The KA1103 is Kaito's American version of the Degen DE1103, a dual conversion PLL receiver that has been on the market for close to two decades. It tunes FM from 76 MHz, mediumwave, longwave and shortwave continuously from 1711 to 29999 kHz, decodes SSB through a clarifier with 1 kHz steps, and shows the frequency digitally next to a simulated analogue dial on the LCD. A wide and narrow filter switch deals with adjacent channel splatter, and the box normally includes AA NiMH cells, charger, wire antenna and a pouch.
Kaito Electronics of Montclair, California has sold radios since 1998 and handles warranty work in the United States, which counts for a budget set. Price stays under 100 dollars, a sensible step up for anyone tired of an analogue portable but not ready for a 300 dollar rig. Ergonomics are the catch: menu logic is odd, SSB rewards patient tuning, the backlight is momentary.
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