What do you mean which one? Are there two different designs? Maybe
you are implying/suggesting that the manufacturer went through some
type of a major engineering change somewhere during the development
cycle which produced a significantly different radio.

Yes, that's what I've heard. Russians on their forum (as much as I
could understand) are talking about 2 versions of circuits in Degen
1103. But may be it was only change in external antenna commutation
somewhere in 2004.

The most comprehensive description of the KA1103/DE1103 appears to be
on the Russian Radioscanner forum. There is a compilation of material
on modifications by someone by the name of IRIS, a crude, computer
translation of which is available on the main English language forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/de1103/in the Files area.

Yes, thanks - and here is "normal" English translation, edited by some
american user:
http://www.radioscanner.ru/receivers...n1103_eng.html . IRIS
has done a great job - very detailed review, not just a compilation.
There are, as I understand, other his publications on modifications
made by IRIS and other users (not by the factory) in Degen 1003, but
this requires knowledge of Russian.

Dan Say, - thanks for the link to Ontario Dx website. Now that I knew
where and when to look for, and got rid of AC adapter on SW - using
batteries instead, as my friends suggested, and stepped out to the
balcony - I think SW works fine for my particular location. Yesterday
late evening Radio Australia was more-less where it should.

I really have a terrible apartment - it was miracle to get any
reception at all in the room. The exterior walls, as it turned out, are
covered with metal sheets (wet weather protection), and the window and
balcony is facing North, towards Rocky Mountains some dozen miles away.
And between those mountains and me there is an electrical Skytrain
viaduct, railway terminal at Main Str (I'm at Main and 2nd), plus
freight rail-yard, railway engine depot or some engine repair
facilities few hundred meters away. Cars and trolley-buses are probably
generating more noise than rail yard, though.

Btw, I was wrong about Kaito 1103 tuning to AM 1040 when dialing 140 -
it is, as I understand, really 140, i.e. Long Wave channel of the same
station.