|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for Degen DE1103 |
|
Reviews: 59
|
Average rating: 4.6/5
|
MSRP: $54.90
|
|
Description: A world band radio: 100-29000 KHz AM + SSB + stereo FM. Two IF bandwidths.
|
|
More info: http://
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the Degen DE1103.
|
31DELTA90
|
Rating: 1/5
|
Nov 15, 2009 10:19
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Chinese Junk
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. WORKED GREAT WHEN I FIRST GOT IT, THEN SUDDENLY NO AM BROADCAST RECEPTION. VERY LOW RECEPTION ON 80M SSB. MY GRUNDIG $10 RADIO DOES BETTER. REMEMBER PEOPLE IT'S CHINESE MADE GARBAGE. BUY A GRUNDIG OR A SONY.
|
|
CESARSOUND
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 5, 2009 08:49
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great receiver.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I’ve bought my Degen DE1103 on EBay, from Elink.shop. I recommend this shop, as the trade went perfect. I received it in my home yesterday (Sep 29) here in Brazil in perfect state in a delivery time of 20 days. I received the latest version (s/n dated of Sept/2009).
So far I am happy with this radio, it is a joy to play and scan bands with this receptor.
I also own the Sony ICF7600G for 10 years; in my opinion the DE1103 beats the Sony in some aspects:
-Easy to use due to jog tuning. The jog tuning wheel is very effective and turns smooth. This is an incentive to use this radio, opposed to the boring method to tune on ICF7600G.
-More Sensibility even in 27MHz, where the ICF goes down. Every night I copy the CBs in my city. Tonight can copy some international stations on extended MW band (1600 – 1700kHz). I can also copy perfectly Hams in 80m and 40m in AM and SSB.
-More Selectivity
-SSB reception is very easy to set up and works very fine.
-Much more Memory (that also memorizes the SSB on key on/off state)
-The S-meter works like a charm and gives a nice visual effect.
Note: DE1103 has little distorted audio in AM (sounds like that “walky-talky” sound), but this is not a problem for me as this distortion also helps on intelligibility of speeches. But in FM band it not shows any audio distortion.
Of course the assembly and finish of ICF7600G is more refined.
Good luck.
Julio.
|
|
RMINER
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Sep 29, 2009 19:25
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Two hands required
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
After reading all the hype I was looking forward to getting my own 1103 and toting it along to the cottage and on business trips. The 1103 was to take the place of a Sangean 808 which I have used for over 15 years and which I consider to be the perfect radio (refer to my review on the 808). How does it compare?
The DE 1103 does very well where it counts. Sensitivity is very good and on par with the Sangean on FM and on SW. It does fall noticeably short on MW where the 808's larger ferrite bar offers a significant advantage. Selectivity is good, but again not as good as the 808. In fact, while listening to SW several hundred miles from town, I had CBC 1 (AM) breakthrough on 49 meter band!?
So what do I like?
At this price point the quality is impressive. This radio truly works well and comes packaged with all sorts of goodies. Included are rechargeable batteries that can be control charged right in the radio, very cool! It lights up very nicely for surfing in the dark. The digital / analog display has received mixed reviews but after using it for several weeks I am in the "like it" camp.
What's not to like?
Not alot. I found the user interface fairly intuitive after reading the useful manual, but, ... and it's a big but, most functions require toggling through buttons and rotating the multifunction dial to control the functions of the radio. It's not that bad, however it basically requires operating the radio with 2 hands. The Sangean 808, in comparison, can be completely operatad in the dark with one sleepy hand.
Lastly, the 1103 doesn't have a buzzer option for the alarm. This is the most important feature if you take the radio along say ... on business!? Degen has offered a compromise by seperately controling volume and station in the alarm mode but I would have preferred to see a buzzer.
Despite my personal criticisms, this radio represents great value. I would recommend it as a buy!
|
|
SV1ZZ
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 23, 2009 12:36
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
What a marvelous Little Radio
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I received this radio today bought from a seller in Hong Kong. I was amazed by its immense futures and capabilities that this little radio offered.
The selectivity was superb and the ham bands SSB reception was stable and clear.
I recommend to buy this radio or at least to have the possibility to get one just for review
|
|
4Z5NU
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 15, 2008 10:39
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Still 100% working
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
After more then 3 years this "Little Wonder", as I called him in My previous review from Nov 6, 2007, still fully functioned as new. DE1103 became My favorite portable radio in every trip and every tour.
If you want to make some mods, please look here:
https://sites.google.com/site/4z5nu4z5nu/
Happy NEW 2009!
Shalom and 73!
|
|
N3OQD
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 4, 2008 19:13
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Overview
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
Got this at a local hamfest new for $50 three years ago. Really great set. I have tried many inexpensive SW sets over the past 3 decades and this one is clearly a winner in its class. I have repaired Hi Fi equipment as a hobby before I became a ham. So in this know that I am picky about sound. Great tone and clarity for its tiny size package. Yes, one can spend alot more for well established classy units as I am sure that Victrola927 has been accustom to. If you are used to a Jaguars, BMW's, Mercedes Benz type automobile, then a Toyota would definitly be inferior all the way round to that person. The only small thing to watch is that the rod antenna is phisically large in perportion to the size of the radio. I just connect a clip lead to the rod and run the wire.
|
|
M5AEO
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 11, 2008 03:52
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A real bargain
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
Not quite as good as my Sony, but easier to tune and great fun! And a real bargain: I paid $25 !!
|
|
AH6GI
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 9, 2008 04:22
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
It does PSK31 !!!!
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I didn't think this up; I saw a video on Youtube of using a mike to a PC for PSK31. I tried it with my DE1103. It works!
1) download a free PSK31 program; I used digipan.
2) plug a $5 PC mike into your PC or Laptop.
3) tune the DE1103 to 7.070 or other PSK31 frequency.
4) position the mike near the DE1103. If there are any PSK31 warbles, you'll see the text on the screen.
I've been copying (reading) stations using the 4 foot whip.
de ah6gi/4
|
|
WINGNUTER
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Sep 7, 2008 17:11
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
DEGEN 1103 3.5
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
Purchased radio on eBay with additional case and he active magnetic indoor loop DE31 by Degen for about $100. Let me just say the two great qualities of the Radio are AM and FM bands. Very strong signals definitely come in here to PA I can pick up stations in NJ and most other stations in this state.
Yes ergonomics are a little strange, but really not a problem to get use to. NOW the negatives
The Shortwave bands do come in however they are muffed at times and as soon as I move away from the radio distortion set in. I have been able to get radio China, Netherlands Russian al the religious stations Alex Jones Coast to Coast Drudge all the Talk Radio showetc so that is some good news. So for me to give a rating on this radio I will have to break it down right here.
Cost I give it 4: $50 is a great price when Amazon charges at least 80.
Reception I give it: 3.5 why you ask? Well I have really been disappointed with the DE31 and I have tried everything to pull in clear signals and to me this has just been a waste of money so save your Money.
Antenna DE31: I give it 1 like I said FM and AM are great without it but this DE31 stinks
Overall rating would be 4+3.5+1 = 8.5/3 =2.8 so at this point I will give a rating of a 2.8 or 3.
If I had not purchased the DE31 I would give a 4.
To all newbie’s out there I recommend the book Passport to world band radio and especially listen to 41 meter’s after 8pm at night M-F to get all those international stations.
Bests,
KB3RPI
|
|
G0YAP
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 31, 2008 12:13
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Super Little Receiver
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
I wanted a small radio to take on holiday and out in the garden mostly to listen to the football. I thought I,d go the whole hog and get one with shortwave SSB rx. The only sets I,d heard of were Sony and Grundig, but looking on E Bay I found it awash with this Degen make. I checked out the reviews on here and bought one. WOW!!! What a super little radio!! It sounds really good on FM (although a little tinny but still v good) but the rx is REALLY GOOD! On AM, my local station, BBC Radio Norfolk, comes through loud and clear whereas it sounds really distant on my car radio. The rx on the ham bands is very good too. I often go to bed about 9pm and read a book ( thats what 17 years of marriage does to you. ZZZZZZZ) and listen to 80mtrs. Everytime I do this, I end up hearing a station (this is just on the telescopic antenna) and tramping through to the shack and firing up my Yaesu FT450AT to work them. This litle baby even receives stuff on 80 using the telescopic antenna.. Amazing! It comes with a long wire and this just makes it work even better. The overall build quality is good, it does not feel cheap, it comes with good instructions and I bought the optional soft case for it (about £2.00). I would have no problem recommending this to anyone, shortwave listener or not. Superb!
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
