Answers
to
the
Most
Asked
Questions
About
Shortwave
Radio
What
is
shortwave
radio?
Many countries of the world use shortwave radio frequencies for the
purpose of transmitting broadcasts for world-wide listening. This
is
called shortwave radio.
What
is
heard
on
shortwave
radio?
International foreign broadcasts intended for listening in your area,
e.g., North America.
Where
can
shortwave
broadcasts
be
tuned
In?
Shortwave broadcasting takes place in the shortwave "BANDS."
A band
is
a range
of
frequencies. For example, the
19
meter band
encompasses the frequency range of 15100 to 15600 kilohertz. Here
is
a list of the shortwave bands used for international broadcasts and
.....
their corresponding frequencies. Since some radios show frequency
0\
in megahertz. and some
in
kilohertz, both are shown here.
a.nd
Meg.hertz
Kilohertz
11m 25.67-26.10 Mhz 25670-26100 Khz
13m 21.45-21.50 Mhz 21450-21850 Khz
16m 17.55-17.90 Mhz 17550-17900 Khz
19m 15.10-15.60 Mhz 15100-15600 Khz
22m 13.60-13.80 Mhz 13600-13800 Khz
25m
11
.65-12.05 Mhz 11650-12050
Khz
31m 9.500-9.900 Mhz 9500- 9900
Khz
41m 7.100-7.300 Mhz 7100- 7300 Khz
49m 5.950-6.200 Mhz 5950- 6200 Khz
60m 4.750-5.060 Mhz 4750- 5060
Khz
75m 3.900-4.000 Mhz 3900- 4000 Khz
90m 3.200-3.400 Mhz 3200- 3400
Khz
120m 2.300-2.490 Mhz 2300- 2490
Khz
signals, such an antenna might prove quite 'Useless. To play it safe, do
not buy one of these unless the retailer allows a return or exchange if
it does not improve reception for you.
Tips
On
Using
The
Broadcast
Schedules
The broadcast schedules
on
the following pages are of countries
specifically broadcasting
to
North America or, if not, of countries
whose signals are often heard, though not targeting the North
American area. Because of the nature of shortwave signal propaga-
tion, not all signals can be heard throughout all of North America. A
strong signal from the middle east may
be
loud and clear
in
New York,
but barley audible in California. This
is
not unusual.
AI
'
so,
while tuning
around
in
the shortwave bands, you may encounter very good signals
from broadcasters not targeting North America at all. This may repre-
sent a period of exceptionally good conditions, resulting in reception
of broadcasts not normally heard. This can significantly add
to
the
.....
enjoyment of shortwave radio.
'oJ The broadcast schedules are divided into two major headings
BROADCAST
BY
COUNTRY and BROADCAST BY TIME. Within
each of these major sections are five categories: country, language,
time, frequency and days.
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used.
d: Daily
f:
Friday
m-f: Monday through Friday
m-s: Monday through Saturday
sa
: Saturday
su
: Sunday
tu
: Tuesday
w:
Wednesday
we
: Weekends
How
does
one
know
which
band
to
listen
to?
See the section titled BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE SHORTWAVE
BANDS on page 3. Because shortwave signals depend
on
such fac-
tors as the sun, the ionosphere and the earth itself, signals cannot be
heard on all bands simultaneously. Some bands are best during the
daylight hours, and some are best at night.
What
countries
are
heard
on
shortwave
radio?
Most of the major countries of the world use shortwave transmitters.
Many of these countries deliberately direct their signals
to
North
America during part of the day. The list below shows countries which
can be easily heard year-round in North America with generally con-
sistent reliability.Australia, Austria, Canada, China-Radio Beijing,
China-Radio Taiwan, Cuba, France, Germany, Holland, Japan. Kor
ea
(Republic Of), Norway, Portugal, Spain. Switzerland, United Kingdom
(Britain), USA (Voice Of America), Russia, Vatican State.
Other countries, as
in
the following list, can be heard, bul nol with con-
sistently good signal strength throughout North America. For
these countries, the closer you are
to
the east coast, the better
reception generally tends
to
be. The further you are from the east
coast, the more you will depend upon optimal ionospheric propaga-
tion conditions and may need a good outdoor shortwave antenna for
best results.
Albania, Belgium. Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia. Egypt, Finland,
Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait. Po
la
nd.
Rumania, Sweden. Syria, Turlley, United Arab Emirates, Serbia,
Croatia.
Some countries are not directing signals to North America.Whether or
not these countries can
be
heard depends
on
signal strength, propaga-
tion conditions and your geographic location
in
North America. Their
broadcast schedules are not listed
in
this guide, with
the
exceptions of
India and Australia which are included because
of
their great popularity.
Is
the,.
English
language
programming?
Yes' Since English
is
such an important world language. most major
intemational broadcasters incorporate English programming.
Voice Of America abbreviations:
USAVOA-AFRICA Broadcasts to Africa.
USAVOA-CA-AMREP Broadcasts
to
Central America and the
American Republics.
USAVOA-EA-SEA-PAC Broadcasts to East Asia. Southeast
Asia and the Pacific.
USAVOA-EUROPE Broadcasts
to
Europe
USAVOA-ME-NA-EU Broadcasts
to
the Middle East, North
Africa and Europe.
USAVOA-SOUTH ASIA Broadcasts to South Asia.
Broadcast
Schedules
By
Time
.
Getting
The
Most
From
This
Listing
To get the most from the BROADCAST
BY
TIME listing it is important
to
understand that the times shown often represent a span
01
time
encompassing many hours, not just one hour. For example, the list
in
g
at 0200 hours for Spain on 9630 'Khz actually shows 0200-0500 hours.
If you looked at the listings lor 0300 and 0400 hours, Spain would not
show up at all, even though Spain
is
on
the air. When looking at the
BROADCAST SCHEDULES BY TIME listing, it is important
to
not only
look
at
start times. but also at the time spans of earlier start times.
