(paid link below) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you. ▶ The Tecsun PL-680 at eBay: bit.ly/TecsunRadios
This and my PL880 are my favorite PLL tuning radios. I've read reviews saying that the 680 tends to be a bit deaf on MW, but that's never been my experience. Keeps up nicely alongside my older Sangean 803A. A hidden gem -- get one while they can be had.
I got one of these and I love it. The first one I had started acting up after 6 months, but the company sent me a new one to replace it with, no questions asked. I have it for a couple of years and works great. SW is fantastic, SSB you'll love it, AIR is strong, FM great, AM for DXing when the weather is good is the best, LW well, we live across the pond. Enjoy it todderbert. I've found things on SW, that blew me away. Connect it to an MLA30+ antenna and the world is yours.
I like the design of the 680. If the conditions were better I think this radio would work as well as the 660 does. The station on 820 is CHAM Hamilton, Ontario which recently flipped to a Multicultural format.
Hi Todderbert, thanks for the video and the band scan. I'm going to turn on my TV and watch your full video there. I don't have the Tecsun PL-680, but I have the Tecsun PL-660, an old radio friend but still a great radio in 2024. Take care, Todderbert.
The Tecsun 660 + 680 are identical on the inside (as Tecsun informed me), the 680 only had a change of design to fit in to the new design line of Tecsun. The 660/680 each are the only Tecsun Radios with a "real & functioning SYNC"- function. The Tecsun Sync otherwise is not great and kills the sound ( small exeption: the little 330 has a usable sync, but nothing compared to the 680 ! And that goes through the whole series of Tecsun worldband radios. The 680 is excellent, sensitive, lasts very long on one set of rechargeables. It is a perfect travel radio, incredible reception ( recommend always use external Antenna), robust and easy to work with! Recommended! 👍!
Analog goodness. I don't use single sideband much, but the PL-680 can tune in signals to where the voices sound like normal human voices. The chip based radios like the PL-880, PL-990x and H-501 don't sound normal on SSB. Plus, no muting when you tune!
I own a PL310ET and use it chiefly for FM stereo reception, which is as good as the earphones being used. The fishing line sw antenna isn't much of a bargain; in fact, for me, it does nothing to clarify/amplify signals that the attached antenna normally pulls in. Excellent AM reception with KYW, KMOX, WJR, WBZ and the now-defunct WCBS for DX listening. The tuning functions on the radio are confusing. I'd rather use my CCrane Skywave for sw.
After watching 100+ vids, short wave is essentially the tuning into a station that sounds like very poor reception that has lots of static and fades in and out - w a few stations being the exception? I must be missing something?
Yeah, the elusive pirate stations, numbers stations, jammers, HAM radio operators, and the long distant station seekers. Plus most of it is unfiltered, and you can't be blocked from receiving it.
@@nobody1841 Learning to watch the solar activity to get a handle on the ideal bounces that occur with shortwave signals on an energized ionsphere. Listening to stations on the other side of the world is fun for some people. Knowing what time of day to tune in Shortwave stations is also crucial. If all this is not your thing, stick with internet radio, there's tons to find there. I use mine all the time.
@@todderbert Do you have a video on times, ionosphere...I am interested, perhaps impatient. Obviously this is a science of a sort. Thank you for taking the time to respond, I truly am not trying to be argumentative.
I have a 9700dx as my analog radio. But if these ever come in stock at anon-co for 101 I want one. Get the feeling this might be the peak of analog radios. I'm in Chicago but DT and barely get anything.. so jealous
(paid link below) As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. There are no additional costs to you.
▶ The Tecsun PL-680 at eBay: bit.ly/TecsunRadios
No DSP, AA batteries. Perfect! I love my 660! Thank you for posting.
This and my PL880 are my favorite PLL tuning radios. I've read reviews saying that the 680 tends to be a bit deaf on MW, but that's never been my experience. Keeps up nicely alongside my older Sangean 803A. A hidden gem -- get one while they can be had.
I got one of these and I love it. The first one I had started acting up after 6 months, but the company sent me a new one to replace it with, no questions asked. I have it for a couple of years and works great. SW is fantastic, SSB you'll love it, AIR is strong, FM great, AM for DXing when the weather is good is the best, LW well, we live across the pond. Enjoy it todderbert. I've found things on SW, that blew me away. Connect it to an MLA30+ antenna and the world is yours.
I like the design of the 680. If the conditions were better I think this radio would work as well as the 660 does. The station on 820 is CHAM Hamilton, Ontario which recently flipped to a Multicultural format.
Very nice radio
Of all my specialty radio collection, this my go to radio in those rare times when sync detection feature shines.
Hi Todderbert, thanks for the video and the band scan. I'm going to turn on my TV and watch your full video there. I don't have the Tecsun PL-680, but I have the Tecsun PL-660, an old radio friend but still a great radio in 2024. Take care, Todderbert.
Woohoo... still one of my favorite radios, tho used less post-sangean-909
The Tecsun 660 + 680 are identical on the inside (as Tecsun informed me), the 680 only had a change of design to fit in to the new design line of Tecsun. The 660/680 each are the only Tecsun Radios with a "real & functioning SYNC"- function. The Tecsun Sync otherwise is not great and kills the sound ( small exeption: the little 330 has a usable sync, but nothing compared to the 680 ! And that goes through the whole series of Tecsun worldband radios. The 680 is excellent, sensitive, lasts very long on one set of rechargeables. It is a perfect travel radio, incredible reception ( recommend always use external Antenna), robust and easy to work with! Recommended! 👍!
One of the nice thing about the 680 is, they used flat buttons instead of the curved ones on the 660.
Analog goodness. I don't use single sideband much, but the PL-680 can tune in signals to where the voices sound like normal human voices. The chip based radios like the PL-880, PL-990x and H-501 don't sound normal on SSB. Plus, no muting when you tune!
I own a PL310ET and use it chiefly for FM stereo reception, which is as good as the earphones being used. The fishing line sw antenna isn't much of a bargain; in fact, for me, it does nothing to clarify/amplify signals that the attached antenna normally pulls in. Excellent AM reception with KYW, KMOX, WJR, WBZ and the now-defunct WCBS for DX listening. The tuning functions on the radio are confusing. I'd rather use my CCrane Skywave for sw.
Will you be doing a full review of this?
Possibly, it is the same as the PL-660 except for cabinet design.
After watching 100+ vids, short wave is essentially the tuning into a station that sounds like very poor reception that has lots of static and fades in and out - w a few stations being the exception? I must be missing something?
Yeah, the elusive pirate stations, numbers stations, jammers, HAM radio operators, and the long distant station seekers. Plus most of it is unfiltered, and you can't be blocked from receiving it.
@@todderbert With all the fanfare this hobby seems intriguing but listening to static for hrs seems less than fun. What am I missing?
@@nobody1841 Learning to watch the solar activity to get a handle on the ideal bounces that occur with shortwave signals on an energized ionsphere. Listening to stations on the other side of the world is fun for some people. Knowing what time of day to tune in Shortwave stations is also crucial. If all this is not your thing, stick with internet radio, there's tons to find there. I use mine all the time.
@@todderbert Do you have a video on times, ionosphere...I am interested, perhaps impatient. Obviously this is a science of a sort. Thank you for taking the time to respond, I truly am not trying to be argumentative.
I have a 9700dx as my analog radio. But if these ever come in stock at anon-co for 101 I want one. Get the feeling this might be the peak of analog radios. I'm in Chicago but DT and barely get anything.. so jealous
820 playing Punjabi song