Okay, I kinda liked the Tecsun PL-880 and now that’s it’s in hand and turned on, I do like it. I need to review/relearn the Tecsun tuning system again, it’s not intuitive. The PL-880’s tuning is similar to the Tecsun PL-360/CC GP-5 so the radio controls are familiar.

If you know the channel you want it’s easy to tune it in. Scanning the spectrum and putting stations into memory is another thing and the ETM system is another — not difficult, just different. Regardless, it is easier to use than the CC GP-5 simply because the buttons are bigger and the knobs have a better feel. It also has a fine tuning knob which is absent on the GP-5. For those interested in SW, it does have SSB.

BTW, the PL-880 is powered by an Li-Ion 18650 and the radio arrived with a 2000mAh battery. The radio reportedly has a smart charger built in, haven’t tried it.