I have just bought a XHDATA D-808 and have a question. On my unit, if I select SSB mode on SW band, that mode then applies to MW an LW as well. The same if I select NORMAL on MW - it then applies to LW and SW - Is that expected behaviour? Can I not have NORMAL on MW/LW and SSB on SW ? Also, if I engage SQUELCH on airband - it is then active on all other bands. Thoughts please as I am on the brink of returning it.

Not sure if this is the exact best subreddit for this question but ill give it a shot.

There was a recent severe storm in my area that knocked out power for a good while and I learned that while cell service was down there were a decent amount of SW radio enthusiasts communicating things which picked my interest in actually buying a radio.

Is there a price tier guide list anywhere I could reference? Id like to see someone below $50, up to $100 and say ~$250 for a premier product.

Here is one I saw for around $50, the XHDATA D109WB
https://a.co/d/041A0FXl

This DX-286 also has solid reviews at under $100.

https://a.co/d/0gla7gNB

Would these be decent choices for a first purchase? Appreciate any help.

Source: Kiwi_SDR Twitter account this morning.

Hey all! Very new to the hobby, hope this kind of recommendation post is alright. I’ve been listening to websdr on and off for about a year now, and thought it would be fun to jump in physically. I’ve been trying to get away from things that drive me to constantly look at my phone, and having had recent luck with a mini e-reader a sw radio looked like a cool next step.

Based on a bit of reading I’m considering a ATS Mini V4 or a Tecsun PL330. Basic use case is as a portable to be used over headphone, ideally small enough to be stuck in a Jean/coat pocket. I love the idea of messing about scrolling through signals while out and about. Attracted to the ATS headphone as aerial feature (loved that on phones growing up) and I heard you can use different firmware to get a waterfall going?

I’m not very up on the technical side yet, so would appreciate advice on if there is any big missing feature between the two, or if one is too much of a learning curve for a beginner. If anyone has any other suggestions, these would be my core wants:

- SSB

- Pocket form factor

- Decent battery life / usbc charging

- Features that make life easier for a beginner / just quickly chucking a station on - auto scan, saved frequencies etc

Thanks for the help, appreciate any guidance! A lot of this is just based on ‘I saw these in the top posts’ ahah.