Unboxing and quick review of my second XHDATA D-808 shortwave portable

Hi there, as you all know, this is my second D-808 portable, the first one having developed an audio fault whilst I was in Brazil. I was fortunate enough to get another one for Christmas. Here's me unboxing it.

My best wishes for the New Year and best 73!!

Radio Santa Cruz 6135 kHz Bolivia, copied in Rio Capim Brazil on Midi M...

Hi there, this was a really nice catch from Bolivia. Radio Santa Cruz can be a difficult target even in South America, particularly on a radio with modest selectivity. If you listen through this reception video, towards the end you will hear a clear ID. I think I punched the air when I heard that lol.

Recorded on 02/12/18 at 23:29 hrs UTC using a 70 metre longwire antenna. Thanks for watching.

FEBC Radio 12095 kHz Philippines, copied in Rio Capim Northern Brazil on...

Hi there, it was very nice to copy a strong signal from the Philippines in Rio Capim. The locally bought Midi MD-55D is a half-decent receiver when connected to a long wire (about 70 metres) and an interesting experiment with a £17 radio out in the jungle. As I mentioned before, this radio is not properly digital - it's actually analogue with a digital encoder...and you can feel the tuning mechanism.

Recorded on 02/12/18 at 22:57 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

The only FM station heard in the jungle: Rádio JA FM 106.9 kHz copied o...

Here's the signal from the single FM station that can be heard at my tropical QTH in Rio Capim. I don't think this radio is as sensitive as the Livstar on FM...in fact I'm sure it isn't. Nevermind, both are just experiments really! Thanks for watching.

Bought in Paragominas, rural Brazil: Midi MD-55D 12 band 'digital' receiver

Hi there, here's another purchase I made in Paragominas during this trip - from the same shop that I purchased the Midi MD-9500SD digital receiver last year. This radio is described as digital and it does have a digital display, however the receiver is analogue, with a digital encoder. I have to say it works pretty although the display is limited to 10 kHz steps. Analogue is better in this set-up than a proper PLL receiver that only tunes in 5 kHz steps though. Oh, by the way, it cost the equivalent of £17! Brazilian bargain!

Thanks for watching.

Radio Alvorada de Londrina 4862.27 kHz copied in Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

Hi there, this is speculative in terms of the ID and obviously the signal in very weak - although if you can be bothered to listen through the entire recording, there is modulation fading in and out. I make this type of recording, more for myself (because this channel is my log) rather than my subs....I realise it's not that interesting!

Recorded on 19/11/18 at 00:47 hrs UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

Longwave scan on Boxing Day night, complete with Iceland, Radio Montecar...

Hi there, as you might have gathered, I love the Longwave band (!) and so here's another scan on Boxing Day night, this time using the Elad FDM DUO.

Recorded in Oxford on 27/12/18 at 05:06 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

Longwave: DR Langbølge 243 kHz, Kalundborg, Denmark; superb interval sig...

In my opinion, this might be the best interval signal - and very nice to copy it on Boxing Day night (well the early hours of the 27th!). What a shame the usual cr@p noise is present, forcing me to use the lower sideband. Nevertheless, a very striking interval signal and decent audio.

Recorded in Oxford UK on 27/12/18 at 04:54 hrs UTC using an Elad FDM DUO and Wellbrook ALA1530 magnetic loop antenna, outdoors.

#2 Boxing day signal from NRK P1 Ingøy Norway on 153 kHz, copied above A...

Hi there, a further recording of the signal from Ingøy Norway, copied on 26/12/18 at 04:16 hrs UTC using a Perseus SDR and Wellbrook ALA1530 magnetic loop antenna, outdoors. Thanks for watching.

A quick review of the WRTH 2019 edition....you should buy this book!

Hi there, it's that time again - what has become my annual review of the WRTH. I still regard this publication as the bible for identifying stations on LW/MW/SW. Whilst I very much appreciate the information available on-line, there are discrepancies between websites that lead to ambiguity. The WRTH has never let me down with incorrect information.

I'm hearing a signal on 153 kHz above Antena Satelor...is any one else c...

Hi there, for the past couple of nights I've been hearing a station on 153 kHz mostly above the audio from Antena Satelor. At times the content almost sound religious, otherwise I wonder whether it's a pirate. Just to confirm it wasn't an artefact on the Perseus, I double checked with the Elad FDM DUO - and it's still there. Just to rule out overloading from the Wellbrook ALA1530 (very unlikely) tonight I am trying to copy the signal with the Sony ICF-S77 and my LW induction loop. Let me know your opinion - and thanks for watching.

Recorded in Oxford UK using a Perseus SDR and Wellbrook ALA1530 magnetic loop (outdoors) on 26/12/18 at 04:57 hrs UTC.

Radio Huanta 2000 Peru 4747.32 kHz copied in Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

Hi there, I have copied this station at home previously, but not for 2 years. It says a lot about the difficultly of hearing them, that it was during my previous trip to Rio Capim over a year ago that I last heard them. It's nice to know they're still on-air!

Recorded on 19/11/18 at 01:07 hrs UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching!

Radio Huanta 2000 Peru 4747.32 kHz copied in Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

Hi there, I have copied this station at home previously, but not for 2 years. It says a lot about the difficultly of hearing them, that it was during my previous trip to Rio Capim over a year ago that I last heard them. It's nice to know they're still on-air!

Recorded on 19/11/18 at 01:07 hrs UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching!

Radio Guinée 9650 kHz, Conakry: nice signal into Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

Hi there, I had already copied Radio Guinée on my XHDATA D-808 before the bl00dy thing blew up lol. Here's another nice signal into Rio Capim, using the SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. It was great having access to such a well performing, yet totally portable SDR DXing set-up.

Recorded on 20/11/18 at 22:03 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

Tropical rainstorm at my QTH in Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

Hi there, from the middle of November, it started raining nearly every day at my temporary QTH in Rio Capim. It was actually quite nice to have a break from the constant 32 - 35 degrees tropical heat, but it didn't really help much to freshen up the atmosphere...basically hot rain!

ČRo Radiožurnál 270 kHz,Topolná, Czech Republic copied on Range Rover re...

Hi there, this is the first time I've copied ČRo Radiožurnál on the car radio. I think better reception is possible as this was quite early in the evening.


Recorded in Oxford on 17/10/18 at 18:03 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

The sounds of wonderful Longwave in the early hours of Christmas morning

Those of us in Europe are very fortunate to have a small number of broadcasters still on Longwave. I have always appreciated the activity on this band and at Christmas time, I usually have a scan through and make a recording to save. Here it is again.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Radio Hams on 20 metres copied in the tropical rainforest of Rio Capim, ...

Hi there, it was interesting to copy radio hams from the jungle of Rio Capim. As you might expect, we copied operators from all over South America, North America and Europe.


Recorded on 02/12/18 at 20:48 hours UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

iPhone wildlife photography: Huge tropical Toad with supersonic tongue l...

Hi there, so this is the biggest toad I've ever seen - and it would appear not particularly fazed by having the light from my iPhone shone in it's face! 28 seconds into the video an insect makes the mistake of crawing past and it's high speed tongue lashes out in the blink of an eye! David Attenborough would be proud!

Thanks for watching and 73!

PY2JY São Paulo booming into into Rio Capim, Northern Brazil

PY2JY on 20 metres recorded from the jungle of Rio Capim. His signal was literally booming into Northern Brazil. According to QRZ.com, his main radio is a Yaesu - FTDX 9000 D to a 7 element Yagi. Some signal lol. If you listen to the end of the recording you will hear a QSO with an operator in North Carolina - K8RUE - also an excellent signal.


Recorded on 02/12/18 at 21:01 hours UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

iPhone wildlife photography: Huge tropical Toad with supersonic tongue l...

Hi there, so this is the biggest toad I've ever seen - and it would appear not particularly fazed by having the light from my iPhone shone in it's face! 28 seconds into the video an insect makes the mistake of crawing past and it's high speed tongue lashes out in the blink of an eye! David Attenborough would be proud!

Thanks for watching and 73!

Rarely head Radio Sora de Congonhas 4774.75 kHz copied in Rio Capim on t...

Hi there, it's a privilege to hear this station reasonably easily in Rio Capim, before the grey line passes over Tarma, Peru. I've only ever heard this station once from the UK - and that was also on the XHDATA D-808. As something of an update, I've not heard anything from XHDATA, so unless I can repair mine, I guess I'll be buying another one.

Recorded on 23/11/18 at 20:59 hrs UTC using a wire mesh fence as an antenna. Thanks for watching.

DXing in the tropical rainforest: Radio Mosoj Chaski 3310 kHz, Bolivia, ...

Hi there, here's a nice signal from Bolivia, as heard in Northern Brazil. Peaking at around S8, it was possible to spend time enjoying the very nice music they play.


Recorded on 01/12 /18 at 01:43 hours UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

A scan of the MW band from the tropical rainforest of Rio Capim, Brazil ...

Hi there, here's a scan of the MW band from my QTH in the jungles of Rio Capim. For this recording I managed to place the Bonito NTi MegaLoop FX antenna outside. Unlike FM where there is only one station that can be heard, at night MW comes alive - and it is also possilbe to copy stations from North America.



Recorded on 30/11/18 at 05:12 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

My review of the bhi Dual In-Line Module in the December edition of Radi...

Hi there, I have another review in Radio User Magazine that I thought some of you DXers out there might be interested in. This time it's the bhu Dual In-Line Module a little device is a box of DSP electronic wizardry that can be put to good use on LW/MW/HF for cleaning up noise from speech audio. Read about my thorough testing using the Sony ICF-2001D, Sangean ATS-909x and a Kenwood TS2000 transceiver. I have since sent the unit back to Radio User Towers lol and it's being offered as a prize in a competition on page 66 of the magazine. If you decide to enter, good luck!

Radio Marti 11730 kHz Cuba, copied in Rio Capim Brazil on Livstar CNN-686RU

Hi there, with a signal to rival that of Radio Habana - and I suppose thats the whole point, Radio Marti can be heard loud and clear in Rio Capim, on any cheap analogue radio. Here they are on the Livstar - and perfectly listenable.

Thanks for watching.

Rádio Alvorada de Londrina 4862 kHz weak audio copied in Rio Capim

Hi there, the city of Londrina is almost West of São Paulo which puts it something over 200 km distant from my QTH in Rio Capim. In the WRTH 2018 they are listed with a TX power of 5 kW. They are also listed on 4865 khHz, but I know they've been recorded on 4862 kHz this year, some time after the WRTH was published. I hope a fellow radio hobbyist with local knowledge can confirm. From the UK I've only ever seen a carrier - and that was weak.

Recorded on 16/11/18 at 21:22 hrs UTC using an XHDATA D-808 portable and a 3 metre long antenna constructed from welding rod! Thanks for watching.

Strong signal from Rádio Clube do Pará 4885 kHz in Rio Capim, on Livstar...

Hi there, here's a nice daylight signal from Rádio Clube do Pará, the transmitter of which is a 7 hour drive from my QTH in the jungles of Rio Capim. A little bit of local QRM, but you get used to that in and around the buildings.

Thanks for watching.

FT8 decodes from a shed in the jungle using the Bonito Megaloop FX antenna

Hi there, some more FT8 decodes from out in the jungles of Rio Capim. For a change I decided to take my kit outside - well the antenna at least, whilst I parked myself, receiver and computer in a large shed, hoping not to see a Jaguar at the door lol.

Thanks for watching.

Huge Leaf Cutter ant trail in Rio Capim, Nothern Brazil

Hi there, I just read there is at least 9 different species of Leaf Cutter ant in Brazil alone. Globally there's 47 species. Quite amazing watching these little critters carry huge loads lol. More amazing is their organisation and how they create tracks for travelling out of the nest and yet as the same time how thy all use the track which much be 100 metres long...maybe more.

Thank for watching.

Ultra-rare catch: Radio Difusora do Amazonas 4805 kHz copied in Rio Capi...

Hi there, this is a very rare catch for me. Last heard in August 2016 and never copied before or since. It was great to hear their signal again on the D-808 before the audio fault occurred.


Recorded on 16/11/18 at 21:18 hrs UTC using an XHDATA D-808 portable and a 3 metre long antenna constructed from welding rod! Thanks for watching.

Rarely heard any more: Zambia NBC Radio 1 Lusaka 5915 kHz copied in Rio...

Hi there, this is a station I used to hear reasonably often, particularly during a DX'pedition. However, as of mid November this year, I hadn't heard them since April 2017. So, great to finally copy them again. Their signal into Rio Capim is very weak and this probably explains why I can't hear them in the UK any more.

Recorded on 16/11/18 at 21:12 hrs UTC using an XHDATA D-808 portable and a 3 metre long antenna constructed from welding rod! Thanks for watching.

Dxing in the jungle: BBC Radio 4 198 kHz Longwave, copied in Rio Capim, ...

Hi there, after trying for a few nights, I finally managed to copy some some weak audio from Radio 4 on Longwave, from Rio Capim in Northern Brazil. To say I'm happy with this catch is an understatement lol.

Recorded on 03/12/18 at 05:01 hours UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

Radio Habana 11760 kHz Cuba, copied in Rio Capim Brazil on Livstar CNN-6...

As usual, Radio Habana Cuba is the strongest international signal to be heard in daylight hours in the jungle of Rio Capim. It's interesting to listen to their broadcast on a locally sourced radio. As far as I can tell, all the radios for sale in this region are analogue - although some have a digital encoder on an analogue receiver - which actually works pretty well.

Thanks for watching.

The only FM radio station that can be copied at my jungle QTH!

Hi there, here's some decent audio on my £17 Brazilian radio (made in China by a company that is big in South America). There was nothing copied on FM, except this station. I couldn't ID them, but someone out there with local knowledge might be able to help!

Thanks for watching and 73!

Bought in Paragominas, rural Brazil: The Livstar CNN-686-RU shortwave re...

Hi there, after my XHDATA D-808 developed the audio fault, I was left with my excellent SDRPlay RSP DUO. This is fine - great actually, it's a superb SDR. However, after a couple of days I was thinking to myself, I need a cheap portable to play with whilst I'm out here, so my good friend Lawrence picked up this analogue Livstar for about 17 quid. It's actually a nice receiver with excellent audio, but of course has some serious limitations. Nevertheless, interesting to have a play around with.

Thanks to Lawrence and thanks for watching.

Radio Guinée 9650 kHz, Conakry, booming into Rio Capim, Brazil on a make...

Hi there, here's a nice signal from Radio Guinée, copied in Rio Capim, Brazil using the D-808 and a wire antenna constructed from three pieces of welding rod - so about 3 metres in length, maybe a little less. Nice to hear them again from Rio Capim. It reminded me of my time spent here in March 2017 with the also formidable Eton Satellit.

Recorded on 16/11/18 at 21:02 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

About 20 Coatis running away from something in Rio Capim

Watching the Coatis jump out of the jungle that acts as a boundary and run cross the road, I was hoping from a large carnivore to appear lol. Unfortunately I didn't see my first Jaguar, although I'm reliably informed by the local boys here that there are several in the area.

Thanks for watching.

Exotic FT8 decodes in the Brazilian jungle using the SDRPlay RSP DUO and...

Hi there, it's interesting spending time decoding FT8 in a completely different part of the world from where you live. Operator call signs appear on your computer screen from places that would be difficult, if not impossible to copy back in the UK. It's also easy to leave the system running for two or three hour whilst you do something else and then come back to it. A bit like fishing with a net - which some of course believe is deskilling the fine art of Ham Radio. There may be some truth in that I suppose, but the hobby has to evolve with the times.

Anyway, here's the results of such a session from my cabin in the jungle! Thanks for watching.

Dxing in the jungle: RTL Luxembourg 234 kHz Longwave, copied in Rio Capi...

Hi there, it was very nice to copy Medi 1 from all the way down here in South America. Even better in some ways to copy the RTL transmission from Luxembourg on 234 kHz. I'm trying to get some audio from Radio 4 on 198 kHz....that would be the icing on the cake lol.

Recorded in Rio Capim on 28/11/18 at 04:27 hours UTC using an SDRPlay RSPDUO and Bonito MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

Recorded before my XHDATA D-808 failed: Radio Aparecida 11856 kHz copied...

Hi there, this is a signal that is a very rare catch in the UK, particularly on this frequency. Nice to copy them again whilst I'm in Rio Capim.



Recorded in Rio Capim on 16/11/18 at 03:42 hrs UTC using a Bonito MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

DXing in the jungle with the RSP DUO: Radio Sora de Congonhas 4774.75 kH...

Hi there, this is only the second time I've recorded this exotic Brazilian station - who's frequency is just slightly below that of Radio Tarma. The key is to be listening before the grey line reaches Peru.


Recorded in Rio Capim on 18/11/18 at 22:94 hrs UTC using an SDRPlay RSP DUO and Bonito MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.

A huge signal from Rádio Clube do Pará 4885 kHz in Rio Capim, on the RSP...

Hi there, the signal in Rio Capim from Rádio Clube do Pará is always strong, but this evening, it was absolutely huge and thus I thought I'd share it with you. No wonder this station is one of the easiest South American's on SW to catch in the UK.

Recorded on 18/11/18 at 21:56 hrs UTC. Thanks for watching.

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Radio New Zealand International 15720 kHz, copied in Brazil with the D-8...

Hi there, RNZI is such a difficult target in the UK these days, if I get an opportunity to record them, I will. Here's an ok signal with the XHDATA D-808, although I must admit I copied them better when I was over here last year. Nevertheless, a relatively easy copy is a luxury I don't get at home!

Recorded in Rio Capim on 16/11/18 at 03:46 hrs UTC using a Bonito MegaLoop FX antenna. Thanks for watching.