How does the $10 Clooblut RD218 stack up against the Qodosen DX-286? I was surprised!

The Clooblut RD218 is available on Amazon at $20. It is available at $10 on Ali Express. That would put it in the same price range as the XHDATA D-219, the undisputed king of budget SW radios.

This video is a somewhat bizarre comparison, I admit. It is the Clooblut vs the excellent Qodosen DX-286, which I think is the best DXing radio in the market right now. I wanted to see how a really cheap radio compares to the best in the market. Surprisingly well, if you ask me! It catches a lot of the same signals as the Qodosen DX-286, sometimes just as clearly as the Qodosen.

At times in my video the Clooblut is more noisy, yes, and it seems to make some digital processing noises also. But, at just $10, it is a cheap and quite effective radio with a digital display. Great if you want to start listening to shortwave. Or as a radio to keep in your backpack, for use whenever and wherever.

The Clooblut RD218 has a tiny antenna, only 19 centimetres (about 7.5 inches). But it seems to be really sensitive on shortwave, I picked up many stations during my first test, all while using the tiny whip antenna. You can see that video here:    • I bought a cheap radio with a tiny an...  

It has nice features, like 30 memories per band, backlit buttons (those are scarce, even on more expensive radios!), a clock, a sleep timer and an alarm.

Available from Amazon at a price of about $20 here: https://www.amazon.com/shortwave-Tran... and from Ali Express at $10, just search for RD218 radio on Ali Express.

Just an important note, I know of someone who received a faulty version that does not receive anything on shortwave. Make sure you order from a seller that will accept returns.

00:00 Comparing the Clooblut RD218 to the Qodosen DX-286
01:10 A cheap way to get into DXing
01:57 Voice of Wilderness from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
05:14 Very weak Voice of Korea
06:07 KBS World Radio from South Korea
08:30 Radyo Dengê Gel from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
09:54 NHK from Yamata, Japan
11:14 Republic of Yemen Radio buzzer
11:35 PBS Xinjiang in Uyghur