HF Receiver

[rocky28965]

My Tecsun PL-660 arrived yesterday.
I knew it was going to smaller than my Sangean, but it's only half the size.
Checked the model number & it was the right one.
Found it hard to believe a little thing like that would be capable of everything I had heard.
Just took it across the road to a kid's playground that sits up on a bit of a knob.
Set it on SW SSB & picked up Auckland, VOLMET on all three frequencies.
I thought that was pretty good, for portable in the middle of the day.
Tried it on the air band & got Queenstown approach.
Thats not bad either, considering there's a decent sized hill in the way.

Now, a question for those of you that know more about them than I do.
Regarding the antenna socket, which appears to be a 3.5mm Mono Audio.

Does this disconnect the wip antenna when you insert a plug into it ?

 

[majoco]

I doubt if it's that much different to my PL-600 so the answer is "yes".

 

[rocky28965]

Thanks Martin.
I suppose you can read that like I would read a road map.
But now I see it, LH top corner.
On mine that socket is labelled FM & SW.
I assume it also does the Air Band?

Just in the process of getting the bits for Mike's safety thingy.
Have you used these guys at all

https://nz.rs-online.com/web/

 

[Ubbe]

I believe the schematic to not be accurate. They forgot the DC path to ground for that diods cathode at the antenna input and then probably some other errors.

/Ubbe

 

[majoco]

RS (Radiospares) although they carry heaps of stock and can even get stuff from overseas remarkably quickly are a mite expensive. Google for Jaycar, they're just as quick and a lot cheaper - they deliver too.

 

[rocky28965]

Thanks Martin

 

[rocky28965]

My PL-660 has developed a problem.
The BFO no longer does anything.
Everything else appears to work ok.
I guess I'll have to contact the seller.
I tried to get on to the yahoo group site

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Tecsun_PL-660/info

What a circus trying to get on there.
Filled out the form, then the endless capitula's.
Finally got a email back with a code.
All that did was get me on the yahoo site.

 

[majoco]

Are you sure it doesn't work? Here's how to test it - it may be wound right out to one end so you can't hear the tone. Tune in a reasonably strong but not too strong station on the broadcast band with radio set to AM. Tune it right on the station, number frequency will be divisible by 9 eg 567kHz, 1098kHz. Switch to USB or LSB and turn the BFO slowly through it's range, one end to the other. You should hear the tone start at a high pitch then reduce in frequency then go through "zero beat" then start increasing in frequency until it gets very high again. Bring it back to 'zero beat' and mark the centre of the knob with a spot of paint or nail varnish - this is your refence point and the knob should always be returned to this position.

If you're sure it doesn't work, get back to Anon-co for a replacement and instructions on how to send your faulty one back.

 

[rocky28965]

You were dead right.
I tuned to 531 Alexandra & checked the BFO on USB.
It's working fine.
Cant have been holding my mouth right this morning.
It was hot today though.
Put the radio in its little pouch & went for a bike ride.
Stopped on top of a bluff overlooking the Clutha River, with Lake Hawea in the distance.
Was getting quite good reception up there, just couldn't seem to tune it in.