Ham Radio - The Malahit DSP portable SDR receiver.

I purchased two off eBay I paid to open them up to 2.0ghz as well and just like any good receiver it requires a good outside antenna and this radio sings it’s a lot of radio in small package.
I have several discone antennas, I think I’ll try them next and use that antenna to cover this little rigs dynamic range..!!! I think for what I paid for them they are pretty fun and a pretty useful radio, and with a great antenna these rigs are what every ham needs to cover from 1-2.o ghz without gaps ..!!!

joe
W0IW

 

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/q-malachit-sdr-receiver.754593/

 

These are cute little radios. But most buying them would find something like a Tecsun PL-660 much more usable as a portable receiver.

 

that is one reason I tend to stay away from odd-brand items manufactured in China: you have no idea if you are getting a real deal, or if the Chinese manufacturer is selling identical units but bypassing the designer. Amazon appears to be full of that sort of thing. SDRplay is reported to have suffered a similar problem early in their company's history.

Since it is virtually impossible to tell the real thing from the grey-market / fake / unlicensed unit, I simply don't buy Chinese made radios from Amazon, eBay, or Alibaba. Instead, I buy from HRO or other reputable vendors.... just so I can demand my money back later if it turns out to be a fake.

 

What's the verdict on UHF / VHF reception? Is it okay at best? Are there SDR programs that you can use to have the AM band decode Motorola analog CQUAM AM stereo, or for the VHF band to decode P25 digital?

 

I have one of the small Tecsun units, it’s ok, but the issue I have with it is there is no backlighting on the buttons, so at night trying to use it is useless.

I wonder how regular distant broadcast AM stations work on this thing with a small portable antenna (rubber ducky or telescopic...)? I’m on Long Island, and often listen to KDKA in Pittsburgh to fall asleep, about half the time it’s very noisy on the tecsun with only built in antenna. How would this receiver compare to that?

 

Also, where do you get the little antenna he used to clip on the fence?

 

I've never seen an original for sale anywhere other than directly through the manufacturer so everything on Amazon, eBay, etc., is a Chinese clone. The telltale signs of the original are front mounted volume and VFO knobs. I have not seen a clone that has this setup as of yet which is interesting; they all seem to have various different types of knobs mounted on the right side of the unit.

 

The ones I've heard about won't work with most whip/duck antennas worth a hoot. They require a decent 50 ohm outdoor antenna to really perform.

 

then I guess I'll never get one.

 

Solution to using the small antenna!

 

Law enforcement here has switched to Digital FM. Perhaps that it why your Law Enforcement FM is distorted. Just a thought...

 

No, they are still analog in this county. I am going to have to try again and see if by some chance I had a setting wrong on the radio just to be sure.

 

With the Malahit be sure to set it for NFM if listening to law enforcement. It will sound distorted if set for WFM

 

trust me, i tried twice,'
first one no sign of life at all. like an empty case !!
2nd one tuned erratic. no useful audio on am.
clones are useless junk...