Daily Driver Weather Radio: HRD-908 or ZWS-2514?

HRD-908 Emergency Weather Radio
Zhiwhis ZWS-2415 Emergency Weather Radio
Continue reading
Posted in Radio | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

ESP32 – Si4732 ATS Mini: Firmware Upgrade 2.28 (Updated)

A firmware update was released for the ATS Mini earlier today (July 1, 2025) and I quickly grabbed it and installed it on my V3 and V1 models. The latest version is always found on GitHub here.

There are two installation files, one with OSPI in the zip filename and one with QSPI. For the commercial AST Mini products, the OSPI firmware is the correct one. One of the features of V2.28 is support for PSRAM and this is the reason for two versions. Copilot says: 🤖PSRAM stands for Pseudo-Static RAM. It’s a type of external memory that behaves like SRAM (fast, byte-addressable) but is built using DRAM internally, making it cheaper and denser.”

For a technical description of which firmware to install (that caused my eyes to glaze over) see: Firmware Files.

There are multiple ways to update the ATS Mini firmware, but I’ve always used the Flash Download Tool that I’m comfortable with.

Flash Installation Tool Ready to Install

Fixes

The one complaint I’ve had about the ATS Mini, and one I posted as an issue on GitHub, is that the 200 kHz step on the VHF (FM) band forced even multiple of 1o0 kHz, so that the FM channels tuned were 90.0, 90.2, 90.4 rather than 90.1, 90,3, 90.5 where the actual channels are in North America. The reply I got from the developers was “Fixed in main.” I wasn’t sure what “main” was and when the fix would be available, but now I know: it’s fixed in 2.28.

One interesting change is described as: Much better seek sensitivity. The other was a fix to “Fix loud clicks when changing bands/modes on the PCB version without the mute circuit.” I haven’t observed the problem.

Process

I’ve flashed the firmware enough times that I don’t need to refer to the documentation. Updating two radios takes maybe 10 minutes not hurrying (longer if I hurry). Of course, I already have the firmware download tool on the hard drive.

Version 2.28 Firmware About Page

Turning the encoder knob advances to page 3, which shows a nonzero value for PSRAM.

ATS Mini V2.28 About Showing PSRAM value
Posted in Radio | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Incoming Radio: ATS Mini V3S

One AliExpress seller is selling an updated version of the ATS Mini they are labeling V3S. Specifically, the differences identified are:

  1. The latest upgraded version in June 2025
  2. It is equipped with a built-in HIZ circuit and a headphone amplifier circuit
  3. It uses an ABS injection-molded shell, which will be more sturdy and durable (previously, all shells were 3D-printed).
  4. The circuit has been optimized, and there will No longer be a large amount of additional power consumption after shutdown. No more the battery drain issue.

It’ll arrive when it does (estimated delivery date: Jul 20, 2025).

One buyer who has already received one complained that it comes with V1.01 of the firmware, but they are easily upgraded. I see that there is a new version 2.28 out now.

Update: It arrived at a US airport on July 5. I hope it looks like the picture.

Posted in Radio | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Getting to Know You: HanRongDa HRD-908

I took my new HRD-908 outside at around sunset local time (00:39 UTC) to see what it could do. It hits the ball out of the park on FM. The speaker is great, MW sucks and so does the manual. But there’s more:

Continue reading
Posted in Product Reviews, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exceeding Expectations: HanRongDa HRD-908

There is no hint in the Amazon product description that this emergency radio has app control, but it does. The same Radio-C/Radio-CT app that I’ve enjoyed with other radios like the HRD-757 and Raddy RF75A, also works here.

Unboxing

HRD-908 Box
HRD-908 Box Side Panel
Continue reading
Posted in Radio | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

ATS Mini V3 Power Drain

One big annoyance with my AMNVOLT Mini SI4732 V3 is that every time I get it out to use, the battery indicator is deep into the red zone. I had just assumed it was a bad battery with abnormal internal resistance.

Thanks to commenter David, I’ve learned that this is not the case. He pointed me to an explanation of the problem on GitHub.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would do something this stupid, but the ATS Mini V3 circuit is partially connected to the battery EVEN WHEN THE POWER SWITCH IS OFF. Not only is this inconvenient, but the additional battery charging will eventually reduce battery longevity.

I’m not sure what to do. The fix suggested looks difficult and holds the risk of irreparably damaging the radio. There are other suggested fixes:

Posted in Bad Commerce | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Incoming Radio: HanRongDa HRD-908

Update: There is a less expensive edition of this radio sold under the Zhiwhis brand, the ZWS-908. Update 2: It disappeared from Amazon.

This one caught me by surprise. I have a LiJiANi Rd908 emergency weather radio. My wife is the primary user, mostly for FM radio. It uses a pair of 18650 flat top batteries, providing lots of play time for her at her preferred low volume level. You can read the saga of that radio. If interested.

Today I was looking up some information in the Amazon product listing of the Rd908 in preparation for another article, only to learn that there is a new version, not just the simple promised addition of a few ATS memory slots and a SW meter band select function. The LiJiANi store on Amazon now sells a version under the HanRongDa brand, that comes in a different color, green. It has an additional VHF band. It adds Bluetooth and MP3 play (in a card slot blocked off in the LiJiANi version) and narrows shortwave coverage significantly. It adds 6 equalization profiles (Normal / Pop / Rock / Jazz / Rock / Classic / Country) for music play.

This feature summary accompanies the listing:

RD908 – HRD-908 Comparison

While the case seems the same except for color, one wonders if this is a wholly different radio inside. The multicolored bar above the display is something to do with the music playing.

Here is a closeup of the controls:

It also has a knob and a button to control the light on top.

Check out the manual, and just for grins how about some teardown photos? Let’s see what other surprises there are!

Arrives June 28.

Posted in Radio | Tagged , | Leave a comment