Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is my fifth Kaito portable radio and it is indeed an excellent product. It seems extremely well made and should last a long time if treated with care. The radio is both very small and readily transportable yet the reception is still excellent on all available bands.
I especially like being able to change the AM(MW)/SW narrow/wide (bandwidth) filter setting, the DX/local RF gain switch as well as the news/music (narrow/wide) filter switch in order to improve reception of any desired signal. Using the SSB BFO fine tuner on page 9 is also very easy and straight forward as well. The ability to step tune with very small increments on pages 7-9 is also excellent in my opinion once a signal of interest has been located.
I also really like the highly useful system of storing presets with the ATS system on page 0 and then being able to use the copy command to transfer them to other pages after they have been thoroughly edited into a useful list.
I also really like the very pleasant blue backlighting system on this radio with ALL buttons as well as the LCD screen being nicely illuminated. This is especially useful for nightime listening while going to sleep.
I didn't think that I would like the digital volume controls before I got the KA1102 based on other digital volume controls that I have tried previously, but I have totally changed my mind on this very nice feature. The steps between each setting are sufficiently small that very precise control of the volume levels can be attained, especially when using earphones which is my most common mode of operating this radio. In addition however, since the volume controls are totally digital, the common problem of accidentally turning an analog volume control knob and thus changing the volume level significantly from the last use of the radio is no longer a problem at all. Too many times my ears have suffered from not properly checking an inadvertent change of the analog volume control knob setting on other radios that I have used!
In addition, several people have complained about the poor English Kaito/Degen manual, but if you can't figure something out, just download the Grundig/Eton G3/G5/E5 manual (based on the recent reworking by Grundig of the poor ergonomics of the Kaito KA1103 radio) where all other relevant details are readily explained. Grundig/Eton has recently significantly changed the fine manual that was available online until February 2008, but the new manual is still better than the Kaito manual for providing many explanations for poorly explained features.
The unavailability of the LW bands on this unit is something that should be rectified by Kaitousa (pun intended) at some future date (although the Kaito KA1103 was introduced to make that specific correction among others).
Also a screen version of the signal strength meter (now done using 4 red LEDS, except in FM stereo mode where only three LEDS are used for an indication of the signal strength- see also below) should also be added as well as an indication of the DX/local switch setting.
One additional idea: Kaito should make future editions of this radio so that the internal AM/MW ferrite antenna could be disconnected from the system and replaced through the external antenna jack by either an indoor or an outdoor antenna for even better AM listening (UPDATE- 5/06/2008: This am antenna decoupling has now been done for the Grundig G5 made for Grundig by Tecsun/Degen, the Chinese parent company for all Kaitousa products. The G5 is the updated and more expensive version of the KA1103 with all its odd ergonomic problems corrected including the famous volume control problem). Kaito still offers an antenna that inductively couples to the internal ferrite AM antenna along the top edge of the radio, but that is a clumsy way to get even better AM reception in my opinion since there is no easy way to attach the coupler directly to the radio.
Finally, the choice of listening in the stereo FM mode seems to be presented redundantly (twice) on the KA1102 by the presence of both the 4th small red LED below the LCD screen and by an indication on the LCD screen itself (through the symbol, ST)?
I look forward very much to having the fun of using this radio for the very high quality sounds of music, news and just general shortwave listening from all over the globe for a very long time.
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