Tecsun PL-606 FM Stereo / SW / MW / LW DSP Receiver

Operation Manual

Specifications

1. Frequency range

FM: 87~108 MHz (Russia: 64~108MHz, Japan: 76~108 MHz, EU, USA: 87.5~108 MHz)
MW: 522~1620 kHz (USA: 520~1710 kHz)
LW: 153~513 kHz
SW: 2300~21950 kHz

2. Sensitivity

FM (S/N=30dB): Less than 3µV
MW (S/N=26dB): Less than 1mV/m
LW (S/N=26dB): Less than 10mV/m
SW (S/N=26dB): Less than 20µV

3. Selectivity

FM: >60 dB (±150kHz)
MW: >60 dB (BW=3kHz, ±9kHz)
LW: >60 dB (BW=3kHz, ±9kHz)
SW: >60 dB (BW=3kHz, ±5kHz)

4. FM Stereo crosstalk: Less than 25 dB

5. Memory: 550

6. Output (Distortion 10%)

Speaker: ≥230 mW
Earphone: ≥20 mW

7. Power: UM3 or AA x 2, USB 5V DC

8. Speaker: φ57mm, 250mW/8 Ohm

9. Earphone Jack: φ3.5mm, 32 Ohm, Stereo type

10. Dimensions Approx.: 127(W) X 82(H) X 28(D) mm

11. Weight: 175g (Batteries not included)

Control Locations

A diagram shows the front, side, and top views of the Tecsun PL-606 with numbered controls. The numbers correspond to the following functions:

Power
FM/MW/SW Band Selection & ATS
VM / Memory Scan
VF / Frequency Scan
ETM (Easy Tuning Mode) / Backlight
Delete / 9K or 10K AM tuning step selection
Memory
Display / Lock / Snooze
FM ST. / AM BW
Alarm
Time
FM & SW Telescopic Antenna
FM & SW Antenna Jack
Earphone Jack
USB 5V DC-Jack
Multifunctional Tuning Knob
Back Stand
Volume Knob
Battery Compartment

Note: LW is disabled by default. To activate LW, press and hold the MW button in radio off mode.

LCD DISPLAY

The LCD display shows various indicators:

Battery consumption indicator / Charging indicator
Sleep timer indicator
Alarm on/off indicator
Key-lock indicator
Temperature (Temp.)
Signal indicators (dB: signal strength unit, dB: Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) unit)
Alarm time indicator
SW meter band indicator
ETM indicator
Tuning speed: "Slow Tuning" or "Fast Tuning"
kHz: frequency unit for MW, LW & SW; MHz: frequency unit for FM
Digital number display (4 Digits): Shows world time, alarm time, temperature (radio off); signal strength/SNR, alarm time, temperature, local time, memory address, meter band (radio on).
Preset memory address
Digital number display: Shows local time (radio off); frequency display, band display (radio on).
Band indicator
FM stereo status indicator
Rechargeable batteries indicator

How to Turn ON/OFF the Radio

Open the battery compartment on the back of the unit. Install 2 x AA alkaline batteries, observing the polarity diagram. Close the battery door.
Press the [POWER] button to turn the radio on or off.

Note: If the radio does not turn on, check battery installation and capacity. Ensure the lock function is not active (indicated by a "?" symbol; press and hold the [?] button to unlock).

Tune in Stations

Turn on the radio and select the desired band [FM], [MW], or SW using the respective buttons. For FM/SW, extend the telescopic antenna. For MW/LW, rotate the radio for optimal reception. Adjust volume using the [VOLUME] knob (0-30 levels).

Method 1: Easy Tuning Mode (ETM)

Press the [ETM] button; "ETM" will appear on the screen.
Press and hold the [ETM] button to auto scan and store stations into ETM memory within the current band.
Rotate the [TUNING] knob to select stored stations.

Notes: ETM may miss some stations due to interference. You can manually key in frequencies and store them into ETM memory.

Tips:

FM station: Re-perform ETM when in a new location.
MW station: Perform ETM at night for better reception.
SW station: Perform ETM in the morning, afternoon, or night due to unstable signals.

Method 2: Manual Tuning

Frequency searching: Press the [VF] button, then rotate the [TUNING] knob to select a station. Tuning steps are:

Band	Slow tuning mode (turning step)	Fast tuning mode (turning step)
FM	0.01 MHz	0.1 MHz
MW	1 kHz	9 / 10kHz
LW	1 kHz	9 kHz
SW	1 kHz	5 kHz

Memory searching: Press the [VM] button, then rotate the [TUNING] knob to select stored stations.

Method 3: Auto Browse Station

Turn on the radio and press the [VF] button for frequency mode.
Press and hold the [VF] button with [ ►► ] to scan stations, pausing for 5 seconds on each.
Press the [VF] button to stop the auto browse function.

Note: Press the [M] button anytime during Auto Browse Station to store the current station.

Working with Station Memories

The unit has 550 preset memories (100 for FM, MW, LW; 250 for SW).

Method 1: Auto Tuning Storage (ATS)

FM ATS: Extend antenna, press [FM]. Press and hold [FM] until "PRESET" flashes, then scan and store stations. Rotate [TUNING] knob to select stored stations.
MW/LW ATS: Press [MW], follow step 2 of FM ATS.
SW ATS: Extend antenna, press SW [✓] or [^]. Mode A: Press & hold [✓] to ATS stations within all meter bands. Mode B: Press & hold [^] to ATS stations within the present meter band.

Notes:

During ATS (FM, MW/LW, SW Mode A), existing stations are replaced.
In SW Mode B, new stations are stored in blank memory addresses without replacing existing ones.
If experiencing interference during ATS, retract the antenna or reposition the radio.

Method 2: Manual Storing Station

Select band and tune to the desired station.
Press the [MEMORY] button; "preset" will flash.
Press the [MEMORY] button again to store the station. (Auto-store after 3 seconds if no further action.)

Method 3: Semi-Auto Storing Station

While using "Auto Browse Station", press the [MEMORY] button to store the current station and avoid unwanted ones.

Press [VF] for frequency mode.
Press and hold [VF] with [ ►► ] to auto browse.
When a desired station is found, press [M] with "PRESET" flashing to store it. The radio continues browsing until [VF] is pressed again.

Listening to Stored Stations

Method 1: Manual Memory Tuning

Press the [VM] button for frequency mode, then rotate the [TUNING] knob to cycle through stored stations.

Method 2: Auto Browse Memory

Press the [VM] button; the memory page will show in the upper right corner.
Press and hold the [VM] button until "PRESET" flashes to auto scan through memories, pausing for 5 seconds on each.
Press the [VM] button to stop auto search.

Delete Memory

Method 1: Manual Delete Single Memory

Press the [VM] button for memory mode.
Rotate the [TUNING] knob to select the memory to delete.
Press and hold the [DELETE] button until "DEL" flashes, then press [DELETE] again to remove the memory.

Note: If "DEL" flashes for more than 3 seconds without confirmation, the function will exit automatically.

Method 2: Semi-Auto Delete Memory

Use the Auto-Browse function to quickly delete unwanted stations.

Press the [VM] button for memory mode.
Press and hold the [VM] button until [PRESET] flashes to auto scan through memories (5 seconds per station).
When an unwanted station is found, press the [DELETE] button; "DEL" will show on the display. The radio then continues browsing.

Method 3: Manual Delete All Memory Within the Band

Press the [VM] button for memory mode.
Press and hold the [DELETE] button for 3 seconds until "ALL" flashes in the upper right corner.
Press the [DELETE] button again to delete all memories within the selected band.

Note: If [DELETE] is not pressed within 3 seconds for confirmation, the function will exit automatically.

Sleep Function

Press and hold the [POWER] button until "SLEEP" and "30" symbols appear.
Rotate the [TUNING] knob to select sleep timer from 1 to 120 minutes or "On". The radio will confirm the setting.

Note: The default auto-turn off time is 30 minutes.

Clock Setting

Press and hold the [TIME] button; the hour will flash. Rotate the [TUNING] knob to adjust the hour.
Press the [TIME] button; the minutes will flash. Rotate the [TUNING] knob to adjust the minute.
Press the [TIME] button again to confirm.

Note: If the [TIME] button is not pressed again within 3 seconds, the setting will be confirmed automatically.

Working with Alarm

Setting the Alarm Time

Press and hold the [ALARM] button; the hour will flash. Rotate the [TUNING] knob to adjust the hour.
Press the [ALARM] button; the minutes will flash. Rotate the [TUNING] knob to adjust the minute.
Press the [ALARM] button again and rotate the [TUNING] knob to set the Auto Alarm Off Timer (1-90 minutes).
Press the [ALARM] button to confirm.
To turn off the alarm, press the [ALARM] button repeatedly until "⏰" disappears.

Note: If the [ALARM] button is not pressed again within 3 seconds, the alarm setting will be confirmed automatically.

How to Set Alarm by Radio

Turn on the radio, tune to your desired station, and adjust the volume.
Press the [MEMORY] button until "PRESET" flashes, then press the [ALARM] button. "⏰" will appear on the display to confirm the preset alarm station.

How to Turn Off When Alarming

Press the [POWER] button once to listen to the radio continuously; press it twice to turn it off.

Note: If the preset alarm is activated while listening, the radio will automatically switch to the preset alarm station and turn off after alarming.

Snooze Function

When the alarm is active, press the [DISPLAY] button to temporarily silence it. The alarm will sound again in 5 minutes.

How to Change the Display Mode

With radio OFF: Repeatedly press the [DISPLAY] button to view Temperature or Alarm time.
With radio ON: Press the [DISPLAY] button to view Local time, Alarm time, Temperature, or Signal strength/SNR (shown in the upper right corner).

Key-Lock Function

Press and hold the [?] button; a "?" symbol will appear on the display to activate the key lock. Press and hold it again to deactivate the lock (the "?" symbol will disappear).

FM ST. (FM Stereo)

While listening to FM stereo stations, press the [FM ST.] button; "?" will appear on the display for "STEREO" listening. If the FM signal is too weak, press the [FM ST.] button again to turn off stereo reception (the "?" symbol will disappear).

Note: Stereo function is only available for stereo broadcasts.

AM BW (Bandwidth)

Repeatedly press the [AM BW] button to select bandwidth: 6, 3, 2, 1 kHz.

Wide band: Provides better audio fidelity for strong signals or local stations.
Narrow band: Suitable for weak or distant stations, reducing interference and background noise.

System Setting

Setting FM Frequency Range: With the radio off, press and hold [FM]. Select the desired range (e.g., 87.5-108MHz). Press [FM] repeatedly to cycle through options.
Turn ON/OFF the LW: With the radio off, press and hold [MW/LW]. "LW ON" or "LW OFF" will appear.
Turn ON/OFF Intelligent Lighting: The backlight activates for 3 seconds when keys or knobs are operated. To turn it off, press and hold [?] until "OFF" appears. Repeat to turn it on ("ON" appears).
Setting MW(AM) Tuning Step: With the radio off, press and hold [9/10kHz] until "9kHz" or "10kHz" appears.
Temperature Display: If AM tuning step is 10 kHz, temperature displays in Fahrenheit (°F). If AM tuning step is 9 kHz, temperature displays in Centigrade (°C).

Turn ON/OFF the Charging Function & Exchange Battery Consumption Display

With the radio off, press and hold the [?] key. "CHA On" and "Ni-MH Battery" will appear to activate rechargeable battery display and charging.
Press and hold the [?] key again. "CHA OFF" and "Ni-MH Battery" will disappear to activate regular battery display and turn off charging.

Note: The radio defaults to regular batteries. For rechargeable batteries, switch the system to the rechargeable mode for accurate power display.

Intelligent Charging Function

With the radio off, install 2 x UM3 (AA) rechargeable batteries. Press and hold the [?] key until "CHA On" and "Ni-MH Battery" appear. Connect a 5V external adapter with a USB plug. A charging indicator "⚡" will move from bottom to top, stopping when batteries are fully charged.