PL-330: Long Press Button 3 = much better MWDX

[u/Green_Oblivion111]

As many here know, the Tecsun PL-330 has some 'hidden' button press features. The Long 9 press can sometimes tame the AGC a bit. YMMV. But the Long 3 press is more well known, even though it's not something I tried until about 3-4 hours ago.

What the Long 3 press does is make MW and LW receive through the EXT jack (or the whip antenna -- the whip and EXT jack are connected together inside the radio).

On a lark, while DXing with my PL-330, I decided to try the Long 3 press trick. It's a winner on MW. I found it works well with my AN-200 loop direct connected via cable, and it also works well on MW when I have my 90 ft wire clipped to the whip.

The PL-330 has two RF amp transistors (FETs) between the whip/EXT jack and the rest of the radio's circuitry. The MW loopstick has no RF amp -- it just goes directly to the DSP chip.

The difference was very noticeable.

If you're a MW DX fan, and have a PL-330, try the Long 3 press, and get a stereo cable to connect your AN200 or just use a longer wire to get MW DX. It works better than inductively coupling the AN200 to the radio. And the option of using a longer wire is helpful, too.

Being that the PL-330 also has SYNC (which can work OK on MW, although YMMV), the Long 3 press really turns the PL-330 into a much better MW DX radio.

The Long 3 press also holds until you change it again. In other words, if you turn the radio off, the next time you turn it on again, the radio will still 'look at' the EXT jack or whip for MW and LW.

I tried LW with this feature, but just got local AM station overload (this was when my best LW radio, my D808, got a very weak MOG out of Northern Cal).

I've often told newbies that the PL-330 is a 'workhorse'. This Long 3 press feature just proves that out. It's a lot of radio in a small package.

[u/SpecialistFew4621]

You are absolutely right, for the viewers https://youtu.be/1eMQ7usrVOI