Incoming Radio: LiJiANi RD-239S + W2 Repeater

I’ve been waiting to order this since early May when an early version appeared on the AliExpress website with prominent warning that SSB tuning step was 5 kHz and that there was no printed English manual, to be remedied by a new version on May 27 with a 0.5 kHz SSB tuning step. I left a message yesterday for the seller CLOOBLUT asking if the new version were available yet, and this morning when I looked for a reply, instead of a reply, there was a product listing of the new version.

The RD-239 is reportedly based on the AKC6958  DSP chip.

GRAB

The price was $103.68 plus tax and shipping. I think that’s reasonable for essentially two separate radios, one with an Si4735 DSP chip and SSB.

Comparing the RD-239S + W2 with the ZWS-802 + W3

I’ll do that in detail after I get the radio. The similarity is obvious when it comes to features: Repeater, MW/FM/SW/AIR/VHF/Weather bands, audio equalization profiles, Bluetooth, TF card record/play, AUX input, Mute, Clock and Alarm. Both are supported by the Radio-C/Radio-CT app. Both have ATS with almost identical memory sizes.

The RD-239S + W2 adds features: Direct frequency entry, backlighted keys, multiple bandwidth settings on bands beyond FM, microphone input, flashlight and the all-important SSB demodulation. But it also doesn’t have the massive stereo speakers of the 802. UHF is mentioned for the RD-239S but I couldn’t find its range in the manual. [Update: it’s in the newer manual.] Fans of AA batteries will be happy to know that the 239S can use either one BL-5C battery or three AA batteries. The package comes with 2 x 18650 batteries for the repeater that I expect will also accept 3 AA batteries as a power source.

I’ve always liked my earlier Rd239 model for it’s compact size, record feature and decent performance. That’s one reason I jumped at the chance to get one with SSB. The manual says the RD-239S can record from Bluetooth, which is an unusual feature. The manual suggests radio will disconnect from the repeater if the radio is used as a Bluetooth speaker.

A read through the RD-239S manual showed a more literate albeit smaller document than the ZWS-802 manual. LiJiANi made a number of firmware updates available for the earlier Rd239 and it will be interesting to see if this is the case with the new one. Firmware updates were applied via the TF card. I assume the app will indicate the version for the radio and the repeater. [It does.]

I went through the manual in more detail and found that it was very readable, but that it had some typos and possible inconsistencies. The manual says that there are 199 memory locations per band, but that the memory location is selected with a 1 or 2 digit number. LiJiANi confirmed that 199 is correct. They also explained that the tuning knob sets the frequency for SSB at a step of 5 kHz and that the up and down tuning arrow sets it to 1 kHz.

I sent LiJiANi my complete typo list.

I have high hopes for this, especially during this hot summer. Promised delivery: by July 18.

Questions

1. UHF? The product announcement mentions it, but nothing in the manual. It’s in the new manual. When the W2 is connected, it will tune 200 – 470 MHz.
2. How can it handle 1 kHz SSB frequency resolution when the display lacks the final digit? Could the app handle it? The display on the RD-239S has the full final digit. According to LiJiANi, the up and down tuning arrows handle the final digit.
3. Can the W2 and W3 repeater be used independently at the same time on different radios?

Update: It didn’t ship on time and the order was automatically cancelled on July 15. I reordered.

Update 2:

CLOOBLUT, the seller left this message about the canceled order:

Hello, please cancel the order because we have discovered a major bug that requires some time to resolve. I don’t want to send you a defective product. Thank you!

They had also set a reply to an earlier question:

No, the SSB supports 1K stepping because the 4735 chip does not support 0.5K stepping. The new RD-239S is now available, but sea freight takes about 30 days, and it will be available on Amazon in about 30 days.

Update 3:

CLOOBLUT sent me another message:

I’ve sent it to you. We retested it over the past few days and found no issues, so I’ve sent it to you.

Update 4:

It arrived August 1.