Sihuadon R-108 AM FM LW AIR Shortwave Radio Review
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- The Sihuadon R-108 AM FM Stereo Long Wave Shortwave AIR Band Receiver gets a new Black Cabinet so it can go faster :) Identical to the famous RADIWOW R-108, the Sihaudon brings amazing tuning performance for a low price. Spoiler Alert: The Sihadon is made by RADIWOW, and not a clone.
▶ The Sihuadon R-108 at Ebay: bit.ly/RADIWOW108
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▶ The Sihuadon R-108 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/3khnZI5
▶ The Sihuadon R-108 at Amazon CA: amzn.to/38t68Md
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Features I like about this radio:
Speaker Audio is tops!
Shortwave reception is fantastic.
FM reception is stellar!
MW reception is excellent during the Day and Night.
LW actually works! I receive a beacon on 389kHz.
AIR band. Solid reception.
Squelch feature.
Fast, Slow, & Stop on push button tuning knob.
Numeric keypad.
Easy to tune.
Compact form factor, similar to the CC Skywave.
500 presets.
Five bandwidth filter choices on AM & SW.
Music or Voice tone control.
Easy to read to buttons.
Bright white LED side lit LCD.
Clock.
Alarm, wake to Radio or Buzzer.
FM Stereo.
Decent headphone experience.
Rechargeable battery included.
Sleep timer.
Now in Black.
Quality Build.
ATS feature.
Four select-able FM Bands.
9K/10k MW select.
Dedicated external Antenna jack.
USB cable included.
SW/FM extension wire included.
Good Price/Performance ratio.
Smooth volume control.
Perfect for Someone wanting to Enter the World of Portable Radio.
Features that could be added or improved on:
Use AA batteries instead of the BL-5C, for better run times.
Overall, a great performer, for those who don't need Single Side Band should seriously look at picking one of these up. I love the inclusion of the Air Band, and Squelch Feature. The push button fast/slow tuning knob is fantastic. Great options. This is the affordable CC Skywave.
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▶ The Sihuadon R-108 at Ebay: bit.ly/RADIWOW108
(paid link) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
▶ The Sihuadon R-108 at Amazon USA: amzn.to/3khnZI5
(paid link) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you.
Including the manual, page by page, like that was a very considerate thing to do. Also I enjoy your positive energy. We could all use some of that
Thanks!
I received mine few days ago and have been testing intensively. All I can say is "What a fantastic little receiver!" I am impressed! Comparing to lots of reviews of more expensive radios, (sure, more knobs and gauges ) but performance wise, can't see much value for the extra money! Regarding bad reviews and buyers badmouthing the unit that I've seen, I can only agree with a reviewer in the sense that you must understand the principles and workings of a receiver functions to operate it properly. There is definitely some homework to be done before pure enjoyment will come!
Thank you, Todderbert, for your review on the Sihuadon R-108! I have this radio and it is a super performer indeed!
Watching your review for at least the second time because I've just received my second R-108 - grey. My first one is black. I took advantage of a small discount given to me by the XHDATA shop for posting a feedback on their site.
Mine doesn't look quite like your grey one though. Button labels are orange, which I find nice and very readable even under low light. And it has amber LCD backlight.
I really like this little radio. It's my only small radio with good air band reception, one I can really carry around. It has great sound, good sensitivity on SW and AIR. Its controls just make sense unlike some other models. Button pushes just come naturally. OK, I could do without the need to push FREQ for entering a frequency, but this really is my only gripe, maybe with the weak battery it comes with. I've replaced it with a better one.
Thanks because I had discovered this model through your video.
I just got one Friday. It's a grey color, but same radio. Wish the battery lasted longer than 7 or 8 hours, but ordered extra with a charger. This radio has amazing audio for the size of the radio & speaker. I am pleased with this radio. A good buy
I have the Radiwow R-108 and I like it's MW performance most.
I'm late to the party, just arrived at my house and I was very excited to play with this radio!! the airband is a great addition as my tecsun PL-330 and other SW radios doesn't have air band, and I'm a sucker when it comes to air band and everything planes and aviation in general, really happy with this radio overall. It's daylight right now here, so MW and SW reception is as expected, wire antenna although helped and the R-108 for now is really close with it's performance to the PL-330 in my opinion, but when it's evening I will truly know.
the speaker and FM reception is GREAT! and the speaker is amazing compared to the PL-330, and even takes the Retekess v115 by far(Which I think has a great speaker). air band reception is surprising as well, considering my current propagation and QTH.
I don't really get the FM stereo feature yet, but it seems to work great only when the FM station S/N is high, currently working from my room, so didn't have the opportunity to see it in action.
As always todderbert, Thank you very much for this review(and all your other videos), I commented in the past on another video that you are the most comprehensive channel for SW radios, and I'm still sure of it!
another great addition to my collection, thank you!!
I am enjoying my Sihaudon, like the black case color and blue display better than the gray case and amber display. Thanks Todd!
I just received mine 30 minutes ago, gray color, orange Sihuadon logo and amber light. Power button also in orange as the numbers and function indicators. It's beautiful. I need practice and patience tuning short wave signals, even with the external antenna connected I could not receive anything on the first try. I read a user whose charging port broke and fell into the radio. I hope that does not happen because the build quality seems to be very good, except for the hinge plastics on the backstand mechanism that does not look very resistant. The big bump sound when changing bands while wearing headphones is real, it also does it while tuning stations when the squelch is on. I can't talk about the reception from my own experience yet but our friend Todderbert and other users say it's great. The appearance of the radio and the FM and MW sound quality are the most remarkable things. Excellent music and voice experience, great speaker. I was able to receive clear and loud voices on the air band, it's a lot of fun.
Depending on where you live, shortwave can be spotty depending on Solar and Evening Conditions. Most can get WRMI out of Florida. I get Voice of Greece near Dusk, as well as other distant shortwave broadcasters.
Yeah I agree with everything you said SW reception is definitely dependant on location here in the UK I got 76 channels on auto tune just testing it out of the box with plug in antenna, China India Africa mainly.
@@todderbert I'm listening to bbc world service atm 👍🏼👍🏼
I'm glad to see the MW bug is fixed on the R-108. There are a few recent videos in which the R-108 uses an amber backlight, which I prefer over blue. It's not only better on the eyes, but also better for the camera when recording videos. Great review as always. Have a good night.
Man....I wish I had the Amber Lit One :)
@@todderbert Is fm transmitter harmful for us?
On the package, there is warning for cancer and reproductive harm.
@@todderbert Christmas is coming!
@@bongtechnature your microwave is a transmitter.. radios are just receivers (unless transceiver) but there are radio waves all around you.
@@todderbert I bought the Sihuadon D-808, black cabinet case and came with Amber light, completely tickled pink
Great mini receiver! 73 and thanks for your review, Todderbert.
You're Welcome MCruz.
Your videos have definitely helped me pick radios to buy. Very detailed and easy to follow videos. This is my go to stop first to see if you have a review of something I’m scoping out
The battery might not be "standard" like you say, but it's actually a copy of an old Nokia battery (the BL-5C), Chinese companies make tonnes of them and they're very common online so it's really easy to get a spare or replacement if you need to
Great review - I like your style . . . . thank you! I've just bought one on Amazon and your review is very positive which has helped me . . . . 😎👍😎👍
I just bought this. It's a good radio.
Dr T,
Short is best as follows: low freq. in the evening till day break. At dawn it is a mix some low and some middle. From mid morning till sunset higher frequency’s hereon the east coast .If you would like to exchange frequencies I would be glad to do that with you. You are a radio person like me.
Brilliant review, thanks very much. Incidentally, the bandwidth can be altered on Airband too, because that is also AM.
Tecsun Australia now have a version of the R-108.
& you get a thermometer! Not bad. It’s the radio I travel with.
Tatmin edici teferruatlı açıklamanızdan dolayı teşekkür ederiz.
Agreed, this is a great little radio, has good audio, is compact and is a pleasure to tune. However I have just sold mine. The issue with these is that the battery always self discharges. The fault is that due to having an electronic on off switch, when switched off a small amount of current is still being used. A new battery will not fix the problem. The only way around it is to give it a charge maybe once a month or to remove the battery when not being used. That is what I did but that really becomes wearisome. If this came with (nice) AA batteries it wouldn't be any different - you would always have to remove a battery when when not in use. The small digital Tecsun radios have this sorted but, unfortunately Radiwow hasn't been challenged enough about this flaw yet! Of course if you used this radio every other day and charged it as required once every few days or weeks there isn't a problem.
I'd say it's having a bad e-switch. Plenty of things out there that, like zebralight flashlights, have completely negligible standby drain. This and the 808, though... yeah, could be better.
I just bought one of these radios off ebay, waiting for it to arrive to try it out for myself, I also have a Digitech AR 1780 and like you said in your review, it's and excellent little radio, it's a shame that it doesn't cover 522KHz to 1710KHz in 9KHz steps on MW, that would be handy, although there's not much to listen to above 1620KHz anyway here in Australia unless you like ethnic stations, the same goes with this radio, but, that's only a minor quibble for me, I find with the AR 1780 that the 4KHz bandwidth is best for MW, the 6KHz BW seems to enhance the treble too much and the radio has trouble coping with it, 3 KHz is best on Shortwave for selectivity, i'm guessing this radio will be the same, I live in a suburban area where the local FM signals are strong, so i'll be able to hear the full-range sound from the speaker, so I think i've made a good choice after watching your review.
Hej Todderbert tack for the video and the review of SIHUADON R-108 i have the RADIWOW R-108 and wow very nice radio and love the speaker so nice sound. But i have the SIHUADON D-808 and it is basically the same radio as the XHDATA D-808. But i have the SIHUADON D-808 it have orange or more like amber color backlit display love that. I'll finish watching your review on my TV later today and, soon it's Christmas I might buy this radio and give it away as a Christmas present. Todderbert I had two Sangean SR 35 I gave one to my sister she loves it and she listens to it daily.
How would you compare the reception between R-108 and D-808, is there any difference in sensitivity?
@@blue_jm Hej i think R-108 and the D--808 is the same if we talk sensitivity but the speaker sound I, personally think the R-108 has a better sound take care and have a nice day.
Other people on youtube say this version of the R-108 is better...that it has better battery life and the signal comes in better
Hej I have also heard it so absolutely interesting I'm thinking of buying it and see but, what can I say I have Radiowow R-108 and it is a very good radio
Hi! Always good vids---- Sometimes I think many of these radios come out of the same factory, regardless of label ????? I could be wrong, but, What the hell, Doesn't really matter- to those of us who are, or always were, Radio phyles- radio addicts? -What counts is having FUN on radio- I've a T.V., But RARELY Use it, I'll probably give it away-Not much on TV anyway. " mindless sitcoms"? Some of the Real fun comes from, "Beating the game" as In finding various ways to boost our radios performance - I saw one person, experimenting with various ferrite rod configurations, It's important for us to share info- To increase the FUN For us all--- I recently acquired some magnet wire, my intent is to make a LARGE Loop for M-WAVE,L-WAVE- LIVING in an apartment has its challenges, for Radio-Phyles- ALSO, I say again to all- Get these radios while you can-I do beleive they will become harder to come by- Also, some I put in plastic Freezer bags, then wrap in aluminum foil- You get it- I bekeive were in the same area, so we have many of the same things to deal with- Line noise, Various interference- But, It's part of the radio game, This is what we deal with now- I know, it's not 1960, But, Radio is and always will be FUN For those interested enough to get into it- Again, get these radios while you can , and Aquire some 1n34a diodes, they will become like gold - Keep up the good work!-‐ Love your vids! 3's
Hi, I love your content be it flashlights,radios and the tuner tips multimeters segments i am an EE engineer so much fun watching your videos and the intro for each segment is so unique and youtube first to me. Keep the good stuff coming, i purchased this radio for around 50 bucks i wanted to know if we can change the temprature to celsius. Greetings from Kashmir,India
To get Celsius, change the MW stepping to 9kHz.
@@todderbertThank you so much.
@@todderbertWhich is over all better among Pl 330 and R108 if ssb is not necessary.
@@Abufast I would go with the R-108, it is equal in performance, and includes the AIR band. You give up ETM+ of the PL-330/320 which is handy.
I like that intro card "....VIOCE of the world":...ha!
Bought one just recently...had to return it because the headphone jack didn't work..you could still hear audio coming through the main speaker when trying to use the headphones...I returned it for one that worked...still waiting
is there a PAUSE button .. for pause function ?
Hey Todderbert!
Hey Diz.
Why is the display blue when other videos show orange display on Same radios
I got mine just before they changed over to the Amber displays.
Hey Todderbert. Really glad you reviewed this. Thanks, as always. Do you know if they also fixed the bug where there was a loud pop when changing bands and listening through headphones? Cheers!
No, that still exists. ua-cam.com/video/Y0ZvJqkPXp4/v-deo.html
@@todderbert Doh! Don't know how I missed that. Thanks, though.
I've got mine two weeks ago. The loud pop is still there in headphones while changing bands, turning on radio or switch between MW stations. That's really irritating my ears.
If you're going to have shortwave why not just add single side band
SSB and the meter bands will never go away .
Not magic but costs more ($80 for the 808 or 330). This one doesn't even use the SiLabs DSP so adding SSB may not even be possible. Sound quality and FM are the selling points here, though SW AM is solid.
@@radellaf I love all radios so I'll probably end up with one.
@@radellaf the meter bands and single side Band will always be here .
Nice job, thank you
Ordered one!
Own it and love it! Also picked this Brand up in the D-808 (XHData/Radiwow)
I own the this one apart from the SSB what does the D-808 offer better battery? I heard the sounds not as good/loud on it.
@@ashab1 808 is bigger and has better sensitivity on MW & SW, about equal on FM, based on Gary DeBock's 2021 shootout. 808 has a full size 3" speaker, but it's a standard type, so not as much bass as this radio. Plenty loud, though, and I'd say good tone. This one has a volume problem on weaker MW stations - the speaker is fine, but you can't turn it up high enough. Low output from the DSP? (it's not a SiLabs chip). The more interesting comparison IMHO is 808 vs PL330. Or perhaps this radio vs the PL310ET (features and AA power vs way better sound & air band).
I was just about to order this until you mentioned the absence of weather band....plus the battery, which is a drawback if you ask me. Hard to beat the Skywave, yes? Too bad it's twice the cost of this one.
To be fair, what other SW radios have WB, apart from CCrane? It _is_ a nice skywave feature. The sound on the Skywave, though...
So I bought this radio the other day. The ATS feature doesn’t seem to store channels in SW mode. Any idea why ?
Good bang for the buck, and in my opinion better than the 808 which had too many niggles, like constant hiss, lousy SSB and poor display (mine was amber for some reason.)
Does this sound better than the CCrane skywave?
Very informative video, thank you! Just a question please; From how far can the Air band pickup transmissions from a airplane, more or less?
Line of Sight, I get approx. twenty miles that I know of. Could be more since commercial planes have a transmit range of two hundred miles when at cruising altitude.
@@todderbert Thank you. My interest would be more in the GA range. (light aircraft - 4 & 6 seats)
My Sihuadon R-108 grey version does not make a popping sound
Hi there I need some advice from an expert!!!!!!!!I have this radio but thinking of buying the sky wave.If I did so would there be a big difference? Thank you! And keep up the great videos!!
You will lose sound quality, but gain huge run times with the AAs the Skywave runs on. The Skywave sounds better on headphones. The Skywave also has NOAA Weather Alert as well.
Shortwave on the Skywave goes to 26.1MHz.
Hello, So Does this has better FM reception than pl-330 ?
I have Radiwow 108, is there any difference in technology.
No. Just earlier versions had a MW bug. You would lose sensitivity when changing bands. A power cycle fixes this.
what is the purpose of long wave ? Just wondering
In the US it is used for beacons. In Europe it is still used for broadcasting. Reaching great distances over land.
o rádio Sihuadon R-108 digital portátil é o mesmo Sihuadon R-108 por dentro mudando só a nomeclatura?
Baught mine it got to me on date promiced. How ever a pirate was trying to get in and failed 😊 this is a top drawer radio. And we will have fun snooping around the bands tks odn-1
Do you know if there is a division into bands for shortwave? Thank you!
Yes, in VF mode tap the Zero Button to cycle the different SW segments.
Will this radio receive CB band transmissions. The frequency range does cover the CB band ? If not, why not?
Based on your experience, what is the best AM reception Radio??
GE Superadio I and II. Also the Panasonic RF-2200.
@@todderbert thanks for your response but I am asking about small size radios if you don’t mind
@@todderbert Best that are currently in production, perhaps? Something Sangean, or... well, probably the C. Crane.
@@kimostar4 XHData D-808, Eton Elite Executive, and CC Skywave SSB.
а может кто знает как узнать когда был произведён радиоприёмник SIHUADON R-108, у меня вот такой код под аккумулятором R108 2023 021064 сегодня купил честно говоря это бомба мне понравился ,хотя имею тескан pl-330
Nice
Love my r108, picked up the radiowow a few months back and love the sound quality with the blue backlight.Just recieved the Sihuadon version for a backup, and noticed it has the orange backlight. Could this indicate an earlier model?
They started making the radios with amber colored backlights recently. Alot of people complained that the blueish white light was too dazzling especially in the dark. The new D-808 radios are the same way. I got a Sihuadon D-808 and it's got the amber backlight
I think Todderbert's example is an earlier version. I may have to consider getting the Sihuadon version for the amber backlight though. I prefer amber over blue backlighting.
@@DarrenN72 That's good news. I agree with the ones who disliked the blueish white light. I prefer amber backlighting.
@@tvradio1972 yeah I was thinking of getting a Sihuadon R-108 with an amber backlight. It is easier on the eyes, and may make the screen readable when on. If I can read the screen without having to pick up the radio I'd be alright about the poor battery life. I don't know where to order a Sihuadon R-108 with the amber backlight though
Amazon is showing pictures of it with the Amber Backlight, contact the seller to verify: amzn.to/3nThZuv
私も２台所有 使いやすいです スピーカーの音が好きです
Does it get noaa weather?
First 5 minutes then 740.. 'how now brown cow' lol
Are the Grey and Black ones the same internally just different colors?
Correct, though both colors now ship with Amber Back lights for the LCD.
Oi boa tarde amigo, eu tmb comprei um igual ao seu ok no Aliexpress. Vc pode me dizer se já vem com o display âmbar luz amarelo sou escrito no seu canal. Boa explicação obg amigo 👍🤝🙏
I bought one but the speaker was faulty so i sent it back. Shame because it’s a nice size.
first I have heard of this problem. everyone raves about the speaker quality, and audio.
@@todderbert hi mate, thanks for reply. Think I just had a faulty one because I now have the Radiwow R108 (same inside) and that is outstanding! Especially on Airband.
Recommend!
*N I C E !* 👍
I just paid 109$ to Amazon for this Radio 🤷♂️
can you set displaylight on permanent
No, though I wish you could.
My r-108 radiwow stop scanning after reaching 100 preset memory, is that normal?
Thanks.
Mine is continuous. Maybe reset your radio?
how good dose it sound hooked up to an external speaker and can you use while charging
You can use the radio while charging, but RFI becomes a problem on certain bands. Sounds good on external speakers.
If it had AA batteries there would be no reason to buy the Tecsun 610, 310, or 380 radios.
310 has ETM, which I use pretty much every time I turn it on. I kind of like the BL-5C: lightweight and properly chargeable in-radio, vs 3 nimh in series.
Hi
Which has better FM reception
PL330 or Sihuadon R108?
Thanks !
They are about even.
I have a question regarding the SW scanning. I noticed that during scanning it skips quite a few frequencies every now and again. Why or what is the story here?
The detection can be spotty. Shortwave signals can fluctuate, and the scanning mode may miss some. That is why you have to keep scanning more than once over the same part of the band to see if anything was missed. I made a video using the R-108 and its browse feature: ua-cam.com/video/8XcWO3F5fe0/v-deo.html
So the bug on the gray model is when you'd switch from MW to another band and back, you'd have reduced sensitivity. Would the reduced sensitivity affect all bands or just MW? I'm asking because there is currently a good deal on the gray model ($50 CAD gray model vs $67 CAD black model) and wondering which one to get.
If the radio is marked Sihuadon, you are ok, the bug was fixed. If you purchased an older Radiwow R-108, it only affected the MW band. You had to power cycle to reset it.
@@todderbert Thanks!
hard on battery when off, if in storage remove battery.
Can anyone please how to make long wave on an off, ouch it nothing appears Any help be appreciated,
Radio Off, Long Press the Number Five Button until it says OFF or ON. Repeat to Toggle LW On/Off.
@@todderbert Thank new to this still learnings munch appreciated
It’s sexy in black….what can I say? LOL
How long does it take to fully charge the battery?
Three hours.
@@todderbert Thanx
what is the best radio under $100.00, $200.00, then absolute top shelf, and the if you could only have one radio?.
too many options, but personally I would take the XHData D-808 if you can find it under $100, mine was $80. CC Skywave SSB for the $200. Tecsun H-501 for Top Shelf. Panasonic RF-2200 for one radio.
@@todderbert Agreed, I wish I'd put my 310ET $50 into the $80 or $90 I paid for the 808. Then I wouldn't have had to buy any more radios. Right?
@@radellaf The 808 is a fine radio. Maybe you could sell the 310ET, or have it as a backup radio. I still use my 310 with external SW antennas. Does a decent job pulling in shortwave broadcasting stations.
@@todderbert I have rather a lot of "backup radios" LOL... I like the 310 as part of the collection. Do wish there was more good SW broadcasting like there used to be
@@radellaf I was enjoying Jazz from the Left broadcasting on WRMI this past Sunday.
Are there any good USA 🇺🇸 made radios? Or anything not made in China?
Older Analogs...Panasonics are one of my Favorites, and are mostly Made in Japan. Newer Sonys are Made in China. Nothing US Made, beside DIY Kit radios. ua-cam.com/video/0X02CTSdi5w/v-deo.html
@@todderbert thanks for the reply and info!
Yeah I have a friend and I really can't blame him that he won't buy any radio made in China and I told him well you're going to have to buy a used one probably in the '80s and then it still might be made in Japan I said I have a nice transoceanic!! But it ain't for sale
They need to put beat frequency oscillators on those also. BFO
If SSB is used
For current production, no SW portables. For a transceiver, Ten-Tec or Elecraft will make you something incredible, with a matching price.
just bought in case of the atomic bomb. Europe just restarted broadcasting again in short wave
The fingers are annoying.
$60 as of July 28, 2023
Mine shows a $13 Off Coupon, bringing the Price down to $46.90, at Amazon: amzn.to/3DyYKNz
@@todderbert That's good. When I looked no coupons were available