Product Description

This antenna will improve the reception on the shortwave bands for any portable shortwave radio. The antenna works with radios that have an external mini jack. This works really well for the pocket shortwave radios and it increases the reception stability very much. This antenna is extremely compact and weighs very little so it's great for travel especially in a hotel room. Just plug it into the radio, extend the 23 foot wire from the reel and clip it to a high curtain or similar near a window for much better reception that than the standard telescopic whip antenna.

Product Details

• Brand: Kaito
• Model: AN-03L
• Dimensions: .50" h x 2.50" w x 3.00" l, .19 pounds

Features

• Improves the performance and reception of your shortwave radio
• Extends to 23 feet and can be easily rewound into its compact case
• Has 3.5-millimeter mini plug
• Fits any 3.5-millimeter external antenna jack
• Includes adapter plug

Customer Reviews

Nice addition to any FM/SW/TV/Weather band radio
From what can be seen on the Amazon website as well as on other sites, this Kaito reel antenna (AN-03L) is essentially the same as the Sangean ANT-60 antenna (and 50 % cheaper in price!) right down to the supplied connector for a whip antenna (for radios without an external antena jack of any kind). The only notable, albeit quite small, differences are the presence of two separate finger holds used to reel the antenna back up when finished listening and a separate small attachment for hanging the unit up on a hook in the wall or on the ceiling, etc.). This Kaito antenna is designed to improve reception on FM/SW as well as for TV (UHF/VHF) and for the Weather bands for any such radio. AM (MW) reception is separately controlled by a ferrite antenna coil that is comonly incorporated inside of most radios. I have used this Kaito antenna on my Kaito KA1102. The antenna is 7 m (~23 feet) long which should usually be placed as high as possible near an outside door or window of any building for the best reception improvement. I have found an excellent improvement for weaker signals on the FM/SW bands (too long of an antenna can overload some radios like the KA1102, but this length of wire is perfectly adequate whereas other longer external antennas will not be. Always check your radio manual first before investing in a very long external antenna!). It must be remembered that the antenna not only allows an amplification of signal, but also of the prevailing background radio noise level so if it is very noisy at the time of reception at a certain frequency, the improvement in "hearing" may not always be as good as at other times when the background noise levels are much lower. Overall I am very happy with this very inexpensive purchase which is a simple passive fix for a generally quick improvement of signal strength for the weaker FM/SW radio waves.

A good choice for shortwave
This little antenna is very similar to the Sangean ANT-60 antenna. I like, and I use, both models. This one is less expensive (at this writing), and the spool case has a very useful attachment that allows one to easily hang the spool onto something, like a curtain when using this random wire indoors. Outdoors, I used it to hang the spool onto a very tall hedge. I slightly prefer this Kaito model to the Sangean, although I'd easily recommend both.

I think the attachment for fitting to existing receiver antennae, while very similar to its Sangean counterpart, is good, but a bit flimsy. It could get bent out of shape easily. Still, the Kaito AN-03L works as advertised, improving shortwave reception as it should. I'm using this with my Eton/Grundig radios and I like the results. For the price, it's a very good buy, and a useful addition to a shortwave receiver.

Another windup antenna
The AN 03L reel antenna came with my Kaito receiver as
a bonus.

It works. It's an antenna. Reeling the wire back in
can be a chore; wind / pull / rewind / repeat ad nauseam.
The nice thing about this antenna is simple: You can
pack it up without its becoming unravelled in your pocket,
purse, suitcase, briefcase or backpack.

Is it an absolutely necessary accessory? Naw. The wire
antenna that comes as standard equipment with the Kaito
radios is entirely sufficient, albeit a birdsnest hazard.
Just put it in a baggie when you travel. :-)