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"LOTS OF HAM RADIO OPERATORS LIKE MYSELF GOT THEIR START
IN HAM RADIO MANY YEARS AGO ROAMING THE SHORTWAVE BANDS WITH
SHORTWAVE RADIOS!" ........ N4UJW WEBMASTER
HAMUNIVERSE.COM
What is Shortwave Radio ? We've all heard AM and FM radio
stations on our car radio. But what about
shortwave?
A shortwave radio is specially
designed receiver that receives stations from places far away from
where you live and are "hidden" in between the standard AM and FM band on
frequencies from about 3 Mhz to 30 Mhz.
This article will introduce you to some
good basic information about shortwave radio listening and will recommend
some excellent shortwave radio receivers to get you started in the
exciting world of shortwave listening! Read
on......
If you
live in the U.S., you can easily listen to stations broadcasting from
foreign countries like the BBC from London, Radio Australia, Radio Cuba,
Swiss Radio International, Deutsche Welle (Germany), Radio Netherlands,
Voice of Free China, Radio China International, Radio Japan and many other
countries if you have a
good shortwave receiver!
These stations and many others
broadcast in English at certain times, usually in the evenings. These
stations broadcast to foreign countries, in the language of the people in
the foreign countries. Yes, that's right, you don't need to know Japanese
to listen to Radio Japan. Most people who have not actually listened
to shortwave signals don't know this. Shortwave
broadcasts are in real time! You hear them instantly! They are not delayed
like they would be on the
internet!
These international stations transmit on
bands called World Band Radio
or "shortwave". Shortwave radios can pick up
other signals that are not considered World Band Radio, like Amateur (Ham
radio) operators, maritime signals from ships, aircraft, coastal weather
stations, news broadcasts and much, much more. There are different radio
frequency ranges reserved for each type of use.
Shortwave radio
signals are capable of traveling long distances, unlike AM and FM stations
which usually can only be heard for about 50 - 75 miles from the
broadcasting station, depending on your antenna. Some powerful AM
broadcast stations can be heard across the U.S. at night. Shortwave
radio signals are designed to skip around the world and bounce in the
atmosphere, meaning they can be heard far away. However, this has always
meant that the quality of signals reaching the listener has always been
variable, depending how strong the signal is at your location, your
receiver and your antenna. The sound might also be as good as an FM radio
for a while and then be barely heard moments later caused by fading.
International broadcast stations usually direct or "beam" their signals to
the designated listening areas during the evening hours when most
listeners are at home. So, if you live in New York for example, your best
shortwave listening times are usually between 8:00 p.m. and midnight. The
broadcast is designed to be best heard at the designated audience
location. For example, a broadcast clearly heard in New York State
probably can not be heard in Seattle. Most Shortwave broadcasters are on
the air 24 hours a day and broadcast on various frequencies depending
on the time of day so their signals can usually be heard round the clock
in most locations simply by changing the dial settings on your shortwave
receiver. Much like changing radio stations on your regular
radios.
Major
shortwave broadcasters, like the BBC and the Voice of America, broadcast
on many different frequencies every day to just about everywhere, in many
languages. The BBC is listened to by millions of
people every day.
There is a sound sample below recorded directly from a
shortwave radio along with other samples. These major stations
also have relay stations all over the world, helping to provide a strong
signal. The BBC broadcast from London you are listening to
may actually be re-transmitted from Canada, which pickup the
broadcast from a satellite. As a result, the big stations are very easy to
hear. The BBC has even arranged for its shortwave radio broadcasts to be
re-transmitted by National Public Radio stations in the U.S. These
stations are usually on the low end of the standard FM broadcast
band.
Many
large stations use extreme high power for shortwave broadcasting.
Your local AM station usually uses up to 50,000 watts of broadcasting
power. A shortwave broadcasting station may use 1,000,000 watts for each
of their stations! You hear it all in real
time!
What
can you hear? You can listen to news from around
the world, propaganda, music, religious broadcasts, sporting events,
etc. In short just about anything. Radio Cuba, for example, has probably
the best jazz program on anywhere, on any type of broadcast medium,
including television. Shortwave radio broadcasts have always been a big
part in bringing the truth to oppressed people everywhere........and the
not so truthful...... propaganda.
There's so much more on
shortwave, including Transatlantic commercial and military aircraft, ships
at sea, news wire services, coastal and marine weather broadcasts,
research vessels and "pirate stations", (stations transmitting
illegally), along with Amateur Radio stations from around the world
plus lots more! You may even hear transmissions from the South Pole
research stations! All in real time as it
happens!
AUDIO SAMPLES: Sample Ham Radio
here! These ham radio operators were giving
signal reports to another ham. Most were located in the U.S and some in
Canada.
Sample news audio on 6.135mhz from the BBC recorded
live at night off the air! (Long
download)
Sample....Radio Netherlands from
9845khz Short simple station ID
To be able to
hear all of this as it happens LIVE, a shortwave radio has to tune these
frequencies and bands. Your standard AM/FM radio or
scanner will not receive these
bands!
This author (N4UJW A licensed
Ham Radio operator), has spent thousands and thousands of hours just
listening around the shortwave bands since early childhood and I still
find myself returning to the excitement of SWLing (Shortwave
listening).
I have used several
different brands and models of shortwave receivers in my time and still
have a couple of old "Boat Anchors" that still give me that same
excitement and a since of wonder that I had many years ago. In my
travels around the world of ham radio and the internet, I have seen many
new brands of shortwave receivers come and go and have
reviewed the reviews.......
Guess what? Two brands
consistently stand out over the others over time in the portable type
shortwave receivers. The two
brands that consistently come out on top in portables
are........ Sangean and
Sony! ---------------- SANGEAN THIS FROM
SANGEAN'S WEB SITE "Sangean Electronics is one of the world's oldest and
largest manufacturers of multi-band, portable and pocket sized
entertainment centers.
Established in 1974, the name Sangean
is recognized throughout the world for its innovative design, unparalleled
performance and matchless quality.
Sangean is proud to be
the manufacturer of choice for Radio Shack, Siemens, Panasonic, Braun,
AIWA, Emerson, Philips, Roberts and a host of others.
Additionally,
Sangean products are offered by most electronic retailers, distributors
and major catalog suppliers such a Sharper Image, Hammacher Schlemmer,
Haverhills, Universal Radio, C.Crane, Frys Electronics, J&R Music and
many others.
All Sangean products are high quality, portable and
cosmetically appealing with the kind of feel and performance that has made
Sangean the fastest growing radio line in the market
today.
Outstanding products, combined with excellent customer
service support and an unprecedented warranty policy in the audio industry
have made Sangean the most appreciated company by customers owning a
Sangean radio." © Sangean 1998. All Rights
Reserved.
A REVIEW BY RADIO NETHERLANDS
SHORTWAVE RECEIVER TEST TEAM
 Sangean ATS-505
  Click the picture to see
more!
"In our
opinion, the ATS-505 definitively ends our search. In summary, we like the
radio. Though it has no choice of bandwidth filters, no ECSS and no
lineout jack, the performance across the MW, SW and FM bands is, simply
stated, significantly better than we expected for the money. To be sure,
there are portable radios with more features and better performance, but
these radios cost significantly more money.
We also believe that
the ATS-505 would be a good choice for a first-time purchaser of a
shortwave radio.".......(From The Radio Netherlands Test
Team)
"Sangean radio's without a
doubt, are some of the best buys for your money if you are looking for a
good shortwave (all band) receiver in a portable type radio. Sure, there
are all band radios for sale that have lots more "bells and whistles" for
lots more (hundreds) of $$$, but for your hard earned bucks, a Sangean
radio is hard to
beat!
SONY The ICF SW
7600GR ICF
7600GR "EDITED FROM THE RADIO NETHERLANDS TEST TEAM
REPORT" The Bottom
Line
"The bottom line is that we like the SONY ICF SW
7600GR. We like the sensitivity, the
filter choice for prowling through the SW bands, the synchronous
detection, and the line out jack in a reasonably priced radio. We believe
the ICF SW 7600GR is the lowest price portable radio with the sync and
line out features.
The "GR" is slightly smaller than the Sangean
ATS-505, a good entry-level radio. For a few dollars more the user gets a
significantly better filter on AM and SW and synchronous detection for
better reception, a line output to record, and more memories. We think the
$ difference is worth it.
While the dollar increments of US $30-40
and the varying feature sets between manufacturers and models can make the
final choice of a radio difficult, that choice is eventually yours.
For those with inexpensive radios and looking for something with
better performance, you should take a hard look at the ICF SW 7600GR.
Those also buying a SW radio for the first time will not be
disappointed.
Accordingly, we give this
receiver a 5 stars
rating.
As always, please remember the rating is based upon price
versus performance and features.".......from the Radio Netherlands test
team. GET IT HERE! Click Picture
below:

The Sony ICF
SW 7600GR ===========
High End Shortwave
Receivers!
If you had rather go all the way and invest in a high
end shortwave top of the line
receiver
that is so much more than just a portable then check out the line of
receivers at ScannerMaster made by AOR. One model that comes
to mind is one of the best high end consumer models available anywhere!
It's a bit expensive but it is designed to give you extremely increased receive capabilities not
just on shortwave but on just about any band you would want! It
comes down to the old saying, "You
get what you pay for"! It is the AOR AR8600MKIIB shown in the
picture below:

The AR8600 Mark II reflects
AOR's ongoing commitment to improving its products and maintaining its
leadership in designing and building high-end receivers. The AR8600 Mark
II sets several new standards that make the receiver desirable to
professional users and monitoring enthusiasts INCLUDING SHORTWAVE RADIO.
Get more information direct from ScannerMaster here
OR CLICK THE PICTURE! This
receiver is highly rated by professionals in the
field!
A good
shortwave receiver for home or portable use is a matter of personal choice
and recommendations from folks like myself and there are many brands and
models to choice from from many suppliers and outlets. Selecting a well
known and respected brand such as Sangean, Sony or the higher end models
like those from AOR will give you years of shortwave radio listening
pleasure and excitement! I have attempted to give you my
recommendations based on my experience in over 50 years of listening! Have
fun!
Want to be a
Ham Radio Operator and be heard on the shortwave bands? It's
easy... YOU CAN DO IT! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW EASY IT IS TO GET YOUR
ENTRY LEVEL HAM RADIO LICENSE!
Get the Sony ICF
SW7600GR
  Click the picture!
 Check out the AOR receivers from
ScannerMaster!
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