Author Archives: Kevin

About Kevin

Just an old guy with opinions that I like to bounce off other people.

Incoming Radio: SPARKELEC DP-666

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Kevin

What have I done? I’m trying a new seller, Banggood. A couple of discount codes handed me this SPARKELEC DP-666 radio, plus accessories for $71.63 including tax, insurance and free shipping. It’s one of those new TEF6686 chip radios. As … Continue reading →

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First Impressions: Sangean ATS-909

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Kevin

I wanted to compare a well-regarded analog-tuned radio against modern DSP radios and the Sangean ATS-909 fits that bill.

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First Impressions: Kaito KA1101

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Kevin

My new old stock KA1101 has arrived from eBay seller detroitmetromart, and I was excited to get into the box. Unboxing Despite the radio being 20 years old, it really was new old stock and looked like it had just … Continue reading →

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Upping My Game

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Kevin

I have fun comparing radios. I have some “reference” stations like CFRX in Toronto, WWV and CHU that I like to use. I band scan on MW and FM at midday and count the number of stations received. It’s not … Continue reading →

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Incoming Surprise: Kaito KA1101

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Kevin

Like a fish tempted by a juicy worm, eBay dropped this radio onto my front page and I was hooked. It is a dual conversion superhet radio, as is the other current incoming radio, a Sangean ATS-909. This appears to … Continue reading →

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Incoming Radio: Sangean ATS-909

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Kevin

No, not some shiny new toy from AliExpress, but something from the “old days.” The Sangean ATS-909 is an analog radio first introduced in 1996, available until roughly 2011 when the DSP-based ATS-909X was introduced . Read more at The … Continue reading →

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Requiem for Radio

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Kevin

Amanda Dawn Christie is a Canadian artist who has created a series of works called Requiem for Radio. It reflects on the end of Radio Canada International. Others in the series have used the HAARP transmitters to create images that … Continue reading →

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