Using an External Antenna on the Tecsun PL 330 for MW: ETM Scanning and the Bandwidth Setting
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- Video #89
In this video I demonstrate using one of the PL-330's undocumented features and enable an external MW antenna. I also show how the bandwidth setting affects the ETM scan in a non-obvious and (to me) rather interesting way.
Toddbert's video using the PL-330 with the C. Crane Twin Coil MW antenna: • Tecsun PL-330 Shortwav...
Recorded in Toronto, Canada with an MLA-30+ antenna.
Great video! I wasn't even aware of the bandwidth setting and what it did, nor the hidden feature to get it to use an external antenna
Just bought a 330, learning to drive it, your video was very helpful, thanks!
The item is being used with an MLA 30 Plus amplifier // asper the producer's VIDEO notes in text // for an external antenna so the input cable has to Be light weight COAX as as supplied with the active antenna amplifier . There is basically zero technical data on this antenna system which is a Mag loop antenna. Best guess is the output is at 75 Ohm impedance . Therefore the radio has to be put in low Z mode for the Jack point for that antenna system amp to work. The MLA 30 uses 5 V from a USB cable you run to it as a power source . Hence it has a semiconductor amplifier inside it.
The Jack point on a DEGEN 1103 is a high impedance point for along wire antenna. Internally these radios can be very different and the user manuals are woeful for understanding what the hell is going on in this respect Some MLA 30 amps infact come with an SMA connector on them proving that coax feed to the radio is being used.
TE. Fidler
Thanks for sharing. I did not know about holding down that button to switch to external.
Does it revert to internal ant when turned on again or is the external ant permanently the default source?
I have a Tecsun radio 📻 like 👍 this, but I don’t remember which number it is (It’s packed away right now). It has the backlit dial for night viewing, or while in a dark room. It came with a carrying case, and I bought it at Bookmans for $40.00 (a book 📕 store 🏬). CD’s 💿, toys, musical 🎶 instruments 🎸, etc. a RUclipsr, Todderbert, deals with quite a few of these radios 📻. His channel is strictly radios. I will get my Tecsun radio out one day, when I get my own place. I live with my brother temporarily right now. Your friend, Jeff.
That sounds like a Tecsun PL-398MP or PL-398BT with twin speakers. As far as I know, only these models have backlit buttons for nighttime use. I have a PL-398MP model myself and bought it as it has illuminated buttons! 📻😄
Hi
How many meters is the long wire
Excellent!! Thank you.💯💯💯
Did you need an adapter for the antenna to fit the MLA+ to the radio?
Would you explain adjusting the band width?
Very instructive video, thanks. May I ask a question to all PL-330 users here? Mine has an annoying flaw: the tuning wheel is way too "soft", almost not notched at all. It moves at the slightest unwanted touch. Furthermore when I browse the bands, it tends to skip frequency hops, either doing nothing or making two hops. This is quite irritating. Do I have a defective unit?
Tecsun PL-330 is "cheaply" mounted. Normally the tunning weel is a bit hard in some points and too "soft" in another points. Look closely the wheel while turning: you can see that is not straight but a bit inclined/tilted. Pull out carefully the wheel to extract it, put a tiny and soft plastic thin and put the wheel in this place again. Even with this, in some steps/detents the radio changes by itself frequency. Sometimes the same happens with volume wheel too. Seem to be a malfuntion from the encoders and not a firmware fail.
In my case, this problem happens in my two Tecsun PL-330 units.
У меня такая же проблема с энкодером , это раздражает.
Hello, does this works on LW also; and is it possible to do the same trick on the pl660 ?
To use the external antenna jack, which contact (tip or which ring) on my 3.5mm plug does my wire need to be soldered to?
on a DEGEN 1103 it is connected to the TIP end of the plug and the the Ring is just left floating. I suspect all these small SW radios use the same system.
What I'm wondring is - is the External jack when activated really into a internal 75 ohm transformer so it's compatible with a coax input. ?? THere is NOTHING in the English short form manual or the PL 330 about this input on a technical basis. I know that on a Degen 1103 the equivalent jack point is a 600 ohm Hi z input when used and Does NOT nee to be enabled by the user. Tim Fidler in Nz
How do you put the input back to medium wave internal antenna when you are done with the external?
Just hold down the button again and it will toggle back.
My PL-330, 320, and 660 radios 📻 all do much better with an external, outside antenna attached.
But, even with out that aid, they still are pretty sensative to weak signals. On medium wave, I get stations from all over the western half of North America (at night)
Several 50,000 watt stations come booming in. And 10,000 stations from Utah, Nevada or Canada can be perfectly clear and readable!
Hello
Which one from those ( 660, 680,330) is more sensative on Am
Best Regards
I’m not sure. I haven’t used all of them. The larger radios will likely have bigger ferrite antennas, which should help.
How do you hook up a outside antenna with a pl259 connector on the coax to a 990x??
To physically make the connection, a simple adapter to a 1/8" mono audio jack to fit the antenna input is what's required. However, whether that will work with your configuration is going to depend on the antenna. For example, a TV antenna is tuned far above the SW band and most likely won't improve your reception there.
What kind of antenna are you hooking them to?
It’s an MLA 30+.
@@sfred very cool!!! Thank you!
Can you listen to the infamous numberstations with a radio like this? It's one of those weird things i love to hear some time.
Yes, but depending on where you are in the world catching them can be difficult.
@@sfred i am in the Netherlands. Good thing it's not too expensive:)
Got airports nearby as well and near the coast, so plenty of options to listen to i reckon :)
Helpful video, thanks. Do you know if there is a similar key press trick for switching the ext ant jack from SW to MW on the PL-310ET? Pushing and holding the 3 button in MW mode does not work. I’ve ordered the MLA30+ and want to use it for AM band dxing. Cheers from BC 😊
Not as far as I know.
@@sfred Fred , when you plug in that external antenna - is that a simple so called long wire antenna or is that a bit of Coax (going to a dipole) with the centre wire of the coax on the Plug of the connetor and the screen of the coax terminating on the sleeve of the connector ? If it is coax it must be RG 174 because it is too thin for RG 58. What I 'm trying to establish is do I need a n impedance change transformer for use with a coax, that transformer external to the radio or is the transformer built into the radio and put in circuit when you push and hold down the three button in MW ?
@@F_Tim1961 it’s an MLA 30+ mounted outside
@@sfred I worked that out - sort the comments on latest date - that makes what happens with the 3mm plug in (which is a COax in even though a Plug is incompatible with coax ) more understandable. does it support the MLA when in SW mode or is the change you made dropped out when you move from MW to SW ... these chinese they are incredibly useless in documenting their products. I have the PDF documentation fron Sydney and it does not mention the Hold down to change input z . I'm dealing with a badlly documented Chinee vfo andthe documents a pile of crp.
@@F_Tim1961 It's not documented. See here: swling.com/blog/2020/10/a-tecsun-pl-330-features-reference-sheet/
Wow, CHUM still broadcasts on 1050?
The call sign is still CHUM but it's TSN (a sports station now.)
@@sfred loved Dick Smythe and the River's show
The Sangean has had some bad reviews and lots of them the Tecsun pl 330 is better and other models made by Tecsun are better suited then the sangean otherwise this is a great video thanks
Sangean model no.
ATS909x2
"dx-ing"....first sentence and you already lost me.