TEF 6866 - Can't Wait to Try This

[KY-Near-Cincinnati]

Wow, check the selectivity on this puppy. The reviewer is in Austria


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihtx5yUeiqw

[WHJ]

How well can you get FM stations adjacent to your locals? Is like the selectivity of a MR-78 or something in the range of a Carver TX-10?

I'd say that the Sony XDR-F1HD/S3HD are still the best FM radios to use for comparison. Forget about their HD reception if you prefer. Below are my key MEASUREMENTS on the performance of the radios that I have available for testing.

The adjacent channel figures are the dB above a weak signal before reception of that weak signal is prevented. Since I do not have a RBDS generator, the sensitivity in decoding that was not tested. Due to the large number of stations not transmitting RBDS data or sending incorrect information, that seems more like a nicety rather than something as important as my other data. 65-66 dB was the limit for my test equipment and method using modulated signals.

It appeared that the auto-bandwidth mode on the TRF6686 caused the sensitivity of a fading signal to be 2 or 3 dB better than that of a very weak signal increasing in amplitude. The better fading signal figure was logged.

[KY-Near-Cincinnati]

The TEF 6686 has higher adjacent channel selectivity than the MR 78!

The TEF6686 has 57 db adj channel selectivity where as the MR78 has 55 db adj channel selectivity.

The alternate selectivity is 90 db.

Source https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/ID...-Page-0066.pdf

[JohnnyRockets]

Hi all,

I also just picked one of these radios up (TEF-6866) and received it today. I am deeply impressed with the how well it receives and how FAST it locks on to RDS signals! So fast!

I have only begun to play with it, but it appears to maybe be a new candidate for my most recent "favorite radio" in my collection, LOL!

Out of curiosity is there a "latest" firmware that would be valuable to upgrade to?

Any tips that anyone has and wants to share would be greatly appreciated as well!


Thank you,


Johnny

[Mike-CT]

There have been a few more updates since the 23rd, but if you can get on Discord this is the big one for US DXers.

[JohnnyRockets]

Hi Mike,

I can get on Discord, but what "site" / area on discord should I join?


Johnny

[Mike-CT]

Try this...https://discord.com/invite/ZAVNdS74mC
This should get you right into Discord and into the NXP TEF6686 Community. The section you want is #updates. The newest updates are down at the bottom of the list.

[JohnnyRockets]

Hi Mike,

Great, thx, got it!

Johnny

[crainbebo]

I am ordering one of these before the end of the month. This could be the dream portable I've wanted for Es and even Ms DX. Has anyone tested it on Ms yet? Is it as sensitive as an Airspy for RDS and PI? I use my car radio so much for FM DX, and the Pioneer is awesome, but after nearly 4 years of the ATS-909X Sangean it's time for something new.
With another road trip planned to MT/ID in June, the TEF would be awesome to have in situations where I am quite close to locals.

I wonder if there's a way that the designers could add a co-channel cancellation feature to these radios. Take out an annoying K-LOVE translator at 4 mi away and voila - the mystery Es signal appears with RDS/PI/PTY! Or do I have to sing 'dream on' for now?

I also plan to try this out on nearby hikes come spring, especially 3000 feet and higher.

[Mike-CT]

I find I can decode RDS from the TEF radio that I can't from any SDR I have...Elad or SDRPlay or Airspy. I imagine that if they can figure out how Airspy does the cancellation, then they'd do it too. Much of the time I don't even bother with the SDRs. I have the TEF on the desk here next to the computer and I use that instead.

[Analog tvdx - Dave]

I have the tef 6686 blue model which looks nothing like the model from the OP. Therefore what is the difference🤔 Oh and should mention the blue model I have does not have a boot button and is I think v1.08 Cheers, Dave

[Mike-CT]

Good question. They have the same chips. Cosmetically they look different. I know some have two little speakers for stereo. Outside of that????

[no2cw]

The larger Chinese blue receiver sometimes has a built in LNA. I have one with an LNA which does a good job on FM. The speakers are pretty good on the blue chinese radio. The blue receiver has better sound than the silver and "mini blue". The worst is the recent desktop box version. The sound is terrible. I got one of those for $67 delivered. One more difference between the builds - the board is very exposed and prone to mix of rf and electric noise from the display. Some claim to have better isolation from the display rf field than others. The chip in the heart of it is the same. Keep in mind the TEF chip is not an SDR receiver, signal processing is different than an SDR. You are also limited to the miniscule processing power inside the tef receiver. If you were to add HD radio or SSB to the tef receiver you would need a co-processor, it won't handle the task on its own. Many Pioneer automotive radios use the TEF6686 chip inside

[crainbebo]

I finally ordered my TEF-6686! It comes next Tuesday. I'll need to check all of the features closely before I take it out on the road, but I am looking forward to this radio.

[crainbebo]

I received it yesterday and just tried it out this afternoon at Cowiche Canyon Uplands. The sensitivity is incredible - better than the 909X and on par with the Grundig G5 without the bleed and with variable filters. RDS is instant on locals and easily decoded on multiple Tri-Cities FMs 75 miles away. At the Uplands...I could take the little Air-1 translator on 89.9 into the ground at a spot just below the Ahtanum Ridge line-of-sight...and I heard a weak signal from KPLW Wenatchee (Positive Life Radio). Over at 94.7 - KZAL Manson (Z-Country) was *in the clear*!!!! Keep in mind, KATS-94.5 was only 8 miles away at 100,000 watts. Also noted: 96.7 KWWW, 97.7 KYSN, 99.5 KAAP, 104.7 KKRV (+ probably KCMB Baker City), 102.3 KWRL, and several Portland FMs via the knife-edge refraction method over Mt. Adams.

Here at the apartment I live at, 98.5 KLGW Grand Coulee has no trouble making it through, even indoors, with K-LOVE. On the G5 I had to wait for an aircraft scatter burst to get what was then KEYG. Not anymore. They are in 24/7 at 115 miles and with several ridges and mountains in the way. I also get a weak 96.5 K243CK Pendleton (KUMA-1290).

This is a hotrod - the Corvette of FM DX. If I get a longer whip antenna (2-3 feet longer), I may have to use oven mitts because it will be sparking with DX. I can't wait for E-skip season!!

Oh, BTW I was able to find the option to remove the soft mute and increase the gain by +15dB. That may help me get those common Vancouver/Seattle/Spokane Tr scatter stations I used to get with the Grundig G5.

Can anyone help me figure out how to change the frequency option on AM to 10khz from 9khz? It's stuck on 9khz spacing. Thanks!

[antennanut]

I hope this makes sense.

I push the tuning selector (the top knob) until the green dash is above the last digit of the frequency and turn the knob until the dash is on zero. Then I push the tuning selector again, hopefully only once, until the green dash is above the 10 khz frequency, and AM tunes in 10 khz steps. Problem is, if I change to FM, SW, or LW and return to AM, it tunes in 9 khz steps again. It's a fix as long as I stay on AM.