{"id":65570,"date":"2026-03-13T15:10:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=65570"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:10:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T19:10:16","slug":"the-deepelec-dp-666-a-very-interesting-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/the-deepelec-dp-666-a-very-interesting-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"The Deepelec DP-666: A very interesting radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM<\/strong><\/p>\n

My friend Andy, who is an expert medium wave DXer, calls it his \u201cweapon of choice\u201d and a \u201cDX machine.\u201d In fact, just a night ago, using a YouLoop passive antenna hanging from a birdfeeder on his porch in upstate New York, he snagged a couple of tiny Mexican stations above 1600 kHz at a distance of over 2000 miles. He was surprised the stations were there, and it was a bit of a hunt on the internet to find their livestreams and ID them.<\/p>\n

The radio that made hearing these diminutive stations possible is the Deepelec DP-666, a radio based on the high-sensitivity, high-selectivity TEF6686 chip which is used in automotive radios. The DP-666 measures 5 inches wide (excluding knobs) by 3 1\/8 inches high by 1 1\/8 inch deep. On the front panel are a speaker grill, a 2.8-inch color display, and 15 buttons for various radio functions (including a full numeric keypad for direct frequency entry) and a red power button. On the right side are tuning and volume knobs. On the bottom panel is a master switch for power. On the left panel are a 1\/8-inch headphone socket and a USB-C port for a communication interface and for charging the 5000 mAh rechargeable battery, which is not user-accessible.<\/p>\n

The DP-666 can receive FM (from 65-108 MHz with various frequency ranges selectable for different parts of the world and over a dozen different bandwidths), SW (from 1700-27000 kHz), MW (522-1791 kHz, 9 kHz steps; 520-1720 kHz, 10 kHz steps) and LW 144-513 kHz. In AM mode, 3\/4\/6\/8 kHz bandwidths are available. The DP-666 does not offer single-sideband reception.<\/p>\n

You won\u2019t hear anything, however, unless you connect an antenna to the standard SMA female connector on the top panel of the radio, because the DP-666 has no<\/u> internal antenna. The DP-666 comes with a 29 \u00bd inch whip antenna that does a yeoman job of receiving MW and FM. For MW DXing, Andy prefers the passive YouLoop, and he uses the DP-666\/YouLoop combo frequently. \u201cIt\u2019s quiet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For MW reception, I like a direct cable connection between the DP-666 and a Terk AM Advantage, which is an un-amplified loop antenna with capacitive tuning. I can hold the Terk antenna in my left hand (which allows me to rotate it from side to side and even tilt it for improved reception), and with my thumb, I can rotate the antenna\u2019s tuning wheel for peak reception. At the same time, I hold the DP-666 in my right hand and operate the tuning knob with my thumb and forefinger. It looks a little weird, but works really well.<\/p>\n

For FM reception, I use a scanner antenna, a Comet W100RX extended to about 31 inches. The DP-666 display offers a full complement of RDS information if transmitted by the FM station. I am not, by any means, an expert FM DXer, but it seems to be a \u201chot\u201d receiver.<\/p>\n

For SW reception, the DP-666 also works pretty well with the whip antenna that comes with it. When connected to my 50-foot indoor horizontal room loop antenna, it detected a lot <\/u>of shortwave stations on auto-scan. My guess is that dedicated shortwave DXers will be pleased with this pocket-sized radio.<\/p>\n

In addition to its excellent electrical performance on MW, SW, and FM (I did not test LW), there are a couple of things about the DP-666 that I really love. The first is that, straight out of the box, the DP-666 is easy to use without<\/u> consulting the manual. However, if you want tons, and tons, and TONS of customizability, press and hold the MODE button to access the MENU screens, where you can \u201cfiddle the bits\u201d to your heart\u2019s delight. I have never used any of these settings, but they are there if you want them. (I think I consulted the manual just once to learn how to store stations in memory.) The well-written manual can be downloaded in PDF format here: https:\/\/deepelec.com\/files\/dp-666\/DP-666_Product_Manual_EN.pdf<\/a> .<\/p>\n

The second thing that delights me about the DP-666 is that it is a quiet radio to operate. The clicks from the buttons are soft, and the tuning knob has detents that are felt, not heard. With headphones on, I can seek distant stations without disturbing others in the room.<\/p>\n

Bottom line, the Deepelec DP-666 is a sensitive and easy to use radio that delivers pleasing results on MW, SW, and FM. I would be delighted to hear from others who have used it, particularly with high-performance antennas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM My friend Andy, who is an expert medium wave DXer, calls it his \u201cweapon of choice\u201d and a \u201cDX machine.\u201d In fact, just a night ago, using a YouLoop passive antenna hanging from a birdfeeder on his porch in upstate New York, he snagged a couple of tiny Mexican stations above […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[373,3781,3194,3,129,43,154],"tags":[8353,11058,11059,7449,11000],"class_list":["post-65570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-fm","category-guest-posts","category-news","category-reviews","category-shortwave-radio","category-shortwave-radio-reviews","tag-airspy-youloop","tag-deepelec-dp-666","tag-deepelec-dp-666-review","tag-portable-shortwave-radio-reviews","tag-youloop-antenna"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-h3A","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51178,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/airspy-hf-discovery-shortwave-portables-having-fun-with-the-airspy-youloop\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":0},"title":"Airspy HF+ Discovery & Shortwave Portables: Having Fun with the Airspy YouLoop!","author":"Thomas","date":"December 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill, who shares the following guest post: YouLoop Antenna Fun by Billy Hemphill WD9EQD Like many listeners, I live in an antenna restricted community.\u00a0 While I have strung up some hidden outdoor wire antennas, I have found that they didn\u2019t really perform that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-06.15.01.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-06.15.01.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Screen-Shot-2021-12-14-at-06.15.01.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44073,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/rob-reviews-the-airspy-youloop-antenna\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":1},"title":"Rob reviews the AirSpy YouLoop antenna","author":"Thomas","date":"June 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob, who writes: Thank you for your informative blog. As a longtime SWLer I enjoy reading up on your posts. A few months ago I was considering the purchase of a magnetic loop antenna. Based on your \"YouLoop is a freaking brilliant passive loop\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","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\/03\/YouLoop-Coax.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42416,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/airspy-youloop-passive-magnetic-loop-antenna-now-shipping\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":2},"title":"AirSpy YouLoop passive magnetic loop antenna now shipping","author":"Thomas","date":"March 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Agner (KA3JJZ), who notes that AirSpy\u00a0 now has the YouLoop passive mag loop antenna posted on their retail websites.\u00a0 You can grab one for $30 - $35 US, depending on your location. That's a fantastic deal in my book. Click here to check\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","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\/03\/YouLoop-Coax.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42582,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/the-airspy-youloop-is-a-freaking-brilliant-passive-loop-antenna\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":3},"title":"The Airspy Youloop is a freaking brilliant passive loop antenna","author":"Thomas","date":"March 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Before I start talking Youloop, I have a little confession to make up front: At the Winter SWL Fest when I gave a presentation about Portable SDR DXing, not only did I give attendees the wrong name of the Airspy Youloop antenna, but I also configured it incorrectly, hence the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Red-Oxx-Lil-Roy.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Red-Oxx-Lil-Roy.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Red-Oxx-Lil-Roy.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Red-Oxx-Lil-Roy.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44834,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/bruce-compares-two-homebrew-ncpl-antennas-to-the-airspy-youloop\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":4},"title":"Bruce compares two homebrew NCPL antennas to the Airspy Youloop","author":"Thomas","date":"August 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce (VE3EAR), who writes: I decided that more testing of the Noise-Cancelling Passive Loop (YouLoop) antenna was needed, but I wanted to start with a clean page. I built two identical loops using some 3\/8 inch heliax scraps I had on hand. Both are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/YouLoop2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/YouLoop2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/YouLoop2.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46594,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/radio-deals-airspy-black-friday-sale-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":65570,"position":5},"title":"Radio Deals: Airspy Black Friday Sale 2020!","author":"Thomas","date":"November 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've been thinking about pulling the trigger on an Airspy product, now's the time! Airspy is once again offering huge discounts during their 2020 Black Friday promotion. For example, their Airspy HF+ Discovery SDR--which I consider to be one of the best HF SDRs on the market--is 30% off\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Deals"","block_context":{"text":"Deals","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/deals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Airspy-Black-Friday-e1606155245418.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Airspy-Black-Friday-e1606155245418.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Airspy-Black-Friday-e1606155245418.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65570","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\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65570"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65575,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65570\/revisions\/65575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}