I think I’ll sit in my recliner with my old friend, Eton Elite Executive, hooked up to my new friend, long wire antenna.
I listened to some shortwave and then thought I’d try out FM. The radio was already tuned to 90.3 MHz and a station was there playing classical music. So I asked Microsoft Copilot the closest FM station to me on 90.3, and it replied WRXT in Roanoke, VA, a contemporary Christian music station. The music was classical, so I asked Copilot again, adding “classical music.” It responded with WHRO in Norfolk. A quick web stream confirmed the station.
Here is the WHRO coverage map:
Red Arrow is me
The distance is about 132 miles, the transmitter 8800W. I tried it without my 40-ft external antenna and there was nothing. I tried the Qodosen DX-286 and received a slightly better signal, but nothing on its telescopic. One more test with the Jstvro ATS25 max-Decoder yielded a weaker signal.
I had some doubts that the long wire would make a difference on FM, but it clearly does.
And also for World Radio Day I note that Radio Habana Cuba is back on the air on 6000 kHz, heard in English until 02:07 UTC here in central Virginia on my 40 ft long wire antenna on the Qodosen DX-286 as well as the Eton Elite Executive.