Tag Archives: Tecsun H-501x Review

An Informal Hands-On Comparison of the Tecsun H-501x, Belka, and Sony ICF-2010/2001D

Radio Thoughts and Reflections: An informal hands-on review of the Tecsun H501x, Belka, Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D

by Julian Stargardt

This review started as a comparative review of the Tecsun H501x and the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D. It developed into something more.

I fell in love with radio when as a 5 or 6 year old child, my parents parked an old multi-band thermionic valve / tube radio on a small table in my bedroom. After a few evenings of staring at this wooden beast with its glass face on one side of the front with rows of numbers, I plucked up courage to plug it in, and turn it on. It lit up and after a while it hissed at me. I twiddled some knobs and eventually found some faint speech and then some quite loud music, presumably a local MW broadcaster of the sort for whom a central heating radiator will suffice as a receiver – yes if you’re near enough to the transmitter an old fashioned cast iron water-filled ribbed radiator will work as a MW receiver, the audio isn’t great but you can hear it. A phenomenon that should appeal to steam punks. After a few days, I figured out that I could plug a long wire – actually quite short to start with, only about 5 feet initially, later this grew into a long wire mostly outside. Wow! I could hear all sorts of stations in all sorts of languages. My favourite was an American station that broadcast Country and Western. I invited my younger brother to my room and explained that the Country and Western music was “cowboy music”…. So a love affair started that persists to this day.

In my 20s and early 30s, I set up a National HRO with its coils and external power supply in my study at home, with an excellent long dipole in the garden; that setup could pick up anything from anywhere…

A Sony ICF 2001D aka 2010 also entered my life. Much more portable than the HRO. By the way, for reasons best known to itself, Sony sold the same radio under two different names; in the USA it was called the Sony ICF 2010, and in the rest of the world it was called the Sony ICF 2001D – not to be confused with the 2001….

The Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D was made from 1985 to 2003. That must be a record or close to a record for a consumer portable broadband radio receiver. And it reflects on what a wonderful radio the 2010 / 2001D is. To many of us it’s a benchmark. For people who worked in remote areas in the pre-internet age it was a window on the world that brought in news, views and entertainment from around the world. At times it could be a life-saver.

So 23 years on is there a worthy equivalent or successor to the Sony 2010 / 2001D?

Yes, there is.

There are any number of radios available today that perform as well as or in some ways better than the Sony 2010 / 2001D. Some are out of production but still readily available on the 2nd hand market. A number are in production. Some are larger and heavier; some are smaller; a few are much smaller.

The Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D has a certain presence and form factor. It brought phase-locked loop and synchronous detection to the consumer market, though I’m not sure it was the first. It was part of a wave of radios of that era, some of which are notably better, but Sony captured the lion’s share of that segment of the consumer market and won the hearts and minds of many. So what, in my view, is the modern current production successor in size and capability to the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D?

It’s the Tecsun H501 / H501x. In Tecsun usage, the “x” or “X” suffix denotes the export version, with literature and labeling in English.

So how does the Tecsun H501x compare with the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D?

In a word or two: It’s better.

Yes, I know, that verdict might be controversial to some and will raise some eyebrows here and there.

“What about the synchronous detection?” some will ask.

The Sony has legendary synchronous detection, which is generally, though not always, better than the Tecsun’s

But the Sony’s synch is nowhere near as good as today’s Belka’s. I mention that because some reviewers appear to give the impression that the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D’s synchronous detection is the best available. It is good. But it’s not the best.

A brief digression about the Belka and some Antenna Options

And if you want a pocket-sized high-end communications receiver and you’re willing to pay a few hundred US dollars for the privilege, the Belka is in a league of its own. It’s tiny. It’s robust (the case is thick aluminium). The battery lasts, well, not quite forever, but nearly. Alex, who designed and makes the Belka, claims conservatively that the battery lasts 24 hours of continuous reception.

The Belka has features usually only found in professional rigs. But it doesn’t have FM, and relying on a whip antenna makes listening to Medium Wave or Long Wave in a radio-frequency-interference-rich urban environment either impossible or at least a challenge. But there are solutions to that MW reception issue:

a compact Medium Wave magnetic loop or
a ferrite rod.

You could make your own compact magnetic loop or ferrite rod, or you can buy a ready-made one. Keep in mind that the Belka does not have an internal ferrite rod so inductive coupling will not work, you’ll need a BNC connector to connect to the Belka’s antenna socket.

There are a number of compact magnetic loops on the market; one interesting manufacturer is PK Loop, a family-owned business that specializes in magnetic loop antennae and makes indoor and outdoor, passive and active LW, MW and SW loops. These have been reviewed on SWLing; I haven’t got one yet, so I have no personal experience of them. They’re helpful and respond promptly to emails. Their website is: https://www.amradioantennas.com/

I use, and I recommend Tecsun’s AN100 or AN200 compact passive tunable MW magnetic loops. They’re basically the same loop; they just feature different bases. You’ll need a BNC adaptor

Alternatively, you could buy Tecsun’s AN48x active loop set, which comes complete with a wide assortment of adapters, including a compact ferrite rod antenna for inductive coupling of the AN48x’s active loop to the internal ferrite rod of a radio that lacks an external antenna. Tecsun’s little ferrite rod works well on its own as a MW ferrite rod and can be connected to the Belka using the AN48x’s supplied 3.5mm / BNC adapter. I recommend the Tecsun AN48x kit, not only for the AN48x active loop antenna but especially for the wide selection of connectors supplied with this kit, including RCA, BNC, 3.5mm, crocodile clips, and the ferrite rod. At Anon-Co.com, it retails for US$29.99; US stock is sold out, so if you’re in the USA and order it, you will currently possibly have to pay a surcharge for tariffs. Anon-Co.com’s listing for the AN48x is at: https://www.anon-co.com/product/tecsun-an48x-antenna

I digress. I’ll probably do so again.

Back to the Tecsun H501x.

Why do I say the H501x is a worthy successor to the Sony? Well, look at the comparative photos. They’re both pretty much the same size. The Sony’s a touch longer and a touch thicker. The Tecsun is a tad higher, but we’re talking millimetres here folks, so to the non-anal among us they’re roughly the same size. They’re both well built, almost robustly built. But the Sony weighs more, a lot more. And with batteries loaded, that weight difference is all the more noticeable.

The Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D weighs 1.8kg / 4lbs with its batteries.

The Tecsun H501x weighs about 1.1kg / 2.4lbs with both batteries fitted, though only one is needed to operate the radio.

The Tecsun beats the Sony hands down on ergonomics and on ease of operation. Though the Sony is also very simple to use. For example, entering a direct frequency input on the Sony requires 2 steps: step 1, enter the frequency; step 2, press enter- no big deal. On the Tecsun, in common with most Tecsun communication receivers, enter the frequency, and that’s it. Just one step.

Another big-ish difference: chuffing. The Sony chuffs. When rotating the tuning knob on the Sony, it chuffs; the chuff isn’t as awful as on some radios, but it’s there, and it’s noticeable. The Tecsun, like most Tecsuns, doesn’t chuff. And speaking of tuning knobs… some reviewers complain about how the Tecsun tuning knobs are set into the body of the radio and how this makes tuning difficult. Well, the Sony tuning knob is recessed slightly into the body of the radio. OK, the Sony tuning knob has a dimple in it into which one can fit a finger to twirl the tuning knob as it chuffs through frequencies. But if you’re trying to tune the Sony using the tuning knob without the dimple, then the aperture on the front panel of the Sony is noticeably smaller than on the Tecsun. And the Tecsun tuning knob is a little proud of the body so it can be grasped, and it has a synthetic rubber inset that makes twirling it without chuffing through the frequencies quite easy.

Looking at the Tecsun, the main tuning knob and the fine tuning knob are on the right side. On the right side of the radio, above the main tuning knob are an AM, ie LW, MW and SW external antenna socket and an FM antenna socket, and below the fine tuning knob is a USB charging socket, a Type-C socket on current production and a Type-B on older models. The Tecsun comes with a charging adaptor plug and cable; alternatively, one can charge using a 5 volt charger. On the left side, the 3 knobs are, from top to bottom: volume, treble, and bass knobs. On the lower left of the front face are the Headphone socket, a line-in socket, and a line-out socket. The tuning and audio knobs are accessible via apertures on the front of the radio, or they can be turned from the side either by grasping the slender portion of the knob that stands proud of the body of the radio, or by placing one’s finger on the synthetic rubber inset and twirling the knob that way.

The Tecsun comes with a high-quality cotton-lined – at least I think it’s cotton – leatherette vinyl travel bag, stereo headphones, 2 x lithium-ion 1860 batteries, a comprehensive, well-illustrated, easy-to-follow instruction manual and a double-sided wall chart, on one side is a large map of the world showing time zones, on the other side is a colour illustrated quick start guide to the radio. One of the extras the H501x is supplied with is a micro-SD Card player; there is a micro-SD card slot fitted to the radio, and a micro-SD card is provided. The H501x micro-SD does not record; it only plays. By the way, the AM antenna socket serves all AM bands, LW, MW, and SW; I think that’s a nice touch. It means one can attach an external antenna for all bands without hassle. If your antenna has an RCA or BNC connector, you will need an adaptor to a 3.5mm antenna plug

Why is this Tecsun called the H501? Why not the PLXXX? The name is a tribute by Tecsun’s founder to his Alma Mater and to his class. A nice touch in my view. Tecsun’s founder is passionate about radio. He’s been building radios since he was a boy. We owe Tecsun’s continuing production of high-quality consumer portable radios to their founder’s love and passion for radios, and in particular shortwave listening.

I understand that Tecsun’s founder has done everything he can to optimise the SI radio chips but that the issues other reviewers have mentioned about synchronous detection and USB and LSB are inherent to the SI chip architecture. Don’t get me wrong, synchronous detection works and it can be useful; USB and LSB also work. But their audio is not great because low frequency is cut off at a point that affects the overall sound quality. Like everyone else, including Tecsun’s founder, I wish something could be done about this too.

I find the H501x’s volume and separate tone controls are very useful in helping to resolve shortwave signals, especially in a radio frequency interference-rich environment.

Long wave, Medium wave and FM performance are all good. In LW and MW, the maximum bandwidth is 9KHz, or likely wider, which enables hi-fi-like audio from strong stations.

FM stereo performance is impeccable, especially with headphones.

The Tecsun H501x has multiple bandwidths. In broadband listening, these range from 2.3 to 9 in LW and MW and from 2.3 to 6 kHz in SW. In practice, it seems the bandwidths might be wider than stated. The Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D has 2 bandwidths, “Wide” and “Narrow”.

What are those two grilles on either side of the front (and the back) of the H501x? They are the stereo speaker grilles. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the H501x is a true stereo radio, and the audio is good. It’s not going to replace a high-end HiFi system, by the way, Tecsun are venturing into those too, but for a portable radio, the on-board loudspeaker audio is good, and via good quality headphones, or via the line-out socket on the H501x’s front panel to your stereo system, the audio is excellent.

The Tecsun operates on one lithium 18650 battery, this has become a widely available battery. The H501x comes with two batteries. Yes, batteries are included. And the H501x has two battery slots. The radio only needs one battery to operate and the battery slots are switchable by a switch on the base of the radio. This means that if one of these long lasting batteries is nearing its recharging time, you can switch to the fresh battery already in place.

Why did I choose the Tecsun H501x and not another receiver as the successor to the Sony 2010?

Mainly because the Tecsun H501x has taken the size, form factor, and user-friendliness of the Sony and improved on it; in terms of audio, ergonomics, user-friendliness, and weight, the Tecsun H501x is a considerable improvement on the Sony. One can see some design cues in the H501x, mainly in the overall shape, from the Sony, but where the Sony is very angular, the Tecsun is rounded. The Tecsun’s design cues come more from the classic Grundig Satelit 700, a competitor of the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D. And that is no surprise; Tecsun manufactures, or used to, Grundig-branded radios. The Grundig Satelit 700 looked better and had superior ergonomics to the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D, but, so I understand, the Grundig performed less well on SW reception, and if memory serves me correctly, that was also my experience when I did an A / B test of the two radios back in the early 1990s. I currently have several Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D radios and I do an almost daily comparison between a selection of my radios’ shortwave reception. The Sony is good, very good. And when you consider that it’s a 30+ year old radio, that is an excellent result. But the Tecsun H501x is better, with the solitary exception of synchronous detection discussed above. The Tecsun’s sync works; the Sony’s works considerably better. Does one need synch? Rarely. Or not really, depending on your SW listening preferences.

There are still plenty of Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D on the market, and one can pick them up in varying conditions. But expect to pay at least US$300.00 plus shipping for a Sony in adequate condition; prices vary, and there are sellers out there offering Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D for 4 figures. For US$500.00 or so plus shipping, you should be able to find a Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D in good, clean condition and good working order. Remember the Sony ICF 2010 / 2001D is at least 23 years old and more likely 30+ years old.

Common failings are the back-light, bleeding LCD, battery leaks, and circuit faults. The Sony was supplied with a power adaptor – this is not a charging unit. The Sony uses 2 x AA batteries to power the clock and computer and 3 x D Cells to power the radio. The Sony has two power switches. A main power switch on the side and an on-off switch on the top front panel to the immediate left of the LCD. First, turn on the main power switch, then turn on the front panel switch. If the LCD shows “ERROR 3” wait a moment to see if the error message goes away. If the error message persists, check that the main power switch at the lower left side of the radio is ‘On’. If both power switches are on, check that the batteries are properly installed, that all battery connections are dry, and that there’s a good battery circuit; also check the power of your batteries with a voltmeter. If you still can’t power on your Sony, do a thorough circuit test and check to find the fault.

So how much is the Tecsun H501x?

Well, its new price from Anon-Co.com in the USA and in the rest of the world is US$298.00. Remember, if you’re in the USA and you’re ordering from Anon-Co.com, make sure you order the USA delivery item so you’re not hit with tariffs.

I love Tecsun radios, and I am delighted that Tecsun continues to produce this kind of high-quality broadband radio. I wish they could overcome the synchronous detector audio and stability issues and the USB / LSB audio issues; on the other hand, I love the fact that in USB mode, Tecsun’s high-end shortwave radios tune in 10Hz steps. I remember my astonishment when the PL880x came out and tuned in 10Hz steps; not so long ago, a 10Hz tuning step was unavailable except on expensive professional gear. To find that kind of sophistication in a radio the size of a not very large paperback book took my breath away. 10Hz tuning steps have become a tradition for Tecsun in their medium- and high-end portable broadband receivers, even in the inexpensive pocket-sized PL330 or PL540.

Tecsun produce a wide range of radios, you can feast your eyes on their radios and accessories either at Tecsun’s own website, or at Anon-Co.com or at Tecsun Radios Australia – www.tecsunaustralia.com.au

I’ve enjoyed writing this review and I might follow up with another comparative review of vintage and modern radios.

FYI: I don’t have shares in or get free radios from any of the brands and businesses mentioned above. I’m just a keen SW Listener who delights in the fact that Tecsun continues to produce good quality shortwave radios and accessories.

A review of the Tecsun H-501x portable shortwave radio receiver

19 Replies

I was recently searching for my review of the Tecsun H-501x on the SWLing Post to send to a reader when I realized I had not yet published it here! Let’s fix that…

The following review of the Tecsun H-501x was originally published in the November 2021 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Enjoy:

A review of the Tecsun H-501x

by Thomas (K4SWL)

Last year [2020], we were treated to a group of new shortwave portables from Tecsun: the PL-990, PL-330, and the H-501.

Although all of these models garnered attention from shortwave listeners, one model in particular seemed to draw the most interest, the Tecsun H-501.

No doubt, much had to do with the H-501’s size––a large format portable––and especially the twin stereo speakers, that no doubt sparked the interest of those of us who owned (or wished we owned) the venerable Grundig Satellit 500 or 700 with its reputation for robust audio.

Tecsun was also very clear during their product announcement in 2019 that the H-501x is the flagship portable for the Tecsun line.

H-501 versus H-501x

Note that the product being evaluated in this review is the H-501x; the latest “export” version of the H-501.

The differences between these two models is fairly modest. The “x” model gives the user a slightly lower frequency floor in longwave and shortwave, and finer FM tuning (50 kHz as opposed to 100 kHz) when the AM tuning steps are set to 9 kHz as opposed to 10 kHz.

The differences are so modest between the H-501 and H-501x, I wouldn’t be worried if you already have the H-501. I would simply encourage you to only purchase from a reputable Tecsun distributor so you can be confident you’re not receiving one of the very early production runs of the H-501 that was only distributed domestically within China. Some of these early domestic models didn’t have all the refinements of the latest H-501 versions. I would encourage you to only purchase the H-501 or H-501x from a reputable distributors like Anon-Co, Waters and Stanton, Tecsun Radios Australia, and Bonito.

Unique features

Besides the large dual speakers of the H-501x, there are a number of other unique features and design choices that truly set the H-501 series apart from other Tecsun models.

Firstly, the H-501x uses two 18650 Lithium Ion batteries housed in two separate battery compartments. Both batteries can be internally charged, but here’s the interesting part: each battery seems to be somewhat independent of the other. When you engage battery charging, you must select, via a mechanical switch on the back of the radio, “Battery A” or “Battery B.” Only one battery can be charged at a time, and thus only one will power the radio at a time.

More than once, I’ve been listening to the H-501x and the battery indicator started flashing, signifying a low battery. I simply switched the battery switch to Battery B, and, voliá: I have a full battery again! This reminds me of a college friend’s VW Beetle that had a spare fuel tank…with this unique feature, when you were running low on fuel, you’d kick in the spare fuel tank and then make plans to refuel the main tank soon. Of course, with the H-501x, both these “fuel tanks” are also generous ones, in that the batteries last for a good while.

I find that the play time of each battery impressive given the size and audio amplification used in the H-501x. I had worries that the unit’s need for two batteries could suggest a short battery life, but fortunately this hasn’t been the case, no matter what mode I’ve used (FM, AM, shortwave, or Bluetooth).

However I will note here that the supplied switching power supply will inject noise if you try listening to AM or shortwave while charging. This hasn’t affected FM reception, though.

The fold-out metal bail on the H-501x is very large. This shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. The H-501x is tall and wide, but not very deep––only marginally deeper than, say, the PL-880. The bail needed to be low-profile, but also support this mini “wall” of the radio while in use. The metal wire bail is handy and certainly does the trick, although there’s only one tilt position, and when it’s deployed, the radio effectively has a large footprint. This might limit where you can set it if the surface––say, a bedside table––is small. Not a problem for me, but worth noting. Continue reading →

Dan’s review of the flagship Tecsun H-501x portable shortwave receiver

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post and review:

The H-501: Jewel in the Tecsun Crown, With Some Attractive Features

by Dan Robinson

Since 2020, there has been one Tecsun receiver I have been most looking forward to reviewing, and that is Tecsun’s H-501.

Videos showing the pre-production and mainland China versions of the 501 started appearing online at least a year ago. There are also numerous videos showing comparisons between the H-501 and PL-990x as well as the PL-330.

What I will do here is provide an assessment of the 501 informed by my use of a H-501 just received, the other two Tecsun receivers, and my decades of experience using a wide range of portable receivers. This review is based on initial tests of a H-501x, among the first production units.

Video: Unboxing

HOMAGE TO RECEIVERS OF THE PAST

The elephant in the room with the 501 is, of course, its two large left and right speakers. This reminds one of another Tecsun DSP portable, the PL-398BT with a similar left-right speaker arrangement.

On the left of the H-501, from the top, are the Volume, Treble, and Bass knobs which like the PL-880 and 990x has obvious lineage back to the famous Grundig portables of the 1990’s – the Satellit 500 and 700. Both of those were limited to two bandwidths. Only the 700 had anything approaching usable synchronous detection.

Each of the left hand control knobs on the 501 contains a dot to indicate where you are in the Maximum/Minimum range. At the bottom of the left side is a micro-USB port for when the receiver is used as a computer speaker – quite a nice feature!

On the right side of the 501 you find ports for AM and FM antennas, each with a rubber traction cap, similar to what is found on the PL-990x. There is also a three position sensitivity sliding switch for Local, Normal, and DX modes – that’s one more than usually found.

Knobs on the right side are the Main tuning and Fine tuning, again similar to the PL-990x. At the very bottom of the right side is the 5v 1.0 amp micro-USB charging port.

ERGONOMICS

NEGATIVE: Here I discuss one of two major negatives with the 501. The tuning knobs are embedded quite far into the radio body. Each has a round piece of rubber covering on the knob end surface designed obviously to provide traction, possibly also as a protective measure.

The reality is that on the 501, more seriously on the PL-330, embedding of the knobs so far into the cabinet makes it virtually impossible to undertake rapid tuning using those knobs if you are just placing your finger on the top barrel part of the knob itself!

As you will see in photos and video accompanying this review, holding a finger against the rubber on the end of each knob, or closer to the center, to achieve more rapid tuning. But it’s kind of annoying. On the PL-990x the knobs are somewhat different – extending a bit farther out of the cabinet, but also with the rubber coverings.

So, this is a design point for Tecsun to consider. Surely, it should be possible to come up with slightly different knobs for the 501 that make it more comfortable to achieve rapid tuning. As it is, the knobs on the 501 barely extend beyond the cabinet edge, including the end and rubber cap.

The same goes for the PL-330 – which has knobs that only one half inch in depth, and extending only about 1/16 of an inch beyond the cabinet edge. Part of the attractiveness of the 330 is its compact size and I doubt Tecsun will be moving to put slightly larger knobs on that radio anytime soon. But as it is, using the main and fine tuning controls on the 330 gets you maybe 10 kHz in tuning range.

[UPDATE] I realized after further use of the 501x that Tecsun clearly intended for the rubber knob cap covers to act as traction for tuning. The problems I see: after significant use over time, those rubber covers will lose their stickiness and thus their ability to help tuning will be reduced. Also, the fine tuning knob is smaller — and even using the rubber cover on the knob for more traction, it is somewhat difficult to achieve rapid tuning in 1 kHz mode. Tecsun could help 501x owners on the issue with the tuning knobs by including spare rubber knob caps. But it’s uncertain how the existing rubber knob covers are attached to the original knobs and how easy it would be to replace them when they lose their stickiness.

H-501 IMPRESSIVE FRONT PANEL

At the top of the H-501 radio above the LCD display can be found the Display/Snooze/Lock button. On an older Tecsun radio, the PL-880, this button doubled as the calibration adjust control. On the PL-990x this triple function button is located on the top of the radio.

LCD DISPLAY

POSITIVE: One of the big positives of the 501 is the large LCD display. The number digits are absolutely huge and make it easy to read frequencies.

Thanks Tecsun! The display contains numerous bits of information about receiver operation, the signal strength meter, etc.

Below the display is the keypad, with special dual keys for 9/10 kHz mediumwave, Longwave activation, and FM range adjustment. Backlight activation is on the 5 key. At the bottom you have the VF/VM key to select between frequency tuning and memories. To the right are the FM, MW/LW, and SW + and – buttons. These put the radio into shortwave mode and as is the case with the PL-990 and other receivers, activate ATS/ETM tuning.

At the very bottom of the front panel can be found PLAY/PAUSE, RR, and FF buttons for control of SD card audio when using the microSD card, which like on the 990x is located on the bottom of the receiver. According to the manual, by the way, the microSD slot accepts cards of up to 128 GB. Included in the box is a 16 GB SanDisk Ultra card. A reset hole is also on the bottom of the radio.

Finally, at the bottom of the 501 face are rubber covered input ports for Earphones, Line In, and Line Out.

METAL TILT BAIL

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE: On the back of the receiver, you find the metal tilt bail which folds down and locks into two plastic tabs and can be lifted easily with a finger from an indentation in the cabinet.

This was a good design move by Tecsun, with the following observations: there are no incremental positions on the metal bail as you find on, say, a Microsoft Surface or similar tablet type PC. The only fully stable position is to have the metal bail fully extended back. That places the 501 in a great position if you’re standing or even sitting to a degree. But if you try to place the bail in any middle position you’re in danger of having the radio become unstable. Tecsun should definitely give some thought to a re-design, though the bail is better than the flimsy plastic stands found on the PL-990 and PL-880 and some older portables.

Still on the back of the radio, intelligently, Tecsun marks a screw hole which can be used to remove the telescopic antenna (marked as ANT SCREW). The other screw holes for removal of the back of the radio are also clearly marked. Thanks Tecsun!

However, one additional partial negative – there are no rubber pads on the bottom back edge of the 501x which will be contacting whatever surface the radio is sitting on while the metal bail is in use. So, if you don’t want that bottom back edge to be scratched, place the radio on something to cushion it.

BATTERY CHARGING

POSITIVE: Another interesting feature not found on other radios: Tecsun has created a dual charging system for the 501 which uses two 18650 batteries.

In viewing numerous videos, I have not seen this discussed much. Basically, this enables you to use the receiver’s internal charging capability to choose which battery you are charging. The manual states that the battery contains space for a “spare” battery. The charging indicator on the LCD display will flash while charging is underway – there does not appear to be a separate display for battery A or B. However, and this is quite a unique capability – while you are using the 501x, the switch changes which battery the radio is using.

It’s not clear to me whether the receiver while powered on is taking energy from one or both batteries simultaneously. As I note in my reviews, and this is amplified in the manual, do not expect to be able to charge a battery internally and listen to the radio at the same time because there WILL be noise.

HUGE WORLD MAP AND RADIO DIAGRAM INCLUDED

Tecsun includes a huge – and I mean HUGE – World Amateur Radio map in a plastic pouch with the manual. On the back of this is a large photo of the 501 with clear English guide points to each and every feature of the radio. In this, Tecsun is really going out of its way to make owning the 501 a special experience.

In the box (see photos) Tecsun includes 2 18650 lithium batteries, a 5 volt double USB A charging cube, a mini to mini cord, a USB charging cable, and to boot, a pair of fairly high quality wired earphones complete with spare ear tips.

PERFORMANCE

Anon-co advises that the H-501x uses a different IC than the PL-990x. No further details were available as of the time of this writing.

This is clearly a sensitive radio, as is the PL-990X. In these days of declining use of shortwave, almost any receiver is going to be able to hear “stuff” all over the bands and the 501x and 990x as well as the 330 are all quite capable in this regard.

In the video, I tune some familiar stations, including Voice of Greece and BBC

and move through the excellent bandwidth options. This is where the 501, with its large dual speakers, excels because if you’re on a strong station – Greece is a great example because of its great music programs – and you have that wider option, it’s really pleasant to listen to.

NEGATIVE: However, one has to puzzle over the decision to limit bandwidth to 6 kHz when in shortwave mode. On mediumwave (AM) you have a 9 kHz option which provides some fine listening. Perhaps Tecsun felt that there are few stations using shortwave these days that would benefit from having a significantly wider option? I would urge Tecsun to make 9 kHz available in shortwave.

SYNCHRONOUS DETECTION

NEGATIVE: I really had some hope that Tecsun would go farther toward

solving the problem of unstable/distorted SYNC mode with all of these recent radios. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Using SYNC on these radios – though this was not the case with the PL-660 and 680 – involves a delicate dance, requiring using a combination of bandwidth filters and LSB/USB. SYNC works fairly well with some stations, but it really depends on signal level, and to an extent signal level of any station close to the frequency you are on.

There is a 1 kHz fine tune spread when using SYNC after which lock is lost. And still, lock is often lost even when you’re on center frequency and not using

fine tune in SYNC – the signal just becomes distorted. Not fun. The PL-990x has the same issues.

Now, Tecsun has definitely made progress since the horrendous implementation of SYNC on the PL-880, which wasn’t even an official feature. But it’s disappointing that given the design features in the 501, especially the wonderful dual speakers, a way has not been found to resolve this issue which obviously involves the DSP chip that is the brain of the receiver.

Video: Detailed testing of Tecsun H-501x

ANTENNA

NEGATIVE: One of the things the folks at SONY, Panasonic and some other manufacturers did so well was design radios with antennas that nested inside the radio and could be pulled up and out of the cabinet, and because of this, there was clearance from the top of the radio so the antenna can achieve vertical position. Tecsun has not done the same. Antennas on the H-501x, PL-990x, PL-330 swivel but cannot take up vertical position, and of course they are nested on the top of the radio. One would have thought that after years of producing portables, and coming to dominate the portable market, someone at Tecsun would have recognized the importance of antenna re-design. NOTE: the antenna on the 501x is sufficiently long, but on the PL-330 for example, seems to be not long enough.

BLUETOOTH

POSITIVE: Hooray for Tecsun in integrating BT capability into the 501x and 990x. This was such an obvious move and thanks to Tecsun for really hitting it out of the park. Unfortunately, we don’t get the ability to record audio from the radio on to microSD cards – that would truly have been a major step forward

CALIBRATION

The H-501 has the same re-calibration adjustment feature as is seen in the PL-909x and the PL-330. This involves going into LSB or USB mode, holding down the USB or LSB keys until a flash appears, then using the Fine Tuning knob to achieve zero beat on WWV or strong station that is known to be on frequency, then holding down USB or LSB again to have the radio re-zero itself. This is a fine feature that we have seen since the PL-880.

When I first received the H-501 it appeared that the receiver was fairly on zero beat from mediumwave up through 25 meters shortwave. Further testing revealed that re-calibration was necessary, but the degree of error from mediumwave up through 19 meters was not as significant as I have seen on the PL-990x. Re-calibrating at a mid-point of 25 meters appears to be a good mid-point choice, but inevitably, doing re-calibration on shortwave will throw the receiver off by a bit down on mediumwave.

A cautionary note: when undertaking this calibration function be sure to give the radio time to confirm it’s in calibration mode with the FLASHing LCD. Sometimes, the readout will jump a full 1 kHz above or below the frequency you’re zeroing on – if that happens use the MAIN TUNING knob to get yourself back (i.e. 9,704 to 9,705.00) and complete the zero beat operation with the FINE TUNING knob, then hold down LSB or USB to complete.

All of this may be overkill for most people – I am just among those who obsess over having receivers as exactly on zero beat as possible. That’s more difficult or impossible to achieve with older receivers that have no calibration function, such as the ICF-2010 or SW-55 without literally taking those radios apart to access internal points of adjustment. The fact that Tecsun provides this capability in these portables is something we should all be very grateful for.

CIRCUIT LOCKUP

All of the Tecsun radios have a “reset” hole to be used if the receiver is not functioning properly. I had one occasion of lockup with this sample of the H-501x. Rather than using the reset hole, I decided to remove one of the two 18650 batteries, which of course reset the receiver. I have alerted Anon-co to this issue, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s a major problem without having other H-501 units to compare to.

CARRYING CASE

POSITIVE: The H-501 that I received for review from Anon-co came with a beautiful faux leather case complete with a convenient carrying handle. My understanding is that this matches mainland China versions that have been widely seen in videos online.

Anon-co advises that the first batch of 501x to be carried by them will come in a gift box with this PU leather case, possibly to be followed at some later point by a hardcover carrying case. Indeed, a photo can be found online showing the H-501 in a hardcover carrying case similar to the cases for the PL-880 and PL-990x kits.

As of early April, Anon-co advises that while the price for 501x is not set yet, it’s expected to be somewhere in the $310 – 330 range including shipping to the U.S.

AM/MEDIUMWAVE AND FM PERFORMANCE

Not much to say here – I find FM performance on the 501x to be superb, and mediumwave reception is more than satisfactory.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

As I noted earlier, these days amid declining use of shortwave by remaining broadcasters, almost any DSP or older portable receivers are capable of producing excellent results for shortwave listening.

Facebook groups devoted to shortwave (they have become the new gathering place and information exchanges for those of us who still love the hobby) are

full of newcomers inquiring about which Tecsun, Degen, or other portables are best.

Often, my advice is to consider older portables that are still quite competitive, especially considering the reduction in the number of stations still on shortwave. These would include such classics as the Grundig Satellit 700/500, the SONY

ICF-2010(2001D), SONY ICF-SW77, and ICF-SW55, along with the venerable Panasonic RF-B65 and SONY ICF-SW100S in the smaller category.

What Tecsun has done with what we have to assume may be the final group of DSP receivers it produces is come up with small (PL-330), medium (PL-990x), and large (H-501) radios that combine extremely attractive features and excellent audio. The H-501x, in effect, is a Grundig Satellit 700 re-born for the 21st century and the path to it was paved by the PL-880.

Though implementation of SYNC in each of these receivers still leaves much to be desired, having this feature is enough to push prospective buyers to choose one or more of these Tecsun units over older portables.

Note that Sangean, which is now producing its ATS-909×2 (though the radio has growing pains and is having its firmware updated by Sangean) seems to have taken note of Tecsun’s dominance of the market and provided multi-bandwith capability, and an improved and enlarged LCD display on the 909×2 along with finer frequency resolution.

In a strange but perhaps understandable decision, Sangean left SYNC mode off of its new flagship receiver. Whether this had more to do with production costs or a decision that synchronous detection really brings little to the game these days, or both, along with other factors, remains a puzzle. It does appear, from early reviews, that Sangean may have improved sensitivity on the 909×2, though this too remains unconfirmed.

But again, even with the negatives I noted here about the H-501x, what Tecsun has accomplished is significant. It has given remaining potential buyers of multi-band portables three superb receiver choices. There are others in the Tecsun line such as the S-8800 and S2000, but of these only the S8800 is something I would recommend.

As I noted in a recent review of the PL-330, had we enjoyed a situation back in the golden days of shortwave in the 1960’s/1970’s/1980’s where a portable provided multiple bandwidths, advanced memory operations, and synchronous detection, DXing would have been even more of an enjoyment than it was. Certainly those Country Heard/Country Verified totals would have been higher!

The H-501x could easily be considered the crown jewel in the Tecsun group with its killer looks, large speakers, and performance equaling the PL-990x. Each of these receivers is arguably an easy choice as a “daily driver” for traveling, though where air travel and TSA issues are concerned, the PL-330 would be a better choice.

RECOMMENDATION: Of the negatives I discuss in this article, only one I would consider fairly huge, and that is the ongoing issue with synchronous detection. If the 501x, like the 990x and 330, were to have this issue resolved that would make it easy to recommend any of the three radios. As it is, the attractiveness of the 501x lies with its beautiful two speaker design. Even with the annoying SYNC issue, I would recommend the radio to anyone who understands the SYNC issue and doesn’t mind and who wants a nice, larger version of the 909x.