- 1,000 permanently stored preset memories (Will not lose even without battery inside radio)
- 10-Level Signal strength indicator
- 7 shortwave meter bands that covers from 5.8 to 18.1 MHz
- 6 tuning options: frequency input, manual tuning, auto tuning, memory scan, random preset & ATS
- Alarm Clock Display & Temperature Display
I wanted a small shortwave radio to take on a trip. Whenever I travel, I feel bad because my Sangean ATS-909 is a little too big to drag along. Besides size, cost was an important factor in my purchase decision. There were not many reviews for the Kaito KA11, but it had most of the features I wanted and overall Kaito radios have pretty good reviews.
I ordered the radio online for $54 including shipping. As advertised, the radio is extremely small. Although small in size, this radio is packed with features. Overall, the buttons/controls are nicely laid out. Using the radio is very intuitive, but you may need to crack open the manual to use some of the features such as the sleep timer and the alarm clock. The manual is easy to read, but obviously translated to English so some of the sentences require some patience to understand.
Features: The radio has 1000 memory locations (100 per page). You have the option to scan through the stored memory locations or just scan up/down by frequency. Even though the speaker is small, the radio still sounds good. Overall, sensitivity is decent and selectivity between strong adjacent stations is good. The radio displays both time and frequency. The backlight is orange and the LCD display is very easy to read. So far battery life seems very good. The left-side of the radio has an external antenna jack. The battery compartment door is attached...a welcome change. The package comes with an AC adapter, manual, ear bud headphones and a long-wire external antenna. If you use rechargeable batteries, it is possible to charge the batteries inside the radio (with the AC adapter).
The whip antenna stores inside the radio. I am not sure I like this feature. Sometimes the antenna sticks while trying to push it back into the radio. Hopefully this will become less sticky over time. To set the clock, you need need to take the batteries out of the radio momentarily. The rotary volume control is very sensitive. Unfortunately, this makes it fairly easy to go from low volume to extremely loud without much movement. I also do not care for the location of the volume control. When the radio is lying flat on a table, you cannot adjust the volume. The carrying strap is permanently attached to the radio. This is a small annoyance. Unlike similar radios in its class, there is no pop-out stand. In my opinion, the frequency coverage should have included the 60 meter band.
For future designs of this radio, I would like to see a slight change in memory functionality. If you manually punch in a frequency that is already in memory, I would like the behavior changed so it displays the memory location of that frequency. Right now, you have no way to know if a frequency is already in memory. There should also be an easy way to add a frequency to the next available memory location. Currently, you need to specify a memory location when saving a frequency. This increases the possibility that you may overwrite a memory location with a different frequency.
In summary, I really love my Kaito KA11 radio and I am very happy with the purchase. It is definitely a great feature-packed radio, especially for its size and price. Most of the issues discussed above are minor annoyances and definitely not reasons to avoid this radio.
Buy Kaito Pocket-Size PLL Synthesized AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA11 Now
PROS
1) The KA11 is a very small and highly portable PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Synthesized, fully capable digital AM(MW)/FM/SW radio receiver. The full digital tuning capability means that there is no need for frequency retuning once a station has been received with adequate strength, unlike the digital display readout for analog tuning on the very popular Grundig Mini300PE AM/FM/SW and many other digital display analog radios for example.
2) The KA11 is an excellent starter digital SW radio with numerous bells and whistles. It replaces the much simpler Single conversion PLL Kaito KA105 digital AM/FM/SW radio, yet is almost identical in its size and weight (see below). The KA105 is also a far less versatile unit since a smaller part of the FM and SW spectrum is available for reception compared to the KA11, etc.
3) FM selectivity: > 40dB
Noise limit sensitivity:
FM < 10 Microvolts
AM < 1 Millivolts/meter
SW < 20 Microvolts
4) On SALE now for $39.95 at Amazon with a small amount more for a Kaito 23 foot Reel antenna (which I also recommend), it is absolutely a terrific bargain.
5) It has a great signal strength meter (10 levels), 1000 nonvolatile storage memories, a travel lock button to prevent turning it on, a fine orange controllable back-light which is great for reading the display in the dark, clock and alarm functions, battery level and also a charging indicator and even the temperature around the unit. Some of the many buttons have multiple and very useful functions. It also has numerous ways to tune as well as store any received signals.
6) The sides have very simple controls too with a plug for an AC power source (also provided by KaitoUSA), one for an external antenna and one for a set of headphones (with a set of earbuds also provided with the system). It also has a very useful local/DX switch which increases the sensitivity when trying to receive weak SW and FM signals from distant stations (with DX standing for a distant station, D of unknown range and origin and with X, an unknown as in mathematics, yet to be explored).
7) The internally stored whip antenna works to bring in very distant and some weak SW and FM stations on this quite sensitive radio receiver. I like this system of storing the antenna within the radio very much and I have found if you are careful that it works quite well. Adding the Kaito external Reel antenna does not overload the unit as reported by some other reviewers (not on Amazon), but greatly enhanced the reception of weak and very distant signals.
8) It has a 90 day return period from KaitoUsa and a full 1 year warranty in North America. The unit seems exceptionally well built however and will probably last a long time if properly handled.
9) It is a great receiver for young and old listeners alike. It doesn't bother me at all that many of these stations are also now available on the internet. The thrill of receiving distant stations with a small portable receiver started for me as a kid with analog devices of much less capability. Believe me when I say that this almost new miniature portable and digital radio (first available in October 2006) is a technological revolution when you appreciate the Heathkits available when I was young!
10) I also suggest buying the Passport to Worldband Radio paperback book (with the 2008 edition now available). It is a yearly publication with monthly updates available on the internet and also available for purchase on Amazon. It has many useful reviews of all available digital SW receivers and advertising from the major radio producing companies. It also lists radio stations available globally (for listening in North America) as well as their transmitting frequencies, power and the time of their broadcasts, etc.
CONS
1) Very brief manual (which as noted by other reviewers is a very poor English translation), but all functions can be figured out with a little patience and rereading of the brief manual.
2) No batteries are provided (it takes 2 AA batteries that last a very long time even with the back-light and the batteries can readily be recharged within the unit if desired). Also no carrying pouch is supplied with the unit, but the AC adapter (110 V) is provided by KaitoUSA as noted earlier.
3) AM(MW) reception doesn't seem quite as good during the day as it is on FM or on SW, probably due to the very small and highly directional internal ferrite AM antenna (but this is just the nature of AM radio listening!). It is probably also because of a small amount of display synthesizer noise as noted by other reviewers. At night however very fine AM reception has been found here in the mountains of New Mexico. There are also some ringing and clicking type noises on the various SW bands that shouldn't be there either, but I have not found these interfering sounds too overwhelming a problem, especially considering that this is really a set for those new to this fun activity.
4) The volume control knob is analog and a bit sensitive, but with care it is still very usable. The noise level for listening to a good signal is quite different between the three band select options so I frequently have to lower the volume level quite a bit when going from SW back to FM or AM stations (for ear protection). Also, there is no bass control for listening to music as there is on the fancier Kaito units, but the KA11 still sounds quite acceptable on its small internal speaker. On earbuds or headphones it sounds excellent however and uses much less power to boot and also it won't disturb anyone around you in a work or in a commuting environment.
5) Only part of the full SW spectrum is provided, namely the 49 m to 16 m bands (Others have mentioned the unavailability of the 60 m band on the KA11 for example). So far I have received so many SW stations that I haven't even noticed the lack of availability of the really long wave bands (up to 120 m, but with very few stations broadcasting at these wavelengths). Usually the most distant stations are also available on multiple sets of frequencies so that the unit seems to fully cover everything you might want to try to listen too except perhaps for SSB (Single-side band used by ham radio operators) which is available on the more expensive and highly rated Kaito 1102 and Kaito 1103 (which has recently been redesigned as the Eton E5 or the Grundig G5) SW receivers.
6) Check the LCD screen out very carefully. On my radio, if looked at from angles off perpendicular, numerous small folds in the display material were clearly evident. They in no way affected actually using the radio, but it certainly made me question the quality control procedures used for evaluating an individual LCD display unit.
Read Best Reviews of Kaito Pocket-Size PLL Synthesized AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA11 Here
I bought one of these out of curiosity, and took a chance as there were no reviews anywhere on the net. I hope this one helps. I've still not had a chance to critically assess it's sensitivity, but it seems to fare well against my Sony 7600G on a whip. If you're a radio head like me, I say just go for it. I also have a Kaito WRX911 which a fine bed time radio to tune in the dark, but sometimes you just want to know what frequency you're on. In a nutshell, this unit is just fun because it packs so much in a miniature unit. It reminds me of a tiny YB400, and the display is clean well laid out. Audio, as expected is thin, yet with plenty of volume, and the included earphones sound very nice. I also like the paging memory storage. Once you get used to it, you can breeze in and out of all sorts of radio programs easily. Also, the memories are non-volatile, a nice touch. I don't like the antenna, as mine seems to have play in it, and "wags" a little once extended, but that's a small shortcoming. To sum it up, for about $60, you sure get alot of fun in a package that fits in your pocket. If you're a SWL, or a ham, I think you'd consider it required reading, or just another one worth a place in your collection.
Want Kaito Pocket-Size PLL Synthesized AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA11 Discount?
This shirt pocket AM/FM/short wave radio is similar in size and performance to the very expensive Sony ICF-SW1, which has been discontinued for many years. It is a sensitive and selective radio, with a ton of features.
That being said, better performance can be found in the Kaito line for very little additional money. See my review of the Kaito 1102 or check out the amazing Kaito 1101. Both of these radios offer better performance, and since they are bigger, have larger, better sounding speakers.
If you need the compact size, and will use earphones most of the time, this is a good choice, sound quality through the earphones is very good (stereo in FM).
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I am revising this review a number of years after it was written to reflect that fact that better radios are now available at this price point. The newer radios have better sensitivity and are easier to use. I find it hard to use all its features, or even to reset the time even after several years use, so I must say the ergonomics are poor. Currently my preference for small/inexpensive radios with SW capability is the Tecsun PL-360 which I have recently reviewed. Its performance is better (much better on AM) and is significantly easier to set-up and use. It has very different dimensions but still fits a shirt pocket. I am leaving the rest of the original review intact.
This radio is a clone of the Sony ICFSW1 which I also have, but which alas died after about 15 years operation. It's size, antenna, volume control location is identical and it even fits the Sony case. The Sony however sold for close to $300.00 and even now sells in the $200 region second hand.
When I first turned the KA11 on in a difficult reception area, I was immediately struck by the good FM reception. It reception seems comparable to the Sony in all bands using the pull-out or internal antenna. It may be slightly less sensitive in MW and slightly better in SW. The extra long wire antenna can be used to give a boost.
The Kaito has more features than the Sony, eg. 1000 vs 10 presets. I found it quite difficult to figure how to use these at first, because I kept trying to use the Sony method. Once I figured it out however it is very simple to use. As others note you need to send some time with the manual.
The speaker sound was better than I would have thought from some other reviews. It is slightly higher pitched than the Sony but slightly clearer too.
In short a fun radio with pretensions of being a serious SW radio.
After having this radio for a number of months now and travelling with it, I remain convinced that that it's FM and SW capabilities are as good as or better than the famed Sony ICFSW1.
I am still unclear about the AM reception. I am now sitting in Las Vegas listening to a Los Angeles news station coming in loud and clear. Now I know that AM can skip off the ionosphere, which is the primary basis for SW reception. However closer to LA the signal is worse, which is I assume the direct wave coming in, but still this seems pretty impresive AM.
My major quibble is the poorly written manual. This radio has some complicated, but neat features and there are places where the instructions are very unclear, missing key points, or even wrong.
Still this is a great radio and with the drop in price a great buy.
