Author Archives: Kevin

About Kevin

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

Battle of the under $50 shortwave radios

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Kevin

The market has certainly changed since 2011 when I wrote my article, What’s the best shortwave radio under $50? Today we’re looking at my current bottom-tier radios, ones with shortwave coverage that I could buy new today (July 16, 2023) … Continue reading →

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Rysamton YK-M03 FM/AM/SW Pocket Radio

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Kevin

In an attempt to give each of my radios at least a little love, I pulled down my Rysamton YK-M03 from the shelf today and gave it a whirl. Features For something with this basement price it has quite a … Continue reading →

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SSB!

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Kevin

I’ve owned a radio with SSB and CW reception at least since I was 17 years old back in 1967, starting with the Lafayette Radio Electronics KT-340 I built from a kit. I got into collecting shortwave radios a decade … Continue reading →

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Tecsun PL-660 vs PL-880

Posted on June 4, 2023 by Kevin

I’ve owned my Tecsun PL-660 since 2011 (12 years). It’s not the newest version of that radio –there have been firmware updates since then — but it works well, and is arguably the best radio I own. More recently the … Continue reading →

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Blog or Die: The Movie

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Kevin

Subscribers to the Blog or Die! YouTube channel expect to see radios doing the talking, with some occasional titles to give context. In large part, those videos supplement the detailed reviews of radios and discussion of shortwave listening that appear … Continue reading →

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PL-330 or D-808?

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Kevin

Someone asked me on my Blog or Die! YouTube channel which radio I would recommend to someone just getting started with the shortwave listening hobby, the Tecsun PL-330 or the XHDATA D-808. Both were briefly featured in the video, and … Continue reading →

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Music (?) 4 Joy

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Kevin

Music 4 Joy is a broadcast carried by a commercial station in Nauen, Germany, that consists of an hour of what some have called “techno” music with no announcements. It’s like random notes accompanied by a drum machine. The audio … Continue reading →

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