[IRCA] Kaito WRX911 AM-FM-SW Ultralight-- A Real Tiny Wonder

[D1028Gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All,
 
While fully aware that most of the Ultralight Radio enthusiast group has  
"graduated" from basic analog radios to more exotic digital models, a relatively  
unknown little jewel made by China's Tecsun company has motivated me to 
inform  as many DXers as possible about its superlative performance (even prior to 
the  2009 Ultralight Radio Shootout completion).
 
Following up on a tip from Kevin Schanilec, a Kaito WRX911 was purchased  
from Amazon.com for $39.95, shipping included.  The deep purple model  arrived 
after about a week, and right out of the box, had AM sensitivity and  
selectivity fairly comparable to the best analog ultralight, the  SRF-39FP. The big 
surprise was the nulling ability-- clearly a step above  either the SRF-39FP or 
its SRF-59 sibling, allowing on-frequency nulling of even  booming semi-local 
stations (KIRO-710, KOMO-1000, KKMO-1360, etc.). Image  frequency rejection was 
also good, with only a tiny whisper of local pest  KSUH-1450 showing up on 540.
 
Suddenly intrigued by this tiny analog wonder, I did a full alignment on  the 
loopstick and 1400 kHz trimmer, bringing the sensitivity up to a level  
slightly exceeding that of the SRF-39FP (on most frequencies). Kevin has also  had 
similar success with his WRX911. The radio's analog tuning is much more  
comfortable than that of either the SRF-39FP or SRF-59, with a much wider  tuning 
window.  As if this were not enough, the model offers multiband  Shortwave and 
FM coverage.
 
The great news is that the WRX911 is seriously overpriced at Amazon,  and the 
equivalent Chinese model Tecsun R911 can be purchased from the EBay  vendor 
"dpmega" for $12.90, plus $7.00 airmail shipping (or even cheaper at  $9.90, if 
you wish to take your chance at an auction). For those looking  for the best 
Ultralight DXing bargain on the planet, the Tecsun R911 would  probably be my 
strong recommendation. Full details of this superb model (and  four other 
Ultralight radios) will be contained in the upcoming 2009 Ultralight  Radio 
Shootout. 
 
73, Gary DeBock
 
 
 
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$10. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000002)
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