wrote:

This is interesting, now. Nobody is seriously developing a really good
shortwave portable radio that will satisfy high standards both for program
listeners and DX-ers. Instead, one or three Chinese companies are busily
cranking out millions of units of the same three or four models, each under
half a dozen brand names with similar model designations, and selling them
at prices who's relationship to production cost is more logarythmic than
mere doubling or multiples of three or four.

I guess you haven't heard about the new Eton-900 or whatever the name
will be in the US. It should be available sometime this year. It offers
the hope of being the best portable since the Sony-2010. It won't be
cheap though.


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In article . net,
Sanjaya wrote:
Still testing this radio.The page system with SSB
only on page 9 leaves a little to be desired, but it has great
speaker sound, it's sensitive and selective... dual conversion.
Noticeable, but not terrible, hum when using the a/c adaptor and
included 220/110 converter.

It's plugged into the wall outlet, so I'll see if an RFI/EMI shielded
surge suppressor helps. Setup of 10k steps for MW and 24 hour clock
is done by taking out the batteries and reinserting them after the display goes
blank. Then pressing buttons in sequence.
Takes a little practice, but worked for me by following the instructions
in the English manual.

It looks very cool with the whole keypad lighted up in the dark.
The radiointel review is located here
http://www.radiointel.com/review-degende1102.htm
The quality is very good. Nice looking, solid.
Small, but well built, and has SSB.

I would like to publically thank eBay seller Liypn for his great service
and product. I can't vouch for other radios, but the DE1102
is an excellent value.

The radio arrived from China 7 days after I got his notification
of having sent it. Liypn's eBay store is at
http://www.stores.ebay.com/id=68650377&ssPageName=L2
He has more Degen 1102s and some Tecsun PL-230s.
Shipping is $19 US, but the radio's cost offsets that, and
again... it arrived in seven days. It included a free
power converter also. I will purchase from him again.

Anyone who likes to play with new stuff and can afford the
~$69 (incl. shipping) should check out the DE1102 from Liypn.


Echo your comments about this little jewel, and eBay seller Lipyn.

The radio arrived from Hong Kong 8 days after his stated ship date, and in
perfect shape. I was a little confused by his statement that an "english
manual is available", but in fact this model was _designed_ for export.
The manual is Chinese/English depending on which end you start reading
from.

I am constantly comparing this to the Sangean ATS-606 (RS DX-399) as the
two radios are virtually identical in size, and both use three AA
batteries. It is amazing, though, in the years between the design of this
older radio and the newer Degen, how much technology has been packed into
a box of the same size, and for less than half the price.

I am reminded of my first sessions with the Icom IC-R70, which is the only
radio I've used that rivals this one for its convoluted, non-intuitive
user interface. The design is a marvel of stacking multiple functions on
the same keys. I really need to make a quick-reference card, especially to
have a handy list of the default step sizes on the different memory pages.

All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a portable
I've seen on a _long_ time.

"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a portable
I've seen on a _long_ time.



That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

- Looks like it's time for me to Upgrade..!


In article t, "Sanjaya"
writes:


"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a portable
I've seen on a _long_ time.



That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

- Looks like it's time for me to Upgrade..!


In article t, "Sanjaya"
writes:


"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a portable
I've seen on a _long_ time.



That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

- Looks like it's time for me to Upgrade..!


In article t, "Sanjaya"
writes:


"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a portable
I've seen on a _long_ time.



That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

"Sanjaya" wrote in
k.net:


"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a
portable I've seen on a _long_ time.

That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

I really like the Kaito 1102. I ordered mine from Radios4you and
received it less than 24 hours later; this must be a record!

While managing a conference recently I had some long, otherwise unfilled
hours to spend at the registration table, and it was evening to boot. I
brought the 1102 along (it fits neatly into my purse) and didn't really
expect much, since I was in a long hotel hallway with lots of computer
and electronic equipment nearby.

Standing near the glass doors, with just the whip antenna and running
off batteries, I was able to listen to most of my regular evening
catches with no problems and a surprising amount of sensitivity: Radio
New Zealand International, R. Sweden, R. Nacional Amazonia, Voice of
Turkey, Vietnam, Kuwait, Nigeria and Tunisia, as well as the bigger
stations (BBC, RN, DW, Korea). Intelligibility was clean and I could ID
almost everything (I believe I caught R. Bulgaria but the signal was
pretty muddy).

I've never had this type of reception from a pocket-sized radio before.
I wasn't expecting to DX of course but this sure beats any other small
portable off the whip, at least in my experience.

AM and FM were also pleasant, particularly the FM stereo via earbuds.

Terrific number of features for the money, IMHO.

----

I totally agree with these observations. I purchased a Degen 1102 from Ebay
from liypn's sto http://www.stores.ebay.com/id=68650377&ssPageName=L2
He provides very good service. The 1102 has excellent reception off the
whip, maybe the best I have ever witnessed from a low cost portable. SSB
reception is also quite good, just need to be careful with the fine tuning
wheel. This is definitely my new travel radio. The only knock I have on it
right now is on MW (east coast), I am getting some kind of machine gunning
interference around 770 Khz (WABC, NYC). Only seems to be present on this
radio, not my other rigs. Another strange thing, if the backlighting comes
on, the noise seems to diminsh until the light goes off - then it starts up
again. Other than that, it is flawless.

"saki" wrote in message
...
"Sanjaya" wrote in
k.net:


"Mike S." wrote...
[snip]
All in all, it's money well spent. This is the best value in a
portable I've seen on a _long_ time.

That really says it all.
I boxed up my YB400 and
use the 1102 now. Plug it in
every so often and recharge the
batteries while I sleep.

I really like the Kaito 1102. I ordered mine from Radios4you and
received it less than 24 hours later; this must be a record!

While managing a conference recently I had some long, otherwise unfilled
hours to spend at the registration table, and it was evening to boot. I
brought the 1102 along (it fits neatly into my purse) and didn't really
expect much, since I was in a long hotel hallway with lots of computer
and electronic equipment nearby.

Standing near the glass doors, with just the whip antenna and running
off batteries, I was able to listen to most of my regular evening
catches with no problems and a surprising amount of sensitivity: Radio
New Zealand International, R. Sweden, R. Nacional Amazonia, Voice of
Turkey, Vietnam, Kuwait, Nigeria and Tunisia, as well as the bigger
stations (BBC, RN, DW, Korea). Intelligibility was clean and I could ID
almost everything (I believe I caught R. Bulgaria but the signal was
pretty muddy).

I've never had this type of reception from a pocket-sized radio before.
I wasn't expecting to DX of course but this sure beats any other small
portable off the whip, at least in my experience.

AM and FM were also pleasant, particularly the FM stereo via earbuds.

Terrific number of features for the money, IMHO.

----

wrote in message
hlink.net...

Now, the interesting report to see would be a direct head-to-head
comparison
listing the similarities and the differences among what seems to be two
different badgings of what might be the exact same radio. Why would you
want it as a Degen DE1102 over a Kaito KA1102 or the other way around.

I thought they were the exact same radio. I ordered the KA1102 because I
didn't want to take the chance I'd get the radio with an unusable (in the
U.S.) 220 V power requirement and a manual written in Mandarin Chinese,
which I cannot read...
anyway, as far as I know, I think they are the same radio besides these two
points...

Jackie

wrote...
Why would you
want it as a Degen DE1102 over a Kaito KA1102 or the other way around.

Cost.
DE1102
$68.50 delivered (Liypn on eBay)

KA1102
$93.90 including shipping (radios4you)
$99.95 plus shipping (Universal),