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Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

The technical side of broadcasting. Think IBOC is a sham? Talk about it here! How about HDTV? Post DX reports here as well.
CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by CK-722 » Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:03 am

The Tecsun PL880 has a fine tuning control. On FM BC, rather than the typical 200, 100, or 50 kHz steps, the fine tuning is in 10 kHz steps. This sometimes allows tuning a first adjacent next to a strong IBOC local by detuning just 10 kHz or 20 kHz, which allows low distortion and even decent Stereo with 10 kHz and even 20 kHz offset in some cases.

What the PL880 lacks is a good way to couple an outside antenna to the FM BC RCVR, which would allow better separation of cochannels than whip antenna adjustment.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

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Turkeytop
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Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

Re: Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by Turkeytop » Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:40 am

Why'd you have to post that?

Now, you've got me wanting one.


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I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by CK-722 » Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:56 am

The AM BC sensitivity isn't that good, but if you have a decent signal, it locks right on like FM AFC. Dialing up the old Class I Clear Channels and high power Class IIIs is like tuning an old analog TV set during a strong tropospheric event, every channel is there. I haven't figured out a good way to use a tuned loop AM BC ANT for it, and strong signals seem to desensitize it. And of course, the electrical interference.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by k8jd » Sat Nov 30, 2019 6:06 pm

It's not the FM that can't use the ext ant connector, it's the AMBC and Longwave that needs a mod .
You have to wind a few inches of wire around the main AM/LW loopstick and solder one end to ground and the other end to the connection for the ring part of the ext ant conector using a stereo plug.
FM and SW use the hot center of the coax cable to the tip of the stereo pphone plug and the LW AMBC ;use the ring of the plug against ground (shaft) part of the plug.



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by k8jd » Sat Nov 30, 2019 6:10 pm

I get some pretty good FM DX when I plug my roof mounted, 30 ft dipole into the unmodified PL880. One Bay City station and WCMU from Mt Pleasant , almost any time of day



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Turkeytop
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Re: Tecsun PL880 Tuning Tips

Post by Turkeytop » Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:02 pm

CK-722 wrote:
Sat Nov 30, 2019 10:56 am
The AM BC sensitivity isn't that good, but if you have a decent signal, it locks right on like FM AFC. Dialing up the old Class I Clear Channels and high power Class IIIs is like tuning an old analog TV set during a strong tropospheric event, every channel is there. I haven't figured out a good way to use a tuned loop AM BC ANT for it, and strong signals seem to desensitize it. And of course, the electrical interference.

For AM, this Grundig directional loop antenna really works well. I have one here and a second one in Florida. It works just by placing it near the radio and tuning it for resonance.


Image


In this pic here, I was listening to CKNT, 960 KHZ in Mississauga ON. Their daytime power is 700 W. My home in London is about 90 miles away, well outside their intended coverage area. With this highly directional loop, I was able to null out a strong local station on 980.

Image


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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