Cheap Chinese Radio Kits - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

mediaseller · 18th Sep 2023, 8:41 pm

I decided to buy a cheap Chinese radio kit from Amazon for a bit of fun.

What a complete waste of time, with one incorrect IF transformer supplied, all resistors out of tolerance and the build quality is appalling.

I suppose for £8 I mustn't complain. I might buy a whole set of good quality components and try to prove that you can make a silk purse, blah, blah.

Just thought it might be informative.

Paul_RK · 18th Sep 2023, 8:58 pm

Various of them have been examined at some length, here for instance:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=152165

Mixed reports, certainly not all bad...

Paul

livewireless123 · 19th Sep 2023, 10:09 am

I sent off for a couple of the HX108-2 kits just to have a play with one.
It went together ok and I managed to align it so it's fairly sensitive.
Just tried it out and I can hear Manx radio on it.
the i.f.t.s and the osc coil have the standard colours. I didn't like the 0.02
caps supplied so I fitted better types from stock.
the audio quality is rather 'gritty'. I then ordered 3 more to use the coils in other projects.
The kits were about £3.00 but they now seem to all be about 3x that now
post free from China. but there is a place in Manchester offering them at £20.00 each plus post!

mediaseller · 20th Sep 2023, 8:16 pm

Is it OK for me to post the English version of 2 Chinese radio kits on this thread?

Jolly 7 · 21st Sep 2023, 11:29 am

It would be helpful for kit builders to have the translated assembly instructions and corrected circuit diagram for the HX 108-2 and other kits to refer to.

mediaseller · 21st Sep 2023, 9:11 pm

Will do tomorrow.

mediaseller · 22nd Sep 2023, 10:36 am

Here are two translated sets of instructions for Chinese radio kits.

Cobaltblue · 22nd Sep 2023, 10:58 am

Hi you will need to attach them as pdfs the forum software reduces the size of jpg files to under 200K its 4MB for a pdf.

Cheers

Mike T

mediaseller · 22nd Sep 2023, 12:28 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobaltblue

Hi you will need to attach them as pdfs the forum software reduces the size of jpg files to under 200K its 4MB for a pdf.

Cheers

Mike T

Sorry, these are the best I can do for now:

mediaseller · 22nd Sep 2023, 4:19 pm

Here's the better English instructions.

Jolly 7 · 22nd Sep 2023, 10:40 pm

Thanks for sharing the translated instructions for the S66E kit. Is this the same kit they supplied you an incorrect IF transformer with? I don't have personal experience of building this kit, but it seems that it is not a good performer. Amongst other radios, Dr. Gough Lui has constructed and reviewed one of these kits on his website. I could not find any YouTube videos for the S66E.

The kit is unusual in some ways. It has two IF stages instead of the three found on the HX 108-2 radio, which I built a couple of years ago and still works very well. Also, there is no detector diode or a transistor configured to work as one in the S66E. In the circuit/ assembly instructions there is only one audio driver transformer and its connections are unusual too.

It might be worthwhile trying to make an HX108-2 instead. Generally it has good reviews and there is plenty of construction and troubleshooting information about it on the forum,YouTube and elsewhere.

mediaseller · 23rd Sep 2023, 1:31 pm

No. The HX 108-2 is the first one I tried. The replacement is the one which I uploaded the translation for.

18th Sep 2023, 8:41 pm	#1
mediaseller Triode Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 27	Cheap Chinese Radio Kits I decided to buy a cheap Chinese radio kit from Amazon for a bit of fun. What a complete waste of time, with one incorrect IF transformer supplied, all resistors out of tolerance and the build quality is appalling. I suppose for £8 I mustn't complain. I might buy a whole set of good quality components and try to prove that you can make a silk purse, blah, blah. Just thought it might be informative.

18th Sep 2023, 8:58 pm	#2
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,129	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Various of them have been examined at some length, here for instance: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=152165 Mixed reports, certainly not all bad... Paul

19th Sep 2023, 10:09 am	#3
livewireless123 Tetrode Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Southport, Merseyside, UK. Posts: 59	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits I sent off for a couple of the HX108-2 kits just to have a play with one. It went together ok and I managed to align it so it's fairly sensitive. Just tried it out and I can hear Manx radio on it. the i.f.t.s and the osc coil have the standard colours. I didn't like the 0.02 caps supplied so I fitted better types from stock. the audio quality is rather 'gritty'. I then ordered 3 more to use the coils in other projects. The kits were about £3.00 but they now seem to all be about 3x that now post free from China. but there is a place in Manchester offering them at £20.00 each plus post! __________________ HAPPINESS IS A WARM WIRELESS PREVIOUS USER NAME- MIKE G3ZII

20th Sep 2023, 8:16 pm	#4
mediaseller Triode Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 27	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Is it OK for me to post the English version of 2 Chinese radio kits on this thread?

21st Sep 2023, 11:29 am	#5
Jolly 7 Heptode Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Southampton, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 961	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits It would be helpful for kit builders to have the translated assembly instructions and corrected circuit diagram for the HX 108-2 and other kits to refer to.

21st Sep 2023, 9:11 pm	#6
mediaseller Triode Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 27	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Will do tomorrow.

22nd Sep 2023, 10:36 am	#7
mediaseller Triode Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 27	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Here are two translated sets of instructions for Chinese radio kits. Attached Thumbnails

22nd Sep 2023, 10:58 am	#8
Cobaltblue Moderator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK. Posts: 6,609	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Hi you will need to attach them as pdfs the forum software reduces the size of jpg files to under 200K its 4MB for a pdf. Cheers Mike T __________________ Don't care if it was a bargain why's it in my kitchen Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk

22nd Sep 2023, 10:40 pm	#11
Jolly 7 Heptode Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Southampton, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 961	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits Thanks for sharing the translated instructions for the S66E kit. Is this the same kit they supplied you an incorrect IF transformer with? I don't have personal experience of building this kit, but it seems that it is not a good performer. Amongst other radios, Dr. Gough Lui has constructed and reviewed one of these kits on his website. I could not find any YouTube videos for the S66E. The kit is unusual in some ways. It has two IF stages instead of the three found on the HX 108-2 radio, which I built a couple of years ago and still works very well. Also, there is no detector diode or a transistor configured to work as one in the S66E. In the circuit/ assembly instructions there is only one audio driver transformer and its connections are unusual too. It might be worthwhile trying to make an HX108-2 instead. Generally it has good reviews and there is plenty of construction and troubleshooting information about it on the forum,YouTube and elsewhere.

23rd Sep 2023, 1:31 pm	#12
mediaseller Triode Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 27	Re: Cheap Chinese Radio Kits No. The HX 108-2 is the first one I tried. The replacement is the one which I uploaded the translation for.