Full review of the Tecsun PL 680 Shortwave AM FM LW and Air Band Receiver radio

[@mutezone]

Excellent review. Btw, the AGC problem you were describing about when a station's signal is low & the sound goes low as well is called "soft mute" or "dynamic squelch" which is what Tecsuns are well known for. This seems to be implemented to cut off high background noise when reception is low. It does this on the Tecsun PL-660 but there is a hardware mod to get rid of this. The PL-880 does this too but it can be removed via the hidden menu features. The PL-300 series (PL-310, PL-390 etc... since they use the same DSP Si4734 chip) has this as well but it can be disabled by doing the following which might work on the PL-680... 1. Select a shortwave frequency, preferably where there is no stations transmitting. 2. Tune down the frequency range with the dial, don't tune up or it won't work 3. Press the VF Scan button to let it automatically tune down 4. Tune down with the dial to stop the automatic scan. If the background noise is higher, then the "soft mute" / "dynamic squelch" has been disabled. Again it might or might not work. For me I prefer the "soft mute" off since it used to annoy me as I could not hear low reception properly.

[@HBC101TVStudios]

mutezone Thanks. It works on my Tecsun PL 310 ET. Now i can listen to the weak stations on shortwave. 73's from Malaysia, Fred.

[@АлександрГасан-ж5ь]

Расскажите пожалуйста про скрытые настройки PL-680

[@davidzitzman6511]

Got my PL-680 as my first SW SSB radio .I am hooked. Your vid was extremely helpful,thanks!

[@pags1573]

Just bought one of these. Very pleased with it. Your video was very helpful in my decision to buy it. Thank you. I initially was interested in the PL-990X because its the newest portable. But it was expensive and I was'nt interested in the MP3 player nor the Blue Tooth Speaker capabilities. So next I considered the PL-880. But the lousy sync detector and soft muting steered me to the PL-680. And the $101 price tag at Anon-Co was too good to pass up. Cant beat that for a radio of such good quality. One minor quirk though that tripped me up. The red headings on the key board for the system setup configuration are not labeled consistently in relation to the keys. For the light set I kept pressing the 8 key to change the setting but nothing happened. I was pressing the 8 key because the heading was above it as they are above the 1, 2, and 3 keys. Eventually I took notice of the up arrow icon and figured out I need to press the 5 key, not the 8 key One thing I'd like to see improved is to the ability to label the memories.

[@michaelhutin5451]

Thanks for making this video, I am stuck between the 660 and this model, your review has been very helpful.

[@fredbissnette3104]

I got a 600 due to cost 85 shipped from eBay and I did the resistor mod for ssb and I'm so impressed it s just as good as my ken wood ts140 with the mod I can put huge long wires on it or use big vertical and it won't overload and stays stable.

[@ricktemmen6272]

My Grundig G3 when I bought it had a real grippy cabinet that I thought was really interesting. I l left it sit on the shelf in my office for a number of years and when I went to use it. The cabinet was very sticky and after a days use the antenna screw fell inside the cabinet and the stand on the back fell off. It deteriorated right in front of me in a matter of minutes. I was amazed and will never purchase another Grundig. Your mileage may vary. Nice video. BTW I have a 31 year old Sangean still going strong. Great review, Thanks. 😎👍

[@shawnj6279]

Amazing radio one of my favorite radios. Nice sensitivity and does a decent job

[@GardenBushcrafter]

This 680 looks exactly same as the PL600. I bought display unit PL600 for $29, and it works quite well. I wonder if the 680 works a lot better than 600.

[@ys1rs]

Great review! I bought one of these PL-680s.Chose it because I wanted the Air Band. Live close to an Airport. It is working fine and is accurate. Also have an Allied Knight from 1939, a National HRO Senior, also from 1939, a Hallicrafters Sky Champion S-20R and probably one of the very first transistor radios that came on the market... The Ameco R5A. By the way... after I saw your video on what a Dual Conversion radio is, I understood why, on the Ameco, sometimes I hear the same station again higher on the same band, but weaker. Sure the Ameco is a single conversion receiver. I added an external Heathkit Q-Multiplier to it (the Ameco R5A has provision, in the back, of a jack for the Q-Multiplier) and it is amazing how the performance improves with it on such a simple receiver. Thanks for sharing this channel. Keep the good work. 73 Rob, YS1RS

[@henrydrn1655]

Excellent review, but you didn't mention FM selectivity. My Sony ICF-SW7600GR was a decent performer with its factory 280 kHz filters, but it's an excellent performer with Murata 150 kHz filters. I now hear low power stations that I didn't even know were there. I was even more surprised when I started hearing different states in FM; as we know, FM is usually limited to line of sight.

[@greggaieck4808]

Gilles your Tecsun Pl 680 mw lw fm SW air ssb receiver is cool

[@greggaieck4808]

Gilles should I get Pl 68o mw lw fm SW air ssb receiver 📻🤔

[@SpectreOZ]

Nice balanced review that is Gilles, perhaps the MW is desensitised to reduce AM BCB images in the SW band? Lastly what's with the Lithium cells hangup? if you want longevity just use Lithium primary AA cells as they last way longer than Alkaline and can be easily substituted for a different set of primary cells...

[@henrydrn1655]

I wonder whether the 1 kHz problem is caused by lower quality IF filters. The filter's center frequency may be off the specified 455 kHz. If that's the case, then it makes the receiver appear to be off frequency even if the synthesizer is accurate.

[@MarkWilliams-rh9or]

Great video. Very informational even though I am in UK.Sold me and getting later this month. Great sound and sensitive. Have several Train radios and this will be a great addition. Thanks for brilliant review.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Thank you !

[@leyland9999]

Great review! As for the lack of volume at weak signals, using a good pair of headphones will make a huge difference. No earbuds but good over ear isolating hifi headphones. Internal speakers in such small hand held radio’s are always a huge compromise, something that is overlooked all too often. I have ordered this model today and will report my findings. Greetings from Hekelingen, Holland. Bye, Willem.

[@FlashSilverEagle]

I'll buy quality ear buds can't wait to hear the likes of FM fidelity to the side band you mention..etc

[@greggaieck4808]

Gilles your Tecsun Pl 680 mw lw fm air SW ssb 6 bands receiver is so awesome

[@sirdarklust]

In all seriousness. If you have the PL 660, don't spend the money on the PL 680. Both receivers are the same, essentially. I have both and can tell you I feel like I wasted money buying the PL 680. Add to that how these little travel receivers aren't really good for any serious DXIng. Personally, I think a better buy these days is the discounted Grundig 450 for about $70-$80. It's a better unit, especially for DX. However, if you want a travel SW radio, either the PL 660 or PL 680 will do the job well. Just don't be fooled into buying both.

[@DSilvergun]

I have the 660 and was interested in the 680. Which radio do you use most often? Sounds like I don't need the 680.

[@sirdarklust]

DcsOrCity I don't use either radio regularly, as they are both secondary radios for back-up or travel. However, both radios are really the same. The only real difference is the 660 case having that little curve.

[@DSilvergun]

Do you notice any improvement in the sync lock or SW reception on the 680?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

sirdarklust I think the 680 has the edge and is batter than 660 with it s amazing sync detector .. that said .. if you have a 660 .. I dont recommend getting a 680 not enough differences...

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

sirdarklust The 450 is a bad choice for DX .. no SSB ... and the PL-680 is a great DX portable ... NO portable is well suited for DX .. for real DX a more expesive tabletop is the only way to go. You have much better radio with the PL-680 than the Grundig S450DLX .. no SSB and average reception is all you get there

[@CanadianPrairiesShortwave]

This is an awesome receiver. Thank you for the recommendation.

[@JHS56247]

About the LCD screen: When the radio is turned off, I notice that on the top right corner, the timer flashes from Time A to Time B (back and forth); Question: Is that the way the radio is supposed to work ? I just purchased the PL-660 with the same situation. The PL-680 and PL-660 have almost identical features. I must say though, that your explanations are really good and thorough, I learned a lot listening to your video. Thanks for posting.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

+Jose Santiago it's simply that you have touched the keys for the timers, just check the manual to have it display the time, you have simply activated that function on the rradio

[@JHS56247]

In following the PL-660 manual, page 14 explains how to set the alarm (which is the same as setting Timer A or Timer B). I noticed, however, that: 1.) If you have both alarms activated simultaneously, they will flash back and forth. 2.) If you don't have the alarms activated, they still flash back and forth (as in this video). This is distracting and very strange. The only way to stop this flicker is to activate one alarm (not both). Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the information I've found so far. The manufacture should of allowed the customer to customize the Display, like they did for the Tecsun PL-380, which is smaller radio but has incredibly great features. Thanks for your advice. I will subscribe to your channel.

[@NTPTM]

Hi Gill nice video have order a Tecsun PL 660 from Amazon and have it soon mybe this week but looking to buy this too. For this is a little better i think But i think Tecsun PL 660 is very good to looking at your videos this morning try to learn shortway and you have learn the swede a lot and it would be very sad if you stop doing this hope hope this problem you have with youtube can be solved take care and have a nice day today....

[@unohu88]

Interesting to hear the Canadian pronunciation of aidbuds. Wondering what honeydew would sound like.

[@KB2CWN]

I have the 880 and wish I would have waited for this one to come out. Although the 880 has a very usable filtering system, the SYCH is useless and doesn't work. Plus the fact it has no airband, I believe its over rated and over priced. My old 660 was a much more usable receiver with great selectivity and sensitivity. Maybe someday I will have to get this 680 or another 660 and sell this 880.

[@DSilvergun]

I'd be interested in picking this radio up after they upgrade the firmware once or twice to ensure I don't get one that has issues. Good review! Is there a way to view the firmware version on this radio?

[@soldierloz]

The buttons on the 660 are round and much smaller. The 680 buttons are a massive improvement.

[@jgricourt]

I tried to find this neat little analog radio without success, Anon Co wrote me an email today to say that it is very likely that it'll never be produced again, hence the analog circuitry is no longer available because manufacturers concentrate on DSP right now.

[@pjpez]

Just received my PL-680 yesterday. My tuner seems to be spot on as far a frequency. However, I notice something with the BFO that may or may not be an issue. When tuning on USB/LSB, the signal drops out when I get close to the very end of the BFO's range (about 3/4 away from the detent), almost like it's being filtered out. Is this supposed to be? This is the only radio I own with separate Upper/Lower Sidebands, so I wasn't sure if this was typical or a defect in my particular radio. The only other SW radio I own is a KA-1103, which has "fine tune", so this is not something I've experienced before.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Pete Z. Well I will try this ... but it's not much of a problem .. if you want a frequency display to be accurate in SSB you should try to stay close to center on the BFO ..

[@henrydrn1655]

The slightly "boomy" bass may be caused by the speaker's impedance. The PL-660 has a 16 Ohm speaker, this could cause a bass increase if the amplifier is "happy" with 8 ohms.

[@henrydrn1655]

Since you reviewed the PL-600, does that radio have a symmetrical BFO? The PL-660's BFO is very good in the "-" direction, but works poorly in the "+" direction. A nice feature on the PL-600 is the up/down buttons to complement the tuning knob.

[@cvcoco]

I would like to see a review of the Degen DE31MS antenna for these types of radios. Mentioned in the description of the antenna is the need for grounding of a radios antenna. How would you do that? Or, do radios like this have internal grounding already?

[@jooppoojk2356]

So, degen 1103 or tecsun dl660/680 or dl880?

[@Astherisco886]

Buenos dias si me pueden ayudar por favor, tengo la Tecsun Pl680, al principio al mover la perilla tunning esta se iluminaba normalmente por defecto de fabrica, pero se desactivo esta funcion, ahora tengo que apretar el boton" Light Snooze" cada vez para iluminar la pantalla, favor como puedo volver a activarlo( en el manual nl sale esta funcion ),.muchas gracias!!

[@ys1rs]

En mi manual del PL-680 dice que para activar o desactivar la funcion de Luz Inteligente, se debe presionar el botón de [LIGHT SET] y dejarlo presionado un momento. Aparecerá OFF o aparecerá ON. Tu lo debes tener en OFF de forma accidental. Pues deja presionado ese botón hasta que aparezca ON de nuevo. También dice el manual, que esa función viene ON por defecto. Si no logras hacerla funcionar, prueba hacer reset del radio a que regrese al estandard de fábrica. Saludos. R.

[@ruvarkus]

always on display light is also can be enabled 24:00

[@mesopotamialover905]

How to change the FM frequency range? I tried to press and hold the FM set button but nothing appeared on display ...

[@mikehendrickson7237]

Big fan, love the channel. Very helpful

[@juanpablocarlino6768]

Hi. I've bought a new PL-680 recently. I have the infamous shift in the center frequency between the wide and narrow filter circuits (so, tunning is off-frequency by 5KHz with the wide filter). The other issue, that worries me more, is that the sync detector looks noticeably unbalanced between LSB and USB. Moreover, Sync LSB is unusable as it shows some kind of strong audio feedback. In Sync USB the feedback is also noticably but only when the volume is high. Anybody with such issues here?

[@matthewspaltro7142]

I've noticed the same phenomonon on my PL 600 where there seems not to be enough juice to power the radio on ssb. Also the problem with the PL 600 is the terrible distortion in the audio on very strong stations that is very annoying. Still recommend it though.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

On the PL 600 there is a mod on the internet where you can fix the distorted audio, but it is still a great receiver

[@matthewspaltro7142]

It's a good receiver i'm not saying it's not.

[@kimpowell9915]

Great channel, like how my smart phone plays this through my dish receiver.with out any physical connection!

[@greggaieck4808]

Gilles I am thinking of getting Tecsun Pl 660 mw lw fm air SW ssb 6 bands receiver

[@giannissioutis9139]

hello, im planning to buy a portable and im between this an the sangean 909x? does the sangean worth the higher price? moreover i want you to tell if i can use this as tabletop using only the ac adapter without batteries, thank you

[@pu2xbt74]

Please help me with your opinion, I want to buy two radio and I am in doubt between a Tecsun PL 660 or PL 680 ??? what would be your suggestion? and another Tecsun PL 880 or Sagean ATS 909 ?? can you please help me with your opinion ??

[@jimberence]

The Tecsun Pl-680 had better audio quality in SW & SSB & Sync Detect.

[@wlqdprkrhtlvek-k7g]

1. Does 3 AA batteries go in? 2. Can you turn off the power completely?

[@MrDgould24401]

Hi what do do to listen to Air craft' I have pl660 scanner.

[@muhammadslwaey8829]

Greetings to you, and I hope that translation is available for this video so that more people can watch the audio comments in their own language for a deeper and clearer understanding of this beautiful radio.

[@Tobinindustrial]

Thanks for sharing. Nice compact portable for sure. Too bad about the quality control issue with the one hertz deviation on some units. I suppose that Tecsun could be a good corporate company and replace or repair the radios with this fault. They could exchange the faulty one and then refurbish the radio and resell at a discount.

[@Andyfun2010]

Andy Tobin How can I check if my 680 has the one Hertz problem?

[@rayerdinc2441]

Hi, Firstly thank you for your videos and information, very enjoyable. I ordered my 680 from Ann-Co after asking them to check frequency off-set. Apparently Tecsun said within tolerances as +/- 0.5 hence 1k. However, got mine with a very stiff and off-centre tuning dial. Returned for exchange but informed by Ann-Co Tecsun say not a defect as all units are the same. So getting a full refund, pity. Good service though from Ann-Co. Does yours have a stiff and off-centre tuning dial? Regards Ray

[@amybr1]

hi their thank you for all your videos. question if you had two radios to choose from witch one would you choose from pl680 or pl990x thanks

[@livewireblanco]

Could you do a side by side comparison of the PL-680 and PL-600? I have just discovered your channel and I love your reviews!

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

livewireblanco Yes I will make these in the coming days

[@mustafa9100]

Thanks for the video! very helpful! but if you are to advise or suggest a good receiver for MW DXing, I wonder what would it be?!

[@MrDgould24401]

Hi the receiver PL 680 adapter as only two pin .Dose not fit my Three pin plug.I live in UK. Doug

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Doug Gould When you order it from Anon co on ebay ... he sends the correct adapter for the country when he sends it .. so europe should have european adapters .. you can also mention this when placing an order

[@pjsage921]

the little stand is no good for me as i use it as a bedside radio and i keep knocking it over and i think the bfo has been affected as it only takes a slight nudge to distort the voice

[@jeffking4176]

I got the pl-660, and had problems with it. (Had to hit the re-set button, now the “dial” is off by 5 kHz. Went on line -tried “ fix”-didn’t work. Spent more $ bought a pl-600. Like it a lot but wondering if the pl-680, is better or worth saving up to get,or I should be satisfied with the pl-600❓

[@jeffking4176]

Sent my pl660 to Kaito.US - they did fix the problem ($10.oo+ S&H). They were very good to work with. I also got a PL-600 as a “backup “. (And my favorite PL-390 - - And my R-233🙂). 📻👍🙂‼️

[@heinzbronner3482]

Nice review. But I still can't see the difference between the PL680 and the PL660.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

both are good, 680 slightly more sensitive

[@henrydrn1655]

Does the PL-680 and the PL-600 have the 1 kHz problem? My PL-660 has this annoying problem, it sounds "tuned" only if I tune 1 kHz higher than the real frequency. My Sony ICF-SW7600GR appears to be the best compact portable still available; it's the ICF-2010's "little brother." Its audio isn't the best, but we can't expect "hi-fi" audio from shortwave's 5 kHz bandwidth. The ICF-2010 was probably the finest portable in history, the Satellit 700 was similar but with better audio. The Tecsun PL-660 does have a "mellower" and more pleasant audio than the ICF-SW7600GR.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

the PL-600 does not have that problem and not all 680 have that problem

[@henrydrn1655]

Thanks, I wish the Tecsun PL-680 had better consistency, there's a lot of potential in the Pl-660 and PL-680. I could get a PL-680 and replace its IF filters. If Tecsun could correct the 1 kHz inconsistency, their radios could compare to the two best portables available in my humble opinion; the Sony ICF-SW7600GR and Sangean's ATS-909X. The Sangean costs more, but it has a great display, alphanumeric labels, a good signal meter and two IF filters. The Sony also performs better with different IF filters.

[@kurtisgump1104]

What is better on AM band and FM band the Tecsun Pl 680 or Tecsun Pl 660 on selectivity and sensitivity. What radio is better on the AM FM band between the two radios

[@lreyes493]

Question. Is there a way to keep the background light on ? I'm interested in buying one but that's something that disappointed me,..

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

not on this model unfortunately

[@lreyes493]

@@OfficialSWLchannel Thank you, great video by the way...

[@АлександрГасан-ж5ь]

Расскажите пожалуйста про скрытые функции настройки. 73

[@sarjim4381]

Does the airband have a squelch? It appears it doesn't. My ears would cave in listening to the airband for 10 minutes with no squelch.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

no squelch on air band on this receiver

[@rudyschnelle567]

Here's a quirk I haven't heard from anyone. Press and hold air on MW or SW till flashing then press 1 or enter frequency offset then 1 and light stays on permanently till you press light button or shut radio off. This is good, am I the only one.

[@JulietsDiner]

I'm looking for my first radio and I'd like to pay $100(us) or less. Could you recommend something with SSB/USB?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

+JulietsDiner Tecsun PL 660 great radio with SSB also Tecsun PL 680 ..is amazing around $100

[@JulietsDiner]

Thank you so much!

[@Aadiboyrocks]

sir what is the difference between pl 660 and the pl 680 thank you

[@mcdus78]

crazy anime fan guy The PL-680 is a better radio. Believe me I know.

[@owencoors3]

Is it at all possible that the hidden soft mute fix for the PL-880 will also work on the PL-680 ?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

***** it is possible.. but not sure about that

[@owencoors3]

OfficialSWLchannel Thanks for your reply. Here is the link to the hidden soft mute feature, for the PL-880, if you are willing to try it: bit.ly/1dljDNI

[@shaneweightman]

Hi thanks for the review ,, I have just bought one off amazon ,, 129 English pounds and not that impressed with it for the money ,,that would be around 170 dollars I guess,, I tend to suffer with bad static noise were I live so I'm not receiving as good as the radio is capable ,, will look out for your future vids,, I'm gonna fit a dipole up and try a and use that either way thanks Shane uk

[@MrDgould24401]

I have PL660 scanner.I live on a flight path but not near a Air port.Can I still receive Air traffic? The manual they sent me is in Chines.Where can I get one in English.

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Doug Gould There are always some air traffic .. even if it's high and far .. so tuning the bands you should hear something eventually ... here is the iink to the english manual for the Tecsun PL-660 nice.kaze.com/pl-660_man_en.pdf

[@anjarmulyawan9209]

amazing radio

[@carlbrutananadilewski3345]

I wonder if the charging circuit is better than the Pl-600?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Carl Brutananadilewski Charging is amazing .. automated ... just plug in and it does the job .. it is better than the 600 for sure

[@mochitong18]

hi i wonder can this radio tune in to Philippines and I currently reside here in UK.

[@mcdus78]

Alex Zerep Yes! Tune into 17700. Enjoy kabayan.

[@summersky77]

If you're running alkaline batteries, why is the unit still in Ni-MH mode?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

summersky77 because I mostly run rechargeable .. that setting is only there for charging capability, I don't plug in the radio when I use alkaline so I leave there so it is ready to charge when I put ni-mh batteries This is a manual setting

[@summersky77]

OfficialSWLchannel Yes, however I would be careful in case you accidentally plug it in without remembering...especially if you don't do it often. Such an easy one button push setting...best to be safe. :) I wouldn't expect these cheap Chinese radios to have any sort of protective circuitry. These are great none the less. Thanks for the very informative video. I currently own the PL-660 and it is the most amazing portable/travel shortwave radio I've ever owned in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. I chose this model because it has air band and ssb on HF. I'm primarily interested in the Ham and other non-broadcast related stuff and other portables just don't cut it or can't tune it. For $85, this thing is nothing short of incredible. Some nice upgrades to the PL-680 would have been RDS or Weather or even 6m/2m/70cm monitoring...additions that wouldn't be too hard to implement. Disappointed to see that feature-wise, nothing has changed. Thanks!

[@teeeeeveeeee314]

The Tecsun PL310-ET came with some good earbuds.

[@sa6kod154]

Steve Thomas 2 days after the wires in my broke. Probably faulty from the factory

[@EdmondCharrette]

Torgeir Lien from Lillyhammar is narrating the video? Just kidding my friend. What part of Canada are you from my family is from an island in Quebec. 73s -Edmond

[@cyberghost74]

Thank you Sir.

[@howardg5934]

'Single,' or 'Signal?'

[@lscsnv27]

the question that i always ask, is why you dont allow the radio to remain on one with enough time and why you often baa baa in your words, next you wont give enough volume to no station, not at all so that we could get a ful notation of the caracterristick of how good or powerful is the radio

[@hosseinpersian6444]

nice review. 73

[@ruvarkus]

weak audio - is a soft mute. It can be disabled

hard to find nowadays :- (

[@jwcronister]

www.anon-co.com has the pl-680 mine arrived 10-22-2018

[@medo123345]

👍👍

[@altexlan415]

Tecsun PL-660? I sold it off.

[@lscsnv27]

Next you only play the station that you love, you do not go over the rest of stations and let people see really how week or strong it can be right along the dial spectrum

[@GoodmanMIke59]

okay ... but a little bit repetitive.

[@gordonrumore8938]

There is little doubt that the PL660 is superior to the PL600 and even the newer models in both sensitivity and master oscillator stability. DW5OHM/N3KFU

[@deadlymassacre1]

is it normal for the pl680 tuning knob to be able to be wiggled side to side a little bit? I just got one from Amazon and I can wiggle it a little bit which worries me and makes me wonder if I should return for a replacement or if it's normal