Description
The Tecsun PL880 Radio is the newest and most powerful portable radio in the Tecsun range. The Tecsun PL880 Radio offers several features that make it superior to previous models including Digital Signal Processing on the HF band ( in all modes), a quantum leap forward for the reception of weak signals. Further, the Tecsun PL880 Radio offers 9 user-selectable IF bandwidth settings and a new long-life lithium-ion battery.
The Tecsun PL880 Radio is the culmination of years of research and technology development. All the desirable features of shortwave listening have been combined in a single package. The receiver covers the entire shortwave range (100-29999KHz), Longwave, FM and AM broadcast bands. Receiver sensitivity on HF in the SSB mode is typically less than 1uV. Upper Side Band and Lower Side Band are individually selectable, and there are multiple user-selectable bandwidth settings available for each band.* The receiver is equipped with an external antenna socket to allow connection of an external antenna for the Shortwave bands for enhanced reception.
Particular attention has been paid to the audio output of this receiver to enhance the listening experience. Apart from bass and treble control, the speaker is driven by a Class AB power amplifier capable of 450mW output. There are also many user-adjustable “secret” parameters, to allow users to customise their receiver preferences.
Our Tecsun PL880 Radios are supplied with the latest firmware which is currently version 8820. Available in dark grey. This receiver is the preferred model for communications enthusiasts around the world who require multiple IF bandwidth settings, good battery endurance for portable operation, in a small yet very capable footprint.
Tested endurance in FM mode at moderate volume 29.5 hours on a single charge.
International customers should consider ordering a spare battery when ordering, as these are difficult to ship separately by air.
Storage on 18650 batteries: For longest life, store batteries with approximately 50% charge. Do not store fully discharged batteries as they may not recover.
As reviewed in Silicon Chip Magazine‘s December 2014 issue! Read the review here:Tecsun PL 880 Silicon Chip Mag Review. The latest firmwave version is 8820.
Supplied with:
– 1 x Lithium ion battery and Australian pinned charger
– 1 x Stereo earphones
– 1 x External antenna
– 1 x Protective leather pouch
| Frequency Band | Frequency Coverage | Frequency Stepping |
|---|---|---|
| FM Band | 64-108 MHz | 0.01-0.1 MHz |
| AM Band (MW) | 520 -1710 kHz | 1-9 kHz |
| Shortwave (SW) | 1711-29999 kHz | 1-5 kHz |
| Longwave (LW) | 100-519 kHz | 1-9 kHz |
Find the Australian MW stations you can hear with the Tecsun PL880 Radio
©Tecsun Radios Australia
Jay Allen –
I think the PL-880 is a great performer. It’s solidly built, beautiful to look at and its high tech speaker gives unbelievable sound in this size radio. Comparing it overall side-by-side with my PL-660 I find the PL-880 to be a worthwhile upgrade due to its better sound, easy SSB tuning and great reception on all bands. I think it’s a winner!
Jay Allen
Jay Allen –
Here’s a more in-depth review of the PL-880:
http://radiojayallen.com/tecsun-pl-880-amfmswssb-portable-radio/
Jay Allen
Lajos Safar –
I am a licenced amateur radio operator for many years,with a rather large shortwave radio collection. I own the PL-880 for about the year.The PL-880 is the most featured small shortwave radio i ever seen. After learning everything about this radio including the “hidden features”, this radio on shortwave is smoke every small shortwave radios i got in my collection including the Radiolab modified Sangean 909, Grundig 7600, Sony ICF-SW55… etc. This radio has it some “quirks” but for a small portable just phenomenal. It is well built,the tuning ( including fine tuning) is great,the audio quality in Am/FM mode from such a small radio is incredible,and also it is able to handle long wire antennas surprisingly well.Excellent dynamic range for a small portable. Verdict: In the small portable shortwave class, this radio price versus performance is unbeatable at the moment. Love it! 5***** ++ 73 de Lajos VK4 NTZ
D. Anderson –
Very happy with my recent purchase of Tecsun PL-880. I have it in my office and quite enjoying listening to the FM radio quietly.
I occasionally connect it to the wifi speaker through the line out plug for use in my garage, I am not an amateur radio operator the main purpose was to buy a high quality receiver to use in my home and workshop that would be able to cope with a lower quality signal which it does with ease along with that the sound quality and radio controls are superb.
In summer I will try it outside in the evenings for short wave listening, too cold in the evenings winter time in NZ.
I would highly recommend the PL-880 to anyone wanting a high quality, timeless portable radio.
Myles Marriott –
Super clarity , stability on AM/SSB. Unbeatable class AB audio. DX antenna switch means you hear DX without external antenna less about 2 s points but AGC makes it sound louder. Telescopic aerial is longer than cheaper radios – much better. Charging time is shown, was about 6.5 hrs from 1 bar. Can listen while charging. Auto sort your memories into frequency order and delete duplicates. Works on NZ ac mains as plug is identical to australian. Only thing I miss is a a finger groove in tuning knob. If you’re spending hours looking for a sw radio, you can’t beat the audio, its at least 70% efficient with all frequency ( huge range ) speaker.
Peter Gray (verified owner) –
After returning to shortwave listening for twenty-five years, I thought I wouldn’t hear much. But at the first time of switch on this little radio, comes to life. Thanks to Dsp,you have a greater range of filtering options. Sound quality is” amazing “for such a small radio. Thank you tecsun, for your prompt delivery.” Keep up the good work “
Brian Crowther –
What a great surprise present to receive here in Canada!
Wasn’t expecting to own the PL880, but sure glad my sons are so incredibly thoughtful.
Very pleased with the design, layout and functionality of this receiver. It was easy to get started right out of the box. I was able to pick up incredible sound quality on FM from local (Toronto) and distant stations as far away as Buffalo, NY.
The AM band is crystal clear with very little interference or static. Evenings I can easily pick up stations up to 60 km away with the on-board ferrite antenna.
SW is so enjoyable to use on this radio! All of the usual Central American, Cuban and Southern states come booming in with very little effort and on the telescopic antenna. Can’t wait for warmer weather so I can experiment with some outdoor antenna set up options.
SSB functionality is excellent. The ability to adjust bandwidth makes SW listening so enjoyable with the ability to improve reception and listen ability of even weak transmissions.
Tuning, volume and fine tuning knobs are solid and easy to use.
Looking forward to learning more about the features of this receiver.
Daniel B (verified owner) –
We have owned the PL880 for over a year now. We were looking for a portable rechargeable unit for outdoor home and camping use.
This is by far the best unit to be found for our purpose in this price range.
Features which we have found most useful are:
Scanning to presets is fast and intuitive – no need to reach for the instruction booklet – and we can reload the presets in seconds at each location.
The preset/frequency selection switch for the main tuning dial is a great feature.
The sound is much better than expected for a small unit – both voice clarity and musical tone.
The battery can be charged in or out of the unit – we have multiple devices which use this size battery and keep spares charged.
Switching between modes is straight-forward.
The tuning and volume rotary knobs feel solid with a smooth resistance.
The unit can tune into stations that others portables think don’t exist.
We are not amateur radio enthusiasts and would have bought this unit just for AM/FM use from the reviews. All its other SW features are a bonus.
Also we purchased the optional AM loop antenna which works well for bringing in weak AM stations.
So to save searching time for others with the same requirements, we are so pleased with this purchase that we feel we should highly recommend this unit for its build quality, features, portability and included accessories.
Ivan (verified owner) –
The Tecsun PL880 is a Great shortwave radio. I have it coupled with an external magnetic loop antenna, which works a treat. It has brought back the enjoyment for shortwave listening. I also own the Tecsun PL365 (very good liitle performer) and Sangean ATS 909, the PL880 performs better then both of them. It is important to learn about the hidden features to enable/disable some of the settings.
I highly recommend the PL880 to anyone who is interested in using the radio for shortwave listening.
VK5014SWL –
Overall build quality and attention to detail is fantastic. Simple features such as a “line out” for audio recording and a rechargeable battery made the PL880 an attractive purchase at the time. These days the value for money proposition has become more prominent in the form of other flagship receivers costing roughly twice the amount with only small advantages. Durability and audio quality is by far the greatest high ground for this portable receiver. At the time of release, I found this to be the best portable receiver in its class. Most shortwave receivers with these dimensions did not come with rechargeable batteries, nor did they provide general coverage (which are both an absolute must for me personally). These days there are more options, and different brands with their very own set of pros and cons, although previously owning and operating products from Tecsun leaves me a little biased. I will listen my PL880 for decades to come and hopefully I can pass it onto one of my children when I cross over the great divide. If you already own a PL880, would it be worth upgrading? I think taking into consideration the cost versus benefit ratio would be important. If you value the new features of the PL990 or H-501 then certainly. Otherwise, the best radio your own is the one you have with you!
Grahame Prestage (verified owner) –
was my first purchase fro Tecsun Australia and I have not regreted and on the shortwave bands it is really solid bringing in all teh stations I want an helping to keep out a lot of the adjacent frequencies. SSB performs really well and I have spent a fair bit of time around 40, 80 and 20 mtrs and heard ham operators chatting with USA based operators in W.A.
Fantastic sound from the speaker and handy tome control. If this receiver had Air Band it would be THE radio, However I have ordered a PL660 to cover that. I am extremly happy with this radio and cant recomend it more highly.