Tag Archives: Jeff McMahon

Comparing the Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 in an RFI-Rich Environment

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he’s published a new post on his blog, The Herculodge.

This time, Jeff examines the Tecsun PL-880 vs. PL-660, exposing the quirks and realities of DSP-based radios in his interference-heavy household. Jeff finds that in real-world conditions, the trusty PL-660 often outperforms the PL-880—especially when battling household RFI.

Check out the full post here.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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This Noyce Joyce radio kit features IN-17 Nixie Tubes

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who shares a link to a Nixie Tube radio kit via the retailer Shop Simo. We’ve no clue how well the radio might perform, but it covers AM/FM, can play from an SD card and is, of course, Bluetooth as well. The radio requires no soldering–instead, it appears to be a modular snap-together kit. Here’s the manufacturer’s description:

Noyce Joyce introduces a new generation of electronic kits.
The whole kit is made of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
With a simple snap-fit connection, you get a fully functional product. In this case a battery-powered radio/Bluetooth speaker.
Our radio is [truly] unique thanks to the used miniature IN-17 nixie tubes.
These nixies stopped production 50 years ago.
For this reason, this product will be available only be in limited quantities of maximum few hundred pieces.
Right now you can buy the first 100 pieces in advance for half price.
These pieces will be delivered at the end of July.

Of course, you wouldn’t buy this radio for the performance–you’d but it for the Nixie tubes!

Thanks for the tip, Jeff!

Post readers: Please let me know if you purchase one of these! I’d love a guest post about the built and your thoughts about its functionality.

Click here to check out the Nixie Radio via Shop Simo.

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Radio Deal: Limited number of refurbished Sangean PR-D4W units on Amazon

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who notes that there are a limited number of Sangean PR-D4W units on Amazon.com.

Click here to view on Amazon.

If you’re seriously considering this radio, check out Gary’s overview on the Herculodge blog.

 

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