Review: XHDATA D-220 AM/FM/SW Radio
Recently, XHDATA sent me their new D-220 radio for review. This unit was provided free to me with the expectation I would review it.
Now available on Amazon
This device, now available on Amazon (note: this is an affiliate link), described as:
D220 Portable Radio AM FM SW Shortwave Radio Receiver Pocket Radio, 2 AA Battery Operated, Transistor Radio
The body of the radio is rounded and comfortable. There are no sharp edges here to poke you or introduce wear to your pocket or bag. (Note: the Sangean shortwave antenna shown below is not included with the radio.)
This very lightweight radio is sized to carry in a pocket or purse without weighing you down. It fits in a typical men’s shirt pocket.
Tuning and markings
The tuning dial is, to my eyes, a little hard to see. There is not a lot of contrast between the band labels and frequencies compared to the dark background. Similarly, the tuning indicator is an orange color against an orange background. In the daylight, I can make this out. In the dark when the dial is backlit with the same orange color, the frequency indicator is hard to see.
While the band selection markings on the side of the radio have good contrast, the selection switch lacks a dark indicator line to help see the selected band at a glance. The headphone jack is clearly marked.
Frequency ranges for the bands are displayed on the back of the radio. The radio also has a convenient stand that pops out to prop up the radio at an angle. However, the telescoping antenna is not articulated at the base so for marginal stations, you’ll have to move the radio around to find the best reception.
Batteries
The battery compartment is easy to open. Power is provided by two AA batteries. No ribbon is installed to help with removing the batteries. A piece of foam is affixed to the inside of the battery compartment door to keep batteries in place.
Audio samples
FM radio sample
I tried the radio with the telescoping antenna extended and with a Sangean portable shortwave antenna I had on hand. FM reception was very good for this type of radio.
Shortwave radio sample
Shortwave tuning is a bit fiddly. Only very slight pressure on the tuning control caused the tuned frequency to change. I found this to be difficult in a crowded part of the band. There is no fine-tuning control so finding just the right spot to pick up the station you want without hearing nearby stations is difficult if the band id crowded.
My home has pretty bad radio frequency interference (RFI) and some of that comes through as static in the recorded shortwave audio.
Conclusions
This radio will be easy for most people to use. I would not hesitate to take it to a baseball game to listen to the radio broadcast of the game. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed as long as you remember this is an inexpensive radio.
For people with eyes that don’t work as well as they used to, the D-220 requires a bit more concentration to see the tuning dial. If your fine motor skills are not great, tuning a shortwave station in a crowded part of the dial may be a challenge. Getting the best signal involves moving the radio since it doesn’t have a movable telescoping aerial.
What appeals about this little radio? It is lightweight, easy to carry in a pocket or purse, and provides good coverage of AM, FM, and SW bands. Sound quality on FM was very good for a pocket radio. It is easy to replace the AA batteries.
If you have a young person wanting to listen to shortwave stations, this might be a great introductory radio. It is simple and might be just the ticket to cause the young listener to want to continue in shortwave listening. As noted above, the D-220 by XHDATA is going with me to the next baseball game!
I was expecting some impressions about performance o the MW, for this receiver. Taking as a reference the well known standards of good sensitivity and AGC values found in the Sony SRF series, (SRF 59, SRF 39).