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A FAQ on Shortwave radio
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Original text compiled by Ralph Brandi, ([email protected] on
Internet)
Shortwave Frequency list by 72330.3515@CompuServe.com
Edited by Shel Hall (76701,103 on CompuServe, 76701.103@ CompuServe.com
on InterNet)
This posting contains answers to the following questions:
o What is shortwave radio?
o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?
o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?
o What kind of receiver should I get?
o Where can I get a shortwave radio?
o Could you explain the frequencies used? What's the 40 meter band? etc.
o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?
o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?
o Where can I find further information?
o What can I listen to now in the Mid-East?
o What is shortwave radio?
From a purely technical point of view, shortwave radio refers to those
frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz. Their main characteristic is their
ability to "propagate" for long distances, making possible such
worldwide communications as international broadcasting and coordination
of long-distance shipping.
From a social point of view, shortwave radio is a method of
facilitating worldwide dissemination of information and opinion, and a
way to find out what the rest of the world thinks is important. Many
countries broadcast to the world in English, making it easy to find out
what a given country's position is on those things it finds important.
Shortwave radio can also provide a way to eavesdrop on the everyday
workings of international politics and commerce.
o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?
The World Radio TV Handbook is the standard reference for this sort of
information. The WRTH provides SWLs worldwide with virtually everything
they need on frequencies, schedules and addresses. It comes out
annually, right about the first of the year, with an optional update
magazine throughout the year. It covers virtually every shortwave
station in the world, and many of the medium wave (AM), FM, and
television stations as well. The body of the book is a listing of
stations by country, with a cross-reference in the back by frequency.
It's available from any radio store dealing in shortwave.
World Radio TV Handbook
ISBN 0-8230-5921-9
Billboard Publications Billboard Ltd. WRTH
1515 Broadway 71 Beak Street Soliljevej 44
New York, NY 10036 London W1R 3LF DK-2650 Hvidovre
United States United Kingdom Denmark
The past five years have seen competition of a sort for the WRTH, in the
form of Passport to World Band Radio. Passport's main section is a
graph/table of what's on the air, by frequency. There are few
addresses, but the beginning of the book is filled with articles of
interest to the beginner. There is also a comprehensive review section
of shortwave receivers currently available, one of the few places all
this information can be found in one place. The book is more useful for
identifying a station you've already tuned in than for searching out a
particular transmission; the WRTH is useful at both, however, rendering
the purchase of this book not essential. It can still be worthwhile,
though, especially for beginners who won't be put off by the "gee whiz,
look what we can listen to" tone of some of the articles. The book is
unabashedly an advocate of making the hobby of "World Band Radio"
accessible to people who wouldn't have participated before the advent of
good, cheap portables.
Passport to World Band Radio
International Broadcast Services, Ltd.
Box 300
Penn's Park, PA 18943
For utility band listeners, there are a couple of books that perform
much the same function as the above two books, although due to the
nature of point-to-point communication, not with the same sense of
definitiveness.
Confidential Frequency List
Published by Gilfer Shortwave
(address elsewhere)
The Shortwave Directory
Published by Grove Enterprises
(address elsewhere)
o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?
The World Radio TV Handbook used to carry this information each year,
but this feature is not present in the 1990 edition. (It will return,
however, in future editions, and in fact, the WRTH has printed up a
supplement to the 1990 edition with the information. You should be able
to get this at the addresses above.) Nevertheless, there are still
sources for this information.
-Monitoring Times magazine carries a listing every month, one of the
best arguments I know of for subscribing (it's what keeps me on their
rolls....)
-The North American Shortwave Association (NASWA) periodically publishes
a complete listing in their bulletin, The Journal, sent to all members
monthly; each month there are updates to the list. NASWA can be reached
at:
NASWA
45 Wildflower Road
Levittown, PA 19057
Membership costs: $23/yr; sample issue $1
-Tom Sundstrom, sysop of the Pinelands BBS in New Jersey (609-859-1910
modem) offers a subscription service with constantly updated electronic
versions of his listing (which are also the source for the NASWA
listings). It comes in text form, or formatted for Tom's Shortwave
Database program for MS-DOS computers.
The Shortwave Listeners Program Guide which used to be listed in this
article appears to have ceased publishing; the listing has therefore
been removed.
o What kind of receiver should I get?
That depends largely on what kind of listening you expect to do. There
are two or three basic kinds of radios. The first is the travel
portable. These usually cost between $70 and $250. Their main
characteristic is their extremely small size, making them most suitable
for the person who spends a lot of time on airplanes. They do an
adequate job of receiving the major broadcasters, such as the BBC, the
Voice of America, Radio Nederland, etc. They are generally not capable
of receiving hams, or utility transmissions, and they do not do a good
job on weak stations. Many of them also lack frequency coverage beyond
the major international broadcasting bands. As such, they cannot
receive the out-of-band channels that often provide clearer reception
(due to lessened interference) of such stations as the BBC, Kol Israel,
and the Voice of Iran.
The second category overlaps with the first, and consists of slightly
larger portables. Common among this category are radios like the
Sangean ATS-803A, a fine starter radio with many capabilities for the
inexpensive price of $200. These radios often have digital readout,
making it easier to know which frequency you are tuned to, and such
features as dual conversion (which decreases the possibility of your
radio receiving spurious signals from other frequencies), audio filters
(which allow you to decrease interference from stations on adjacent
frequencies) and beat frequency oscillators (which allow you to decode
morse code and single sideband (SSB) transmissions on the ham and
utility bands). The top range of this kind of radio includes
technically sophisticated radios like the Sony ICF-2010 and Grundig
Satellit 500, which contain innovative circuitry to lock on to a given
signal and allow you to choose the portion of the signal you want to
listen to, depending on which part gets the least interference. If you
follow the newsgroup for any amount of time, you're bound to notice some
discussion of the relative merit of these features versus their cost
(about double that of the Sangean radio.) Many of these radios can be
and have been used to receive distant and weak stations from a number of
countries; they're also suitable for listening to programs from the
major broadcasters.
The third category of receivers is the tabletop receiver. These
receivers cost from $600 upward, with a concentration of radios around
$1000. These radios naturally contain many more features than the
portables, and are used by serious hobbyists who specialize in rare and
weak stations. Current radios in this group include the ICOM R-71A, the
Kenwood R-5000, and the Japan Radio Corporation NRD-525. These radios
can be very complex to operate, and are generally not recommended for
the beginner. Radios from the first two categories can give a beginner
a very good idea of what's on the air and where their interests lie, at
which point one of these radios may be an appropriate acquisition.
There are many sources for detailed information on specific radios, most
of it provided by two groups. Larry Magne, who publishes the Passport
to World Band Radio, includes a review of virtually all shortwave radios
currently available in that publication. For more extensive reviews of
selected receivers, he offers detailed "white papers", which run between
ten and twenty pages or so. Magne also contributes a monthly review
column to Monitoring Times, and also appears on Radio Canada
International's "SWL Digest" program monthly with equipment reviews.
The other main source for equipment reviews is a group centered around
Radio Nederland and the WRTH in Holland. The WRTH, as mentioned above,
has a review section covering mainly new receivers, but also contains a
table with ratings of most currently available radios. Radio Nederland
also offers a free booklet with receiver reviews.
There are also two books published by Gilfer Shortwave in New Jersey
that cover the subject of receivers, called *Radio Receivers, Chance or
Choice*, and *More Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice*.
Here are some addresses for sources for more information and receivers
mentioned above:
RDI White Papers
same address as Passport to World Band Radio
Radio Nederland Receiver Guide
Engineering Department
PO Box 222
1200 JG Hilversum
The Netherlands
Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice
More Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice
Published by Gilfer Shortwave
(address in next section)
o Where can I get a shortwave radio?
Many stereo stores and discount chains carry the Sony and Panasonic
lines of receivers; the people there, however, generally don't know much
about shortwave, and you're not likely to find many accessories there.
Mail order stereo sources like J&R Music or 47th Street Photo in New
York generally give the cheapest prices, but have the same problem.
More knowledgeable, and falling roughly between the two in price, are
the mail order houses that specialize in ham and/or shortwave radio.
Many of them offer catalogs that contain useful tips for the beginner.
Listing all of the houses is beyond the scope of this posting, but here
are addresses for some of the better-known and respected businesses:
Electronic Equipment Bank Gilfer Shortwave
137 Church St. N.W. 52 Park Ave
Vienna, VA 22180 Park Ridge, NJ 07656
(800) 368 3270 (orders) (800) GILFER-1 (445-3371) (orders)
(703) 938-3350 (local and (201) 391-7887 (New Jersey, business
technical information) and technical)
(703) 938-6911 (FAX) Free Catalog
Free catalog
Grove Enterprises Radio West
P.O. Box 98 850 Anns Way Drive
Brasstown, NC 28902 Vista, CA 92083
(800) 438-8155 (619) 726-3910
(704) 837-9200 Price list: $1
Free Catalog
Universal Radio
1280 Aida Drive
Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068
(800) 431-3939
(614) 866-4267
SWL Catalog: $1.00
o Could you explain the frequencies used? What's the 40 meter band? etc.
As you tune around, you'll notice certain kinds of signals tend to be
concentrated together. Different services are allocated different
frequency ranges. International broadcasters, for instance, are
assigned to ten frequency bands up and down the dial. These are:
3900-4000 kHz (75 meter band)
5950-6200 kHz (49 meter band)
7100-7300 kHz (41 meter band)
9500-9900 kHz (31 meter band)
11650-12050 kHz (25 meter band)
13600-13800 kHz (22 meter band)
15100-15600 kHz (19 meter band)
17550-17900 kHz (16 meter band)
21450-21850 kHz (13 meter band)
25600-26100 kHz (11 meter band)
In general, lower frequencies (below 10000 kHz) are better received at
night and for a few hours surrounding dawn and dusk, and higher
frequencies (15000 kHz and up) are better received during the day. The
frequencies in between are transitional, with reception being possible
most times. In practice, these guidelines are not absolute, with
reception on high frequencies being possible at night, and lower
frequencies can provide decent medium-distance reception during the
day.
Hams (who have their own newsgroup, rec.ham-radio) and point-to-point,
or utility communications, fill most of the rest of the frequencies.
The Confidential Frequency List and The Shortwave Guide mentioned above
can provide more information on what can be heard in these areas, as can
utility loggings in magazines like Monitoring Times and Popular
Communications, and in club bulletins.
o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?
This is a fact of life on shortwave. Because of propagation, antenna
headings, the kind of radio you have, your local environment, etc.,
you're never going to be able to hear all the things you find in a list.
The lists in Monitoring Times, etc., aren't lists of what's being heard
in a general location. They're lists of everything that you could
possibly hear, from a daily powerhouse like the BBC to a once or twice a
year rarity like Bhutan. They're listed because you *might* hear them,
depending on where you are and the given circumstances, not because
they're necessarily being heard outside of their immediate target area.
If you want lists of what is actually being heard in something roughly
analogous to "your area", the best source for these are the logging
sections of the bulletins of the SWL/DX clubs. You might want to sample
a few club bulletins to see if they'll help. The bulletins also offer
articles from experts on many facets of the hobby.
o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?
There are a number of books dealing with the basics of the hobby. One
of the best is *Shortwave Listening with the Experts*, edited by Gerry
Dexter, with contributions from many of the most experienced people in
the hobby. The book makes an excellent introduction to a wide variety
of aspects of the hobby, from basics like how to set up your shack, to
in-depth articles on DXing the Andes. Unfortunately, this fine book has
recently gone out of print; if you happen to see a copy, you might want
to pick it up while you can.
There will soon be another posting available listing many other
worthwhile books for the hobbyist.
o Where can I find further information?
There are a number of hobby publications available. Two glossy
magazines which cover the hobby are Monitoring Times and Popular
Communications. They both cover a number of aspects of the hobby,
including international broadcasts, scanning, pirate radio, QSLing, and
Utility broadcasting. Monitoring Times also contains listings of
broadcasts and programs in English, which gives it a slight edge.
PopComm, however, is the one you're more likely to find on your local
newsstand.
Monitoring Times
published by Grove Enterprises (address elsewhere)
Popular Communications
76 North Broadway
Hicksville, NY 11801
There are many clubs catering to the hobbyist, many of which publish
bulletins. Many of these groups were until recently part of an all-
encompassing group known as ANARC, the Association of North American
Radio Clubs. However, ANARC disbanded in mid-1990 sue to a lack of
interest and a general consensus that it had fulfilled its mission. The
WRTH contains contact addresses for the clubs that used to constitute
ANARC.
ANARC has counterpart organizations in Europe and the south Pacific.
The European organization is the European DX Council (EDXC). More
information on their constituent clubs is available for 2 International
Reply Coupons from P.O. Box 4, St. Ives, Huntingdon, PE17 4FE, England.
In the south Pacific, the organization is the South Pacific Association
of Radio Clubs, or SPARC. They offer information from P.O. Box 1313,
Invercargill, New Zealand.
A company called The Radio Collection offers a number of publications in
a series called "Radio 101" aimed at the beginner. The compiler hasn't
seen any of the publications, but judging from the titles, they look
like they would be useful to anyone getting seriously interested in the
hobby aspects of shortwave radio. A catalog is available for US$1 from
The Radio Collection, P.O. Box 149, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510.
And, naturally, listening to the radio can provide you with excellent
information on radio. There are a number of excellent "DX" programs on
the air for the radio hobbyist. The WRTH contains a comprehensive list
of such shows; Tom Sundstrom also has a list as part of his Shortwave
Database subscription service, and Al Quaglieri of SPEEDX freely
distributes a list of some of the better programs electronically.
Different shows have different strengths. DX Party Line on Ecuador's
HCJB is directed toward the beginner. Sweden Calling DXers on Radio
Sweden is a compendium of news about shortwave and satellites, including
frequency changes, station reactivations and deactivations, and such.
Radio Nederland's Media Network is a slickly produced general-coverage
program. Radio Canada International's SWL Digest is another strong entry
along these lines.
o Mid-East frequencies
The times given are "UTC" which is practically the same as Greenwich
Mean Time; it is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. 0000 UTC
(Midnight) is 7:00 p.m. EST.
Broadcast Prime Other
Times Freq. Freqs
----------- ------ ------
Radio Kuwait:
1500 - 2300 11990
0400 - 0800 13610*
1800 - 2300 13610* 11665
0900 - 1500 13620 15505
0200 - 0800 15435 9560
0200 - 2300 15495
0930 - 2300 15505*
0400 - 0600 17850
0900 - 1100 17895
0400 - 0730 17895
0800 - 1800 21675*
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Baghdad:
0000 - 0200 11775 11810 11830 13650 15150 11720 15230 9505 7280 6010
0230 - 0430 9515 9700 11830 13650 15150 11720 15230 9505 7280 6010
2000 - 2200 13660 11830 13650 15150 11720 15230 9505 7280 6010
0200 9760 9505 7280 6010
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
0330 - 0400 11940 15435 15555 17890 13675 15400 17830
0530 - 0600 15435 17775 17830 21700 15300 21515 11985
1030 - 1100 15320 15435 17865 21605 13605 11965 15985
1330 - 1400 15320 15435 17865 21605 11815 15340 9600
1600 - 1645 11790 15320 15435 21605
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Damascus:
2000 - 2100 15095 12085 11710 9950
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KOL Israel:
17575 15615 21760 21790 17590 12077 15130 15095 17685 11790 15084 11605
15640 11585 11655 17630 15485 15650 21745 21780 12080 15592 15585 5900
9435 9855 9930 7410 7400
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
11895 11790 15084 11620 11825 9575 9705 11715
4065 (Voice of Iranian Kurdiatan)
4224 (Voice of the Workers)
4469.8 (Communist Party of Iran)
9045 (Radio Farsi)
7190 7230 9695 9022 6035 9670 9525 9685 9770 7115
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Cairo, Egypt:
9455 9475 9675 9805 9850 9900 11665 12050 15255 15375 17595 17675
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
King of Hope and Radio Lebanon:
6215 6280 6550
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Voice of Turkey/Radio Ankara
9445 9665 9685 9795 14880 15220 15267 17760 17785 17880
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Riyadh/BSKSA, Saudi Arabia
9705 9720 15060 9075 12085 9445 17880
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Jordan, Amman:
9022 9560 11780 11955 13655 17710 17780
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Al-Qups Radio, Palestine:
5990 6030 15050
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Jamahiriyrh Broadcasting(LJB), Libya: 15235 15415 15435
Voice of the Libyan People: 9500 15700
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Bayrak, Cyprus: 6150
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Bahrain: 15505
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Oman: 9735 17735
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radio Sanaa, Yemen: 9170 9779
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Qatar Broadcasting Service: 21525
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Voice of America - Middle East Service:
6040 9700 9760 11710 11760 11965 15205
Other VOA:
6030 7325 9595 9775 15250 15400 17730
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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