Raddy RF75A Review – Pocket Radio with Interesting Bells and Whistles
By Robert Gulley K4PKM
Before we get into specifics, two things are worth mentioning right off:
I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing this radio by our
fearless shortwave listening leader, Thomas, and the copy I have was
provided to me at no cost by Radioddity directly. (I have no other
affiliation with them, but have recently purchased a GMRS mobile radio from
them which I am looking forward to using when I finish my review of the
Raddy RF75A.)
This is, as you will see from the photos I am including, a pocket radio,
not to be confused with a tabletop radio or a small portable radio such as
the CCRadio Skywave or similar radio. I mention this because invariably
there will be folks who expect tabletop or portable quality from a radio
about the size of a playing card. It is not going to happen!
Having those thoughts out of the way, the quick and dirty answer as to the
quality of the radio is, I am impressed. For those who have not read
anything related to my past experience with radios, I have been a shortwave
listener since I was about 10 years old, and now in my early sixties. So, I have
seen a fair number of radios in my time (speaking as an old codger, or is that
curmudgeon?) and have even moved with the times to incorporate SDRs into my
radio arsenal.
Each style of radio has its place, and a pocket radio is designed to be the
ultimate in portability and space savings. As light as this shirt pocket radio
is, it still manages to feel reasonably solid, and of course, it could be packed
into anything one was taking along for a trip.
（The radio measures 2.5″ x 3.5″ x 1″. Playing card and cell phone battery for
comparison.)
Here are some specs from the manufacturer’s website (saving you my long-winded
descriptions!):
APP Control SW Radio: Thanks to the app intelligent remote control and
Bluetooth 5.0 features, you can enjoy the convenience of RF75A. With its
intuitive user interface and powerful wireless capabilities, you can easily
control your radio from your devices (support iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS
systems).
Wider Reception Range: Listen to FM, VHF, AM, SW, and WB, and stay
up-to-date with your favorite radio shows and music with this powerful
multi-band receiver. RF75A has a wider range of shortwave frequencies
compared to the RF750.
Automatic Scan and Manual Storage: You can save up to 396 stations, so
you can easily access your favorite stations. Experience powerful sound and
crystal-clear reception with its 9.85′ wire antenna.
Personal Music Player: Boost your music experience with this all-in-one
outdoor audio system. With Bluetooth 5.0 feature, a 3.5mm earphone socket,
and a TF card socket, you can easily connect to your personal audio devices
and connect to your computer as a speaker.
Outdoor Companion: This one-of-a-kind radio is designed to be small and
lightweight, making it ideal for travel and outdoor activities. Use the
flashlight and SOS for emergencies.
What’s in the box?
1 x Raddy RF75A
1 x Storage bag
1 x Lanyard
1 x Wire antenna
1 x Type-C charging cable
1 x Earphone
Reception
I always like to start a radio review by either listening to AM stations
first, or WWV time stations for checking out shortwave reception. In this
instance I started listening to AM stations in the daytime to see what I could
hear on a typical day (no storms nearby, early spring, etc.).
Living in a fairly remote area I was surprised it captured as many stations as
it did, making me think the ferrite bar inside must designed well for such a
small radio. Evening and nighttime listening brought in many of the usual
stations with which we are familiar, particularly the so-called Clear Channel
stations. What was more impressive were the many small stations I was able to
pick up, not only at night, but early in the morning around 8 a.m.
One in particular caught my attention as I am quite certain I have never
captured them before, was WHKY 1290, Hickory North Carolina. That’s a distance
of about 285 miles, received in the morning. I am only about 50 miles from
Cincinnati and cannot receive some of their smaller stations on any radio! Color
me impressed!
Nighttime brought stations in from several thousand miles, as you would expect,
yet I was likewise impressed with this little radio’s capabilities on AM.
(Left: Surprisingly effective Ferrite Bar | Right: Side
vide showing the magnetic wire wrap)
FM
I confess to not being much of an FM listener, but I did tune around the band
for FM stations to test its ability to “lock on” to signals (as indicated by a
tiny red light) and to pick up stations from quite a good distance away with
clarity and good sound.
This might be a good time to mention the quality of sound from the small 3
Watt(!) speaker and bass boost from the back. Again, this is not my Sangean 909
X2 with a large speaker, nor my CC Radio EP, but it has rather amazing clarity
and volume capability for such a small radio. I cranked the volume up quite high
with no distortion, and even though the speaker is small, the bass boost seems
to round out the sound quite nicely, avoiding some of tinny sounding speakers
common in such a small radio.
Weather
The radio has coverage of the NOAA weather radio stations and it surprised me
with being able to receive 4-5 stations, more than I have gotten with most other
radios. All but one of the signals were crystal clear, with the fifth having
some noise, but still quite intelligible.
Air Band
This radio includes the air band frequencies and amateur 2-meter frequencies
(30.000-199.975 MHZ). I am usually able to receive some signals, but I am quite
far away from any local airports or repeaters, so my main reception is from CVG,
Greater Cincinnati Airport. While the radio scans the air band frequencies, like
any other radio, it is best to find local frequencies you want to hear and
program them into memory so you are not wasting a lot of time scanning dead air
(these are country specific). Likewise amateur repeaters or GMRS, marine, or
public service channels would be best used in memory channels except when
scanning for new frequencies.
SWL
Shortwave listening is very respectable, with frequency ranges between
4.750-21.850 MHz (it does not have SSB capability). Tuning can be accomplished
by pressing and holding one of the directional tuning keys for about 2 seconds,
a long press scans faster. A single press of either directional button will move
the frequency increment based on the band/mode chosen.
The radio also features something I have come to really like: a pause button
which works not only in music mode, but also when receiving regular radio
signals, activated by a quick press of the power button. The frequency is held
while pause is active, and then releasing the pause with a second quick press of
the power button resumes with all your setting still active.
When comparing this with another radio it was particularly useful instead of
having to turn the volume down like most radios. This feature is also nice for
answering a call or other interruption, and you resume right where you left off.
Sound Effects, TF Card, Audio in, Bluetooth Usage and other Errata
I have not covered these features as they do not impact radio reception, but I
mention them just for completeness. All of these features are available and can
be read about in the user’s manual. I will mention the flashlight feature and
the emergency siren features, as these are useful for portable operation. The
light is quite bright, and the siren will hurt your ears if you trip it
accidentally, especially more than once. Ask me how I know!
There is a sleep timer as well as an alarm clock function, with the sleep timer
adjustable by default starting at 90 minutes. Most buttons have multiple
functions depending on the mode employed, so reading the manual is important for
some of these features. I was able to get up and running without reading the
manual initially, but some features were functional only in certain modes, so
eventually you will need the manual which can be downloaded from the Radioddity
site.
The App
A bit of a novelty in this size and type of radio is the Apple/Android app
available to control radio functions remotely through Bluetooth connectivity. I
have to say, on Android at least, the app is beautiful and I wish more apps used
such a clear color scheme and large controls. Your mileage may vary based on
your preferences, but I like it!
As to function, the app gives you more information than the radio screen,
such as the Bandwidth, SNR, received signal strength and the volume setting in
one display. As a side note, the radio can still be adjusted at the radio, and
then changes are reflected in the app almost instantaneously.
Of course, the main use for the app is to operate remotely, and the controls are
easy to use, including, most importantly, direct keyboard entry of frequencies!
This is always the biggest drawback to small radios without a keypad. There are
instructions for using the app, but for the most part the app is laid out so
well you can control the radio pretty much intuitively.
(The free Phone app on an Android phone. I like the crisp,
clear layout and colors, and the intuitive design.)
Negatives –
Yep, there are a few. When tuning with a single press each time there is some
soft muting – fortunately it does not last long, but it is there. The buttons
also make a clicking sound, not too loud, but it is there. If something like
that annoys you, be aware all the buttons make a mechanical click.
I have noticed on several occasions that the band/mode button may stick slightly
and take you past where you want to go. Not a big problem, but it does happen
now and again. Of course, this could just be my unit.
Also, naturally, the buttons are small. And while I did not have much of an
issue even with fairly large fingers, there were times when I pressed the
desired button but also hit the one below it. Not a problem for me, but again,
if you have very large fingers you may find the radio a bit tricky to navigate
in some places. (This only happened on the front buttons for me, the tuning
buttons are adequately spaced for most anyone I think.)
The telescoping antenna is probably the weakest point on the radio – similar to
most radios, really. It is thin and could be bent easily. I had no difficulties,
but I always took care to raise it gently and watched where I was moving the
radio around. Then again, I do that will all my radios with telescoping
antennas. Just a heads-up to be careful.
Concluding Thoughts
I like this little radio, and will probably keep it in my car for those times
when I might want to listen to the radio out and about, check the NOAA weather
forecast, use the flashlight, or (hopefully never need) to use the siren. The
battery seems to last a long time on a charge when using the radio – I cannot
spaeak to the MP3 drain or a prolonged flashlight/siren drain, but under normal
use it seems excellent. It uses a USB-C connection like my phone, so charging is
not an issue for me. It will almost fully charge in an hour; the instructions
say 2 hours.
Pocket radios certainly have their niche, and I think this one does quite well
in that role. If you are in the market for such a radio, I think you will be
pleased, especially for the price and the addition of the free remote-control
app. 73!
Click here to check out the Raddy RF75A.
