Small Portable Radio's?

5S8Zh5

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PL-880 in the house!

Since this has been covered elsewhere extensively, I won't be posting any sw tuning performance. First impression - it's (almost) the same size as the ICR-110! This surprised me. The 110 used to be my most used radio (as of arrival of the 880), and it's a lightweight compared to the heft of the PL-880. One of my ICR-110s has fallen several times from more than 4 feet off the ground with only a small dent on the speaker screen. Should my 880 take the same plunge I'd imagine there would be more carnage.

The first station I tuned in was one of the FM stations where I get my news and the sound was orgasmic. I thought the passive radiator speaker sound out of the ICR-100 and ICR-110 was great - this take it up a few notches. I'm not one to define good sound with bass - but clarity, reproduction of the spoken word - I've never heard better from a portable radio / boom box radio.

The three tuning knobs on the right hand side have a smooth, precision machined feel. The bottom is the volume knob. I've come to wish for a volume knob on the 100 and 110. There invariably comes a time when I need turn it up a click (push button + and - volume adjustment) and it's always too loud - with the 880 this is taken care of. As seen in the pic, the front of the knobs have about 45 percent of the knob shown, and the back of the knobs are recessed into the case, but there is a slight extension of the knob past the case to you can pinch the knob with your thumb (on the front) and pointer finger (on the back of the knob), allowing precise adjustments.

If this took micro discs like the 100 and 110 does, to play mp3 music, it would be perfect for my uses. I'm sure the record to disc file feature would also come in handy for many users.

The only hidden feature I've used so far is the check on the firmware version (8820) and to make sure the FM de-emphasis was set for U.S. (75 uS). Both showing the correct version / setting.

I've got the new (to me) EVVA 18650 3500 mAh battery in there. I love that it uses 18650 and my 110s lasted more than a month (or two) between charges (not that I ran them to drain).

So after a few hours of ownership since last afternoon to early this morning, it replaces my every day listening spot and relieves (one of) my ICR-110 units.

edit #1: The best power on / off button. Press, detent clicks, power's on. No slide click on, slide click off. No push and hold. No push and slide. Not on the side. Not on the other side. Not on the top. Right there on the front right in orange, the largest button on the unit.

XF2NdVF.jpg


ICR-110 (top), PL-880 (bottom)

110 still has the speaker sticker (red and blue on bottom left). 880's sticker comes right off:

aHowXcs.png
 
Last edited:

Gene

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Bring those old radios back to life with NiMH 9V cells! At $3-$4 each they aren't even more expensive than buying alkalines at the corner store. The 8.4V low-self-discharge versions are great.

I totally agree with that but even better are the RECHARGEABLE 9V Ni-MH cells. I have a couple of them I bought over 10 years ago for my little Sony 8 transistor pocket radio and they're still going strong. They're also cheap nowadays and pay for themselves many times over.
 

parametrek

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Apr 3, 2013
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Gene, that is what I was talking about. I was not aware anyone made non-rechargeable NiMH cells.
 

recDNA

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PL-880 in the house!

Since this has been covered elsewhere extensively, I won't be posting any sw tuning performance. First impression - it's (almost) the same size as the ICR-110! This surprised me. The 110 used to be my most used radio (as of arrival of the 880), and it's a lightweight compared to the heft of the PL-880. One of my ICR-110s has fallen several times from more than 4 feet off the ground with only a small dent on the speaker screen. Should my 880 take the same plunge I'd imagine there would be more carnage.

The first station I tuned in was one of the FM stations where I get my news and the sound was orgasmic. I thought the passive radiator speaker sound out of the ICR-100 and ICR-110 was great - this take it up a few notches. I'm not one to define good sound with bass - but clarity, reproduction of the spoken word - I've never heard better from a portable radio / boom box radio.

The three tuning knobs on the right hand side have a smooth, precision machined feel. The bottom is the volume knob. I've come to wish for a volume knob on the 100 and 110. There invariably comes a time when I need turn it up a click (push button + and - volume adjustment) and it's always too loud - with the 880 this is taken care of. As seen in the pic, the front of the knobs have about 45 percent of the knob shown, and the back of the knobs are recessed into the case, but there is a slight extension of the knob past the case to you can pinch the knob with your thumb (on the front) and pointer finger (on the back of the knob), allowing precise adjustments.

If this took micro discs like the 100 and 110 does, to play mp3 music, it would be perfect for my uses. I'm sure the record to disc file feature would also come in handy for many users.

The only hidden feature I've used so far is the check on the firmware version (8820) and to make sure the FM de-emphasis was set for U.S. (75 uS). Both showing the correct version / setting.

I've got the new (to me) EVVA 18650 3500 mAh battery in there. I love that it uses 18650 and my 110s lasted more than a month (or two) between charges (not that I ran them to drain).

So after a few hours of ownership since last afternoon to early this morning, it replaces my every day listening spot and relieves (one of) my ICR-110 units.

edit #1: The best power on / off button. Press, detent clicks, power's on. No slide click on, slide click off. No push and hold. No push and slide. Not on the side. Not on the other side. Not on the top. Right there on the front right in orange, the largest button on the unit.

XF2NdVF.jpg


ICR-110 (top), PL-880 (bottom)

110 still has the speaker sticker (red and blue on bottom left). 880's sticker comes right off:

aHowXcs.png
Thanks. Just looks and sounds like a radio I would love. Just looks professional.
 

Lebkuecher

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Nice write up 5S8Zh5 and good to see your PL-880 arrived safely and without any problems.

If this took micro discs like the 100 and 110 does, to play mp3 music, it would be perfect for my uses. I'm sure the record to disc file feature would also come in handy for many users.

I agree but what I find a little surprising is there is not a line in jack. It would be great to be able to play MP3s off the phone.

I have read Tecsun improved the sync in the later models and was wondering when you have time if you could post a short video engaging the sync? No hurry but it would be interesting to hear if there are any improvements.

Here is a short YouTube sync sample of my Tecsun PL-880 for comparison.
 

Lebkuecher

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That's pretty remarkable, that the happy little look-how-small-I-am model goes sailing right past the flagship pocket model performance-wise. I wonder if this means the new DT-500 takes it up another notch..

Edit: Now that I look closer, the 500 is actually smaller than the 160, that's a new direction..

I went to Amazon to check out reviews of the DT-160 and there were not any but then I checked out the reviews of the Sangean DT-500W and was a little surprised that all three were very negative. Has Amazon not received any of the DT-160? Hopefully the DT-160 will fare a little better in the Amazon reviews..

Sangean-DT-500W
 

StarHalo

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Has Amazon not received any of the DT-160? Hopefully the DT-160 will fare a little better in the Amazon reviews..

We have all three variants of the 160 [which I can't link you to], but no one has reviewed one yet. That's a shame about the 500, Sangean has such a good pocket radio reputation..
 

P_A_S_1

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A Kiwi is auctioning off his collection of 400 boomboxes, bidding starts at $20,000:

QIXiIGu.jpg


I'd love to set all those radios to the same station, crank up the volume, and sit on a big recliner while a real killers song is playing :cool:.
 

Gene

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Gene, that is what I was talking about. I was not aware anyone made non-rechargeable NiMH cells.

Sorry about that. I should have remembered there were no NiMH primary cells. Good tip though!

A Kiwi is auctioning off his collection of 400 boomboxes, bidding starts at $20,000:

QIXiIGu.jpg

That is amazing! I got into collecting boomboxes about 10 years ago and amassed about 30 of all types. Sold them off last year on Ebay. The boxes from the '60's and '70's are real works of art. I find that most collectors nowadays are from outside of the US.
 

StarHalo

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Is that your garage, S.H.?

Be honest. ;)

I have mixed feelings about that collection really; even if I had a legendary collector's boombox, I don't see that I would use it at all, it'd just gather dust. I see he's got the one with three tape decks above the workbench there, and down on one of the shelves is one with a TV screen - but when was the last time you used a cassette? And there is no broadcast analog TV.. etc. I think we've long passed the point where these need to be museum pieces..
 

Monocrom

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I have mixed feelings about that collection really; even if I had a legendary collector's boombox, I don't see that I would use it at all, it'd just gather dust. I see he's got the one with three tape decks above the workbench there, and down on one of the shelves is one with a TV screen - but when was the last time you used a cassette? And there is no broadcast analog TV.. etc. I think we've long passed the point where these need to be museum pieces..


I'd love to see that whole display in a museum.... Just the way it is. :)
 

StarHalo

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Jay Allen gives the new Sangean HDR-18 AM/FM HD radio high marks in a review posted today. Nice review with some good info and explanations of the basics of HD.

Just goofy, I don't know why anyone is still producing HD radios; you can listen to HD stations for free using your phone/tablet/computer with whatever audio output you prefer, or you can pay $200 for a monaural table radio that's AC only. Weird..
 
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