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Guide to Shortwave Radio: 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 What is SINPO/SIO? 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 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 (shortwave listeners) and DXers (listeners specializing in distant [DX] and weak stations) 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. You can also contact the WRTH through their publishers, Billboard. World Radio TV Handbook ISBN 0-8230-5921-9 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. For utility band (non-broadcast transmissions) listeners, there are a couple of books that perform much the same function as the above two books, although due to the nature of such point-to-point communication, not with the same sense of definitiveness. Confidential Frequency List Published by Gilfer Shortwave The Shortwave Directory Published by Grove Enterprises o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language? The World Radio TV Handbook has a list of English Language Broadcasts, starting on page 536 of the 1991 edition. Unfortunately, since the WRTH only comes out once a year (they do have a quarterly magazine to update the book; information is available in the WRTH), the data tend to go out of date fairly quickly. There are a number of sources for current lists: -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. -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 dBASE III format, compressed using the .ARC format; dBASE III is the format used by Tom's Shortwave Database program for MS-DOS computers. 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 $30 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 channels outside the defined bands that often provide clearer reception (due to lessened interference) of such stations as the BBC, Kol Israel, and the Voice of Iran. There are two very low cost (under $50) SW receivers that are the subject of frequent inquiries in rec.radio.shortwave: the DAK MR-101s, and a Chinese- built unit that is sold under (at least) the names Pomtrex, MCE, TEK, Windsor, and Citizen. The DAK, despite its digital tuning, has received generally negative reviews. The Pomtrex, which is an analog unit, has had much greater acceptance by users. Since the unit is sold under many names, it is best identified by its appearance: it is about the size of a large paperback, with a whip antenna, dc in and earphone jacks, and a carrying strap. 4 AA batteries go in the back. The left front is speaker grille and controls/ displays are on the right. Controls are on/off, SW/LW/AM/FM select, SW 1-6 band select, volume, and hi/lo treble. An analog tuning knob sticks out the upper right side. Displays are a tuning LED and a multiband slide rule frequency display. Sensitivity is excellent; the ability to separate stations, especially when one of them is powerful, is poor. Strong AM stations will "bleed" over into the SW bands. Despite this, the radio is quite suitable for tuning through the bands to see what is there before investing in a "real" receiver. The unit has been available from a variety of low-cost outlets; the most consistent source of supply is Radio for the People at (904) 397-4145. The second category of radios 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, Sony ICF-SW77, 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, the Japan Radio Corporation NRD-525, the JRC NRD-535D, and the Drake R-8. 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. Strangely enough, not all of these radios contain the kind of innovative circuitry that are part of less expensive portables like the Sony 2010 mentioned above. Newer radios, such as the NRD-535D and the R-8 are starting to include such capabilities. 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. 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*. 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. Addresses for some of the better-known and respected businesses can be found at the end of this article. o Could you explain the frequencies used? What's the 49 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) 13600-13800 kHz (22 meter band) 5950-6200 kHz (49 meter band) 15100-15600 kHz (19 meter band) 7100-7300 kHz (41 meter band) 17550-17900 kHz (16 meter band) 9500-9900 kHz (31 meter band) 21450-21850 kHz (13 meter band) 11650-12050 kHz (25 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 newsgroups, rec.radio.amateur.*) 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 What is SINPO/SIO? The SINPO code is a way of quantifying reception conditions in a five-digit code, especially for use in reception reports to broadcasters. The code covers Signal strength, Interference (from other stations), Noise (from atmospheric conditions), Propagation disturbance (or Fading, in the SINFO code), andOverall. The code is as follows: (S)ignal (I)nterference (N)oise (P)ropagation (O)verall 5 excellent 5 none 5 none 5 none 5 excellent 4 good 4 slight 4 slight 4 slight 4 good 3 fair 3 moderate 3 moderate 3 moderate 3 fair 2 poor 2 severe 2 severe 2 severe 2 poor 1 barely aud. 1 extreme 1 extreme 1 extreme 1 unusable In recent years, many broadcasters have tried to steer listeners away from the SINPO code and toward the simpler SIO code. SIO deletes the extremes (1 and 5) and the noise and propagation categories, which were confusing to too many people to be useful. In sending reports to stations other than large international broadcasters who are likely to understand the codes, it is better to simply describe reception conditions in words. 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. The most recent book, one that has been getting good reviews, is *The Shortwave Listening Guidebook* by Harry Helms. The book should be easily available from most shortwave specialty outlets. It is also being published directly by Mr. Helms, and is therefore likely to stay in print for a while. Due to the extreme difficulty in finding copies of Gerry Dexter's *Shortwave Listening With The Experts*, the recommendation of this book has been removed from this article. 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. There are many clubs catering to the hobbyist, many of which publish bulletins. Many of these groups are part of an all-encompassing group known as ANARC, the Association of North American Radio Clubs. ANARC has a list available of its constituent clubs, listing addresses, what the focus of each club is, club publications, and current dues. You can contact them by writing to ANARC, 79 Kipps Street, Greenfield Park, Quebec J4V 3B1, Canada. You should include some form of return postage when asking for the club list. The WRTH contains contact addresses for the clubs that 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, 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. o Addresses 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 Radio Nederland Receiver Guide Passport to World Band Radio Engineering Department International Broadcast Services, Ltd. PO Box 222 Box 300 1200 JG Hilversum Penn's Park, PA 18943 The Netherlands 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 (also Monitoring Times) 850 Anns Way Drive P.O. Box 98 Vista, CA 92083 Brasstown, NC 28902 (619) 726-3910 (800) 438-8155 Price list: $1 (704) 837-9200 Free Catalog Universal Radio Popular Communications 1280 Aida Drive 76 North Broadway Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 Hicksville, NY 11801 (800) 431-3939 (614) 866-4267 SWL Catalog: $1.00 NASWA 45 Wildflower Road Levittown, PA 19057 Membership costs: $23/yr; sample issue $1