Tecsun PL-880 new user question

[effingb]

I don't want to be "that guy" but is there a chance that my radio is broken?

Obviously I'm here because I have no idea what I'm doing. My fiance bought me a Tecsun pl-880 for xmas and I can't seem to get it going. (I have checked the firmware, it's 8820) I get FM radio just fine but nothing else. No MW no SW. Scanned everything. Scanned everything while changing USB/LSB. Scanned everything while changing antenna gain, using and not using the antenna, placing it inside/outside...

I was convinced that I've missed something simple, but I'm starting to lean to "this thing isn't working". All the info that I've found on the interwebs has lead me to believe that if I tune to an operating channel, I will hear something - anything. Knowing that most of you have spent years doing this, I understand that "just getting it off the bat" isn't likely, but I still feel like I should at least have heard something. (full disclosure, there have been 2 times where I could hear a constant frequency on a station in the 18000khz range, but nothing resembling a voice or data pattern)

So, what do you think, is it broken?

Thank you, in advance, for your input. I'd love to hear something other than FM on what seems to be a nice little portable radio.

 

[ka3jjz]

Much as I hate to say it, but it's possible. Hopefully you got this radio from a reputable dealer so it can be returned...if needed...

However you didn't mention whether you had looked at the controls on the radio. This JPEG from the Universal website shows that item 18 is a 'SW ANT. Gain' switch which, I suspect, should be in the 'DX' position. Item 13 is a 'FM stereo / AM Bandwidth' button(?), and it should be set to 'AM Bandwidth'.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0088cont.jpg

Before you have to ship it out, I would read the manual and check the controls. You might have something set incorrectly, and it would - happily - be a Homer Simpson moment (D'UH!)

There is a Yahoo group set up for PL-880 support here...

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Tecsun_PL-880/info

I'm hoping here you didn't accidentally zap it with static electricity - because that will also cause this problem to occur...let's hope not...Mike

 

[effingb]

Thanks for the feedback. We have been searching and searching and appreciate your input. Some of the hidden features seemed like they would do the trick, but have also failed. We even took the radio for a drive and strung the antenna out of the window (which I know was weird) but still nothing except fm.

Static isn't out of the question, but it would be unlikely that it happened after it was delivered. We're a computer centric family and I talk to the kids about static electricity like most families talk about not getting into a van for free candy.

We have written the seller, and they seem legitimate so we shall see what happens.
All else fails, I'll pick up another and test it out. I have sent a request to the yahoo group for admission, so hopefully there is more info inside that may help. I've always been a user error over computer error kinda guy.

Thanks again for the help.