Degen D1105 in NZ

My Degen 1105 finally arrived by post from Ireland on Saturday. Hurray!

It works a treat here. FM reception of Radio National in central Auckland is absolutely fine – no more of that hiss that came with the Pure PocketDAB 2000 (which, incidentally, has failed the exact same way the first one did, but after an even shorter time).

My 1105 has lost it's telescopic antenna, but still gets all the local FMs fine. On the move is also fine, as it uses the headphone wire as antenna when it's there.

Shortwave hasn't done much for me so far – a bit of Radio Australia, some China, and a couple of unidentified, maybe Russian language.

Mediumwave… it's like I expected, and my it's odd. Nothing, certainly during the day, from any other country.

All in all, rather happy to have it here.

Looks like I brought the wrong radio to NZ...

In my last minute semi-planning, I decided not to bring any shortwave radio to New Zealand - any means either of the Sony 7600gr with wonky telescopic antenna, and the much smaller Degen DE1105 -- with no telescopic antenna at all.

All I brought then was the Pure PoketDAB 2000. There is a DAB trial here. But my how the signal is weak. It's not useable downtown -- so far the only place I've been able to enjoy it is in Ponsonby, up high. I don't know the details of the intended coverage are, but where I've been -- from Parnell to Ponsonby -- it's not a goer.

So I'm mostly using the FM part of the PocketDAB. It doesn't have RDS, which can slow things down a bit. Some stations it receives well, and some it really doesn't! The most frustrating examble is Radio New Zealand National. 101.4, pretty much everywhere in downtown, the quay, Parnell and Ponsonby at least, sounds like a leaky cable radio singal. If I had brought the beat-up Degen, at least I could use AM...

Ah well!