Blog or Die!

Preface

With the firmware flashed back to its original V1.4 and the radio operating again, I resume my first impressions post with a warning I recall from some manufacturer’s website that goes something like:

If it isn’t broken, don’t update the firmware!

Buzz on the internet showed that experienced MLite-880 users found the V1.4 firmware a backwards step in some respects. Not having experience with earlier versions, I can’t judge that. Nevertheless, the manufacturer, Elecevolve, certainly advertises firmware updates as an important feature. I’m not the only person who “soft bricked” their radio trying to update the firmware.

Impressions

The question I’m asking myself is whether this is a radio experiment or a shortwave listening appliance. A different way of putting it is: does this radio just receive well, or is it useful and convenient? Stay tuned.

I’m just noting that there is a new variant of the venerable LiJiANi RD239 with SSB and App control for sale. It’s at AliExpress for about $103 US.

The product photo shows the same Radio-C app used by some of the Retekess / HanRangDa / Zhiwhis / Raddy models.

If interested, check out the manual.

I rarely use my Rd239, although it has some nice features, including backlit keys, weather band and VHF. The company has always been responsive when I asked for firmware updates.

I’m interested but not today because of this warning:

Please exercise caution when making your purchase, as the product currently has two defects that will only be rectified by the end of May. You must accept these two defects before proceeding with the purchase.

1. Currently, the manual is only available in Chinese, and the English manual is only available in electronic format. The English manual will be provided after May 25th. If you need the electronic manual, please send an email to 393688798@qq.com
2. In the SSB function of the radio, the step size is currently 5K. We plan to modify it to 0.5K. After May 25th, a version with 0.5K step size will be available. Other bands will remain unaffected.

The second is a deal breaker. Whether a firmware update can change the step is unknown. It appears that SSB can’t be decoded without the “W2 outdoor unit.”

Fresh Out of the Box

Nice box, well padded. I was at first concerned by the empty plastic battery case included, but the battery was included, already installed in the radio. The battery was about half charged. It comes with a manual, USB charging cable, and an SMA to 3.5mm phone jack adapter.

The size is smaller than a Tecsun PL-990.

When I first turned it on, the FM band was selected. I couldn’t quickly figure out how to switch bands — need manual. I did find that the single tuning knob toggles between frequency and volume setting, and that it does not do anything to select from the menus.

Next thing for a receiver geek was to check the firmware version. The website manual says Version 2.2. The supplied manual on paper said 2.1.0. The unit itself, if I ‘m reading it right, says 1.4.

I received a note today from Elecevolve, the manufacturer of the MLite-880, offering a review unit. Nearly all the radios I review are ones I purchase outright, but this will be one of those rare exceptions.

The MLite-880 was not on my buy list for a couple of reasons. I was little put off by its appearance and particularly the black and white screen, where color is the norm for SDRs. I had decided that if I were going to pursue something from the portable SDR genre, then I wouldn’t compromise; I’d get a top-of-the line Mahahit DSP4 when they become available (rather than the discontinued DSP2, DSP3, whatever Deepelec may come up with next, or a clone).