by Pete Morris

Created on: November 19, 2006   Last Updated: December 08, 2008

Shortwave listening is easier to begin now than at any time in radio's 100 or so years of history. Suitable radio sets are available for a few dollars upward, and the skills are already built-in! Just turn on, tune in and listen...

Shortwave radio is intended for reception all over the world. Broadcasts are made by state radio stations, with programs of news, current issues, cultural matters and good old-fashioned propaganda. Radio amateurs abound in their thousands, and shipping still uses shortwave radio for routine traffic.

If you haven't a radio, you can still try out shortwave by using one of the many 'virtual' receivers available for public access on the Internet. These Java-based web-pages allow you to control a real communications receiver, and hear its output on your PC.

Your own, first radio for shortwave listening needs the following features:

(1) Coverage of the high-frequency broadcast bands (the shortwave bands)
(2) A digital frequency display. You'll find an old-fashioned 'dial' display very frustrating.

Everything else the radio can do is a plus. More expensive sets have a device for listening to Morse code and single-sideband, this is essential for listening to amateur transmissions. An earphone socket is an asset for discreet listening; not all family members will appreciate your new-found world of wonder. Some sets allow you to save favorite stations in memories.

What about an antenna? The radio's built-in telescopic whip will give OK performance for finding your way around the shortwave spectrum, but when you need more sensitivity then an external antenna will be a requirement. A simple 'long-wire' antenna is best for receiving. This is just a piece of thin wire held aloft, clear of any metal and as high as possible. Twist the bare end around the tip of the radio's whip, or use the 'external antenna' socket if available.

Where do you tune the radio to? Experiment! You will find stations which are audible at certain times of the day are absent at others. Whole portions of the shortwave bands will be full of signals during the day, but strangely empty at night. This is to do with the effects of the ionosphere, layers of charged particles high above the Earth's surface. These layers reflect radio waves differently at various times of day, and are affected by weather, season and the activity of the Sun.

You may well find yourself wanting to join the amateur radio community as a station in your own right. Go to www.arrl.org or www.rsgb.org for full, practical advice on how to become a radio ham. In the meantime, happy listening!

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