Review on Silver Kaito KA1103 - High-Performance Worldband Radio by Dave Rasic

I really like this little radio. It works very well on all bands - exceptionally good performance for such a cheap radio. It has some unusual features and the ergonomics are a bit unusual too, but it's actually not difficult to use at all. A particular stumbling block for some users is the lack of a dedicated volume control. While it would be an improvement to have one, the current layout isn't too bad. I usually hold the radio in my left hand and turn the dial with my right. Anytime I need to quickly adjust the volume, I simply rest my left thumb on the VOL button in the upper-left corner of the front panel. A short press and the rotary switch becomes the volume control. The rotary switch itself was one of the things that drew me to the Kaito KA1103 - it's much better suited for viewing bands than the push button layout common on today's handheld shortwave radios. Reception on all bands is fairly good, with excellent sensitivity and selectivity. . I was pleasantly impressed with all the outdoor stations, which I can pick up clearly on the AM (MW) broadcast band without interference from strong local stations. VHF is also very good, especially audible in stereo with high-quality headphones. Shortwave reception is also impressive, whether you're monitoring amateur bands, listening to international stations, or searching for air or sea radio stations. SSB reception is very good, and BFO doesn't require much effort to listen to stations that broadcast in both the lower and upper sidebands. The built-in telescopic antenna does a good job of receiving signals, the included wire antenna is even slightly better. The setting is smooth and quiet. The sound quality from the small speaker is average for a radio of this size. The fit and finish is very good, all controls and functions work as they should. The dial backlight is a little dim, but I rarely have to use it. I like the simulated analog watch face and find it particularly useful with auto range scanning so I can better track progress up or down the range. A few minutes spent guiding and learning the operating procedures unique to the KA1103 will make them second nature. Now that I'm familiar with how the radio works I find it easy to use and have brought a lot of fun back to shortwave monitoring and AM DXing. For the price, and even if you spend a lot more, it can be difficult to find a radio that works as well and is as pleasant to use.