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:
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.
Duck.ai now supports other ai services.
Llama 3.3 70B
Continuing through Duck ai.
To determine the station you are likely receiving, we need to consider the To determine the station you are likely receiving, we need to consider the frequency, time, and location.
11900 kHz is a shortwave frequency, and at 9:17 AM local time in central Virginia, USA, you would be in the daytime for your location.
One possible station that broadcasts on this frequency is the Voice of America (VOA). However, without more specific information about the content or the announcer’s accent, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact station.
Another possibility is Radio Liberty or other international broadcasters that target Eastern North America or the Eastern United States with their broadcasts.
To narrow down the options, you might want to try to gather more information about the station, such as the announcer’s accent, any station identification, or specific news stories mentioned. You can also try checking shortwave radio schedules or databases to see which stations are known to broadcast on 11900 kHz at that time.
Mistral Small 3
And a third from Duck ai.
Based on the information you provided, you are likely receiving the Voice of America (VOA) station. The Voice of America broadcasts on 11900 kHz and is known for its news programming in English. The time of day and the frequency you mentioned align with VOA’s broadcasting schedule and frequency.
To confirm, you can check the VOA’s broadcast schedule or use a shortwave radio directory to verify the exact station and time.
I was hoping the AI might do that checking.
Microsoft Copilot
Moving right along from Duck, let’s try Microsoft Copilot in its Windows desktop incarnation. There isn’t a web interface, but the app also runs on Apple devices and is available in the App Store. It available on Android devices and in the Edge browser as part of the Bing search engine.
I’ve spent a great deal of time lately with Copilot. Let’s see how it does:
Based on the frequency of 11900 kHz and the time you mentioned, it’s likely you were receiving a broadcast from a shortwave station such as Radio Romania International or another international broadcaster that transmits news in English. Reception can vary depending on propagation conditions, so it’s always a bit of a detective game!
If you’d like, I can help you explore shortwave schedules further to pinpoint the exact station. Let me know!
Microsoft Copilot often gives superficial answers, and can do better with a little prompting. So I told it to explore the schedules, as it has offered to do. “Please explore the schedules to pinpoint the exact station.”
Based on the shortwave radio schedules I found, the station you likely received on 11900 kHz at 9:17 AM local time in Virginia could be Radio Romania International. They often broadcast news in English on this frequency, and the timing aligns with their schedule.
Shortwave propagation can vary, so if you’d like to confirm, you can check out detailed schedules on platforms like Shortwave.Live or Shortwave DB. Let me know if you’d like help navigating these resources!
So I pushed harder: “I went to Shortwave DB and Shortwave.Live. Radio Romania is not broadcasting at this time on this frequency.” It replied:
Thanks for checking! If Radio Romania International isn’t broadcasting on 11900 kHz at this time, another possibility could be a station like China Radio International or a relay from another broadcaster. Shortwave propagation can sometimes lead to unexpected receptions due to atmospheric conditions.
Would you like me to dig deeper into other potential broadcasters on this frequency? Let me know!
So I told it to dig deeper, and clicked on the “Think Deeper” button. This supposedly is a more advanced response and it can take a couple of minutes to respond. Copilot eventually responded with a very long discussion, concluding that it was the VOA. Sigh.
I asked Copilot about why it came up with the wrong answer. Couldn’t it read the schedules? It said:
I don’t directly read schedules but instead rely on search results and contextual information to make educated conclusions.
Perhaps I should have added that it was a weak signal. Clearly it didn’t approach the question the way I would have.
Perplexity AI
Just as I was sinking into despair that no AI was going to be of much use, I tried Perplexity AI.
Based on the information provided, you are likely receiving China Radio International on 11900 kHz1. China Radio International is known to broadcast on this frequency, and it often includes English language programming with news content.
The time you mentioned (9:17 AM local time in central Virginia) corresponds to the morning hours when shortwave propagation conditions can be favorable for receiving distant stations. The 40-foot long wire antenna you’re using is a suitable length for shortwave reception and should provide good performance across various frequencies.
It’s worth noting that shortwave broadcasts can vary depending on the time of day, season, and current solar conditions. While China Radio International is a strong possibility, there could be other international broadcasters using this frequency as well. To confirm the exact station, you may want to listen for station identification announcements, which are typically given at the top of the hour or at regular intervals.
Deep Seek
And last, but not least, we have a perhaps appropriate contender, from China, Deep Seek.
Based on the details you provided—frequency (11900 kHz), time (9:17 AM local time in central Virginia, USA), and content (English-language news)—you were likely listening to a Voice of America (VOA) broadcast. VOA frequently uses the 11900 kHz frequency for its English-language programming, particularly targeting North America and other regions during morning hours.
Another possibility is Radio Free Asia (RFA), which also uses this frequency for broadcasts in English and other languages. However, given the news content and the time of day, VOA is the more likely candidate.
To confirm, you can check schedules for VOA or RFA on shortwave broadcasting websites like Shortwave Schedule or EiBi. These resources provide up-to-date information on shortwave broadcasts worldwide.
“How about Radio China International,” I asked.
Radio China International (RCI), also known as China Radio International (CRI), is indeed a possibility, as they broadcast globally on shortwave frequencies, including 11900 kHz. However, there are a few factors to consider:
- Language and Content: While CRI does broadcast in English, their programming often includes a mix of news, cultural content, and propaganda. If the broadcast you heard was primarily news with a male announcer, it could align with CRI’s programming.
- Time and Target Region: CRI often targets North America with English broadcasts, and 11900 kHz is a frequency they use. However, their programming schedule may not always align perfectly with the time you were listening (9:17 AM local time in central Virginia).
- Signal Strength and Clarity: CRI’s broadcasts are generally strong, but reception quality can vary depending on atmospheric conditions and your antenna setup.
To confirm whether it was CRI, you can:
- Check CRI’s official schedule for 11900 kHz at the time you were listening.
- Look for identifying markers, such as station identification announcements or program names, which are often provided at the top or bottom of the hour.
If you didn’t hear a clear station ID, it might be harder to confirm. However, CRI is a strong candidate given the frequency and the nature of the broadcast.
Conclusions
I have no doubt that a quick visit to any the scheduling sites is going to provide a more authoritative, compact and probably accurate answer. Short-wave.info nailed it, as did the SWBC Sked app from Black Cat Systems on my phone. Shortwave.live found it quickly.
But in defense of the AI, they told me what I needed to know to get an answer: consult the schedules. And I am not in the coverage area for the broadcast I received (Oceania).