Radio: Listening Guides, Receivers, and Technology

Start with a listening task: find local digital stations, connect satellite radio, follow a talk program, or explore how a radio works. The guides below offer practical checks and examples. Historical coverage is grouped separately by subject and labeled with its original year.

Listen and choose a receiver

Practical guides for local broadcasts, internet programs and the equipment that fits your listening routine.

HD Radio Explained: Stations, Receivers, and Reception

Find local HD Radio stations, tune HD2 and HD3 channels, and diagnose digital reception before choosing a receiver.

Affordable HD Radio: A Complete-Cost Buying Checklist

Compare budget and used HD Radio receivers by local stations, included accessories, audio connections, and a practical return-period test.

DAB and DAB+ Radio: Compatibility, Coverage, and Retuning

Check DAB+ receiver support and local coverage, understand multiplexes, and recover missing stations with a controlled retune.

Internet Talk Radio: Find Live Shows, Replays, and Podcasts

Find official talk-radio streams and dated episodes, check schedules and time zones, and solve common playback problems.

Set up satellite radio

Match a complete kit, choose a home listening path or identify an older XM tuner.

Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio: Car Setup and Compatibility

Plan a dock-and-play satellite radio installation, match its accessories, and check reception, audio, and activation in order.

Home Satellite Radio: Receiver Setup or Internet Streaming

Choose a home satellite receiver or streaming path, connect a stereo, and diagnose antenna, network, and audio problems.

Older XM Radios: Identify the Tuner and Check Compatibility

Find a legacy XM receiver’s Radio ID, distinguish tuners from accessories, and verify service and parts before spending money.

Understand radio technology

Explore a receiving signal chain, data-radio settings and the limits of miniaturization.

Software Defined Radio: A Beginner’s Receiving Guide

Understand an SDR signal chain, receive a public FM station, and troubleshoot drivers, bandwidth, gain, and overload.

FSK Transceivers: Bit Rate, Deviation, and Receiver Bandwidth

Understand FSK settings, work through frequency-tolerance arithmetic, and compare transceiver performance under stated test conditions.

Ultra-Small Radios: Antennas, Power, and the Whole Device

Interpret miniature-radio claims by separating chip size, antenna, power supply, range, and demonstrated system performance.

Receivers and audio equipment through time

Historical product coverage. Specifications, prices, availability and service claims describe their publication period; check current support before using older equipment.

Historical coverage · 2009

Programs and broadcasting history

Historical program announcements, with original publication years shown.

Historical coverage · 2009

Communications and engineering history

Historical research and product coverage spanning chips, measurement, networks and specialized communications.

Historical coverage · 2017