Si4732 ATS Mini V3S

My Si4732 ATS Mini ordered July 1 from the TOOLTOP Global Store on AliExpress arrived in exactly 13 days, 6 days ahead of schedule. Version 3S fixes the battery drain issue, and one can see from this photo that the unit arrived with a full battery.

ATS Minin V3S with nearly full battery.

It also included the black donut and telescopic antennas, plus USB C cable and information sheet.

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SM-616: Preparing Video

I have a special early edition DVD of the movie Koyaanisqatsi, autographed by director Godfrey Reggio. I thought that if I had a DVD without copy protection, that would be it, and I was apparently correct; however, my first naive attempt to create an MP4 file to play on the SM-616 had some problems — jumpy and no sound.

I solved those problems, and here are the steps I used to make a working file:

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SM-616: First Impressions

First impressions:

  1. It’s big, as tall as a Tecsun PL-990, but an inch wider.
  2. The 8-page fold out color manual manual is attractive with text that’s easy to read.
  3. Packaging is professional

Unboxing

The first thing I noticed about the package, the product and the manual is that there is no brand mentioned. It is a SM-616, but no Ongteed and no Semier.

SM-616 Video Radio Box
SM-616 Specifications from Box

The side of the box has basic product information, including one surprise. The Box and the Manual say 720P only, but the Amazon product description says 1080, more on that later on.

SM-616 Controls
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An Uninvited Guest

Arrival

When I opened the latest box of Qodosen DX-286 returns from Amazon, I expected the usual: a compact LW/MW/SW/FM radio packed in its familiar product box with hard plastic case, manual, stickers, plush bag and charging cable. What I did not expect when I opened the box was this:

Sangean DT-800 MW/FM/WX radio and AC adapter
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Incoming Radio: SM-616

This was a Prime Day deal for $21.77. I ordered one yesterday (July 9). The price was just too low to pass up. And for proof of the deal, this is a snip from my Amazon invoice:

Perhaps others thought the same because today there are only 17 left in stock and although it is still Prime Day, the price jumped to $32.99.

SM-616

It is essentially a multimedia player with a 7″ color screen, an MP3 music player, an MP4 video player, a Bluetooth speaker and a radio, supporting  FM 87.5-108MHz , AM 520-1730 kHz, SW 4.75-21.95 MHz.

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Prime Day Deals

If you’re interested in starting to listen to shortwave radio, there are some notable deals on Amazon.com during their Prime Day promotion. And no, I don’t get any commission on products I mention here.

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Daily Driver Weather Radio: HRD-908 or ZWS-2415?

HRD-908 Emergency Weather Radio
Zhiwhis ZWS-2415 Emergency Weather Radio
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