Giving the Tecsun PL-880 a whirl...

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SCPD

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Receiving a PL-880 tomorrow and will give it a test run. I'll compare it to my 7600GR which is a pretty darn good radio. I almost went with the ATS-909X but given my history with that model and the lack of fine tuning (on the display) it wasn't a hard decision. (The lower price of the PL-880 doesn't hurt either!)

If this unit works out well then it may stay with me at work.

Aside from those cheap roll-up antennas has anyone found a better option for taking the unit on the go? I'm looking for antennas that have been specifically tried with PL-880 -- not other radios.

I'll rely upon the stock whip for the most part but would like to find another option.


Thanks
-Nick
 

ka3jjz

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nanZor

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Nick - you may want to stay with the standard whip if you do ssb.

Reason being is that believe it or not, the 7600GR is still the sanest when it comes to ssb - although touchy and sometimes sensitive to a bit of warble.

The 880 seems to share the ssb agc-overdrive that it's bigger brethren, the desktop 750 does - even though digital, it sounds very much like IF gain overload on ssb - unless you listen solely to signals in the weeds.

I'm not expecting the 880 to be an Elecraft, but there is a certain line of engineering I can't bypass. YMMV.

That being said, the 880 has outstanding fidelity, and the use of the lithium battery means it can be loud and clean at the same time. For me, I don't know if Tecsun will ever get ssb right, so I use it solely for AM/FM broadcast and swl.
 
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SCPD

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Nick - you may want to stay with the standard whip if you do ssb.

Reason being is that believe it or not, the 7600GR is still the sanest when it comes to ssb - although touchy and sometimes sensitive to a bit of warble.

The 880 seems to share the ssb agc-overdrive that it's bigger brethren, the desktop 750 does - even though digital, it sounds very much like IF gain overload on ssb - unless you listen solely to signals in the weeds.

I'm not expecting the 880 to be an Elecraft, but there is a certain line of engineering I can't bypass. YMMV.

That being said, the 880 has outstanding fidelity, and the use of the lithium battery means it can be loud and clean at the same time. For me, I don't know if Tecsun will ever get ssb right, so I use it solely for AM/FM broadcast and swl.

Thanks for the feedback Hertzian.

I'm in love with the PL-880. You're right about the audio fidelity -- it's really rich and clean. AM/FM is excellent. You could listen to an AM talk show or sports broadcast with no issue.

What I like best are the controls. Everything is laid out surprisingly well. This radio has true USB/LSB and no BFO to worry about. It makes finding stations easy and enjoyable. I'm receiving Radio Kuwait on 13650am right now from my basement indoors. Usually this is reserved for WWV and even those don't work 100% of the time from indoors. The CB radio band is coming in excellent. (Higher frequency helps!)

Jury is still out on SSB performance. Reception seems slightly better than my 7600GR but it's hard to tell since you have to fiddle with the damn BFO so much on that radio. The PL-880 has true USB/LSB so there's no BFO tuning. I do notice the radio seems to be about 100hz off from center. This seems pretty consistent. The radio has been on for about 30 minutes now, so it should be warmed up.

The LCD display is a typical Tecsun display but in SSB mode I love the fine tuning frequency display. So much more useful than say the ATS-909X display.

I like the optional bandwidths. Those could come in handy but 5khz and 2.3khz seem pretty good for AM and SSB listening respectively.

I'm listening to SFO MWARA on 11282 and while the RF signal is a little weak it's still readable.

If you have ever used a Tecsun radio (I have the PL-360) then the PL-880 is super easy to use.

The case style and design is nicer than I thought. I have the black model and the outer case is that high-gloss black plastic. I would have preferred a matte black to avoid the excessive fingerprint grease pickup but oh well.

The unit is a little heavy but not as heavy as the 7600GR which is small but feels like a gold brick.

I also like the single, lithium battery that's provided. No more AA's to waste -- although both my 7600GR and PL-360 have excellent battery life.

How long does the battery last on the PL-880? Any performance numbers there?
 

kc2kth

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I picked up the PL-680 from Anna (ebay anon-co) earlier this month and it arrived a week or so ago. Love it. It's my first Tecsun branded radio but it really blows away my older rigs (dx398 and yb400pe) as well as the new Eton Satellit I bought a month or so ago. I've heard mixed things about the 880 but it sounds like you got a good one - ie one with recent firmware most likely especially if you went the same route I did for purchase. Everything I've heard is that Anna typically ships radios with the most recent firmware and she indicates the version in her listings either in her store or on eBay.

Ps - hope I didn't break any forums rules by mentioning where I got mine. I only did so since first the 680 isn't widely available yet, second because of the firmware explanation, and third because I don't think this source is a secret to anyone. Quite the opposite from my reading elsewhere actually.
 

SCPD

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Quick update

Had the PL-880 outside yesterday at a nearby park which is very RFI-quiet.

SSB performance (with stock whip) jumped quite a bit but the volume is a tad weak on even strong signals. I'm not sure if it's a filter or AGC issue but it could be a bit stronger. I didn't realize it until much later, but the PL-880 comes with an 'external wire antenna' with a 1/8" mono plug and wire wrapped around a plastic spool.

Since I was already in a quiet area, the external wire kit didn't offer any improvement. (I believe it was about 25ft of wire.) The stock whip did just fine without it.

All things being equal, this is (by far) the best SW portable I've used in a long time. I'll try it with a 50ft wire antenna later this week and we'll see how it handles the extra signal.

Performance is probably on-par with other high-end portables but the whole radio experience is excellent. Usually you have to sacrifice something but this radio actually delivers a solid experience.

The price point is excellent too. For the money, this is a great portable. If you don't have a SSB portable then I highly recommend picking one up.


Cheers!
 

ka3jjz

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Nick I don't know whether you saw my message on the 'first timer project' (message 2), but I'd suggest putting that 50 foot of wire through that box first. One thing that project has is an external gain control - the 880 only has a 3 position gain switch, and that might not be enough or too much under some conditions

The other thing that project has is the ability to blow the diodes (or whatever you decide to use) if a static discharge happens to hit it - better a little 5 minutes to replace the diodes (or whatever) than losing the radio for a time...Mike
 

SCPD

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Nick I don't know whether you saw my message on the 'first timer project' (message 2), but I'd suggest putting that 50 foot of wire through that box first. One thing that project has is an external gain control - the 880 only has a 3 position gain switch, and that might not be enough or too much under some conditions.

Mike, the Wellbrook loop (180ft wire) is working just fine thru the PL-880. It's actually doing very well and not overloading at all despite the gain switch setting.

I already have high pass filter in the chain I think that will keep things at a safe level.
 

robertwbob

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I just got a pl 880

Several years I used a radio shack, can't remember the model.but was never much.I bought a grundig yb 400 pe when they first came available.it worked great up till 2 yeardps ago.was in our now gone radio shack where I had a store credit.looked n seen a grundig s 450 dlx.shoulda smelled a mouse, was priced at $45.so I used store credit n had a dollar left.wow what a let down.store closed 3 days later so I struggled 2 years with that 450.
I read many reviews on top end portables, decided to plunge for a 880.so far its superior to any of my previous radios, but considering technology my yb 400 pe was fine in its day.now I hope this 880 lives up to my expectations.
My house has metal siding and roof.I have always had a 50' longwire and a 30' longwire outside.hooked the 880 up and was I ever suprized.I use the 50' with it set at normal.gets great reception, if I hear a weak signal I use dx.excellent on am and fm, sideband works nice too.
Hidden features should been included in the manual is my only complaint.
Has anybody found how to increase charge speed? Kinda wish it would charge up a little faster.I did get an extra battery.
That's another nice point built in charger and shuts off when done
 

theleman

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I thought hard on which to go for between the PL880 and Sangean ATS909X, but went for the 909x. I was not disappointed at all. The 909X works very well.
 

robertwbob

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well so far so good

My pl 880 is really amazing me..
Battery is sure holding charge good.only thimg I found it has some birdies, 850 am n couple on shortwave.sideband is real good.like the fine tune.
Mine had stiff knobs but looked and they were shoved tight against the body.I used my thinnest knifwpe blade and gently moved them out on the shaft a fraction.now silky smooth.
 
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