S38 and an Icon 775 DSP, I am a Ham Operator N4YPR and use them all and enjoy using an audio filter. It is fun using old and new technology
Oh yes I use a long wire and a 80 meter G5RV with a auto tuner on both pressing tune
I have a Hallicrafters S-120 that hasn’t been used in well over thirty years, and has been sitting on a shelf in my house for a year after having gotten it from my dad. I may have to pick up that ring antenna mentioned on here and give it a try. Otherwise, I’ll continue to rely on the University of Twente WebSDR until I have the time-if ever-to set something up for myself.
@@RobCamp-rmc_0 Order new caps for it for the Power Supply about an hour job and replace the paper caps with mylar and it will last another 70 years. I can Recommend Antique Radio Supply
I use Century 21d waddle loop recever works great on a short antenna a bit of a collector's item now.
Amazing Audio!
Thanks Lewis, I have seen this receiver
lately, and it seems really good, for a
fair price for what it accomplishes.
I have a few of the DSR receivers, such
as the ATS-120, ATS-125, the original version, and the latest ATS-125 D..... Version. 😊73 de W2CH Ray New Hampshire.
Hello and 73 de N4YPR
I expect you wouldn't need state of the art gear to pick up number stations, because spies are hardly going to erect giant antennas!
Great video, thank you!!
I feel like even though this is a good radio and antenna setup that the price of the radio and antenna together would still be a bit prohibitive to some that are just starting out and/or on a tight budget. Maybe for those it would be better to go with one of Tecsun's radios and an MLA-30 antenna instead.
If you can't afford an SDR based radio I suggest picking up a TECSUN PL-380. I love mine. Hook a piece of wire on the end of the built-in antenna if needed. Under $50.00 USD then spend more if you outgrow it.
Bloody Brilliant
thank you for the video.. I ordered this malahit.. it seems to work very well... I have the TLA500CV2 loop... I thought I also recognized the Presonus eris speakers that I also has...73
A lovely piece of kit, I would love to be able to afford this,
Sadly it's not budget & not really worth the price tag.
My opinion, absolutely worth the price and for the quality and features it provides, a bargain...Side by side with my 7300, your not comprising for RX..
I do listening only and have a huge discone in my backyard connected to a SDR Blog V3 on a Raspberry Pi 4. I have my Spyserver public so everyone can play around. For mobile scanning, I use the dipole that came with the SDR and a Steam Deck. It's a bit janky but works for quick & dirty on-the-go scanning. I don't recommend buying the Steam Deck for scanning only, but if you're also up for some gaming on the go, it might be an alternative. The Malahit seems pretty cool aswell. However, if you do Radiosonde chasing it might not be optimal because of the notch around 400MHz. Most common sondes transmit around 400-406 MHz I believe.
I would love to get this little radio. It looks pretty awesome and capable. It seems that SW is more prevalent over on the other side of the pond than it is here in the States.. Don't get me wrong, I can still receive a decent amount, but with all of Europe being in your back yard, it seems you have more things to listen to ;)
I still love my SDR and am saving up for a HackRF currently !
Oh my gawd, I need one.
For a lower price, the RTL-SDR version 4 with sdr console software works very well on HF. I works much better than version 3 below 30 MHZ.
Seems like a pretty decent portable short-wave receiver, and the antenna is a great find too. I wonder how it compares to a Sangean ATS 909X or a Tecsun 880 or 330 for reception. Or to a 360/368 for portability and reception? I bet the SWL channel would like to test this out. The only thing I would probably find frustrating is using a small stylus to press the touch screen.
Indeed, real life comparisons are the best.
Very impressive 👌
Lovely video! I'm in the U.S. and I've always thought about buying the DSP 2, but the price is a bit steep for my budget. My question to you is if I''m not particularly interested in listening to the ham bands and I just want to pick up shortwave stations can't I get most or all of the shortwave broadcasts by using internet radio or am I completely off base? I appreciate your videos and hope you keep it up. Thanks.
I own one of these and it is a nice receiver though not budget by any means. I also own the Belka-DX and find it even more impressive. Not all the eye-candy of the DSP2 but, my goodness, it is so small and light. You can easily carry it around in your shirt pocket and the quality of receptions on HF is superb! Ordered directly from the designer, it's also considerably cheaper than the DSP2. People need to also note that the DSP2 is a very heavy radio! That thick metal case adds tremendously to the weight.
Since you have both the Belka and the Malahit DSP2 would you please let me know that for SW only (AM & SSB) which one is better? Thanks in advance!🙂
Great review Lewis does it have memories with tags..and if so how many ? Very tempting
I have a Tecsun PL-330 which covers LW/MW/SW ans has very good SBB abdcis a very sensitive radio. You can get this radio for just over £80.00 and it's the best pocket radio I have come across for under £100.00. I wouldn't be without it. Well worth the money.
@delmare1 Totally agree. I have mine on me wherever I go. Great radio
Over the years, I have had a couple of short wave radios. I have been thinking of getting another. But they don't seem to be as available in the stores days.
Still learning mine
Very informative. Two questions: 1) Are we seeing the 2.3 or the 2.4 versions? If 2.4, what have you found to be the difference. 2) How good is the included telescopic antenna? Thanks!
the 2.4 firmware has FT8 and RTTY decoding, the 2.30 not! ... In this video in the mods menu you see the FT8 and RTTY option, so he got the 2.40 beta or 2.40 final in...
I think 2.40 is only at Beta still. I’ll be interested in one of these once they start shipping with the final non-beta 2.40. I’d also like to see the firmware upgraded to the latest board housed in the Malahit. This is still at the previous generation board.
I see the GA800 loop on line, after I saw
it on Tech Minds UA-cam video, for
about $100.00 US price. 😊
My wallet is lighter thanks to you, Lewis! 😂. Can’t wait for mine to arrive.
As a NEW purchase, cannot argue the price.
It does everything for you.
My opinion however, is buy an old school radio which are much more difficult to negotiate, especially if you're interested, but not necessarily "sold" on the idea of SWL
My first radio was a trio 9r59de in 1978 when I was 10, it was the height of the cold war, and incredibly interesting.
Plus I learned all about AF SSB BFO's etc, more or less by accident.
My main RX radio is the ubiquitous Kenwood R5000 !! The direct descendant of the Trio.
I have a yaesu FT-920 also used for SWL and 11Metres
Maybe I'm just getting old!!
I have a Hammerlund HQ-180 I use for most SWL manual scanning. But I also have a Kenwood TS-850 that has memories I can program interesting freqs I found with the -180. But I still want the Malahit DSP2 because of its amazing functionality and portability.
I have my workhorse Panasonic RF-2200 for analog dial-twiddling heaven, sitting next to the (previous-model, unauthorized) "Malachite" v5 with its digital precision. Best of both worlds!
Although originally a Russian designed product it is Chinese made and meeting the required stardard allowed access to malahit updates. Malahit does not profit from these clones though due to the current situation it accepts them. All this detail is explained in the details if one researches fully. I was viewing an article on this radio about 4 weeks ago, wishing I could afford it.
This looks amazing but hardly a budget radio. Something like the ATS25 receiver for under £100 might be more attractive to the first time SWL
excellent video.. a question, is the link you mention for purchasing the radio a Russian or a Chinese version?--is there a big difference?
I already have a Malahit can I down load the software with setups and memory from it and load it to a new one so that they are transparent in functionality.
You are using the 50-ohm antenna connector on the radio. What antenna settings did you use within the radio? Is it possible to power the antenna from the radio itself without turning on the power supply button on the antenna box?
That's $430 bucks.(over here). Hardly budget but that radio does look great. Thanks for the video.
P.S. I'm a Brit but moved to the US 20 years ago. Do you ever hear American cber's or ham? I like hearing all the accents in the video.
The link he gave to Bangood has it at £267 ($326). Still pricey but it seems like a really nice bit of kit and good value at that price.
@@bryngerard4334The antenna is another £90.
Im in the uk on cb we hear the sates here just about everyday atm
@@bryngerard4334 I'm pretty sure they are combining the price of the radio and the antenna....
SDR-Play RSP1A + MLA-30+ antenna = best shortwave listening for the money, regardless of environment.
Today I was visiting a friends electronic shop in cracow,poland and an englishspeaking gentleman came asking for a shortwave antenna, they didn't have any so I asked him which spectrum is he interested in, he replied that 9-45 m, I tried to be intelligent and told him that usually the people that use amateur radio make theirselve antennas but he politely replied that he only needs to receive ;)
I am considering purchase of this combo but have seen some reviews and YT videos complaining of noise generated by the switch-mode power supply of the antenna. Wondering if such could be negated by the 3.5V-4.5V power feature within the radio using the 50-ohm connection. While this video shows no evidence of the noise problem, I am wondering if this could be a potential solution if it were encountered.
Good Review
Glad you enjoyed it
I have a Gospell DRM SW / MW / FM radio and I get various transmissions during the day and night BBC World Service on DRM Shortwave in the mornings, Radio Romania International at various times, sometimes a tickle from Radio New Zealand International from the other side of the world, and several transmissions from other parts of the world plus America at night aimed towards Europe.
How do you think this compares to the GA508? Im sure you dont actually have a GA508, but, Im curious if you think the GA508 is better? The GA508 is the same form factor (Loop, amplifier), except the loop is twice the diameter of the GA800 (20 inches vs 10 inches) and the amplifier does not have a place to directly mount the antenna; you connect a SMA based connection antenna wire from the antenna to the amplifier, but otherwise, it seems to be the same thing, but a bigger antenna...
Could you review the malachite dsp sdr v5 ? I believe that it would be a possible budget version of this dsp2??
Ive been investigating it for swl...
Could you do a video on budget shortwave maybe with RTL-SDR?
Very impressive 👌👌👌👌
I Love this channel 💥🙏
when you listening to 70cm 433 band , were you using the same Loop antenna?
Hi Louis, is there a big difference between the DSP1 and DSP2?
Can this unit scan? Can it record frequencies (either built in or to a separate recorder via headphone jack)? Is there any video output (for displaying on a larger monitor when at home)?
this reminds me of a techminds video. lol.
malahite goes by various spellings because the russian x is pronounced like a hard letter h. so you see some sites list this as malachite.
I started my SW listening on a bakelite valve receiver from a jumble sale. To be honest I'd buy second hand if I was starting now.
What S/W is it running? Have you tried updating? That would be a good vid. 👍
Thanks!
Thank you!
What do you make of so many devices using SMA for an antenna now instead of BNC or similar larger traditional connectors? They seem fragile especially once you stack some adaptors or a large antenna on them. I have had them fail on wifi equipment but so far no radio equipment.
Use a short pigtail with 2 SMA connectors and then your adapters to N or UHF. The pigtail relieves the stress on the connector.
I'm interested in this radio, but as far as I can work out, it can't very well be used as a VHF / UHF scanner and memories can not be managed via PC.
Would this set up allow a novice shortwave user to listen to the numbers stations mentioned in your other videos? Thank you again for the interesting content.
Should have watched the video all the way through before commenting. Still a great video!
Very good video... so good I just had to subscribe / like / and order one, but I do think the word 'budget' is errrrrr open to debate, lol
Looks like a solid pairing, but in no way is it budget. I can attest that the antenna is great and works well with the radios I own, but some might still find it expensive. If anyone is getting into SWL, I'd recommend a radio like the XDATA D-808 and this antenna.
Does the tuning mute or chuff like most dsp radios?
Is this malahite rx avaliable via amazon. Not had much luck sourcing one and shipping is blimming slow
What is the point of just a receiver? How do I get a transceiver of this?
I have a few cheap SW receivers, and the best one is an older Grundig FR200 "emergency" radio. Analog tuner, hand crank (I normally just use AA batteries), a flashlight (you know, for emergencies!). It's kind of a cheap plastic radio and it's been discontinued for a few years now but honestly it works great. I sit outside with it and slowly tune around and pick up all kinds of distant signals. It's also possibly the best small AM transistor radio I have used as well. Only problem is no sideband capability.
It would only take a few components to whip up a BFO for SSB. Would fit inside an Altoids tin with space left over.
Very beautiful, clear sound !!
A very inexpensive receiver considering the high quality. Thank you for the review.
HI STEVE HERE,COULD YOU TELL ME WHERE I CAN BUY THIS LOOP ANTENNA,I LOOKED ON EBAY AND THEY DONT SEEM TO HAVE THE BNC TO SMA CONECTER WHITH THE ANTENNA,IF I BOUGHT IT FROM THE SAME PLACE AS YOU IT MIGHT HAVE THE BNC TO SMA TO CONECT TO THE MALAHIT ANTENNA SOCKET THANKS STEVE.
Just Bought a New Miniature all Band Hf Uper & lower sideband with Short wave and longwave Capacity 10 What to boot That's nice Though
The biggest issue I have with portable or holiday receiving is the lack of performance from a ham set unless you pack a full size antenna. My Xiego 6100 is as deaf as a post unless I stick a 40m end fed half wave on it. I've tried it with a telescopic and it might as well be unplugged. How does this compare with its portable antenna compared to your 7300 and your main antenna?
I've had the original Russian DSP2 for 2 years now, since before the Ukraine conflict, while using the same MSI2500 chip as my SDRPLay unit it does actually hear better mainly due to the superior NB and NR
I just got mine, and I'm really impressed with it. One minor niggle is that the FM station RDS is not working, even with strong stations and all the settings carefully checked. Have you had this problem? A few letters came though just for a second but nothing since.
Mine is exactly the same. Even with a super strong signal the RDS doesn't work or just shows a few letters that mean nothing. I got the morse decoding to work though!
@@colintinker7778 Thinking now, the other big niggle is that every time I change HF band, I have to set the tune increment back to 1khz. It defaults to .1khz, which is far too fine for scanning about. Is there a way to get it to remember the setting?
@@r0tekz I've just been checking things out. Chose 6mhz as an example. Set usb and lsb to different steps. Even am. Went to FM band at 88.8mhz with wide band set for this. Moved between all these and the previously set steps didn't change. Fully switched off the radio via the power switch too... although only for 30 seconds or so. When powered up again the clock still had the correct time and the various step increments hadn't changed.
@@colintinker7778 Well, I must have a duff unit because 100% of the times I change between hf bands, the unit reverts to .1khz tuning steps.
@@r0tekz I hope you don't have a duff one. Maybe it's a software related issue. If I select "Radio" then on the bottom right above the "Band" button I have FW : 2.40
$225 is a lot of money to spend just for a reciever though
I've been looking at the UV K5 or UV 17R, or some of the low end SDR dongles, 4.3" Software Defined Radio SDR Radio Receiver, or even the the ATS25X1, but I can't even justify spending $40 on a radio of questionable utility.
Hi Lewis, this radio is not budget. If you'd have put the price at say £150 I'd go for it. But sadly not £300, to me that's more of a mid way valued receiver. Lewis, do you purchase these devices or do they send them out to you to keep if you promote them on your channel?
I'd say that even that price isn't budget, you can get decent radios for $60 - $80 these days. Sure they won't have the features of something like this but they will get you started if you are on an actual tight budget. The days of having to spend over 100 for a decent radio are pretty much over.
The first generation Malahit was priced like that. No idea if the better performance of the new model justifies the much higher price, I only have the old one.
I have given up searching for DETAILED instructions on the use of all the settings. You show them here. Where can I find the printout of what you show for each setting?
If you visit the Banggood or Aliexpress websites where they describe this radio, you'll find the same description of each option by scrolling down the page.
I wish my dad had receivers like these in the mid 60ties where his development aid job took him .
Now with the internet this technology is wasted because all stations on all bands that we used to hear (BBC,France inter, Deutsche Welle)have disappeared and moved to the internet. The rest is Chinese or even jammed.
Thanks for the review Lewis.
Looked at so many cheaper ones on reviews and none of them grab me as being worthwhile in the 'pocket' class like this one does.
I have an outstanding homebase HF rig which is not practical for truly portable and definitely not in the same category as this.