XHDATA D-219 review
XHDATA D-219 FM/AM/SW Analogue-Dial Pocket Radio (2 x AA)
By Tom Calder
XHDATA's own page is short but specific: two AA cells or a 5V DC input, manual analogue tuning, FM, AM and nine shortwave bands, 159g without cells and an English manual in the box. It publishes no battery life, and no mains adaptor is in its package list. The Amazon listing gives AM as 522-1620kHz, the 9kHz-step version that suits UK medium wave; XHDATA says its US warehouse stocks a 10kHz version instead. It's a cheap, simple set, not a rated one: no IP rating, torch or phone port.
- Best for
- A simple analogue-dial FM, AM and shortwave pocket set on two AA cells, for a grab bag or a shed.
- Skip it if
- You want a published run time or a rated build
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Two AA cells or a 5V DC input, with an English manual listed in the box and 159g without cells
- The Amazon listing gives AM as 522-1620kHz, XHDATA's 9kHz-step version, which matches UK medium wave
- Manual analogue tuning and a rotating telescopic aerial, with no menus to learn
Worth knowing
- XHDATA states no battery life, and its package list names only the radio and a manual
- A second FM band (64-87MHz) has no UK stations and shortwave is a hobby extra; no DAB, torch, phone port or IP rating
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Our review
XHDATA's D-219 is a shirt-pocket FM, AM and shortwave radio on two AA cells with an analogue dial, a telescopic aerial and a headphone socket. It weighs about 150g and has no DAB, torch or charging. As a cheap, cell-powered radio for a grab bag it does one job and does it adequately.
What it is
The D-219 is a small analogue set: a tuning dial with a pointer, a band switch for FM, medium wave and shortwave, a volume wheel, a telescopic aerial, a 3.5mm headphone socket and a kickstand. It takes two AA cells, not included, and has a 5V DC socket with no lead supplied; the SWLing Post, a radio enthusiasts' site that has reviewed it twice, notes the socket powers the set but does not charge cells. Its reviewer measured about 150g without cells and a 55cm aerial. XHDATA sells a 9kHz-step medium wave version that suits the UK and a 10kHz version for North America, so check the listing gives AM as 522 to 1,620kHz.
What the reviewers found
The SWLing Post's first review in 2023 found tuning and sound better than its price suggests, with FM from 87 to 108MHz and a second lower FM range used abroad, and shortwave from about 4.75 to 22MHz across several bands. Its 2025 follow-up confirmed the two-AA power, the headphone socket and the kickstand and treated it as a pocket set for casual listening. No independent reviewer has published a battery life figure, and XHDATA does not give one either, so budget on a spare pair of cells in the bag.
The kickstand props it at an angle on a table, and the aerial rotates, which helps on FM indoors where a window-side spot usually gives the cleanest signal.
Limits
No DAB, so digital-only stations are out of reach, and no presets, so stations are found by ear and a steady hand on a small dial. There is no torch, no phone port and no crank, and XHDATA states no IP rating, so keep it dry. Shortwave on a set this size pulls in the strong overseas broadcasters in the evening and little else. The upside of all that simplicity is that nothing needs charging and the AA cells in your torch will run it.
An analogue set does have one quiet advantage in a long cut: there is no display, no processor and no backlight drawing current, so a pair of alkaline cells goes a long way, and the volume wheel doubles as the off switch, so it cannot be left on by a mispressed button in a bag.
How it compares
On our battery radio comparison the Panasonic RF-P50D is the better-known two-AA pocket set, with a quoted run time, from a brand with UK support. The Roberts Sports 925 is similar. The XHDATA adds shortwave for about the same money, which is its only real reason to pick it over the Panasonic.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want a very cheap AA radio with shortwave for a bag or a shed, and you do not mind dial tuning. Skip it if you want DAB, presets or a published battery life, where the Panasonic is the safer choice. Either way it covers the FM radio line of the government's Be Ready checklist, with a packet of AA cells beside it.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: The SWLing Post: XHDATA D-219 shirt-pocket radio (2025); The SWLing Post: exploring the XHDATA D-219 (2023); UK Government Be Ready: emergency kit checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want a published run time or a rated build. The Roberts Sports 925 quotes up to 60 hours from two AA cells at about 150g, and the Philips TAR3500 has a published dust and water rating and quotes up to 60 hours from its lithium cell.
Key specs
| Power sources | 2 x AA (not included) or 5V DC input |
| Bands | FM, AM and 9 shortwave bands; analogue tuning, no DAB |
| Phone charging | No |
| Built-in torch | No |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for A rugged home or shed radio: IP55, a user-replaceable battery Philips rates for up to 60 hours, a phone-charging port and four AAA cells as a fallback.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for The plain 'battery radio' answer to the GOV.UK kit list: a pocket FM/AM set from a UK radio brand that runs for days on two AA cells and has little to go wrong.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for A tough household radio that can top up a phone from its own cell and keep going from the crank or the sun, if FM and AM are enough.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Questions
Does the XHDATA D-219 receive UK stations?
Yes. It covers FM from 87 to 108MHz and medium wave; choose the 9kHz-step version with AM listed as 522 to 1,620kHz for the UK. There is no DAB.
Can the XHDATA D-219 be recharged?
No. The 5V socket powers the radio from a USB adaptor but does not charge the two AA cells, and no lead is supplied.
How long does the XHDATA D-219 run on two AA cells?
XHDATA publishes no figure and neither have independent reviewers. A small analogue set draws little current, but keep a spare pair of cells with it.
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