Kaito AN-100 Tunable Passive AM Radio Loop Antenna for All Brands Like Kaito,Sony,Panasonic,Grundig and More

Bought this off Amazon and fullfilled by Electronix. Not the first time I've dealt with this combination and results were excellant as always. I bought this to replace a Select A Tenna that I lent to a coworker who was getting into m.w. dx'ing to show him how good these small tuned loops are. Unfortunately I. Don't expect to get this back anytime soon and the Select A Tenna is no longer in production. After reading good reviews ofthe AN 100 I bought one and am very impressed with it. Normally I wait at least a month to review a product after I purchase it to avoid new "toy" enthusiasm, but being aquainted with the Select A Tenna and it's performance I felt a review was in order and also to point out a few quality concerns regarding this antenna. First though I'll tell you that it's every bit as capable as the Select A Tenna, maybe better. It seems to tune better across the band. As I neared the end of the mw band on the Select A Tenna it's tuning capabilities seemed to be be rather ineffective. Not so with the AN 100. From 550khz to 1710khz the tuning knob is effective in bringing in the desired signal. Probably the most impressive thing about it is it's ability to FINALLY make my Tecsun PL 880 to perform as a very good A.M. or M.W. radio. I was always dissapointed in this otherwise excellant radios M.W. performance. The noise floor was excessive in my opinion and the AN100 rectifies this. It now is all most on a par with what I consider the benchmark of portable radios the Sony 7600gr. And it also improves this excellent radios reception as well although to a lesser extent. Directly coupled to my Grundig Satellit 750 it allows this excellent radio to be all that it can be. I can finally use the wide band without excessive overloading highly recommend this antenna particularly at it's current price point. As to the quality issues, I have read of several cases where this antenna was received with a loose tuning knob and or loose connecting cable input jack. Mine was received with both of these loose but they can be tightened with little effort. Tightening the input jack requires a small standard screwdriver to turn it's retaining ring clockwise to tighten. To tighten the tuning knob, pull the knob off to reveal the adaptor which is retained by a small phillips screw. Two other phillips screws are also visable at this point. The center adapter screw is the one to tighten but since the other two are exposed at this point you may want to snug them up as well. Overall, this is a great antenna, a near must have for the serious dx'r and the casual user will appreciate it's ability to improve the reception of their favorite station.

Yes, these do actually work. The catch is you have to adjust the position first to bring in the best signal then fine tune it with the knob until it peaks in strength and volume. I am using the direct connect on an HD tuner and have be able to tune AM stations well over 1000 miles from my location at night when propagation is best for the AM band. It has also increased the "HD" capable stations to be received, some actually broadcasting in stereo!In summation, this antenna is for those trying for DX catches yet will work well on local stations too. If your favorite AM station is strong but has noise or hums, adjust the position first to null the noise then tweak the variable capacitor and sit back and enjoy. It looks pretty cool in it's own way and is bound to start a conversation with your guest! Overall, for the price, it's a good tool for those wanting to play in the AM world.

I received the Tecsun branded version of this loop antenna and it works comparably to the Terk Advantage which I also have. I wanted another loop and the Kaito (Tecsun) is less expensive so I gave it a try. While the Terk feels sturdier, I like the Tecsun for its looks and the more convenient placement of the tuning knob.These loops are fun to use and magically seem to increase reception when tuned in. To use these you need to tune the antenna separately after you first tune your radio to the desired station. This may be a bother for some people but it is the price you pay for improved reception. I find no obvious difference whether using the antenna inductively or wired so I don't bother with the wires. (The radio needs to have an internal antenna for inductive coupling - most do - but some stereo receivers don't. See my review of the Terk Advantage for more details.)So if you have only fair AM reception now and want to increase it, this loop should work very well for a reasonable price. It's a nice product. If you are getting poor reception now due to building construction issues or noise problems, then this antenna might not help. The Physics here is simple and has to increase the signal delivered to your radio. But if you don't have much of a good signal to work with, you'll likely be disappointed.Addendum: After only three months of use, the operation of the tuning control produced static sounds when reaching the proper adjustment point. This tuning point seemed to drop away when I removed my hand from the control, thus requiring multiple retunings. I suspect that the dial controls a cheap potentiometer which requires spraying with a contact cleaner. Unfortunately, I can't figure how to take the antenna apart without breaking it so I will just have to live with it. I have removed one star.

This tunable AM antenna can improve AM reception significantly, but the tuning is 'mushy'. When you turn the knob, the reception doesn't suddenly get better when you hit the proper tuning frequency as it should, it's a gradual improvement - you have to turn it back and forth to try to find the best spot.In comparison, on my old Select-A-Tenna, the reception will suddenly and sharply improve when you hit the right tuning frequency - a sharp "bing!". Though this Kaito is 1/3 the cost, and the Select-A-Tenna seems to not be made any more.In terms of looks and ergonomics, this Kaito AN-100 is nice...you can't ask for much more at this low price.