{"id":15878,"date":"2015-11-27T12:41:51","date_gmt":"2015-11-27T16:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=15878"},"modified":"2015-11-27T12:41:51","modified_gmt":"2015-11-27T16:41:51","slug":"the-new-degen-de1103-dsp-first-impressions-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/the-new-degen-de1103-dsp-first-impressions-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Degen DE1103 DSP: First impressions & review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_20151124_085005760_HDR\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When I discovered that Degen had recently refreshed the receiver design of the DE1103<\/a>, I was intrigued, to say the least. The original DE1103 sported some serious performance for a sub-$100 receiver.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20151126_165751594_HDR\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2015 model of the Degen DE1103 implements a DSP chip (the\u00a0Silicon Labs Si4735-D60).<\/p>\n

Yet I was\u00a0on the fence about purchasing the new DE1103. Why? In truth, I never fell in love with the original DE1103<\/a>. While I appreciated\u00a0the 1103’s unique analog-style digital display, I never got used to its quirky ergonomics. Degen had quality control issues, too: I had to return two faulty units before getting one that worked as advertised (incidentally, I had a similar problem with the Kaito KA1102<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Then last week, SWLing Post<\/em> reader, Ron, contacted me. He had purchased the new DE1103 from\u00a0Hong Kong-based eBay\u00a0vendor\u00a0Bigbargainonline<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20151124_085138034_HDR\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ron kindly\u00a0provided\u00a0the SWLing Post<\/em> with his impressions of the DE1103, as follows:<\/p>\n

Performance is roughly on a par with the earlier\u00a0dual conversion version. This one is just as hot, but\u00a0no hotter.<\/p>\n

If you were thinking a GP5 <\/a>on a bigger ferrite bar,\u00a0yes…and no.<\/p>\n

There is one major gripe…[this unit] will not remember\u00a0frequencies set with the BFO on, like the earlier\u00a0dual-conversion version did.\u00a0Instead you have to turn the BFO on for each\u00a0memory frequency [for which you]\u00a0need it.<\/p>\n

One thing [I] noticed right off was the almost complete\u00a0lack of AGC “pumping” on CW\u00a0and SSB\u00a0that all earlier versions\u00a0had (yay!) but this plus comes at the cost of having the\u00a0BFO “remembered” in memory.<\/p>\n

Zero-beating (or centering) the BFO to null on WWV and\u00a0local AM stations to check alignment was…strange.\u00a0At null beat the BFO seems to quit for a second. It is fine
\neither side of zero beat, however.<\/p>\n

This is doubtless due to Tecsun’s adapting the Silicon Labs IC to\u00a0a full range BFO like this. Recall the same IC in the GP5 features\u00a0Upper and Lower selection on CW\/SSB.<\/p>\n

This 1103 DSP version also has the GP5’s slight tuning mute, not a problem.<\/p>\n

But for ease of operation in CW\/SSB mode,\u00a0the GP5<\/a> is [much]\u00a0better IMO.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ron also notes that he wasn’t pleased with the DE1103’s longwave performance and didn’t feel the mediumwave and shortwave reception was an improvement on the original DE1103.<\/p>\n

He decided that he would sell this DE1103 and gave me first dibs, so I bit the bullet. I was eager to compare the new DE1103 with some of the other DSP-based portables in my collection. Ron dispatched the DE1103 immediately\u2013it\u00a0arrived a few days ago, but I didn’t have a chance to test it until yesterday.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20151126_165748588_HDR\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I took the Degen DE1103 outside, sat it on the tailgate of my truck and put it on the air…<\/p>\n

I tuned around the mediumwave band and picked up all of the local benchmark stations. Same with FM. So far, this tuning\u00a0confirmed Ron’s assessment of the DE1103: it didn’t surpass the original.<\/p>\n

But the shortwave bands were a different story.<\/p>\n

As I tuned around the HF bands, the DE1103 seemed to receive quite a lot signals. \u00a0But in most instances, I could hear local AM broadcasters bleeding in, as well. Indeed, imaging was prevalent across the shortwave bands\u2013the receiver was obviously being overwhelmed by a local broadcaster. \u00a0Unfortunate.<\/p>\n

Could strong interference account for this? While there are local AM broadcasters around, they’re not exactly “blow-torch” stations. Indeed,\u00a0I’ve never had overloading issues\u00a0with other shortwave portables I’ve used in the same location\u2013not even with my Kaito WRX911<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Imaging was prevalent on the DE1103 when it was tuned to pretty much any audible shortwave broadcaster.<\/p>\n

Here’s a video<\/a> of the Degen DE1103 tuned to the Voice of Greece on 9,420 kHz:<\/p>\n