Tale of 2 Receivers (DE1103'S)

Reading all the good and some bad blurps on the WEB concerning and
comparing the DE1103 I could not resist and so I ordered 2 direct from
China. I decided my toys including an FRG7 was crowding my bedroom SWL
area and wanted a smaller solution without giving up all the
performance that I had grown accustomed to with the frog.

Received both units after 10-12 days. Fired up the first unit and was
pleasantly surprised that the DE1103 kicked ass. Expecting the same ,
from receiver 2, I fired it up and immediately realized that I was
getting 2 vastly different driving experiences.

The first receiver provided a pleasant highly admirable accounting;
clean crisp tuning, good rejection, excellent sensitivity...this was a
great receiver.

The second receiver was crap-o-la.

I thought that I had read referrences to chugging, PLL drop out and
resultant agc surging while tuning, while I was researching the WEB.
Guess what it exists in some of the units...I got one.

This is to post notice that if you are experiencing this characteristic
while tuning any of the AM bands its not what the DE1103 can and should
deliver. Something is screwed up on my receiver #2...
alignment???....PCB trace/pad issues???I don't know yet but wouldlove
tofind out if anyone else has explored root cause on this issue. If I
had just ordered the one unit and received the good receiver, receiver
#1, I would have declared, as many have, the excelence of the
DE1103...if I had received receiver #2 I would calledit a below average
implementation of dual-conversion receiver design.