Tecsun PL-368: An Everyman Review

Guest Post

The Tecsun PL-368: An Everyman Review

By Robert Gulley

I entitled this review an “Everyman” review because, while I am far from “normal” (just ask any of my friends!), I am not a hard-core SWL. I am a hard-core amateur radio operator perhaps, but only for the last decade(+). I have been casually listening to shortwave radio for about 50 yrs. So, my perspective on this radio comes from someone who cut his teeth on a Realistic DX-160 (still love those radios!), progressing through various desktop and portable radios, to three of my current favorites, the FRG-7, the Sangean 909X2, and the Sony 7600GR. Of course, this doesn’t count some vintage WWII-era radios and earlier, but they are favorites for other reasons.

Now, the purpose of this little reflection on equipment is to say all radios have their place in the pantheon of shortwave radios, and no one radio “does it all.” The Tecsun radio, I believe, fills a very specific niche in the radio world, and it is excellent for those purposes. It does not, however, rival other radios whose goals are different, such as ones designed around sound fidelity, digital signal processing, SDR capability etc.

What this radio does do is present a very capable radio in an ultra-small package, designed to fit easily for travel and for survival/emergency situations, or for armchair operation. That middle one may surprise you, so allow me to explain.

I have a previous model of this radio (GP-5/SSB still available) sold by CountyComm, which was modified from Tecsun’s stock production PL-365, to have features suitable for government use. This has become a rather popular radio for preppers because of those modifications. The idea behind this radio as a compact piece of kit for government embassy people was to have something which could be easily concealable, operated with one hand, and have a wide range of reception capabilities. Of course, good reception of shortwave, AM, and FM bands was considered a must. You can look at the CountryComm website to find out specific features of the modified units if interested, as that radio, or the PL-365, are not the subject of this review.

While not a real “prepper” myself, I was intrigued by the AM broadcast reception capabilities due to the plug-in ferrite antenna, and also liked the idea of the small footprint. In actual use I found the radio to be quite versatile, a good performer, but rather awkward to use as there was no quick way to get to specific frequencies, unless already programmed into a memory location. With no direct keyboard entry on the GP-5, going to random locations to channel surf was, for me, frankly a bit annoying.

Enter the PL-368 which boasts a direct keyboard entry! Yes!! This one feature has taken the radio to a new level of performance which makes it a joy to use in this reviewer’s humble opinion. (Full disclosure, the unit I received for this review was provided by ANON-CO, and is the latest model after the recent firmware update incorporated by Tecsun. However, I have no other connection to ANON-CO or Tecsun, and my willingness to do the review is purely based on my previous purchase and experience with the CountyComm model.)

Despite having an unusual number of stormy days and nights here in the Midwestern U.S. recently, I have managed to enjoy some very productive listening opportunities with this little radio. For example, being an amateur radio operator, I appreciate the ability to listen in on the amateur frequencies now an again, and the recent ARRL Field Day afforded me the opportunity to really test out the radio’s USB/LSB reception capabilities, and its ability to dig out signals on a really crowded band. I was quite impressed both with its DSP and bandwidth capabilities and the reasonable clarity of the audio when tuning in various signals. Does it have the richness of audio that my Sangean 909X2 has? No, of course not. The speaker is much smaller in the PL-368, but it was quite listenable. Likewise, listening to various nets on 80 meters was quite acceptable with the built-in antenna, where noise and local interference are common gremlins on any radio.

For shortwave stations I found the radio to be quite sensitive just using the built-in antenna, which is key to portable listening. If I have to attach an external antenna, my mobility becomes limited, and I might as well just listen to one of my desktop radios. Some reception examples include: NHK World Radio 9560, Helliniki Radiophonia Voice of Greece 9420, WRMI relay of KSKO 89.5’s Paul Walker from McGrath Alaska on 7780 (beamed to east coast U.S., as well as on 7730 beamed to west coast, Hawaii, and South Pacific).

Of course, reception of CRI, Radio Havana Cuba, and numerous religious broadcasts were heard on all the usual places. I also listened to WWV signals at various locations, my go-to initial band reception check, as well as listening to HF aircraft broadcasts, military planes training on 11175 (USB), and maritime weather broadcasts. While I did not try digital mode reception such as FT8 with WSJT-X from the headphone jack, I have no doubt I would have been able to monitor these stations on various bands easily as the signals were immediately recognizable. The same holds true for CW reception.

Operational Notes

For a thoughtful, in-depth review of many technical aspects of this radio Dan Robinson has written an excellent piece on the PL-368, along with an updated review of the latest firmware’s effect on the radio. One aspect worth mentioning in my experience with this radio is that, unlike Dan, I did not find an issue with changing sensitivity when touching/holding the radio versus the radio standing on its own. Your mileage may vary, of course, so this goes in the “for what it’s worth” category. Maybe this issue has been resolved in later production runs? Or maybe my capacitance is running low and I need more electrolytes<grin>!

Like Dan, I found the SYNC detection of USB/LSB to be marginal at best, mostly making the signals harder to hear. On the upside, standard reception was quite good, and I did not experience significant fading most of the time.

Below are some of the hidden keyboard functions as listed, provided by Anna of ANON-CO, but I wanted to mention a feature I have either forgotten when using my GP5 CountyComm model, or which has been added (sorry, I don’t have access to the GP5 right now as it is packed away due to a recent move in progress). When “speed tuning” as I call it (turning the tuning dial quickly) with the “step” selected to the smallest increment on SW, what starts as increments of 10Hz will jump to 50Hz at a time after a few moments. This helps in trying to quickly latch on to a signal when increments of 10 are not necessary. The tuning will revert to 10Hz units when stopped for a few seconds.

Now for some undocumented features:

Switch between internal ferrite rod and whip on AM (MW & LW)

  1. Select the MW or LW band.
  2. Press and hold key ‘3’ for about 2 seconds.

When the display briefly shows “CH-5” this means that the device is set to MW/LW reception using the telescopic antenna. The display shows MW (or LW) and SW on the left side of the screen.

When the display briefly shows “CH-A” this means that the device is set to MW/LW reception using the internal ferrite antenna. The display shows only MW (or LW) on the left side of the screen.

Adjusting the maximum volume level

Select the frequency band, then press and hold key ‘7’ for 2 seconds until a number is displayed. At this moment, rotate the [ TUNING ] knob to adjust and press the key ‘7’ again to save and exit.

Firmware Version

In power-off mode, press and hold [ VF/VM ] for 0.5 seconds until all characters on the display are shown, then wait a few seconds until the firmware version is briefly displayed in the middle of the display.

Extend SW-range for European setting (1621-29999 kHz)

  1. In power-off mode, press and hold the [ 3 ] key to set the MW tuning steps to 9kHz.
  2. Select the SW band, and then press and hold the [ 5 ] key for 10 seconds to enable/disable the SW frequency extension. The starting point of the SW frequency range will become 1621 or 1711 kHz.

Some Nitpicks (There had to be some, right?!)

I wish the batteries were still standard AA units instead of the flat rechargeable unit. This is merely a personal preference, but as a radio designed for carry-anywhere usage, I like a radio to use batteries I can pick up anywhere if needed. I tend to use rechargeable AA and AAA batteries anyway, but I like knowing I can use ubiquitous alkaline batteries available at almost any store in a pinch.

I suspect the change was made to allow for more space for the direct keypad entry, and that is definitely a tradeoff I am willing to make!

On a related note, the recharging port uses the USB micro-b connector which I have found in cell phones, tablets, etc. to be a weak point as cables often seem to go bad, or the connector itself gets damaged. The larger mini-b would be my preference, but hey, again, that’s a nitpick.

Finally, the case does appear to be a little thin which makes me wonder how it might survive if dropped or knocked off a table. This is not a deal-breaker by any means, but something to consider when carrying it around or when packing it for a trip. It may survive quite well, but that’s a test I don’t want to try out just to see what happens.

Final Thoughts

For me, as a casual shortwave listener, I look for several things in a portable radio. I want true portability – if a so-called portable radio must be tethered to an external antenna to work decently, chances are I am not going to use it often – my various desktop models attached to outdoor antennas will always out-perform a portable. I also want a simplified layout of controls. I do not want to dig through menus, have be a contortionist to work the buttons/controls, or carry a manual with me to find out how to use the radio each time because the controls are confusing. I also want reasonable audio and clarity, or the ability to fine-tune a signal to minimize adjacent signals.

I find the PL-368 does for me what I want a portable to do and does it reasonably well. Is it the best portable out there? No. Is it a benchmark radio? No. But it is extremely portable, easily handled with just one hand, and its reception capabilities put it far above some other portables I have used. If you are looking for something which can easily fit into a pocket, bag, or purse, this radio is great. If you want a radio which performs well over a wide range of signals using the built-in antenna, this radio fills the bill. And if you want true USB/LSB, along with good bandwidth options in your portable, this is a great choice. Cheers!

(edit, July 23, 2021: an additional “hidden” feature to be included in the shipping version not included in this reviewed unit is an SSB calibration capability – definitely a plus! — Robert)

Spread the radio love

16 thoughts on “Tecsun PL-368: An Everyman Review

  1. Justin

    I just bought a PL-368 and am extremely disappointed with the FM reception. I’m in the mountains and I listen to stations about 150 miles away with my Tecsun PL-880, so I was sure this newer radio would at least match that. But it won’t even pull in a station 20 miles away, even clipped to a long wire. I just compared it to a cheap HanRongDa radio and that pulls in many FM stations clipped to a wire while the PL-368 receives none. I’m not sure why. What a waste.

    Reply
  2. Subramoniam

    Hi
    Nice read. I reside in UAE.

    Can this Tecsun PL368 replace Sony 7600AGR or Sangean ATS909 (v 1.0).? These are the two radios i posses. After a very long hiatus I took out the radios and tunes them in. Though bought in early 2000 working well except LCD of Sangean had a burnt polariser due to heat when I left it in India for near 3 years in my closed apartment there. Itching to get a new radio.

    Many stations are missing now especially from my home country India.. Nearly all MW moved to DRM and SW switched off it seems. Considering this is it worth buying a new all band radio?

    And you had written this could receive the digital mode.. are these HD stations? Pardon my lost touch with radios.. Can this radio recive DRM stations?

    Regards

    Reply
  3. Tom yazvac

    Just received my new Tec-sun pl368 and am getting used to it. I am not getting much on the SW band around here in Clover Sc .

    Reply
    1. Robert Gulley

      Hi Tom,
      Congrats on the new radio! SWL is such a variable thing – recently we have had a lot of geomagnetic storms and atmospheric disturbances, many times the bands seem quiet (except for the noise!). On the other hand, with the solar cycle improving by leaps and bounds, there are times when things are wide open. Hang in there – I know you will start hearing lots of signals soon! Cheers! Robert

      Reply
  4. James W Campbell m

    Greetings and salutations THE SWLING POST, 1014 UTC Su.08.15.2021.Tecsun PL-368 SSB.
    3.615
    3.965
    3.730
    3.744.70 1023 UTC strongest one person amateur voice with my mp3 Sony ICD-PX333 recording and I like it.
    My coordinates are 256ft 38°8’51” N 77°7’27” W
    And my experience is on the 90 meters and 75 meters broadcast bands are the most sensitive to the Tecsun PL-368 whip antenna slightly choppy audio listening but other meters bands aren’t as effected by the normal whip antenna slightly loose conditions that Anon-Co says that Tecsun PL-368 has.
    James William Campbell

    Reply
  5. David McCormick

    Great review. Looking forward to this new version with keypad and reduced Sync warble. I only wish Tecsun would have (as many other do) the excellent calibration feature found on the newer Tecsun flagship radios. My CountyCom desk “puck” awaits the new 368.

    Reply
  6. Thomas

    This is a wonderful review, Robert–you raise so many good points here.

    In fact, you make me realize that the PL-368 is really a final iteration of this unique product line starting with the PL-360 and CountyComm GP5-DSP. I’ve always felt like the lack of a keypad on previous models with a negative that could be somewhat overcome with thoughtful frequency memory allocations, but even this solution was awkward. Having a keypad really makes this seem like the radio it always wanted to be.

    Thank you, Robert!

    Cheers,
    Thomas

    Reply
    1. Robert Gulley

      Thank you for the kind words, Thomas – I agree, this is what this fine little radio was lacking. The problem for me was my style of usage, more exploratory than focused on a set schedule of listening. Even with memory slots I would still then have to remember where I put them! Cheers!

      Reply
  7. Franco

    Nice review.

    I always find myself going back to my PL-360 despite owning a fair few receivers. So, I’d really like to pick one of these 368’s up but haven’t seen any in the UK yet.

    The MW options on these models is one of the best in the portable radio market in my opinion. You can use a long wire in the antenna socket which works really well at night, much better than the plug in ferrite, although that performs quite well too.
    My only complaint about these models is they chew batteries up and rechargeable batteries are a must if used regularly.

    Thanks for posting your review.

    Reply
    1. Robert Gulley

      Thanks, Franco – yes, they are battery hogs for sure – another reason they probably decided to go with a standard rechargeable battery. Cheers!

      Reply
  8. Dan

    Excellent overview. In the time since my re-visit of the PL-368, with the newer firmware, I have found myself turning to the 368 for quick and effortless monitoring. Combined with the excellent stand sold by County Comm which allows the receiver to stand with stability on a table, the 368 really hits a lot of high marks. My only wish is that Tecsun would have made re-calibration possible on the radio as it does on the 330, 990x and 501x. On the question of sensitivity/gain when touched and untouched, it is there — it seems less than it was on the 365 and 360, but it is there, perhaps hard to tell.

    Reply
    1. Robert Gulley

      Thanks, Dan – I agree, the monitoring is quick and easy – it’s a significant step forward for this line of radios. Cheers!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.