When the original Qodosen SR-286 was introduced, it caused quite a sensation in the radio community. Utilizing the TEF-6686 chip, originally designed for automotive use, it offered extremely high/trend setting performance along with an unprecedented amount of user control over many circuit parameters. There are many other radios using this chip but as yet none of them have an internal ferrite rod antenna which is needed for good AM reception unless you are in a very low noise environment, such as outdoors. In addition, the Qodosen offers many user settings which are not available on other radios. For example, the Qodosen allows use of its whip antenna along with a 20 db amplifier on AM for incredible Five Star AM sensitivity outdoors and in very quiet locations. But for indoor use, whip antennas usually pick up too much noise, so the Qodosen offers the best of both worlds with an internal ferrite rod AM antenna.

The DX-286 performs identically to the original SR-286 but incorporates some simplified settings options outlined below. So for full details on more aspects of design and performance please refer to the original SR-286 review.

Because the DX-286 is an Ultralight-sized radio the internal ferrite rod is necessarily small which limits its AM sensitivity to ***. Still the radio is as sensitive on AM as any other radio its size and better than most. However, I recently discovered that if you have a tuned passive loop like the Kaito AN-100 or Terk AM Advantage, you can connect it directly through the aux antenna input, enable the 20 db amp and achieve ***** AM performance even in indoors in noisier locations. I put this combination up against my ***** AM Reference radios and the DX-286 was fully their equal in this mode. Passive loops like the AN-100/AN-200 and Terk are far more efficient with a high impedance input. The Qodosen antenna input is high impedance when the 20 db amp is on, low when it is off…this is a very versatile option.

Its FM performance is even more spectacular, beating every other Five Star FM portable I’ve ever tested earning a rating of *****1/2 Stars in the FM Mega Shootout. It is not only extremely sensitive but it is also highly selective, beating the best of today’s other portable radios with no less than sixteen (!) available FM bandwidths ranging from 56 to 311 KHz, and better still, an Auto FM bandwidth which seems to work perfectly. This radio can separate adjacent channel FM signals even in fairly extreme cases. There are plenty of other settings you can choose from as well such as FM signal Processing which I have never seen on any radio before, Variable Squelch and Variable Attenuator. There are several other aspects of FM reception that are controlled automatically in the chip such as Multipath Suppression which brings the Qodoesn closer to car radio performance than other portable radios.

That original model (which is still available from Ali Express as of this writing) was from an early production run of 1000 units and the future of the SR-286 was not certain. Now Qodosen enters the world of mainstream products with their updated official export version DX-286 and here in the US it is available on Amazon in a deluxe package which includes a hard carrying case, a short USB charging cable and printed Owner’s Manual. It sells at Amazon for $89.99 and now ships with TWO 18650 button-top Li-ion batteries.

The big advantage of the new DX-286 radio in addition to more widespread availability is simplified operation with fewer button presses needed for often-used functions such as switching between the ferrite rod or whip AM antenna. The radio also comes with US-friendly defaults such as proper band steps and FM band coverage although all can be reset If needed. More good news – performance is identical to the original model so the new DX-286 joins the original SR-286 as one of the most sophisticated portable radios ever. It is still a pocket-sized radio so although it sounds really good for its size it is not a boombox by any means.

Above: SR-286 & DX-286 are Look-Alikes

For a full report on the features and performance of this amazing radio please read the original Qodosen SR-286 Review:

Once again, the updated DX-286 offers identical performance to the original model but with somewhat simplified operation. Here are the some of the details which were sent to me by the radio’s designer outlining the major operating differences between the original SR-286 and new DX-286 model. Quoting from that information:

“1. ‘AMP ON/OFF’ function, in SR-286, you need to long press <PAGE> and <0> button to achieve; in DX-286, it is simplified to long press <SET> button to activate.

2. ‘ANT INT/ANTEXT’ function is activated by long-pressing the <PAGE> and <AM> buttons in the SR-286, while it is simplified to long-pressing the <RDS> button in the DX-286.

3. ‘FM Signal Processing’ function is activated by long-pressing the <PAGE> and <FM> buttons in the SR-286; in the DX-286, only long-pressing the <SET> button is required.

4.To activate the ‘FM Search Threshold’ function, the SR-286 has to press <PAGE> and <DOWN> at the same time; for the DX-286, it is simplified to press and hold the <PAGE> button.

In addition, we have solved the FM tuning step problem reported by foreign users of SR-286 (200KHZ cannot be used in the U.S. region), newly added 76-95MHz frequency band selection, and the FM tuning step has been newly increased to 250KHz/30KHz to adapt to different FM broadcasting standards in different countries. The specific frequency range and tuning step are as follows:

Frequency Modulation (FM).

64-108MHz (suitable for Russia

76-95MHz (suitable for Japan)

76-108MHz (suitable for schools)

87-108MHz (suitable for Europe, Oceania, Africa, Asia)

87.5-108MHz (suitable for China, America)

 Tuning step: 250KHz/200KHz/100KHz/50KHz/30KHz/10KHz

Short Wave (SW).

1711-27000KHz

 Tuning step: 1KHz/5KHz

Medium Wave (MW).

522-1620KHz

 Tuning step: 1KHz/9KHz

520-1710KHz

 tuning step: 1KHz/10KHz

Long Wave (LW).

144-519KHz

 tuning step: 1KHz/3KHz”

Summary and Conclusion: I was literally astounded by the performance of the original SR-286 and I have verified that the new DX-286 matches it in every detail. On FM it heard stations which were weaker or non-existent on my other top FM portables and even displayed their RDS info. On AM it was as good as any other Ultralight-sized radio with its ferrite rod antenna and outdoors with the whip antenna and 20 db amp it is as sensitive as any AM portable. And indoors you can use a tuned loop with a direct connection as described above and get absolutely top tier ***** AM performance which is truly amazing. SW too was very sensitive. The only things lacking are 1 KHz bandwidth on AM which hard-core DXers sometimes need when chasing Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific DX targets which use different channel spacing and there is no SSB on SW, but for the typical user (like me) the DX-286 is simply without peer. Sound quality is great for such a small radio and now with it available on Amazon purchasing and returns are much easier. The hard padded carry case is very deluxe as well.

Recommended!

See it on Amazon: With Two Batteries

Soon it will also be available with one battery…stay tuned.

NEW: Accesories Package includes Telescopic Whip Antenna, Cloth Carry Bag with Velcro closure, Battery Cover, 2 Flip Stands, 2 Rubber feet. See it at Amazon:

Outside the USS See the DX-286 at Ali Express:

Jay Allen

            Qodosen – Where Did This New Company Come From?

I have been asked to provide some background information about Qodosen, a brand-new company which has produced one of the most astounding portable radios ever seen. Since their first radio (the SR-286 and the official release version DX-286 offered such breakthrough improvements in performance, many people may wonder where this company came from. Believe me…it did not come out of the blue!

I was lucky that a Chinese radio enthusiast sent me the first radio to evaluate and he also put me in touch with the radio’s designer, Mr. Deping Zeng. Since the Qodosen is such a remarkable design I think you will be interested in Mr. Zeng’s background…he has been responsible for more radio designs than you might imagine, and fortunately, Mr. Zeng has graciously provided me with a bit of history to share with you. Here is what he wrote to me:

“Dear Mr. Jay,

I’m happy to share my history in the broadcasting industry.

In my youth, I joined Tecsun in 1994 and left in 2005. I participated in designing many models, such as the Tecsun BCL-2000 (Grundig/Eton S350 DL). After leaving Tecsun, I founded Redsun Radio, focusing on R&D. The RP-2100, which I developed, was well-received and OEMed by many brands abroad, including CC Radio-SW, Kaito KA-2100, K-PO WR-2100, Silicon Scientific 75498, Roadstar TRA-2350, and ELTA 3569.

I worked at Redsun for five years. During my time there, I designed several products for C. Crane, such as the CC Radio-SW, CC-EP, CC-SWP, and CC-Solar Observer. I also collaborated with other brands like Toshiba, ELPA, and Digitech.

In 2009, I left REDSUN and founded a new company dedicated to OEM for various brands. I had in-depth collaborations with C. Crane and Eton, including models like Eton: S450-DXL, Elite Executive, Elite Field BT, Elite Traveler, Eton Mini Compact, FRX1, FRX2, and C. Crane: CC-FM Transmitter 2 & 3, CC-EP Pro, CC-Skywave, CC-Skywave SSB, CC Pocket, CC Solar, CC Pocket as well as XHDATA D-808/R-108 and Digitech AR-1780/AR-1748/AR-1945/AR-1733.

Now, I have established the Qodosen brand. Our first product is the DX-286 radio. Next, Qodosen will launch more radios with various functions.

I have been in the radio industry for 30 years and have always loved broadcasting, witnessing the changes in technology. Nowadays, with the prevalence of digital media and smartphones, the way people access information and entertainment is changing. Radio users are gradually decreasing, but I believe that radios will not disappear entirely. They still have unique advantages and space”.

So as it turns out we’ve been enjoying Mr. Zeng’s radio designs for a very long time and I think you will agree that his background in radio design speaks for itself…I look forward to future Qodoesn products!

Jay Allen