SDR (Software Defined Radio) is a hobby of mine. Of course it is, its radio and computers combined. I use various SDR units from USB sticks to SDR Play. But if you want to try before you buy you can explore Web SDR. Online radios set up for remote public tuning.
In fact Web SDR is more than just a try before you buy proposition, but a useful and free way to sample reception wherever you want to try it. Hop on a radio in a location you want and explore the dial. The other cool hidden talent of Web SDR is that it is usually located away from those pesky tech interference noises in your house or your neighbours house, and if you happen to live in a city or suburban area, then web SDR allows you to get out in the clear where there is often an option of excellent antennas to choose from, remotely and virtually.
While some will do FM radio bands the most common are 50KHz to 30MHz. That’s Longwave Mediumwave and Shortwave. LW MW/AM and SW.
Tune in to 252KHz as heard in Europe here http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=252am This is the old Atlantic 252 frequency and was used by RTE Radio 1 until 2023, today you should hear Alger Chaîne 3 from Algeria.
And if you want to Try Radio Caroline North / Manx Gold try 1368KHz http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=1368am
And compare it to Caroline 648KHz http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=648am
But all the above links are from one famous little Web SDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. How about the rest of the globe? There is a huge community of Web SDRs around the world using similar equipment. Try https://kiwisdr.com/public/
If you like what you hear and want to dip a toe in the water of SDR, try RTL SDR which can be used with a PC or Laptop or Raspberry Pi. For $25 you will be up and running. You can also use cheap DVB USB sticks with limited results for SDR (it may not do AM or SW, but will do FM), I’m using one to decode ADS-B 1090MHz beacon signals from airplanes overhead, plotting with PiAware.
There is a lot more to radio than the hits, formats and phone in shows. Explore the not so new way to decode radio’s wonders in the world of Software Defined Radio.
Article inspired by https://panoradio-sdr.de/the-world-of-shortwave-signals/