Also known as: PL-660, Tecsun PL660
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The Tecsun PL-660 is the discontinued all-rounder people are quietly buying up before the prices notice: SSB with a BFO clarifier, a basic VHF air band, 2000 memories — and a selectable-sideband synchronous detector better than anything Tecsun ships today, which is the reason the 2025–26 re-reviews keep landing on the same verdict: still worth hunting.1 Produced ~2011–2024 and now marked discontinued by retailers, it runs roughly $90–140 used/NOS — classic capability without (yet) collector pricing.2
Key takeaways Our best used/classic buy — the sync detector is the whole reason. Discontinued ~2024; used/NOS roughly $90–140 (thin data — check sold listings). Sync + SSB + airband under $140 beats the collector-priced Sony on value. The buying game: the dead-display/power-board fault, ~5 kHz frequency-offset units, BFO dead spots — insist on a power-up video, and prefer late production (less soft-mute). License-free listening; $20 of wire is the real upgrade. Where it ranks: best shortwave radios.
Overview
The PL-660 comes from the last generation before DSP-on-a-chip took over: PLL dual conversion, two honest analog-style bandwidths, and tuning behavior with a character DSP radios don’t have. The beloved part is the sync detector — lock a fading broadcast carrier, choose the cleaner sideband, and listen as selective fading stops chewing the audio. Community consensus is blunt: it’s better than anything in Tecsun’s current line, including the flagships, and it is the main reason people still hunt this radio. Jeff at the SWLing Post “rediscovered” it in 2025; Blog or Die!’s March-2026 re-review reached the same conclusion.2
The rest of the package holds up as an all-rounder: LW/MW/SW/FM plus a basic VHF air band, SSB with a BFO clarifier (not the 10 Hz digital steps of the PL-880 — sweep-and-settle tuning of the old school), 2000 memories, and 4×AA power with in-radio NiMH charging. Known weaknesses: only two bandwidths, soft-mute on early units (later production improved it — prefer late units and ask the purchase year), an erratic backlight quirk, and an airband that’s basic reception, no squelch sophistication.
Listening is license-free everywhere in the US — no FCC anything, ever — and the PL-660’s antenna jack plus $20 of wire out a window will improve reception more than a $200 radio upgrade, on 2026’s leaner bands especially. What remains out there — state broadcasters, US private stations, pirates, time stations, ham SSB — is heavy on exactly the fading, marginal signals a sync detector was built for.
Buying used: what to check
Amazon carries live third-party NOS listings (linked above); eBay and the SWL classifieds are the practical market, and sold listings are the honest price guide — the data is thin. The known faults:3
- Dead display / no power-up — the PL-660’s signature failure, traced in some units to a partially-desoldered power-board component, with several “died after months or years” reports on record. Insist on video of the radio powering up and tuning before money moves.
- Frequency-display offset — some units read ~5 kHz off on AM/SSB (LW too). Verify against WWV or a known station.
- BFO dead spots — some units go silent at certain BFO knob positions; have the seller sweep it across its range in SSB.
- Battery bay — it charges NiMH in-radio, so ask what batteries lived in it and check the contacts for corrosion; check the whip while you’re at it.
- Production year — later units have less soft-mute; ask when it was bought. NOS with a box is worth a premium; an untested attic unit is priced as a gamble on fault #1.
GopherTrunk alternative
Shortwave is HF AM/SSB — not GopherTrunk’s trunking/digital domain, and GopherTrunk does not decode it. The computer-side path is an HF-capable SDR (best HF SDR) or a ~$30 RTL-SDR in direct-sampling mode — software sync detection, SSB, and a waterfall a portable can’t draw; SDRs are, frankly, why radios like this went out of production, and buying one today is a deliberate choice of knobs and character over performance-per-dollar. GopherTrunk itself stays in its VHF/UHF scanner lane — same listen-first philosophy, free.
Who it’s for
- Buy the PL-660 if you want the best sync-per-dollar in the used market — the stronger value story than the collector-priced Sony, while prices are still sane. View on Amazon →
- Buy the Sony ICF-SW7600GR instead if you want the reference sync implementation and will pay collector money for it, or the Eton Elite Executive for new-with-sync at clearance prices while stock lasts.
- Want a supported, current radio? The PL-880 or D-808 cover the modern bases — minus the sync. Full rankings: best shortwave radios.
Sources
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Re-viewing radios: Tecsun PL-660 — Blog or Die! (March 2026) — the 2026 re-review verdict: the sync detector outclasses current Tecsun production. ↩
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Jeff rediscovers the Tecsun PL-660 — SWLing Post (2025) — the case for hunting one used; discontinuation corroborated by Nevada Radio’s listing and specs by Tecsun’s product page. ↩ ↩2
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PL-660 dead-display reports — HFUnderground forum — the power-board/no-power-up failure mode behind the used-buying checklist. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tecsun PL-660 discontinued?
Yes — produced from about 2011 to 2024, and multiple UK retailers now mark it Discontinued; it was one of Tecsun’s most recently retired models. New-old-stock and used units still circulate at roughly $90–140, and Amazon carries third-party NOS listings.
Why do people still hunt for the PL-660?
Its synchronous detector — selectable sideband, and by broad community consensus better than anything Tecsun ships today. The 2025–26 re-reviews (SWLing Post, Blog or Die!) reach the same verdict: the sync alone keeps this radio relevant.
What should I check before buying a used PL-660?
The known failure is a dead display or no power-up traced in some units to a partially-desoldered power-board component — insist on video of it powering up and tuning. Also verify the frequency readout against WWV (some units read ~5 kHz off), sweep the BFO knob for dead spots, and check the battery bay for corrosion since it charges NiMH in-radio.
Is the PL-660 better than the PL-880?
Different animals. The PL-880 (still in production) has better audio, DSP bandwidths, and 10 Hz SSB steps. The PL-660 answers with a real sync detector and a VHF air band — neither of which the PL-880 has. As a used buy under $140, the PL-660 is the character pick.
Do I need a license to listen to shortwave or air band?
No — listening is license-free everywhere in the US, no FCC anything, ever. Put the money into the antenna instead: $20 of wire out a window improves shortwave reception more than a $200 radio upgrade.