Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for your interest in the PL-380, and I think you are making a wise decision to purchase that model.

 

Both "Anon-co" and "hygt369" are reliable eBay sellers, and you should not have any trouble ordering from either of them. "Anon-co" was the only seller of the PL-380 on eBay for about a month, and "hygt369" was the only seller of the Kchibo D96L model for an even longer period last summer. Both sellers have shipped many radios to North America, with no buyer complaints that I'm aware of. There are other PL-380 sellers on eBay who offer slightly lower prices, but you'll need to take your chances on their reliability.

 

The currently-shipped PL-380's are almost all the "Version 2" model (see http://www.mediafire.com/file/nimoyajwkzj/WEB-WEB-PL-380-Version-1-or.jpg for the photo to distinguish the two models in the shipping box), and have the soft-mute function reduced from the level of the PL-310 and PL-300WT/ G8 models, making it easier to tune 1 kHz farther away from domestic splatter without a huge drop off in the DX signal. It's probably unrealistic to expect Tecsun to improve upon the PL-380 stock loopstick, however, since AM-DXers are not a very significant portion of the Chinese domestic market to which this model is targeted. The PL-310 model has a slightly superior stock loopstick, but also has full-blown soft mute, so it basically depends on your DXing priorities as to which model would be preferable (as explained in the full PL-380 review at http://www.mediafire.com/?w4yuzhj2kyz ). Good luck in your purchase!

 

73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)   

 

  

 

In a message dated 3/10/2010 6:36:47 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, cglynn321@... writes:

 

I am taking the jump and buying a Tecsun pl-380 off e-bay but am confused as to who to buy it from. I see the seller anon-co mentioned alot on this forum but I note a number of sellers who offer it at a cheaper price when you factor in the shipping costs and they seem to have a high number of positive results also.I also see a seller listed under links in this forum called China Electronics, hygt369. The one thing I would like to be sure of is getting the best and most current version available, or should I wait a couple months to see if the manufacturer improves the internal antenna windings.
Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated as I can only afford to make this purchase once and am hoping this radio will give me a number of years service.
Thanks To All
Mike Glynn
Niagara Falls, Canada