Degen DE 1105

I picked up a Degen DE 1105 in Beijing. It cost 270 RMB in the Jinwuxing market, the same place I'd bought my DE 1102, and advised two other people to get a 1102 and 1103.

The DE1105 looks quite nice, with a nice brushed aluminium (I think) finish.

The reception is a little bit disappointing. That said, I was able to walk along the street in Beijing, Taipei and Okinawa listening to the BBC World Service on 21660. That felt pretty good I have to say. So in that respect, the DE 1105 does what it says on the tin, a pocket or handheld shortwave radio.

The problems:
The rotary tuning control can slip back a channel all by itself.
The set is very sensitive to ignition noise, and electrical noise in general.
There's no gain control or attenuator, which would help quite a bit – it's quite susceptible to overload.
There's no wide/narrow filter switch, which makes a big difference on the DE 1102. Likewise no Synchronous AM.
The rod antenna is fixed into the radio's body, so that to adjust it's elevation or any other angle, you have to move the whole radio.
Some of the keys on the keypad are a bit sticky, needing a few presses to work.


I think it's a bit expensive even at the price I paid for it. That said, I am mean and stingy.
As the 1105 is still a little bit too bulky for a pocket, you might be as well off going for the slightly 1101 or 1102, for the improved reception.