Tecsun PL-880 Portable Digital SW Radio - Goods In & First Impressions 

I bought the standard PL880, no hard case but everything else. Works just a good as yours and much cheaper. I buy radios on performance, not prettiness. The 880 is an exceptional radio, the best I have bought so far in my 60+ years of SWL.

There are hidden features on the PL-880, where you have to press certain buttons, in order to use the external antenna. You can also use an external antenna on Medium wave too. There is a PDF online which explains how to do it.

I have a total of 12 Tecsun radios. The Sangean has a problem in that the radio is a bit def from the whip on SW. The PL-880 is fantastic. The “Sync.” Is not the greatest, but I’ve found I almost never use it. The PL-880 also has “Hidden Features “, and there are plenty of RU-vid videos on them. I don’t know where you are, but I’m in Jacksonville Florida USA, and I get a LOT of Short Wave stations. Also, I don’t understand about the MW, as mine is fantastic on MW. I really like mine. [ I have the CCSKywaveSSB, XHDATA D-808, Eton Elite Executive, the Kaito KA-1103, as well as all the others…. My antenna DOES pull out a little bit. Don’t know why yours doesn’t . I bought mine over 2 1/2 years ago. The Eton Elite Executive is excellent, as is the XHDATA D-808 [ SIHUADON D-808]. The one I do not have is the Tecsun PL-330. Judging from a couple of comments here, either Tecsun has sent out a bunch of bad radios, or someone [ of your commentators] don’t know what they are doing. (( or both)). As for SW, conditions are improving greatly. I get all kinds of stations, from all over. There is a real problem with RF noise, especially in Urban areas. There is an awesome antenna - not very expensive, called the “MLA-30” / “MLA-30+”. This antenna REALLY helps null out a lot of the noise. 📻🙂

Greetings! I'm Wendi in the UK and just bought this for my youngest daughter Billie. She loves it and the sound, too. In fact, I love it so much that I'm kind of envious, despite my having a far more serious Ten-Tec RX340 which is a few years old now since I took early retirement from the Royal Navy after 30 years 'ship's doc'. This PL880 has very good sound, and true, the rechargeable battery does need uprating. I got a Nitecore 18650, if I remember it's a 3000 mAh, but may depending if Billie needs longer lasting power, I'll buy a larger capacity 18650 battery. Billie's is wired up to an old but trusty AOR indoor antenna that is diamond-shaped and runs off a Duracell 9V battery, the radio is earthed to a disused (and very handy) old radiator. I suggest you add the long wire to the telescopic antenna and earth it. Then the radio will pull in masses of stations!!! Coverage and sensitivity is excellent and the radio's side knobs look metal, but I suspect are silver coloured plastic, to cut down weight. As Billie is multilingual like me, we listen in to Ukrainian and Russian broadcasts, but if I discern anything suspicious, I contact on of our UK's spy agencies to pass along the information. I also have a lovely old Grundig 800 Satellit Millenium dwarfs my old Drake SW8 and our equally ancient, but trusty Roberts R861- when it feels like working! My farmhouse's back yard resembles the antennas at Jodrel bank! Aye, you could say that Billie and I are hooked SWLers 🤣 PS. On retirement I bought the Ten-TecRX340 which is rack mounted. My late husband loved it. That's why I'm such a dedicated radio nutter. 😉

Howdy. Many thanks for the tip on looking for a longer-life battery for my PL-880. BTW next time you cruise the FM for us with the PL-880 why not stay on a music station for more than 1 second so people can appreciate the unit's fidelity which is quite good. Also, deploying the telescoping antenna to receive some amateur signals, or connecting a simple longwire antenna, can help people appreciate how efficiently the fine tuning knob on SSB lets the voices sing. Great set of videos, BTW. ...Brooks in Portland, Oregon, USA

The pl-880 is a great radio but has been succeeded by the pl-990x and the outstanding Tecsun H-501x. Old tech but still interesting to look at. Thanks lad.

The best “value” radio is the XHData/Sihuadon D808. It has RDS on FM, air band, LW, MW and SW.

Здравствуйте. Скажите эти приёмники могут работать от сети 220в или только от акб ?

For the money and performance, I prefer the PL-660. I also don't care for metal speaker cover, they always get dinged up, and I don't like the sound that comes out of them. Finally, I prefer the SILVER over Black for the PL-660, works out best on a hot day. 73 DE W8LV BILL (and W8LV/VE3 prepandemic) 🇺🇲🇨🇦

Thank you sir..nice radio

Tecsun cheaped out and doesn't include the plastic carrying case and spring loaded wire antenna anymore. Now it's cardboard and a spool with wire and a clip.

i love mine it works best out in the open for short wave hf band's i keep mine in the car all the time fm is great sound. MARK NORTHERN IRELAND

You sound like a young version of the dj Adam Walton on bbc wales

I sent mine back after a day. Deaf on LW/MW and serious frequency drift on SSB. Very overpriced too. I think the days of being able to buy a decent portable SW radio have long gone. 😢

Have you had problem with battery door or stand breaking? Seems flimsy.

I've read that almost every owner has broken several back stands and battery covers on this model. How many spares should I order from the manufacturer?

PL-880 is 300 euros in my country. Would you recommend this radio at this price?

Bloody hell, it's over 200 euros for a "tiny" radio made of plastic. I think it presented as a luxury product with the big coffer. The Tecsun 990 is 300 euros. Now that there is nothing to listen to, that doesn't seem like a good investment. You could get a boombox with better speakers for less. A gap in frequency coverage between 1600 and 1700 where interesting pirate operators may be. They could have unlocked USW frequencies even wider than 64-108. There are walkie talkies and airport weather in FM, which I heard on my PC. Goes silent momentarily while tuning on USW band. Shame that the MW reception is poor. Standard battery is good. The buttons are most likely plastic as everything else.

What’s your location buddy?

All of these portable radios are “overpriced”. I’d probably say you should have tried the PL-330, PL-660 or the H501X. If I was paying £180 I would want DAB/+ included too. Otherwise, it may well turn into a useless radio. As more stations on MW are turned off, there won’t be anything to tune into. I don’t like the 18650 battery. I would prefer AA batteries. I reckon your next review should be the PL-330, powered by a Nokia BL5-C battery.

Why did yours coming in a big plastic case rhe other videos are just small boxes no big carrying case

To be frank, even as a Chinese HAM this radio is overpriced and I don't think it worth that much. I'd prefer PL-660/680 to 880.

John 3.16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

So much accessory garbage, for a mediocre receiver. lord so much crap and the worse is the not standard battery

Terrible review.

😂 crappy radio 📻

trying to decide on first radio the 880 or the ats25. thought/comments