Eton Elite Mini vs the Tecsun PL330: Not a Fair Fight!

[@DonzLockz]

I'm happy with my PL-330. I took it out today in my jacket pocket. Cheers for the video.🍻📻🤓

[@STR82DVD]

The pl-330 and the pl-368 are bloody brilliant little receivers - highly sensitive and selective with direct input and bandwidth filters that actually bloody work along with scanning by frequency or memory - bloody impressive features at the price point! Great purchase on your part, congratulations!

[@billr55]

I'm happy with my PL-330 too. Got it a week ago and carry it everywhere I go. Picks up amazingly well on the ferrite antenna. Was able to hear my local CB friends on 38 LSB when taking my dog for a walk. They were at least 7 miles away. No problem for this radio! Also works amazingly well on the ham bands like 20, 40, and 80. Just super impressed with this little radio.

[@DXPedro]

I’m sticking with my PL310 et. Sure disser have ssb nor air, but quite a sensitive little bugger 😎

[@ComblessMan]

I paid $35.00 for my Eton Mini and really like it. It's a radio I can carry everywhere and not worry if I drop it or lose it. But the radio I really like for travel is the Tecsun PL-368. Twice the money but, it is an amazing tiny radio and it has SSB.

[@sfred]

That's exactly how I feel: if your expectations are appropriate, it's a great little radio.

[@Gogogordy1]

I enjoyed your video verymuch, Thank You for producing it. I LIKE the Elite Mini, not enough to purchase one however. It’s handsome and has a gorgeous form-factor but AAA batteries and a couple of other elements aren’t to my liking. I do have an Elite Executive which I enjoy. That said, I’d be more prone to select the Eton Traveler for just a couple of add’l dollars over this, but for travel my Radiowow 108 is a most excellent unit. (esp when equipped with 1500 mah BCL5 battery)

[@Juno_Beach]

Can anybody show me how to replace The telescopic antenna with a flexible static antenna

[@Steven-re7xt]

Me and my 219 are inseparable. It gets to ride in my shoulder pouch. I have a antenna with 5' of #16 wire. Spare batteries.. those small radio are very handy tks😊😊😊

[@madmax2069]

You're getting a lot of RFI on that when using the long wire antenna (they're known for doing that in a noisy environment). Too many gaps in coverage when there are DSP chips available that are cheap enough to not really effect the cost of the unit that has full band coverage, and the lack of a band button (to quickly change between bands) makes tuning a PITA. But they do look nice.

[@sfred]

It's an MLA-30+ and you're correct: here in the city, there's lots of RFI and while it's better than a random-wire antenna, it isn't magic.

[@madmax2069]

@@sfred ahh ok, the way the clip was I was assuming it was something like those CCrane reel antennas, and not just an adapter.

[@sfred]

@@madmax2069 I'm thinking of a followup video with a reel antenna, the built in whip antenna but outside and maybe a homemade attenuator of some sort with the MLA-30+.

[@madmax2069]

@@sfred there's a gain adjustment inside the main body of the MLA-30 (clockwise to lower, and counterclockwise to increase), but it would become monotonous constantly having to open it up to adjust it for a given occasion. I'm glad that one of my receivers has a local/DX switch on it as the MLA-30 can often overload it depending on the conditions. The MLA-30 was a game changer for me, I do live in a pretty RF noisy area so many antennas just wouldn't work too well, I did start out with one of those reel antennas but the RFI was just too much, the RFI I get it's two fold, I'm suspecting a nearby transformer but could be something else as I've noticed when it rains that noise source increases a lot (could be an outside grounding issue as well), and there's something in the house that I can't figure out from what. I can usually rotate the MLA-30 and null one of the noise sources depending on what band I'm on, or where at on the band I am in, but sometimes both noise sources hit at once. I do have a QRM Eliminator, and I use it to work in conjunction with the MLA 30 to null both noise sources, but it gets old quick if you're just scanning the bands constantly fiddling with the QRM Eliminator and rotating the MLA-30, it works well if you're just on one frequency trying to listen to a broadcast.

[@sfred]

Interesting, I didn't know about the gain control in the MLA-30. My 'usual' radio is a Sangean ATS9-9x2 which has an RF gain control, although it's pretty hard to overload anyhow. The QRM Eliminator looks interesting.

[@STR82DVD]

I'm in Ottawa lad. Great reception here with my Tecsun pl-368 or my Eton Elite Executive on telescopic. How's the noise in Toronto? Do you find that the telescopic is sufficient on the pl-330 or for you use an external antenna in the inner city? Great content, thanks lad.

[@sfred]

The pl-330 is fine outside with the telescopic antenna. Too much noise indoors here for it to be much use indoors. I've made a followup to this video comparing them outside. That should be posted Tuesday afternoon.

[@STR82DVD]

@@sfred Perfect! Thanks lad.

[@jeffking4176]

I have the Eton Mini. A simple wire antenna is less likely to overload it. It’s not a bad little radio for its size [ and price]. MW is pretty weak, but given it’s size,…. It’s fantastic as a Glove Box radio, or emergency pocket radio. Or just for fun. It does not do very well in areas with high noise floor. I live in a fairly quiet house, in a fairly quiet neighborhood. It does very well. - I don’t have the PL-330, mainly because I don’t like those little batteries. I live in Jacksonville Florida, and during a power outage of any length, it wouldn’t work too well. At least with an 18650 , you get a fair amount of time. [ I do have a number of radios, Incl: Tecsun PL-390, PL-600, PL-660. , PL-680, PL-880, (R-9700DX, and R-911, …) The Eton Elite Executive, and Traveller, XHDATA D-808, C.Crane CCSKywaveSSB, (And first generation Sangean ATS-909, …………. ]. Good video. 📻🙂

[@sfred]

I suspect you're right. When I've got a free evening, I'll do a reprise of this video outdoors.

[@willowsloughdx]

Uh, one radio costs twice as much as the other. You are comparing apples with oranges.

[@dougc.1773]

Go turn off your plasma tv..........It generates more EMI/RFI than the old CRT based TVs!

[@hdofu]

For a bit more you can get the tecsun pl-365… just sayin

[@sfred]

Sure, if you prefer the walky-talky form factor.

[@TP09IH]

Хелоу

[@AL-Mosammem-Neymar-Quran]

the problem is it is : made in china so : no quality

[@sfred]

I think sometimes that's true, but remember that the radio I'm comparing it to is Chinese made and designed.