Degen / Kaito 1103 reception below 76 MHz / above 108 MHz

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TassieJay

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It's a well known quirk of the Degen DE1103 / Kaito KA1103 that they can receive down to 0 kHz (normally 100 kHz) and up to 39.999 MHz (normally 29.999 MHz).

This makes me think that there might be similar 'tricks' to get the 1103 to tune outside it's normal FM band, too. And a few YouTube videos seem to confirm that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIOAiSMylSI
Look from about 1:40 onward, where the user tunes down to 000 kHz, and then continues 'down' to display 0.16 MHz in FM, and then on to 125-ish MHz. That seems to unlock some extra tuning range.

Another video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqzTF2CM6Qw

says
"You have to try many many times and I think it works only for some models ... i've done it like this:
1) remove batteries from the radio and wait some seconds for the clock to become a little faded.
2)Now, without batteries, press 4-5 times the power on button.
3)Insert battery into the radio and turn on it. Radio will do strange things :)
4)With the radio on, click the RESET button and turn on it again.
5)Now if you scan preset memories you will see that some these with alphabetical identifier (for example A1,B4 etc...) will only show a dot!"

then dial up a memory channel that is blank except for the decimal point showing, the radio then appears to display some nonsense, but is actually tuning in the vicinity of 60-70 MHz.

Has anyone had any luck with this process? I'm keen to have a play and see the capabilities of the 1103 out of it's normal FM band, especially if it is capable of VHF air band reception of any sort.
 

ka3jjz

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This is yet another one of these tricks that unfortunately ignores, or perhaps doesn't understand, how a receiver actually works. If the RF amp section of this radio isn't designed to handle these frequency ranges, it will be dead as a rock.

Just unlocking the PLL as this trick appears to do doesn't mean the radio will actually hear anything there.

Mike
 

Boombox

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This is yet another one of these tricks that unfortunately ignores, or perhaps doesn't understand, how a receiver actually works. If the RF amp section of this radio isn't designed to handle these frequency ranges, it will be dead as a rock.

Just unlocking the PLL as this trick appears to do doesn't mean the radio will actually hear anything there.

Mike

True, but perhaps the FM RF/IF sections on some of the digital portables are broadbanded enough to get airband. I know my G2 is designed to receive from 66-108 mhz. You can program it to receive the extra ranges without tricks. That's fairly broadbanded in itself.

As for VLF on one of these portables? I have no idea. One probably would need a pre-amp, good antenna, and a lot of hope. I've heard of the DX-394 being tricked into receiving VLF, but I've never tried it, and haven't heard of anyone using a DX-394 as a VLF receiver. It would take a LW receiver with even extra coil windings to get as low as VLF. Seems pretty much a stretch.
 
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