{"id":16663,"date":"2016-01-08T09:13:46","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T13:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=16663"},"modified":"2016-01-08T09:13:46","modified_gmt":"2016-01-08T13:13:46","slug":"the-kaito-ka108-a-shortwave-portable-with-built-in-record-function","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/the-kaito-ka108-a-shortwave-portable-with-built-in-record-function\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kaito KA108: a shortwave portable with built-in record function"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kaito-KA108\"<\/p>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader,\u00a0Ante, who writes:<\/p>\n

Looks like Kaito has a new radio in the works<\/a>. Portable shortwave receiver with record function. It looks very much like some of the Eton portables.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here’s Universal Radio’s description<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The Kaito KA108 is a great AM, FM shortwave receiver with a very special feature. It has a record function that allows you to record off the air automatically! It can save the audio to a Micro SD Card or USB Thumb Drive (not included) inserted via the top panel. It also features a large backlit display with battery indicator, signal meter and conventional alarm function with two programmable wake up times.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There is a Line Input Jack and stereo earphone output jack. Power input is via a USB port. The KA108 comes with: Li-ion battery and USB charging cable. One year limited mfg. warranty.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thank you for the tip, Ante! Universal has pricing and availability listed as TBA at time of posting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I noticed that Amazon has\u00a0the same radio via Kaito for $67.20 (shipped)<\/a>. Interestingly, the Amazon description reads:<\/p>\n

“Kaito KA108 Super Sound quality AM FM Shortwave Radio with MP3 Player and Radio Recorder, Radio Time Schedule Recorder,Alarm Clock+ More”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I hope the “Super Sound” part means that the internal speaker is like that of the Melson S8, with an acoustic chamber. Those speakers have amazing fidelity for such a compact size. Checking this morning, the Amazon listing only has one review–a 5 star–but it wasn’t a verified purchase, had few details on performance and, frankly, smacked of\u00a0shill a little too much for my taste.<\/p>\n

I certainly hope this isn’t simply a Melson S8 with a re-designed body. As I mention in this review, the S8 suffered from terrible internal noise<\/a>, rendering it useless on shortwave.<\/p>\n

\"Kaito-Ka108-side\"<\/p>\n

The Line In, Phone and DC IN 5V jacks are in the same placement and order as the S8–but the S8 also has the power button and MicroSD card on the side panel, the KA108 has the MicroSD card slot on top, along with a USB thumb drive slot.<\/p>\n

\"Kaito-KA108-Top\"<\/p>\n

I have hope that this is not<\/em> a re-badged Meson S8 because the KA108 has features the Melson S8 did not, including the ability to record and even schedule recordings!<\/p>\n

There are so few portables on the market that can record on the shortwave bands. There are no portables currently on the market that have a sensitive\/selective receiver and do a good job of recording. \u00a0Even if the KA108’s receiver is only average, if it has a clean recording function, it will be a keeper for me.<\/p>\n

My fingers are crossed!<\/p>\n

Of course, I will certainly review the Kaito KA108 here on the SWLing Post<\/em>. \u00a0I will most likely wait until Universal Radio<\/a> has the units in stock, which I imagine will\u00a0be soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader,\u00a0Ante, who writes: Looks like Kaito has a new radio in the works. Portable shortwave receiver with record function. It looks very much like some of the Eton portables. Here’s Universal Radio’s description: The Kaito KA108 is a great AM, FM shortwave receiver with a very special feature. It has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836,3,26,43],"tags":[4625,1512,4624],"class_list":["post-16663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-products","category-news","category-radios","category-shortwave-radio","tag-ka108","tag-kaito","tag-kaito-ka108"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-4kL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17081,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/kaito-ka108-unboxing-kaitos-new-compact-portable-radio-and-mp3-playerrecorder\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":0},"title":"Kaito KA108: Unboxing Kaito’s new compact portable radio and MP3 player\/recorder","author":"Thomas","date":"January 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday afternoon, I ventured off of our snowy mountain for the first time since Thursday. I was very pleased to find the new Kaito KA108 waiting for me at the post office. Universal Radio kindly dispatched a unit to me for review from their very first shipment. Thanks, Universal! I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaito-KA-108","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA-108-1024x575.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA-108-1024x575.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA-108-1024x575.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17088,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/review-of-the-kaito-ka108\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":1},"title":"Review of the Kaito KA108","author":"Thomas","date":"January 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently,\u00a0I learned about a new portable by Kaito Electronics: the Kaito KA108. While there are a number of compact portables on the market, the KA108 really caught my attention because it features\u00a0a built-in digital recorder. Which is to say, you can listen to a station on shortwave, press a button,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaito-KA108-Front-2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-Front-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-Front-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-Front-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-Front-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20283,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/pauls-review-of-the-kaito-ka108\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":2},"title":"Paul’s review of the Kaito KA108","author":"Thomas","date":"August 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Paul Dobosz (K8PD) who shares his review of the Kaito KA108. Paul originally wrote this for the\u00a0Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts and has kindly allowed us to post it here: Kaito KA-108 Review by\u00a0Paul Dobosz (K8PD) Kaito just introduced a pocket sized DSP based MW\/SW\/FM receiver\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaito-KA108-AM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-AM.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-AM.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-AM.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Kaito-KA108-AM.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":810,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/review-of-the-kaito-ka-500-self-powered-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":3},"title":"Review of the Kaito KA 500 Self-Powered Radio","author":"Thomas","date":"December 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"I tested the KA500 along with several other self-powered radios for a project I'm working on in Africa. I found that the KA500 is a very capable shortwave receiver it's just not nearly as rugged as its current competitors. Here are my thoughts: What I like about the KA500: Solar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/KA500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11355,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/a-review-of-the-kaito-ka29-degen-de29\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":4},"title":"A review of the Kaito KA29 \/ Degen DE29","author":"Thomas","date":"November 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"While doing a somewhat random search on Amazon a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a radio with a model number that I didn't recognize\u2013the Kaito KA29. The form factor of the KA29 is very reminiscent of the Degen DE1129 I reviewed two years ago, but it's smaller\u00a0and sports\u00a0a number\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"DE29\"","block_context":{"text":"DE29","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/tag\/de29\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kaito-KA29","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Kaito-KA29.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Kaito-KA29.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Kaito-KA29.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Kaito-KA29.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14510,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/tecsun-r-911-15-80-with-free-shipping-at-amazon\/","url_meta":{"origin":16663,"position":5},"title":"Tecsun R-911: $15.80 with free shipping at Amazon","author":"Thomas","date":"August 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader \"RCXB\" who comments: \"Another radio deal, if you don't mind the writing in Chinese, you can get a Tecsun R-911 for just $15.80... A couple dollars cheaper than its already-cheap re-branded Kaito WRX911 namesake that everyone raves about.\" As of this morning, there are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Deals"","block_context":{"text":"Deals","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/deals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fullscreen capture 8272015 125437 PM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Fullscreen-capture-8272015-125437-PM.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Fullscreen-capture-8272015-125437-PM.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Fullscreen-capture-8272015-125437-PM.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16663\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}