Kudos to Amazon who delivered the radio less than 12 hours after I ordered it. The package includes box, radio, User Manual, Thank You card and USB-C charging cable.
First Impressions
Like Amazon reviewers, I found it smaller than expected, even though the size was right there in the product description. It’s very close to the size of my Raddy RF760, but thicker because of the belt loop. But while the two radios are the same height, their antennas are very different. The Jazmm 213 has an antenna of 11″ (28 cm), while the Raddy antenna is 18 1/2″ (53 cm).
The second impression was the speaker: just wow! It’s described as 5W and it may be one of the best portable radio speakers I have, excepting of course the Tecsun PL-990 that is in a class by itself. Still one can fill a room with this.
I found a model number, 213, on the back of the radio and according to the manual this is what is listed when pairing Bluetooth. The product description makes it clear that this is a Bluetooth speaker, not a Bluetooth transmitter — you can’t send the device sound to your AirPods.
The Daytime Band Scan results are consistent with a tiny internal MW antenna and a very short telescopic antenna for FM. MW is not all that good, and FM is mediocre. Still FM sounds good when you get a station. I found some birdies on MW and there was a weak buzz in the upper end of the MW band on all frequencies.
It gets shortwave stations. Because the ATS scan covers the full frequency range, it takes about seven and a half minutes to complete. Overall the radio is not particularly sensitive. Shortwave is more of an afterthought, although you could get the strong international broadcasters in the evening. Let’s face it, an 11″ antenna is not going to cut it for shortwave listening. I quickly gave up and clipped on my 20-foot diagonal wire up a tree (WUT) antenna. Here’s the result of a band scan:
Unfortunately, the scan was done right before 00:00 UTC and I went through the scan results right after 00:00 UTC, so some stations found might have gone off the air.
Tuning can be a bit tedious, but holding down the tuning button can speed things up.
Features
This is an MW/ SW/ FM/ WB radio plus a Bluetooth speaker and MP3 player via TF card. It includes an auto scan feature with, it appears, 100 presets per band. The ATS scan on shortwave covers all its frequencies between 4.75 and 21.85 MHz, not just the international broadcast bands, and for this reason it’s fairly slow. I presume the MW step is fixed at 10 kHz because of the sign “US” in a square box on the back. There’s probably another version for the rest of the world.
There is a numerical signal strength indicator.
There are 6 music profiles for use when playing MP3 or using Bluetooth. There is a flashlight, earphone jack, wrist strap and belt clip.
Amazon reviewers say that there is no FM stereo through the earphone jack, although there is for MP3 and Bluetooth.
The radio charges via USB-C and is documented to consume 1A when charging. The internal battery is rated at 1250 mAh. The radio should completely charge in about an hour. There are some warnings about charging the radio at voltages over 6V, reflecting a concern over using the radio with USB-C power distribution chargers. To be safe use the supplied USB-A to USB-C cable to charge.
The one feature it lacks is a mute button.
Manual
The manual is tiny, but so is the radio. I found the manual literate and informative. I give it an “A” grade. I couldn’t find a copy on the web, so I scanned it.
With that said, I found the radio fairly intuitive to operate. The up and down volumes were obvious. A long press of a tuning button scans for the next station, and holding the button down advances the frequency quickly. A long press of the SCAN button begins an ATS scan of the present band. A quick press of MEM switches the tuning button function between advancing memory locations and advancing frequencies. On the weather band, the SCAN long press sets the radio to receive weather alerts and another long press exits this mode; after a few seconds the display goes dark, but the scanning appears to continue.
The MODE button switches between radio, Bluetooth, and MP3 modes (MP3 only when a TF Card is inserted).
Power on and off is accomplished with a long press of the power button. A short press of the Lock/Light button turns the flashlight on and off, and a long press locks the other buttons.
Conclusions
I think this is a good radio for the price. With the weather band and flashlight features, it might be a radio to take camping. Amazon reviewers say they get 10 hours play time from a charge, which is pretty good. You can’t change batteries, but you could take along a power bank, or a large solar panel. Volume is good for outdoors and the radio seems sturdy– nothing sticking out to break off. The display is easy to read.
For shortwave, you’d definitely want an external antenna, like the Sangean ANT-60 to clip on and even then sensitivity is not what one would expect from a more serious shortwave portable.
Note
The Jazmm 213 is also sold under the Degen 213 branding, as well as the Green Lion Voyager (Model 990478120969). The OEM manufacturer appears to be Zhuhai Meding branded as the Meding MD-213.