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This radio works amazingly well for being so small. It's a bit pricy but you get what you pay for. The sound seems a little muted but not too bad overall. It's not going to work as the sound source for parties but for one person it works well. The tuning is very accurate and easy to use and the receiver is very sensitive. It works just as well as any of my larger table top receivers. I was also impressed by the fact that it uses common 18650 batteries and can be run or recharged from a normal 5 volt USB cell phone charger. The only faults that I found are the side band functions on shortwave that work oddly. It doesn't have a BFO and when you press one of the buttons for USB or LSB it seems to change modes, there is silence for a second, then it starts playing in SB but the frequency is usually a little off and it has to be retuned. Also, while there is an external antenna jack that works for short wave and FM it does not work for AM or MW. If you have an outside antenna for AM and just hold the end of the cable next to the radio it will pick up the signal though. Lastly, while the 18650 battery is convenient it doesn't seem to last very long before it needs to be charged again. Maybe they should have used 2 batteries for better life instead of just one because the radio's clock is on all the time and so is the back light that will come on if you just touch one of the knobs and can run down the battery.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The sync feature is useless as it is, but the radio nonetheless is a very good buy. The sound of the speaker is incredible for a radio of this size, and the main reason why I bought it. Also has a very good AM and FM reception for a radio of its size. Just hope it will get updated with sync. update: My unit failed, AM medium wave reception is now impossible on the radio after less than 1 month.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
My previous portable SW radio was a Grundig G3. It had a number of problems and it finally came time to replace it and I definitely didn't want to replace it with a like radio from Eaton. The PL-880 addresses many of the G3's short comings. I strongly prefer the Tecsun's analog volume control over the granular steps of digital controls. Button function is positive and seems well thought out. AM & FM operation are very good, making it a good go anywhere portable. If you use amplified speakers, the audio circuit seems to incorporate soft start so there is no annoying pop when turning the radio on or off. SW reception seems on par with other radios using an external antenna. The select-able IF band width is a nice feature for distant/weak AM & SW stations. Sound is good for such a small package. I like that it is slightly larger than the G3. The rechargeable 18650 battery gives the radio good battery life. Some reviewers have commented about the SSB audio but maybe I'm not as picky. SSB always sounds a little funny to me, regardless of what radio I use, so this radio's SSB performance seems okay to me and the choice of IF band widths is a nice bonus. Memory and scan functions are convenient and work well. Two things to be aware of: 1) Like the G3, the kick stand on the PL-880 seems pretty delicate. I broke the one on the G3 and could not get a replacement. As such, I recommend making or buying a Portable Radio Stand. I made one that holds the radio at 45 degrees. This allows the antenna to stand straight upright, something that the antenna can't do when using the built in kick-stand. Seems like a design oversight if you ask me. 2) The seller includes a USB power supply but those things make a lot of EMI. So don't expect to charge the radio if you want to do any kind of SW listening at the same time. AM & FM is probably not a problem. I made a low noise 5.1V linear power supply circuit driven from an older 12VDC wall wort and it seems to have greatly reduced SW EMI during charging. But since the rechargeable battery life is decent, using the radio on battery only has been no problem either. I can't yet say how well this radio will hold up over time but so far I'm happy with the PL-880 as my new travel radio. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This receiver works great. I am very pleased with it's qualities. Has great sound and has great selectivity and sensitivity. Lots of memory available for storing frequencies. Radio has great coverage and the attached whip antenna provides great signal strength. The internal rechargeable battery works very well and provides excellent duration of power. All of the extra features included are a bonus. The portability of the radio is good and allows you to be mobile and even travel with it using the internal clock and alarm features.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Has very good sound from the speaker and does a very good job of reception in AM on both Shortwave and AM broadcast Band. FM broadcast band also. Only shortcoming is SSB—it tends to drift and need adjustment with the fine tuning about every half hour. Using all the features can be complicated, but basic use is very easy. It would have been nice if the keypad was backlit so you could see what you’re doing in dim light or at night. Be aware you have no way of hooking up an external antenna for anything on the Medium wave (AM Broadcast) or Long Wave bands. That is in the description so I won’t fault it for that, but I hope the next version is designed differently for that.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New