Kaito Electronics Inc. KA12AIR PLL Digital FM And Aircraft Band Radio

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Price: $59.99 $49.99   

Product Feature

• PLL Synthesized Digital Radio with FM (87.5-108.0 MHz) & Aviation Band (118-138 MHz)
• 1-99 minutes sleep timer
• 6 tuning methods with 100 memories
• Palm-size portable radio powered by 2 AA batteries (Not included)
• Accessories - owner's manual & earbuds.

Product Description

The new KA12Air is a digital PLL synthesize radio with comprehensive FM and Air band coverage. The 88MHz to 108MHz band covers traditional FM radio,and additionally, this radio also picks up the 118MHz to 138MHz National Civilian Aeronautical Band, letting you monitor multiple aircraft communication frequencies. When it comes to tuning, the KA12AIR radio offers you 6 different methods including manual, , auto scan, digit entry, ATS, memory scan and memory entry. Weighing in at only 5 ounces, this radio is easy and convenient to take anywhere, all you need are two AA batteries. The key lock feature keeps all the preferred settings for you by preventing accidental button presses. Other features include a 1-99 minutes sleep timer function, earphone jack for private listening and external antenna jack.

Kaito Electronics Inc. KA12AIR PLL Digital FM And Aircraft Band Radio Review

UPDATE: October 3, 2009:

Unfortunately the stereo fm option did not work at all on my KA12AIR radio, so I sent it back to Kaito for a new unit. (The unit's fm as heard either through the earphones or through the speaker still sounds great in my opinion even if it isn't in stereo however). The local Kaito office in Montclair, California just informed me today that this fm stereo feature doesn't work on any of their current units that are now in stock, so if you really want this device my humble advice is to wait a while until the overseas factory corrects this rather serious deficiency (as advertized both on the original box and in the Kaito advertizements on Amazon, etc. as being available).

ORIGINAL REVIEW: September 18, 2009:

I ordered this very fine item at noon on Tuesday of this week. It was shipped by Kaito from CA on Wednesday by USPS Priority Mail and arrived in New Mexico early today (Friday). Now that is service for a ~$6 shipping and handling fee!

In my opinion, they are definitely going to sell a bunch of these fine units at this price.

The KA12AIR radio is a super small pocket sized unit and almost identical in size to the Sangean DT-400W that is so popular right now (with full am/fm and weatherband capabilities). In fact it is also a remake inside the Aluminum front shell of the Kaito KA105 radio which apparently didn't sell very well, probably because of its slow band scanning and its very limited shortwave reception capabilities (~5.95-15.6 MHz).

Pros:

1) Very miniature in size and also quite light, the KA12AIR is a PLL (Phase locked loop) digitally synthesized and most likely (at this price) a single conversion IF (Intermediate frequency) radio, consistent with the KA105 design and with a lone (single) bandwidth (but well chosen) with good fm reception and great air-band reception (118-138 MHz) with no bleeding from the fm band that I have discovered. This bleeding is in fact a common complaint regarding the Grundig G6 am/fm/air-band radio that also sells for twice the price of the KA12AIR radio! It tunes using fixed 0.05 MHz steps on fm and with fixed 0.025 MHz steps for the Aircraft band frequencies.

2) Excellent and very fast band scanning capabilities. Also, excellent and fast ATS memory storage system with 100 memories. It also has an easy memory retrieval system for previously stored stations. It is also very easy to either delete individual stations or all of them.

3) It has an on-board clock in either a 12 hr (with a leading P designation to distinguish the evening civilian hour format) or a 24 hr format (with seconds showing for both formats while the system is off, but not available while the radio is turned on) as well as a slide lock system for preventing accidental setting changes including the fine, on-board green LED light which emanates from only the left hand side of the LCD screen.

4) The LCD is a good size considering the smallness of this radio and has good contrast at varying angles and numerous icons including error conditions and also showing battery life continuously both while the radio is either on or off. The LCD screen also indicates when the lock switch is activated, the current band selection, when an fm station is being received in stereo, sleep delay timer conditions, etc.

5) It can be tuned six different ways to receive your desired stations (including a fine automatic tuning and storage- ATS and even a nice memory retrieval system) with an Enter and Exit digital key system with the latter used for correcting entry errors. It also has a very good and easily maneuverable, side and nearly flush-mounted fully rotatable antenna, also just like on the KA11 and on the KA105.

6) It has a working local/DX switch control, an external antenna jack as well as an input plug for a 6V power supply (the power supply is not provided, but it is available separately from Kaito). The volume control knob is an analog pot (potentiometer) with a good deal of volume adjustment/turning available. The system also comes with a set of earbuds and a wrist strap (already attached). The latter item can also be used, as on the KA105, to support the radio on a table with a small insert attached to the strap.

7) It also has a nice and very small reset key to unlock the microprocessor if it ever hangs up on the front of the unit or you can also simply remove the batteries briefly if you don't have a paper-clip or other sharp object handy. All the keys by the way have very good response and have a nice feel, but they also cannot be clicked too fast in order to properly register.

8) It is powered by 2 AA batteries that should last for quite a while (based on the KA105 behavior and performance). The rear battery door is firmly attached to the radio so that it won't get lost and overall the radio is made of very high quality materials and shows the very high quality workmanship that has gone into its production (also made in China as is expected these days).

9) It also comes with a high quality and very readable English language manual.

Cons:

1) The fm stereo reception cannot be turned on and off as it could directly on the KA105. This could be a problem for especially weak signals, but at least it does have a single step DX/local switch (for controlled signal attenuation for interfering signals) that works as noted above.

2) The lone bandwidth doesn't emphasize the low frequency end of the spectrum so fm music audio listening through the otherwise good quality on-board speaker is limited.

3) It doesn't even come with a slip-cover protective case, presumably to keep their overall costs to a minimum.

4) It is too bad that a compatible am reception system could not also be available on this otherwise very fine radio.

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