Tag Archives: Tecsun PL-880 Hidden Feature DNR

Possible Tecsun PL-880 hidden feature: Noise reduction adjustment?

PL-880 (1)

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Paul, who writes:

While putzing around with my new Tecsun PL-880 that I got while browsing at Universal Radio’s store in Columbus OH, I found what appears to be an adjustable noise reduction function.

Firmware level: 8820
Mfg date: probably August 2016 (201608 from the serial number inside the tilt stand)

Here are the steps to check it out;

When in a shortwave band, press “4” until either “ON” or “OFF” appears in the display.
If it displays “OFF”, press 4 briefly to clear, then long press again until “ON” appears.

Then, long press “9” until a two digit number appears.

Use either tuning knob to increase or decrease the number.

The number appears to correspond with the DbM threshold of the received signal.

Perhaps someone can play with the feature and elaborate on its function.

Hope this is useful, let me know.

Thank you for sharing, Paul!  I do wonder if this adjustment could affect the DNR setting (check out this previous post as well).

Post readers: Has anyone else been able to replicate and test this hidden feature? Please comment!

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Video: Tecsun PL-880 vs. PL-660, using the hidden DNR feature

Photo source: Tecsun PL-880 Yahoo Group

Photo source: Tecsun PL-880 Yahoo Group

In this video, I’ve tuned both the Tecsun PL-880 and PL-660 to All India Radio on 9,445 kHz (transmitted from Bengaluru, India, some 8,800 miles away).

Thanks to an image of a (prototype?) PL-880 keypad posted on the Tecsun PL-880 Yahoo Group–an excellent group you should join, by the way–I’ve discovered that if you press and hold the number 6 on the PL-880 keypad, it engages the hidden DNR function. I assume DNR is an acronym for “digital noise reduction.”

I engage the PL-880 DNR feature in this video and compare with the PL-660 audio.  Again, apologies for quality as this was made using my iPhone.

You can follow all Tecsun PL-880 updates by bookmarking/checking this link.

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