priyom.org

TECSUN PL-600

Hey guys and welcome to our first ever review here ar Priyom.org. Today we will be reviewing what is nearly everyones first receiver... the PL-600!

Overview

The PL-600 is a small portable shortwave radio. It receives shortwave, FM, LW, MW. It also has the ability to filter SSB with the option of a BFO to tune the SSB so as to hear hams, some numberstations etc. Over all this is a fantastic little radio, build quality isn't great but it doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart which is what matters in a cheap radio really.

Features (forgetting all the rubbish that no one cares about)

  • You get the option of all 4 main radio formats, FM, MW, LW and SW.
  • SSB conversion with an BFO
  • 4 ways of tuning. Wheel, button for up and down, keypad and scan.
  • A frequency range of 100-29999 kHz, without gaps*
  • 600 save slots for saving stations
  • Bandwidth selector (wide/narrow, 4/6 kHz)
  • A built-in telescopic antenna as well as an external 5 m long wire
  • Quite powerful little speaker
  • Free pair of cheap headphones
  • And a charger

* - by default 1622-1711 kHz (MW "X" band) is turned off and you need to turn it on with system code.

Pro's

  • Cheap! (we found for as little as €57 including P&P)
  • Seen worse build quality
  • All the free goodies that come with it (headphones, charger, external antenna and a "simulated" leather case)
  • Has 3 different standing positions (laying flat, at an angle using flap at the back or standing straight using a little metal pull-out)
  • I like the SSB BFO control and I like the ease of tuning
  • 600 different save slots for stations

Con's

  • No coax in
  • BFO control can be a little sensitive
  • The batteries that come with it are rubbish...

Trivial stuff

Why does it have an alarm clock built in? Who wants to wake up to very loud static! Also the alarm and time features are so confusing!?! I can recite the manual word for word yet I still couldn't tell you how to set an alarm properly... All I have achieved is having a very angry girlfriend after the radio turned itself on in the middle of the night. Another thing I can't quite fathom is why they even put all the alarm stuff on there in the first place. REALLY?! Who wants to wake up to static at 6am... I would rather they kept those bits of and charged me less! Now I'm not saying this is a bad radio, in fact I love it! It's just that little things let it down...

To be honest you couldnt really ask better for €50-€70 though.

Overall rating 4 out of 5 stars.

Reviewer: Bowen