AI, What’s That Station I’m Listening To?

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Kevin

It’s a simple question:

I was listening to a shortwave radio with a 40-foot long wire antenna tuned to 11900 kHz at 9:17 AM local time today here in central Virginia USA. There was a male-sounding announcer in English and the content was news. What station am I likely receiving?

Short-wave.info suggested the answer was China Radio International transmitting from Kunming-Anning:

Short-wave.info search result for 11900 kHz

Other schedule services quickly determined that CRI is the only station that fits the frequency and time.

GPT-4o

I asked GPT-4o through duck.ai. Here’s the response:

At 11900 kHz, you are likely receiving a broadcast from the Voice of America (VOA) or possibly another international broadcaster. The frequency is commonly used for English-language news broadcasts, and VOA often operates on this frequency, especially during the morning hours. Other possibilities could include stations like Radio Free Asia or various other international broadcasters, depending on the time and content. If you can provide more details about the content or the style of the broadcast, it might help narrow it down further.

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Shortwave Schedules

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Kevin

I rely heavily on shortwave schedules to help me figure out what I’m listening to on the radio. While we may not be as well off as our forebears in terms of international shortwave stations to listen to, we are certainly fortunate in our ability to get information about the broadcasts we have. I have a few tried and true sources, but there are more out there.

WRTH

I’ve purchased the World Radio TV Handbook off and on every few years for a very long time. The last paper copy was in 2021. It has program schedules, contact information for the stations, articles of interest and advertising. In 2023 they introduced their “Web App” making all the information, with updates schedules during the year, available online. My 2023 version kept updated with new schedule changes until the end of 2024, and I now have th3e 2025 version. It allows access by country and by and by frequency. Sometimes WRTH has listings others do not. It covers MW and FM, not just shortwave. It costs $21.41 US for 2025.

Users can select station from the map (click to expand)

SWBC Sked

SWBC Sked from Black Cat systems is a phone app, an iPhone in my case. It costs $2.99 in the App Store and comes with frequent automatic schedule updates. This is often my first place to look. The one significant shortcoming is that it does not show the transmitter site; NHK might be coming from Japan or from France. Still, it’s efficient and handy. It also has a rudimentary station logging feature.

SWBC Sked Screenshot
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Incoming Radio: Grundig G4000A

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Kevin

Scarfed this up on eBay:

eBay auction photo

I guess this is a case of seller’s remorse and the “sharing the love” thing. I originally bought one in July of 2011, but I sold it during the great disgorgement a few years back, and I have been a bit sad about that one because while most of those radios were just accumulation, I actually used the G4000A for a number of years, and in fact mentioned it as my “main receiver” in an article here in 2011. I never wrote a piece dedicated to the G4000A, but I mentioned it rather often by way of comparison to something else.

This exercise in nostalgia led me to some old spreadsheets and old Amazon orders. I bought the G4000A in July of 2011 for $99.32 and subsequently bought a Tecsun PL-660 for $109.99 the following December. In 2025 money, they would be $142.44 and $157.84 respectively, rather a lot, I think. I’m guessing that the PL-660 took over the premier slot and this explains why the G4000A didn’t get an article. Assuming the radio works, that oversight will be remedied.

What am I going to do with this radio?

I only have one other dual conversion PLL radio, the Tecsun PL-660, and I want to compare those two, including on SSB, which both have. I’m rather interested in how it compares to newer radios as well. And when I say newer, this take into account that the G4000A is essentially the same radio internally as the Grundig Yacht Boy 400, introduced in 1994! This is 30 years old!

There are other G4000As on eBay currently under $50.

Update:

I’ve been reading the manual. It took me back to the days when radio manuals not only told you how the controls worked, but helped the reader get into the hobby of shortwave listening. I’m also very impressed with how the controls work. They’re well thought out.

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Chilly With a Chance of Radio

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Kevin

Today was one of those days when I was grateful to have a radio in my car. An appointment finished early and I was driving home past Pleasant Grove Park in Fluvanna County, Virginia, a fantastic facility for walking, hiking and listening to radio. The temperature was in the mid-40s (F) but I had a coat, and my trusty Qodosen SR-286 with me. Also rummaging around the bottom of the car’s center console I found a Tecsun AN-03L compact reel antenna that came bundled with one of my Tecsun radios.

I clipped the antenna to a tree.

Tecsun AN-03L Compact Antenna

It’s around 7 meters (23 feet) long.

Wire makes it to the first tree

While there are some high tension powerlines not too far away, they don’t cause a noise problem. The picnic table is convenient too.

I used the SR-286 Auto tuning feature, something I really like on this radio. Each turn of the tuning knob advances to the next station. Before I started the official scan, I tuned three LW nondirectional beacons and then continued with shortwave starting at 1171 kHz. At the end, I added the US and Canadian time stations, WWV and CHU. WWV really sounded great on 25 MHz.

The viewer might want to take a shot at identifying some of the stations. Obvious there was CRFX, Toronto (right at 400 miles away). I think I got Radio Habana and Radio Marti both and a couple from China. One feature the reader can use to their advantage is the clock that is always on with the SR-286/DX-286. It’s correct within less than a minute.

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Top Ten Portable Shortwave Radios for 2025

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Kevin

Most “top ten” lists online are garbage. I found a top ten shortwave radio list, two of which didn’t even receive shortwave! I’m taking the question seriously, and there are no affiliate links in what follows. When considering candidates for my list, I asked what’s new and what’s interesting. What adds value? What makes it a solid radio in its class and why someone would be pleased to own it?

So here’s my top 10 list. These radios are just presented alphabetically, as their relative value varies depending on the user’s needs and budget. I’ve only included models currently available for purchase new. The listed prices are for reference only. Sample prices are from Amazon US on February 22, 2025. Radios often go on sale. Used deals can be found as well.

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Posted in Product Reviews, Products, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Artificial Radio Intelligence

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Kevin

In preparation for my upcoming article on “The Best Portable Shortwave Radios for 2025,” I asked Microsoft Copilot AI to consider a list of radios I’ve not personally used. It responded and in is confusion added a radio I didn’t ask about, the Tecsun PL-990.

Caution: sometimes Copilot is flat wrong (like saying the PL-990 has air band or that the C Crane Skywave SSB 2 has no antenna jack). Copilot found a number of mistakes when I asked it to fact check its own output. Below are its revised versions. Independent verification of the AI content is always prudent.

Sangean ATS-909X2

Overview:

The Sangean ATS-909X2 is the flagship model from Sangean, renowned for its exceptional reception and extensive feature set. It’s a favorite among serious shortwave listeners and radio enthusiasts.

Key Features:

  • Band Coverage: AM, FM, Longwave (LW), Shortwave (SW), and Single Side Band (SSB)
  • Display: Large, easy-to-read color LCD with customizable backlighting
  • Memory Presets: 1,674 memory channels organized into 24 memory pages
  • Tuning Methods: Auto scan, manual tuning, direct frequency entry, and rotary knob
  • Audio Quality: 3W speaker with bass and treble controls for enhanced sound
  • External Antenna Jack: Yes, for both AM and FM/SW bands
  • Additional Features: Dual conversion, ATS (Auto Tuning System), alarm clock, sleep timer, and adjustable bandwidth filters

Pros:

  • Exceptional Reception: Equipped with advanced circuitry for superior sensitivity and selectivity
  • Robust Build Quality: Solid construction with a premium feel
  • Comprehensive Features: Offers extensive memory presets and tuning options
  • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive menu system and controls
  • Enhanced Audio: Customizable sound settings for optimal listening experience
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Finding New Content at BlogOrDie!

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Kevin

Stay Updated with BlogOrDie! RSS Feed

At BlogOrDie!, we’ve always offered an RSS feed to keep you connected with our latest content. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” and it’s a standardized way for content providers to distribute their updates. With an RSS reader, you can easily stay informed about new posts from your favorite sites.

If it’s just this site, then you can visit every now and again, but if you have several, a feed aggregator might be convenient. One popular RSS aggregator is Feedly, which offers a free subscription tier and was even recommended by a friendly AI assistant! Some web browsers, such as Microsoft Edge and Safari, can natively display RSS feed content, while others might require a plugin.

How to find RSS Feeds

For WordPress Blogs: Just add /feed to the end of the URL. For example, www.example.com/feed.

For Blogger and Blogspot Blogs: Add /feeds/posts/default to the base URL. For example, www.example.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Here are some other shortwave radio blog feeds to consider:

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