D109WB Weather Radio

Multi-band reception is excellent. Shortwave is very good. Battery lasts a long time and sound quality is very good. Build quality is NOT CHEAP. Solid. Performs all functions easily and it’s easy to ready the display. I love this radio. My everyday carry. Looks very stylish also. Not dated. Easy to use.

Product arrived on time and well packaged. For the record, I am NOT a short wave expert. I am a casual user who likes to surf the bands at times, so this radio and others like it are used for fun as well as for emergency preparedness. I also have a Sangean 909X, which easily cost 4+ times as much as this radio when I bought it back in 2011. That radio is my comparison source. First things first however. This radio has a solid build feel to it. The switches have a nice tactile feel to them. I love the use of the 18650 battery for power (The radio cannot be powered with the battery removed....It MUST be present) because I use that same battery type in many of my high powered flashlights. Now my understanding is that the battery provided in unprotected, meaning that it lacks safety circuitry to prevent overcharge, short circuits, and other issues that could lead to a battery fire. I would highly recommend purchasing a protected 18650 to use in this radio and yes, they DO FIT. I cannot guarantee that every brand will fit, but I was able to install two protected name brand 18650 batteries in this radio with no difficulty. Do not charge the battery unattended. Now all of THAT said, even the lower capacity 18650 battery provided with this radio should power it for a LONG time versus any AAA / AA batteries and likely even better than those that might use C or D cells. Since I can solar charge my 18650 batteries this makes it a great tool for emergency preparedness as well. Now those buttons.....Some are a bit confusing so I do find myself referring back to the operating manual at times, but that should improve with usage and familiarity. The sound quality from the speaker is quite good at this price point. It is mono of course and do not expect Bose quality, but again at this price point...I am very happy. Reception on both FM and shortwave seems to rival every other quality (And much more expensive) radio that I own. I have mixed feelings about AM. It does not seem as good as my other radios but to be fair... I really need to try to outside. It it as good as my CC Radio Plus DX? No, but it is darn close. FM reception was outstanding. On shortwave this radio easily outclassed my Sangean 909X during an indoor test. Yes, it actually did pick up more channels when in scan mode. Now some of that COULD be in how each radio's software is set up...What it selects to stop at versus what it skips. But again...at $45 after the coupon discount?! Obviously at this point I cannot speak to durability, but I can say that I am VERY pleased with my initial impressions. At this point in time I feel that this radio is a bargain at this price due to the speaker's good sound quality and surprisingly good FM and shortwave reception. I will close by saying that I thought about this radio for quite some time before I decided to make the purchase, primarily because I could not believe it would be this good at this price point.....$41 after a $15 coupon.

I bought it at Prime day saving event for $39+tax. It has Silab/Skyworks 4734 chipset, a good med range full band receiver, plus BT and common audio file playback. Overall I would rate 4 stars for the price you pay. PROS: - Good AM-MW and FM sensitivities and can pull in almost the same amount of stations as Qodosen DX-286 - SW sensitivity is OK when an external antenna is used. - LW is useless in NA due to lack of stations, but tested with a signal generator to have a similar sensitivity level at 510KHz LW, vs. 530K in MW band (RSSI is 56dBuV from the same source strength at respective frequencies) - The BT and music file playback are a nice bonus. - Decent full range speaker with good suspension and acoustic design, though just 40mm diameter. It plays loud and clearly with decent bass. CONS: - Front end design saturates easily in SW band, and receives lots of harmonics or inter-modulation signals from MW band when it's overloaded. e.g 2nd harmonics from local 50KW blowtorch 1170KHz KLOK. It pops up strongly at 2.34MHz SW band! - LCD is not biased properly (at least for my unit), best viewing angle is 45 degrees lower than the normal direction. Hard to read in other angles. - USB type C was not designed right, missing 5Kohm pull-down on the CC lines. It won't charge on a USB-C PD charger with type C-C cable, but it would be ok to use type A to C cable (thanks to no CC control) it comes default with 9K channel spacing for MW band, so some may be surprised it only receives a couple of stations in AM-MW (much less hit for common multiples of 9K and 10K at 90K, you will get 1/10 stations). Power it off and press on the number 2 key to toggle to 10K mode in NA, before you return it!

From the moment I picked up the XHDATA D109WB, I could tell it was something special. Despite its relatively compact dimensions, this little radio delivers on ambition: AM, FM, SW, LW, NOAA weather band with alerts, Bluetooth, MP3/TF card playback, alarm clocks, SOS mode — and all wrapped in a solid, thoughtful design. Design & Features Right up front: this radio doesn’t skimp. The D109WB supports FM (64–108 MHz), AM/MW (522–1620 kHz), LW (153–513 kHz), SW (1711–29999 kHz), and NOAA weather channels (162.400–162.550 MHz) with alert capability. It also offers generous memory capacity: 100 presets each for FM, LW, MW and up to 300 for SW. The audio side is strong too: a 40 mm speaker with 5 W spec, 2 W output, plus TF (microSD) card support (up to 32 GB) and Bluetooth mode for use as a wireless speaker. In terms of build, it feels robust — buttons have good tactility, the tuning knob and volume wheel are responsive, and there’s a flip-out stand and rubber feet. The radio is powered by a rechargeable 18650 battery, with USB-C charging. he designers also included external antenna and headphone jacks, which opens up flexibility for listening setups. One particularly clever touch is variable-speed tuning: turn the knob slowly for fine 1 kHz (or equivalent) steps; turn it faster and it jumps in larger increments (e.g. 10 kHz on FM). That gives you both precision and convenience depending on how fast you want to scan. Also, a DX/Local switch helps tame overload when using external antennas or in strong signal areas. Performance & Reception My experience — and reports from other users — confirm this is not just a specs sheet radio: it performs. On FM, stations come in cleanly with surprising strength, often matching much pricier sets. The weather band/NOAA reception is also solid. On shortwave, performance is very good for a radio in this class: I was able to pick up distant SW stations and compare side-by-side with more expensive radios and find that, in many cases, the D109WB held its own. Some reviewers say it rivals or nearly matches a CCrane Skywave 2 in many signals. External antennas help further, although one must take care to manage overload (the DX/Local switch is useful here). Audio from the built-in speaker is surprisingly full and enjoyable for spoken programs or lighter music. In Bluetooth or TF card mode it becomes a quite respectable little media speaker. Battery life is also commendable: users report many hours of operation even with frequent use, and the radio holds charge impressively. Extras & Usability The extra features really push this over the top. The NOAA weather alert function is a standout — the radio can scan the weather frequencies and alert even when you’re not tuned exactly inline. The SOS alarm mode is a thoughtful inclusion for field or emergency use. Dual alarms, sleep timer, backlit display, key lock — these small touches enhance all-around usability. At its price point, the XHDATA D109WB delivers outstanding value. It’s not perfect — you won’t get SSB capability (so ham sidebands are out), and the manual could be more intuitive — but compared to what it offers, these are small compromises. Many reviewers call it a “sweet spot” device for price vs. performance. For casual listeners, emergency prep, travel, or as an introduction to multiband listening, it’s a very compelling choice. Highly recommended.

After considerable usage I find it can not replace my old analog radio. I find that it spears well built and solid but the buttons are too small for my fingers and I tend to press more than one button at a time. The best part is the weather band which has been the most useful thing about the radio with me monitoring the weather band on it and using my other radio for radio listening. The main problems are that it switches between 1 khz and 5 khz when trying to fine tune a station jumping 20 to 30 khz from where I am tuning. .Also false peaks appear 3 khz above and below the station making it harder to tune. Even with its short wave deficiency it does work fairly well but for me the weather band makes it all worth it and would by againg just for that.

overall, a very usable AM/SW/LW FM/WB radio. very sensitive and selective. has Local DX switch which helps to reject strong nearby stations. the keyboard layout and ergonomics is very good making usage enjoyable. better than the R108 and much better than the D808 which is a pain to navigate memories buttons are rubber? not plastic. much better touch/feel Sound quality is superb for such a small radio. FM w/ earbuds sound great! uses 18650 battery which lasts MUCH longer than the BL5c in the R108. No airband, No SSB, but has weather and alerts. Tuning has the distinctive muting all DSP radios have. annoying, but it is what it is with DSP. haven't tried the BT or the TF music playback yet.

Unit worked fine for about two months, then the tuning dial broke, now it just spins. Also, reception was a bit disappointing.

This thing is fantastic! I own an XHDATA D-808(~$80-85) and a Tecsun R-9012 (~$20) so I have a few to directly compare it to and I am surprised at how high quality this is for the price, and how it still offers something unique in my radio collection (it's the only one with Weather Band and also has a pretty decent Bluetooth speaker). I think because of the Bluetooth speaker functionality, this has way more of a bass response which makes it the best for listening to music. I honestly prefer the rubber buttons on this compared to the flat plastic ones on the D-808. It also comes with a external antenna jack which my Tecsun doesn't have, so I can hook up the antenna that was included with my D-808 for a very noticeable boost in reception. I highly recommend this!

Ótimo rádio não é muito simples de operar mas com o tempo fica fácil, a pilha dura bem e carrega rápido. Estou muito satisfeito está me atendendo muito bem. O som dele pelo tamanho do alto falante é ótimo.

Muy complicado de conseguir una puesta en marcha del aparato por la cantidad de botones y opciones que tiene, demasiado al ser digital y las instrucciones solo en inglés…, de saber lo complicado que es hubiera cogido el analógico que supongo sería más práctico 🤷🏻‍♂️

Super

This radio is a well-rounded performer with excellent reception, especially on MW (AM) and shortwave bands. FM reception holds up well too, making it a reliable all-band companion for everyday listening or travel. Sound quality is surprisingly good for its compact size, with a decent amount of bass and clarity. It includes two audio profiles—Music and Voice—which help fine-tune the sound depending on what you're listening to. While it doesn’t offer a full EQ, these modes provide a useful level of customization. The build feels solid and dependable. One of the most welcome upgrades over the previous version is the rubbery buttons, which offer a much better tactile feel and responsiveness. However, it would be great if the buttons were backlit, as using the radio in the dark can be challenging. The display is also a bit dim, which may affect visibility in bright conditions, though it remains usable. Pros: Excellent MW and shortwave reception Solid FM performance Clear, rich audio with Music/Voice modes Much-improved rubber buttons Sturdy and travel-friendly design Cons: Buttons are not backlit for dark use Display is a bit dim in bright lighting Only basic sound profiles (no full EQ) Verdict: Whether you're into shortwave listening or just want a capable, good-sounding portable radio, this one hits a sweet spot for performance, usability, and value. A thoughtful update over its predecessor, with practical improvements where they matter.

Fonctionne très bien, merci