The Raddy RF750 Multimedia Music Player

-- by Craig WB3GCK
　

My (far) better half and I like to keep a radio in our little travel trailer. When we’re camping, we often listen to baseball games in the evening (go Phillies!) while sitting around the campfire. It’s also handy to have a weather radio on hand, when the cell service is unreliable or non-existent. I bought this little radio to see how it compares to the old radio we’ve been using for years.

What It Is

The Raddy RF750 is a compact multimedia player with a radio that covers the AM, FM, shortwave, and the NOAA weather bands. It has a Bluetooth mode, so it will play audio from your smartphone. The RF750 will also play MP3 files from a micro SD memory card (up to 256GB) you can insert into the unit. It’s powered by a 1000mah Li-ion battery, which you can recharge via a USB-C port on the radio.

When playing audio via Bluetooth or SD card, the RF750 has an audio equalizer with six preset configurations to choose from. You can also set the radio to scan a band automatically and store the stations it finds (up to 20 stations each on FM and AM, 10 stations on each of 7 shortwave bands). This can be useful when you’re traveling. There is also a sleep timer that will shut off the radio after a user-selected time (10 to 70 minutes).

Here are the specifications from the Radioddity website:

FM: 87.5-108MHz
AM: 520-1720KHz
SW: 5.7-17.9MHz
WB: 162.400-162.550MHz
Memory: Support TF card, Max 256GB
Audio format: AV, WMA
Power supply: replaceable 3.7V 1000mAh BL-5C lithium battery included
Charging: DC 5V, Micro USB-C interface
Size: 3.5″ x 2.4″ x 1.5″
Weight: 0.22lbs
　

My Impressions

When I first unboxed this thing, the first thing that struck me was the small size. The descriptor, “compact,” is an understatement. It’s smaller than an Altoids tin and just a bit thicker. Weighing in at less than 4 ounces, it won’t add much weight to your go-kit or backpack.

Along with the radio, the box included the Li-ion battery, USB charging cable, wrist strap, a rubberized drawstring storage pouch, and a user manual. The battery was easy to install and charge up.

I powered it up and tuned to a local FM station. Frankly, I was blown away by the sound coming out of this little radio. Apparently, it uses DSP filtering to provide that sound clarity. Given the radio’s small size, tuning can be a little touchy for an old guy with clumsy fingers. Fortunately, there’s a tuning indicator that makes it easy for me to lock in on a station.

I was particularly interested in the weather band capabilities. In addition to covering the 7 NOAA weather channels, the RF750 also includes a weather alert function. In this mode, the audio is silenced, and the radio appears to be scanning the 7 weather channels. I haven’t been able to test this out yet, but I plan to see what happens during NOAA’s next weekly test.

[Update: I set up the RF750 set up in the “Alert” mode for the NOAA weekly weather radio test, and the RF75o’s alert went off as expected. The only issue is that the siren sound it makes is excruciatingly loud. On a positive note, when a weather emergency happens, you will definitey know about it!]

When I tested the Bluetooth mode, it paired easily with my smartphone. Although my phone’s audio played through the RF750 was nice and clear, I don’t see myself using this function much.

To test the “Music Player” mode, I copied a few MP3 files to a 2GB micro SD card, which I inserted into the RF750. The sound quality coming out of the tiny speaker really impressed me. I plan to load more of my music collection onto a larger memory card, which I’ll leave installed in the RF750.

I was a little surprised that the RF750 doesn’t include an earphone jack. I would have expected one on a portable radio like this.

The user manual provided is typical of low-cost Chinese products. The English isn’t always clear, but it was enough for me to figure out how to use the various functions.

I have to say, I’m impressed with this little unit and all the features packed into it. It will be a handy item to have around, especially while camping or during emergencies. In fact, during a recent snowstorm, we lost power for a while. The RF750 allowed us to check the local NOAA weather forecast, listen to local news on the AM band, and enjoy some music on FM.

Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in this product. I purchased it with my own funds, and I’m merely a satisfied customer.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Source: wb3gck.com