TECSUNPL880 Portable Digital PLL Dual Conversion AM/FM Longwave Shortwave Radio with SSB (Single Side Band) Reception

I was debating over getting this model or the Tecsun PL-680. There are many reviews and pros/cons for each model. I eventually chose the PL-880 and I've no regrets.This model has many features, and a number of them are "hidden". Doing a search you can find how to access these new features, some useful (battery run time), others not so much.The included case is nice and will keep the radio from damage while traveling. It's not leather, but sturdy and holds up well to packing into my carry-on backpack.The provided 18650 battery holds a charge for a long time! I like that it's rechargeable, and I'm sure it will last a long time too.The radio has wonderful room filling sound from the speaker. On a recent trip to Tennessee I was a little disappointed by the reception, but that may have been due to my location in the hotel building. I just had to adjust the antenna, and sometimes use the provided external antenna, and got good enough reception on local FM.The shortwave works well, but that's hit or miss due to the airwave band conditions. There's also not as many shortwave broadcasters as there were 20 years ago. But there are still many foreign broadcast to be heard and enjoyed. I really like the SSB capability to listen to ham radio operators. When you hear voices like Donal Duck, you just turn on the SSB, and then tune until the voices are understood. Very easy.I'm think about getting an extra external antenna, there's many on the market.This is a great radio.

Immediate note: My 880 purchased in July 2024 has a USB-C charging port. Not sure if that's in the description, but many old models were miniUSB. Pleasantly surprised. It's not high speed charging, but at least it can charge with any cable I have laying around.So far I'm really loving it! I haven't had a radio around the house for maybe ten years. Decided I wanted one that was a good radio first and foremost. Second, one that's shortwave capable just to try out shortwave listening.I'm in the suburban San Francisco Bay area living in a third floor, north facing apartment.Straight away, the speaker is excellent. I can easily pick up every FM radio station I know of in the bay area. And the sound is crystal clear. I've enjoyed just plopping it down in my home office to listen while I work and the speaker is very enjoyable and clear if you don't fully blast it. AM reception is also excellent, with adjustable bandwidth.For shortwave, wow! This is my first SW radio, but I've really enjoyed sitting on my balcony tuning around. In the evening I can easily pick up Radio New Zealand International on 17675 kHz! I've also caught broadcasts from China, Japan, Miami, Maine, and others.On my second night I also picked out and tuned in a ham transmission and dialed it in on upper sideband mode. Loud and clear, coming from West Calgary!The included wire antenna I find helps me detect faint signals but also all noise. Not unexpected. Usually I have the best luck finding a broadcast with the wire then switching to the whip/telescoping antenna and moving to get the best signal with minimum noise.The rechargeable 18650 Li-ion is also awesome. Can easily replace with standard cells if needed, but also a long life rechargeable. Buttons and knobs are all very well thought out and intuitive. Even has a line out jack if you wanna use a stereo or record. The hidden features (do a Google search) only add extra value.Overall, I love it! Money well spent! Very impressive handheld radio, great quality, excellent results.

Superior Receiver In a Small package. This is a mighty receiver and a very small easily portable unit. Reception in the AM band is very good for picking out stations in the thousand mile radius. The internal antenna works very well and in conjunction with a loop antenna. I have learned how to position the receiver to accentuate distant signals. The short wave bands are very adequate for a unit of this size. I have a little RF interference because of the proximity of cell towers at home however, I feel this is a great receiver for home or travel because it’s in such a small package. I highly recommend this. FM sound quality is very good however, this is not something you would obviously buy for fooling around with local channels on frequency modulation. Very happy so far after three months. By the way, I also have a powered long wave antenna for attempting DX signals from everywhere. The short wave reception is very good for a radio of this size without going full tilt with a long wire antenna.