More Portable Radios and a Big Giveaway
Our friends over at Radioddity sent me a really cool radio (at a big discount) to play with—the Raddy Malahit DSP2. I’d seen some reviews of the radio with experts and ethusiasts noting the DSP2 is a marvel of portable SDR (Software Defined Radio) engineering—boasting virtually everything you'd expect from a full-size tabletop digital radio, all in your jacket pocket.
Features
Wideband coverage: 10 kHz to 2 GHz across NFM, WFM, AM, SSB, DSB, CW, RTTY, and FT8 modes.
Vivid touchscreen + tactile knobs: 3.5″ IPS color display with intuitive waterfall spectrum views, backed by responsive knobs and menu control.
Dual antenna inputs: One SMA for 50Ω, another for high-impedance or bias-T for amplified setups.
Noise handling tools: Adaptive noise reduction, noise blanker, and more to cut through interference.
Convenient power: 5,000 mAh battery with USB-C charging offers long runtime.
Encoded for digital modes: Supports CW decoding, RTTY, FT8, plus CAT control for rig operation.
Radioddity was also nice enough to send along some of there so-called Donut Antennas, each one optimized for a certain band.
The physical quality of the radio is like nothing I’ve seen. The case is made of rugged aluminum and the knobs and other components are top quality. The radio is fairly heavy—but in a good way.
I also noted the built-in rechargeable battery seems offer excellent life.
Acknowledge the Learning Curve
It didn’t take me long to realize the Malahit is extremely feature-rich. How many features? So many that I had to watch several YouTube videos just to get a sense of what it could do.
Searching out signals in the middle of the night I felt like like some sort of a special agent using illicit black-project technology.
The touchscreen tuning and waterfall spectrum views are hypnotic. Searching out signals in the middle of the night I feel like like some sort of a special agent using illicit black-project technology.
However, this abundance of features comes at the cost of complexity. The menu system and settings depth can be overwhelming—even for experienced users. An Amazon reviewer summed it up:
“It is a well put‑together radio, but complicated as hell. Beautiful screen, plenty of features.”
Another wrote:
“There is a learning curve—but it’s worth it.”
My Take
I can imagine that once I understand the radio better it might become my favorite, but in terms of simply tuning in AM, FM, WB and SW stations, my little Raddy RF320 Shortwave Radio (costing $400 less) seemed to perform as well or better than the Malahit.
Yes, I was impressed with the DSP2’s insane range and build quality, but my RF320 is a simpler, more straightforward unit that delivers everything I personally need, without all the menu diving.
Final Verdict
If you're a radio nut craving every tool and mode in a handheld, the Malahit DSP2 is teeming with capabilities you won’t find elsewhere in a radio near this size.
For me, well… I’ll stick mostly with the RF320 for its ease of use—at least until I better understand the Malahit’s many, many functions.
Giveaway
Radioddity was kind enogh to offer us a second Malahit DSP2 to giveaway to one lucky paid Small Craft Advisor subscriber. This is a $479 retail radio—one of our biggest prizes to date. If you’d like to enter, just leave a comment below and we’ll use a random number generator to choose one commentor as winner.
We’ve also got 2 of the Raddy Emergency Solar Crank Radios to giveaway as well. So add your comment below and we’ll pick three total winners in a couple of days.
In the meantime, be sure to take advantage of Radioddity’s 13th Anniversary sale here. SCA•
A big learning curve you say?
Too big for old guys? 😁
As an 88 year old "techno-dinosaur, I am fascinated by items like this. However, I don't know if I have enough lifetime left to truly learn, let alone master all of the features this little gem possesses. Thanks for the info, it's things like this that keep this old brain open and curious!
Cheers...Dave...WWP-15