{"id":43025,"date":"2020-04-27T11:42:53","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T15:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=43025"},"modified":"2020-04-30T07:34:56","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T11:34:56","slug":"the-tecsun-pl-330-some-details-about-this-compact-shortwave-portable-in-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/the-tecsun-pl-330-some-details-about-this-compact-shortwave-portable-in-development\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tecsun PL-330: Some details about this compact shortwave portable in development"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_43072\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tecsun-PL-330-.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43072\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43072\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tecsun-PL-330-.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tecsun-PL-330-.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tecsun-PL-330--300x250.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Tecsun-PL-330--624x520.jpeg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-43072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: tecsun.com.cn<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many thanks to a number of <em>SWLing Post<\/em> readers who shared <a href=\"http:\/\/bbs.tecsun.com.cn\/0002.asp?open=638944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a link to this website<\/a> (in Chinese) with photos and details of the new Tecsun PL-330. <em>Note: The server hosting the PL-330 page has been unreliable the past few days.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some of you might recall the PL-330 in photos of the new Tecsun product line <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/photo-of-the-new-tecsun-pl-330-pl-990-and-h-501\/\">we posted last year<\/a>. Recently, a handful of preliminary working prototypes have been produced,\u00a0 so I reached out to my trusted Tecsun contact for more information. Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve learned:<\/p>\n<h2>Position in Tecsun product line<\/h2>\n<p>In terms of the Tecsun product line, the PL-330 appears to be the successor to the venerable <strong>Tecsun PL-310ET<\/strong> and\/or <strong>PL-380<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The PL-330 will have features these legacy Tecsun models do not have, namely:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>synchronous detection,<\/li>\n<li>single-sideband reception,<\/li>\n<li>and an upgraded ETM (auto tune and store) feature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It also appears the SSB tuning steps could be as fine as 10 Hz. Most impressive, if true.<\/p>\n<h2>Size<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_40292\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40292\" class=\"wp-image-40292 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501.jpg 800w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-PL-990-H-501-624x351.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-40292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Size comparison: PL-330 (left), PL-990 (middle), H-501 (right)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I refer to radios in this size class as &#8220;ultra-compact.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The PL-330 measures 139 \u00d7 85 \u00d7 26 millimeters (5.5 x 3.3 x 1 inches). Its form factor is very similar to the PL-310ET, but much thinner in profile. The total depth of the radio is only 26 mm.<\/p>\n<p>I love the idea of an even thinner profile, although this certainly limits the type of internal battery that can be used.<\/p>\n<h2>Battery<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-43027 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery-264x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"264\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery-264x300.jpg 264w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery-768x873.jpg 768w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery-624x709.jpg 624w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/BL-5C-Battery.jpg 786w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 264px) 100vw, 264px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The PL-330 is powered by a single <strong>BL-5C<\/strong> lithium battery.<\/p>\n<p>In my world, this is a bit of a negative, but I&#8217;m sure the BL-5C was one of the only viable battery options for a radio that&#8217;s only 26mm thick.<\/p>\n<p>On the plus side, the BL-5C is widely available, affordable, and can be charged internally.<\/p>\n<p>On the negative side?<\/p>\n<p>Well, I find that the overall capacity doesn&#8217;t match that of, say, three AA batteries. Also, I find that the battery&#8217;s longevity (meaning, how many charge cycles it can handle) is not that impressive&#8211;arguably worse than any other rechargeable battery system I&#8217;ve used.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason I prefer AA batteries in compact portables is I know no matter where I travel, I can easily purchase them at almost any retailer, airport, or even hotel, in a pinch. In the past, when I&#8217;ve traveled with radios that use the BL-5C, I simply carried a fully-charged spare in a poly zip-lock bag (to protect the battery contacts from inadvertently shorting.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, when I fly, I like to carry as few Lithium batteries as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps, however, I can find a very high quality BL-5C to use in the PL-330? I would appreciate any leads from readers.<\/p>\n<h2>Performance<\/h2>\n<p>Since the preliminary prototypes were more or less <em>mechanical<\/em> prototypes and lacked most of the features planned for this model, there are no performance reports as of yet. In fact, I would be skeptical of any reports you might read in advance of the final production model.<\/p>\n<h2>Availability<\/h2>\n<p>Like the PL-990 and H-501, there are no reliable estimates for availability or shipping yet. The Covid-19 pandemic has <a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/coronavirus-delaying-product-development-production-and-shipping\/\">slowed down this process<\/a>. Most likely, the PL-330 will be released after the PL-990 and H-501, but that isn&#8217;t even certain.<\/p>\n<h2>Stay tuned!<\/h2>\n<p>The PL-330 will have a number of other features and specs, but these are early days and I prefer sticking with what we <em>do<\/em> know now. As soon as I learn more, I&#8217;ll post updates&#8211;bookmark the tag <a href=\"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/tag\/pl-330\">PL-330<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Note this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/shortwave\/comments\/g7k55u\/tecsun_pl330_out\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reddit thread<\/a> with an English translation of the Chinese page I mentioned at the beginning of this article (thanks, Tom Daly). It mentions more details, but again, it&#8217;s such early days I prefer to stick with what has been confirmed. As with any product in development, a number of changes could occur before the first production run.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I will review and evaluate the export version of the PL-330 when as soon as it&#8217;s available. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><strong><em>Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>Please consider supporting us via\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=7466002&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fswling.com%2Fblog%2F&amp;utm_medium=widget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u%3D7466002%26redirect_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fswling.com%252Fblog%252F%26utm_medium%3Dwidget&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1534765144986000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEe7C7aRTKqwuFkU5YIo8XEqPqthw\"><span class=\"il\">Patreon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=TGGFP2XVZDPP2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd%3D_s-xclick%26hosted_button_id%3DTGGFP2XVZDPP2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1534765144986000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH45maBgVLGpqLmQQvviVKBNMEGUw\"><span class=\"il\">Coffee<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"il\">Fund<\/span><\/a>! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=7466002&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fswling.com%2Fblog%2F&amp;utm_medium=widget\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-33932 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/become_a_patreon-patron_button@2x.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"434\" height=\"102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/become_a_patreon-patron_button@2x.png 434w, https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/become_a_patreon-patron_button@2x-300x71.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 434px) 100vw, 434px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who shared a link to this website (in Chinese) with photos and details of the new Tecsun PL-330. Note: The server hosting the PL-330 page has been unreliable the past few days. Some of you might recall the PL-330 in photos of the new Tecsun product [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836,3,3196,26],"tags":[8078,479,8076],"class_list":["post-43025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-products","category-news","category-portable-radio","category-radios","tag-pl-330","tag-tecsun","tag-tecsun-pl-330"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-bbX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45940,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/a-tecsun-pl-330-features-reference-sheet\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":0},"title":"A Tecsun PL-330 features reference sheet","author":"Thomas","date":"October 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0 Jaap de Goede, who shares the following as an update to his Tecsun PL-330 review. Jack writes: I discovered several features that are not displayed on the keyboard both on the Internet and by fiddling with the radio. Maybe these features are in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Reference-Sheet.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Reference-Sheet.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Reference-Sheet.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Reference-Sheet.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47221,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/the-export-version-of-the-tecsun-pl-330-has-landed\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":1},"title":"The export version of the Tecsun PL-330 has landed","author":"Thomas","date":"January 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Tuesday evening, I picked up a package from Anon-Co with the new export version of the Tecsun PL-330 inside. Anon-Co sent this unit to me for evaluation at no charge to me. Anon-Co will start shipping the PL-330 next week and the price will be $59.99. By request, I took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;AM&quot;","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Tecsun-PL-990-Field-scaled-e1610136315520.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Tecsun-PL-990-Field-scaled-e1610136315520.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Tecsun-PL-990-Field-scaled-e1610136315520.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Tecsun-PL-990-Field-scaled-e1610136315520.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Tecsun-PL-990-Field-scaled-e1610136315520.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62431,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/jeff-takes-a-look-at-the-tecsun-pl-330\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":2},"title":"Jeff Takes a Look at the Tecsun PL-330","author":"Thomas","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon, who notes that he\u2019s 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 \u2014 despite an already impressive collection of Tecsun greats. Click here to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jeff-PL-330.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jeff-PL-330.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jeff-PL-330.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jeff-PL-330.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jeff-PL-330.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46170,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/how-to-find-the-tecsun-pl-330s-firmware-version\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":3},"title":"How to find the Tecsun PL-330&#8217;s firmware version","author":"Thomas","date":"October 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jaap de Goede, who shares the following note: Thanks for posting the hidden feature table to the Tecscun PL-330. I see more and more videos of the PL-330 popping up on YouTube. I\u2019m wondering what firmware they run. It\u2019s easy to identify the firmware\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;How To&quot;","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Firmware-rotated-e1603630945990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Firmware-rotated-e1603630945990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Firmware-rotated-e1603630945990.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Tecsun-PL-330-Firmware-rotated-e1603630945990.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44127,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/tecsun-pl-330-a-quick-update-and-an-important-note-before-you-buy\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":4},"title":"Tecsun PL-330: A quick update and an important note before you buy","author":"Thomas","date":"July 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We posted an update about the new Tecsun PL-330 in late April 2020. While we didn't have a lot of details, it's worth reading. We still don't have a lot of details (as of today, July 3, 2020) but readers have been contacting me and commenting recently with links to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Products&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/TaoBao-PL-330.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/TaoBao-PL-330.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/TaoBao-PL-330.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/TaoBao-PL-330.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47169,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/frank-translates-the-tecsun-pl-330-manual-into-german\/","url_meta":{"origin":43025,"position":5},"title":"Frank translates the Tecsun PL-330 manual into German","author":"Thomas","date":"January 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frank, who writes: Hi there, I have written a manual for the Tecsun PL-330 in German after getting only a Chinese one. Perhaps it is helpful for somebody? With friendly regards Frank from Germany Click here to download Tecsun PL-330 Deutsche Bedienungsanleitung (PDF 1.8\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-05-at-07.17.39.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43025\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}