The Tecsun S-8800: A new receiver in the works
SWLing Post contributor, OWL, writes:
It seems that Tecsun has a new large portable in line.
Someone posted a photo of a new Tecsun product catalogue which shows a new model S8800.
The Tecsun BCL-3000 for comparison.
Apparently it uses the housing of BCL3000 [see above] and is multiple conversion (so a PL880 inside?), DSP based with separate LSB/USB and 10Hz minimum tuning step, and comes with a remote control (for direct frequency input?). Two 18650 batteries are used.
Photo source: http://bbs.tecsun.com.cn/ via OWL. Click to enlarge.
Photo source: http://bbs.tecsun.com.cn/ via OWL. Click to enlarge.
[Here's a] link to the post in Tecsun's web forum:
Many thanks for sharing this find, OWL! This is a very curious development from Tecsun.
I can imagine why Tecsun is re-using the BCL-3000 (a.k.a. Grundig S350DL) body-not only is it roomy inside, but it's proven to be a popular large portable form factor over the years. Of course, since this is an existing chassis design, design/development costs will be minimal. If Tecsun is including a remote, I'm sure OWL is correct: it'll aid with direct frequency entry. The S-8800 will be the first portable shortwave radio with remote control I've seen in many years.
If audio is anything like its predecessors, I would expect rich fidelity from the built-in speaker. In terms of performance, though? This is a completely different receiver than the single-conversion BCL-3000, so only time will tell.