Tecsun PL-310ET Review Demo! Did I hear India 11560 kHz in Toronto!?!

A review and quick demo of the Tecsun PL-310ET. This is my first digital shortwave radio. It is an easy to use, under $50 budget radio for anyone just starting the DXing HAM hobby! There are many more features I didn't cover in the video on this great little radio! I also discovered for the first time a station I never heard before playing Indian-sounding music (11560 kHz). Could it actually be from India, 13,298 km away from Toronto! The clock on the Tecsun is wrong because I just inserted batteries before the video, so the video was actually recorded today 10:01 Jan 24, 2020 EST (-5 UTC), which would put Bengaluru, India (+5:30 UTC) time at 20:31 (or 10:31 pm). If you can confirm or find an alternative explanation, please leave it in the comments!

[@kenbaird7067]

I have had a PL-310Et for some time now. A great little radio, with huge performance which I use when on holiday away from home. The Tecsun wind-up antenna really makes it sing.

[@devhackmod]

It's a nice radio! I learned a trick the other day, I didn't know (I'm sure there are others). If I want to dial in a station, I can just type "4" and "ENTER" key and it will jump me to 4000 KHz. If I type in "4" and "8" and "ENTER" it will jump to 4800 KHz. If I type in "9" and "ENTER" it will jump me to 9000 KHz, and so on. This way I can quickly jump to a range in the band without typing as many digits. I use it every night, fall asleep to the sounds of shortwave radio broadcasts and sometimes just static because as I fidget with the tuning knob to find a station the white noise ends up making me fall asleep! Using NiMH batteries they last me a long time, always keep another set charged up and ready to swap. Great little radio! The only thing I miss with it is SSB mode which would be handy for picking up some of the HAM's but I have my RTL-SDR for that which I use on my computer.

[@phs125]

That's the nibuda nibuda sing I remember from chayya chayya mobiles. Definitely indian music. There are many indian stations that would broadcast in that frequency. At 5pm UTC, it would be the Pashto language station if I trust the internet. It's a 500KW station, night time in india probably helps with the propagation too. So it's probably that one you heard. I can hear the 10KW WWV 10,000khz from India, so I wouldn't be surprised...

[@devhackmod]

Thanks for the info, I will have to schedule some listening for those times so I get good propagation. If I remember correctly in my video I heard it during the day, 11 Mhz station, will have to try again and see if I can hear it!

[@Steven-re7xt]

Just got mine today /used/ and it started right in. It is a good radio.and a good addition to my stable of tentec,s tks fer demo odn-1

[@devhackmod]

I'm still using it daily. Batteries last forever, and I just use a simple long-wire antenna clipped to it... gives me good reception on lots of stations around the world!

[@NewBookz]

I have this pl-310et, it has an excellent headphone output, a real pleasure to listen from. My interest is MW scanning at evening.

[@devhackmod]

I've been enjoying this radio for all bands (FM/MW/SW). The tuning is great!

[@DarrenN72]

I have picked up SW stations from India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Madagascar just using the whip antenna. I live in Erie, PA. In the states. I was talking to a individual who is very knowledgeable of radios and radio signals. He told me in the right conditions it is possible to pick up stations that far away on just your whip antenna. It was between 11.000-13.000 MHZ frequency range I received this on. So you probably was picking up India in good conditions

[@devhackmod]

Yes it's amazing how far these signals travel. Lately with the solar storms it also creates some interesting conditions allowing radio waves to bounce even further, depending on the time of day. I'm using a long-wire antenna as well which really amplifies the signal!

[@chrisb3989]

The bandwidth selection is worth the price of admission alone.

[@devhackmod]

I think it's a good start for an amateur to start exploring shortwave, for the entry-level cost. Eventually as you get more into it, you start exploring SSB options, software-defined radios (SDR's) and dongles, and then you end up getting limited by your location and antenna setup. :-)

[@frankdiscussion2069]

Cool radio. WWCR and WRMI use 100k watt transmitters and directional antennas so that 's why you can hear them from far away.

[@Xmukherjee]

11 MHz shortwave station can only be picked up during day light hours from North America. It won't work at night. Yes, 11560 is playing Indian Bollywood songs

[@devhackmod]

Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure to tune in, it's amazing how far the signal can travel!

[@Xmukherjee]

@@devhackmod 10KHz and down when Sun is down (night time). 10Khz and up when Sun is up (day time) something I learnt from a shortwave tutorial on YT.

[@niladrimukherjee2098]

I am from India and yeah that is Indian nusic. I tecently bought a Tecsun from Amazon India and it is the analigue model equal to aporox USD 20

[@devhackmod]

It's a good radio, but the conditions have to be good. I find during the day I get better reception on broadcasts in the higher ends (10,000-23,000 kHz) and during the night I get better with lower (2300 kHz - 10,000 kHz) but only from areas that are also in the darkness, so it depends on time of night. Also winter versus summer the part of the world in night shadow changes, so winter I get more broadcasts from Europe and Russia, and in summer nights more broadcasts from south. Fun!

[@EndUser2090]

Just got this station here in New Jersey at 10am.

[@devhackmod]

So I'm not imagining things! Pretty cool!

[@guranggaurang4847]

I m from india.now felling better your review experience with your video I want purchase this radio aas.soon as possible

[@devhackmod]

It's a good all-around basic entry-level radio for shortwave. I wish it had SSB and some other features but that usually starts at a higher price point. Nevertheless, it's a good buy I think for beginners.

[@niladrimukherjee2098]

If u living in Canada are able to receive Indian radio stations then me living in India should be able to receive Canadaian shorrwave radio stations .Must tell u I love Canadian musicians like Anne Murray , Gordon Lightfoot , Bryan Adams ,Celine Dion . Of course Anne is the no 1.

[@devhackmod]

I don't know if Canada broadcasts much on the shortwave spectrum. I don't hear anything from here usually, I pick up lots from USA (mostly Nashville, Florida, California, etc), sometimes Cuba, and South Africa, France (Issoudun), Spain. Maybe they are using directional transmitters on the borders (Atlantic and Pacific coasts) and broadcasting away from the country?

[@duncan3417]

Hi, I have a couple Tecsun radios. Do you find them to produce more static than other brands.? I can get good reception with Sangean, thaen try Texan in the same place and same station and just get static. I have both analog and digital. For me Tecsun is frustrating, any suggestions? Thanks

[@devhackmod]

I don't have any experience with any other radios so I don't know. For AM/FM it sounds fine but maybe the shortwave reception is not as great. I know that it works better ON BATTERIES. When I plug it into a wall-charger (to either power the radio directly or while charging the internal NiMH batteries) then there is WAY MORE static! Try only batteries.

[@rekhabalu3178]

Hi devhackmod channel.rakesh from Chennai india.was happy to note that you heard AIR station.Further I want ask you;since SW broadcasting is almost non existence these days days;should I buy tecsun PL 310ET.will it be worth purchasing.Awaiting your reply.thank you

[@devhackmod]

It's a good radio for the price. However, it doesn't have USB/LSB select (single side band). I think for what you pay though, it is a good value beginner radio and depending on transmissions in your area it can be very useful.

[@rekhabalu3178]

Thanks for the info

[@cynthiakitty8344]

Tried listening the UVB76? :)

[@devhackmod]

No, what is that? Can you tell me the frequency and time they are on? Thanks for watching my video!

[@palashsharma7674]

@@devhackmod 4625 kHz the buzzer

[@arupm7949]

From 5:38, it is definitely an Indian station playing Bollywood song. But can't get sure it's All India Radio or not. Film music are normally being played on SW by AIR for soldiers stationed in far flang areas of high Himalayas. But can't be sure of this signal. You showed Bengaluru but language as Pashto. But this is clearly Hindi. & Pashto is not spoken in Bengaluru. Pashto is a tribal language of NW Pakistan.

[@devhackmod]

Thanks for the help! It's hard to identify what I picked up, but I looked for the broadcast on that frequency using the website short-wave.info and that's what they listed at the time. I still can't believe I heard a station half way around the world! Mind-blowingly awesome!

[@frankdiscussion2069]

they probably use 500k transmitters

[@dr.anuragwbdes4609]

Hello ! ! ! Greetings from India 🇮🇳 Yes it's was a Hindi movie song . If you're interested in listening to All India Radio (AIR) Stations,I can provide you AIR World Service UTC timings and frequencies.

[@devhackmod]

Yes that would be great. I haven't had as much luck recently picking up stations, maybe the weather and solar flare activity isn't as good now but when it works it is fun to hear places all around the world!

[@dr.anuragwbdes4609]

Please let me know you e mail

[@user-en3pv5vl1g]

Yes it's Indian song

[@devhackmod]

Amazing this radio can (under the right conditions) pick up stations from India!

[@escapetherace1943]

nice radio, no ssb though huh anybody have a good portable like this that has ssb and doesn't make me bankrupt? :D

[@devhackmod]

I didn't find anything with SSB under $100 at the time, so within my budget this was affordable for my first foray into SW radio. However, now the Tecsun PL-330 seems to be an improvement over my PL-310ET *and* it has SSB!!!!

[@frankdiscussion2069]

tecsun PL-330 or for a little more the PL-600 non DSP radio which also uses regular AA batteries

[@phs125]

I must tell you, shortwave listening in india is pretty terrible experience. 90% or the stuff I get are just stupid Chinese stations with their ching ching chow.

[@devhackmod]

In Toronto I am able to get Brazil, Spain, France, USA, Cuba, Romania. I do not get any Chinese stations. Depending on the season I may also get Russian and British but it's rare. Also India is rare as I only hear it under good conditions.