Tag Archives: Herculodge

Farewell to The Herculodge

(Source: The Herculodge)

Many of you long-time SWLing Post readers may also be followers of my good friend Jeff McMahon’s blog, The Herculodge. Since 2006, Jeff has been writing thoughtful, candid, and often entertaining and cheeky posts about radios, reviewing countless models, and chronicling his fascination with radio.

Sadly, with the pending demise of Typepad on September 30, 2025, The Herculodge will finally be shutting down. Jeff mentioned to me that he kept the blog online in its basic mode for many years, even after posting less frequently, because it still served as a rich archive of his radio reviews and thoughts—and because so many of us in the community (myself included) still referenced it.

Jeff recently published a piece reflecting on the end of Typepad. You can read his farewell post here: Typepad R.I.P. — Obituary for a Dinosaur

Although The Herculodge will disappear, Jeff continues to write at his current site: Cinemorphosis. As he notes, Cinemorphosis focuses more on literary, cultural, and philosophical topics—not specifically radio—but he hasn’t ruled out posting the occasional review or reflection about his long-standing radio obsession.

For those of us who have enjoyed and benefited from Jeff’s writing over the years, The Herculodge will be missed. Thank you, Jeff, for nearly two decades of radio insights, humor, and thoughtful commentary!

And, hey, Jeff—don’t be a stranger around here!

Jeff Takes a Look at the Tecsun PL-330

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he’s published a new article on the Herculodge reflecting on his latest impulse radio purchase: the Tecsun PL-330.

Jeff shares how this venerable compact portable seduced him — despite an already impressive collection of Tecsun greats. Click here to read his full post.

Jeff compares the Tecsun PL-660 and PL-680

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he’s published a new post on his blog, the Herculodge. In this article, he compares the Tecsun PL-680 with its near-twin, the PL-660, and shares his observations on performance, design, and speaker quality—along with a few unexpected surprises. You can read his full post here.

Jeff rediscovers the Tecsun PL-660

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon over at The Herculodge for his recent post, “Dude, You Really Love Radios: A Nostalgic Ode to the Tecsun PL-660.

Jeff reflects on rediscovering the Tecsun PL-660, a “Pre-DSP Glory Era” classic, sharing insights about its design, performance, and the irresistible pull of nostalgia. Like many of us who love radios, he’s already contemplating buying a second one!

Jeff’s short review of the Tecsun PL-880

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he’s recently published a short review of the Tecsun PL-880 on his blog, The Herculodge.

Jeff has discovered something that portable radio enthusiasts have known for more than a decade: the PL-880 sports some of the best audio fidelity in a modern portable radio!

His review prompted me to search for my original review of the PL-880. It turns out I published it in December 2013. Has it really been over 11 years since the PL-880 was introduced? It’s hard to believe—but I’ll admit it still holds its own. I’ll never let mine go.

Why Jeff Returned the Qodosen DX-286

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he’s published his thoughts about the Qodosen DX-286 [SWLing Post affiliate link] over on his blog, The Herculodge. While the DX-286 had solid AM reception, its audio quality and build didn’t quite meet his needs.

In the end, Jeff opted for a more robust choice for his setup. Curious about his experience with the DX-286 and why he made the switch? Read Jeff’s review here.

Sangean PR-D12: Jeff’s first radio review in ten years

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who writes:

Hi Thomas,

I hope all is well. The fires here in Los Angeles prompted me to buy 3 radios, including this Sangean PR-D12 (a Tecsun PL-990X arrives in a few days). This is my first radio review in about 10 years:

Click here to check it out on Jeff’s excellent blog, The Herculodge.

It’s great to see a radio review on your site again, Jeff. Having recently experienced an apocalyptic natural disaster, I can confidently say that a simple AM/FM radio is a reliable and robust source of local news and information. Here in the Swannanoa/Asheville area, we had two stations simulcasting local news and recovery information on both FM and AM frequencies. This service was invaluable when all other communications failed.

We look forward to your review of the PL-990x!