Do any of you folks listen to shortwave radio?

Question

Now the cooler weather is here, are there any of you folks that listen to shortwave radio? Do you keep a running log with radio station call letters? Do you favor one region of the world over another? Have you or anybody that you know listen to any transmissions from the Falkland Islands? Lastly, is shortwave radio listening a dying hobby?

Answer 1

There is not so many SW stations anymore. many "beam" their broadcast to special locations of interest, many have gone to satellites and transmit more common AM or even FM into selected areas. Have you considered becoming an Amateur Radio Operator, it's fun, it's never been easier to get your license
Good luck

Answer 2

I've been a regular listener to English language short wave radio since 1949. Throughout that entire time I've been an aural witness to the important events of history. My collection of QSL cards from different station responding to my reception reports isn't very large. But, my correspondence file with letters back and forth with those stations is quite large. Although I live in what could be considered the fourth or fifth best reception point in inland North America (Southern Nevada), the broadcasts out of the Falklands don't come in too clearly. But, I do listen to a lot of the Pacific and Asian-based stations.
Unfortunately, shortwave is being supplanted by internet streaming broadcasts from those very outlets. The BBC World Service no longer beams its signal to the U.S. Deutsche Welle, Radio Norway International, Radio Portugal, Radio Denmark, Radio Switzerland and Radio Finland (YLE Radio) no longer broadcast in English on the shortwave bands.
Still and all, I do listen each day to about six or seven nations. Just a fraction of the time when the total was close to thirty a day. But, it still surpasses the pap and celebrity worship that passes for news on U.S. news outlets.
The source below is a link to various nations who still have shortwave broadcast outlets. You can determine times and frequency schedules via the web site of that particular nation's web site.

Answer 3

I don't keep any log book for SW broadcasts , I don't know anybody who does.

The shortwave hobby isn't dying out , but many of the larger radio stations are dropping a lot of their external services and taking up web streaming instead.

This isn't as bad as it seems, because now that the mega-stations have left the airwaves it allows the smaller countries with their lower power level transmitters to be heard.

I think its a very good time for the SWL hobby.


To stimulate and encourage interest in SWL I run this website :-)
http://www.swdxer.co.nr/

Answer 4

Thousands of us do. Check Monitoring times magazine and many on line SWL listings. There are many types of listeners as well. As a US professional broadcast engineer I rarely listen to broadcast radio on short wave, (to much bus man's holiday!) I do listen to a lot of "Utility" type things like long range aircraft, ships at sea, military, and other things. Besides the short wave (Below 30 MHz) there is a lot of interesting stuff above that which can be heard on low cost scanners. Another thing, I am a Ham radio operator and do a lot of listening on those bands and sometimes even transmit. Listen for WB0KSW. Bill

Answer 5

My brother and I used to sit out at night when we were children and listen to conversations from all over the world . It was fascinating.

I think it would be a shame to let it fall by the wayside. I think there is still a need for shortwave. Maybe I'm an alarmist, but it seems to me when the grid periodically crashes, it would be beneficial to have a communication technique that worked.

Answer 6

I did for a while, but now I'm working at the radio station way too much to be able to at night. In CT, I had no problem getting Radio Marti or a few items from Qatar, but for some reason Radio Canada International didn't want to come in for anything.

Answer 7

My husband holds a Ham Radio Licence so I hear a fair bit of his transmission. He's been licensed since 1985 and also uses morse code. We live in the uk, but I'm not posting his G0 number because our address could be traced if I revealed it. He keeps a log of every transmission he makes.
It's very easy to obtain a licence nowadays, when he got his you had to study for a City and Guilds certificate in electronics. The exam now is a multiple choice questionnaire instead.

Answer 8

I got a kit to assemble one. I should be doing that now. Jury's out on my chances of it working once I'm done! I'm not sure how widespread a hobby it has been, but it seems the computer has taken over everything. Even stuffed animals now are made to be used with the computer.

Answer 9

I never have. I wonder with the internet etc. some of those kind of hobbies will just kind of die out

Answer 10

Yea,,,love it and my police scanner