Tecsun PL-880 only noise on SW & SSB

[Franziska]

Hi,

I got a Tecsun PL-880 delivered today.
It's got, by enlarge, great reviews here elsewhere and looks promising.

We've bought it got also to receive weather faxes when either offshore or a location without cell or VHF signal, as we have been in this very situation before.

While I can get it to store FM stations with automatic scan, I only get noise on the SW, SSB USB and LSB when running a scan.
No stations found, external wire antenna plugged in gain on DX.
Antenna signal max 0-6.

I tried this with the antenna hanging out of the window, but also 100m from the house (obstruction free farmland, no high tension wires around).
Im located in Saxony Germany Europe.

Has anybody had similar issues with the Tecsun Pl-880?
Did I get a faulty unit? Any way I can check this?

[S/V Illusion]

Try the SW bands at night. Often too much absorption during the day on HF due to solar flux conditions which don’t have the same effect on VHF.

[Franziska]

Thanks. Tried it right now. Still the same outcome.
Only noise on all bands except of FM.
I'll give it another shot later today.
If it fails I'll ask the seller for an exchange unit...

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Try the SW bands at night. Often too much absorption during the day on HF due to solar flux conditions which don’t have the same effect on VHF.

[Jim Cate]

I don't know what sort of AM broadcast stations are in your country, but likely there are some... so, can you receive any of them? This would be on AM settings, tuned to a local station. If that doesn't work, I'd say it is defective.

Good luck!

Jim

[DaleM]

If there are any florescent or led lights near the radio the noise can overwhelm the signal. So try it away from interference. Also you are using the long wire dipole antenna, correct? Also try manually tuning on ssb. There is a ssb switch on some of them that changes something, I'm not near the radio and working from memory.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Thanks. Tried it right now. Still the same outcome.
Only noise on all bands except of FM.
I'll give it another shot later today.
If it fails I'll ask the seller for an exchange unit...

As it's name implies, the S/N (signal to noise) ratio might be effected by ambient noise from any number of things on a boat. If the noise is greater than the signal strength, all you will hear is noise.
Try disconnecting the antenna so see if the noise decreases. If it does, try moving the antenna/radio to a less noisy location. Also try shutting off everything onboard to see if the noise decreases.



Noise is actually a good sign - it indicates that the radio is (probably) working.

[JD-MDR]

Try getting the time stations Over here I get them on 5000 and 10,000



Most of the time I can get at least some noise from the weather fax broadcast from Pt Reyes CA but not always. I'm still experimenting.

[AlanR]

In Europe the AM stationa are 9KHz apart, and in the USA, 10 KHz apart, so you need to check the steps when you scan.

[Franziska]

Thanks, I did try 9&10 as well as time signals. Nada.

An old SW receiver got reception which I also tried got reception.

99% convinced now that it is a faulty unit.

Thanks to all.

[JD-MDR]

I got mine working pretty good with the $5 blackcat app

[hpeer]

How do you know your antenna is working?

Try this, while listening to the radio lay your hand in the antenna, do you hear ANY change in the noise? You should. If not then it is likely the antenna is not making connection.

Maybe a stupid simple thing but is easy and costs nothing.

[Brian.D]

If you are out in a field with nothing around you except nature, and there are no solar controller or panel in sight, then I would agree that you might have a faulty unit if all you get it total static across the entire SW band.

In Germany you should be able to hear RWM on 4996 kHz, 9996 kHz, 14996 kHz. That is the atomic time clock from Russia. Also on 15006 kHz is the time signal from Radio EBC in Spain. All this is on AM Mode. You might also hear WWV or WWVH on 2500, 5000,10000, 15000, 20000, and 25000 kHz. But chances are slim due to solar cycle.

For best chances, higher frequencies during the day, lower frequencies during night.

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by JD-MDR

I got mine working pretty good with the $5 blackcat app

what frequencies did you tune to receive the WFAX?

Richard

[V-Dog]

Hi Franziska,

I just purchased the identical model Tecsun PL-880 last week and am also having the same issues you described, receiving only noise on SW & SSB. I am currently located in South Florida, USA.

It may be a bad batch from the factory? I purchased it on Amazon so the unit is going back.

Best,
Andrew

[JD-MDR]

From Pt Reyes 8680 sometimes 4344