How to
Improve Shortwave Reception
Get better Shortwave reception
with your radio!
Shortwave
radio signals travel from the transmitter, located usually in a
foreign country, to your radio by being bounced between layers of
electrified gases in the upper ionosphere above the earth and the
earth's surface. The gases in the ionosphere are often turbulent and
this means that your reception quality can vary between day and
night, summer and winter and even during the course of a few hours
or several minutes.
The reception of
shortwave signals can also be affected by electrical storms,
mountainous terrain, by tall buildings, the type and cost of your
receiver and the kind of antenna it uses.
Tips for best shortwave reception
If
your shortwave radio is battery powered, you should ensure that the
batteries are fully charged or use your radio on AC
power.
The speakers
in portable shortwave radios are often quite small, but sound
quality can sometimes be improved by using a small ear
phone, headphones or an external speaker as in pictures
below.
Change the
location
Try placing your radio in
different locations. Reception is usually better by
a window, especially one facing the direction of the transmitter.
Example: If you're on the East coast of the U.S. and you're trying
to listen to a broadcast from Europe, place the radio on the East or
Northeast side of your home or office near a window facing that
direction. Researching a world map will help you to find the best
location relative to the transmitter. Although placing the
radio on a metal object (e.g. a filing cabinet) may help a bit, very
large metal structures such as fire escapes and elevator shafts,
metal walls and roofs, etc. can cause interference or severe
weakening of the signals. Also some domestic appliances, for
example, microwave ovens, televisions, vacuums,
mixers, computers and dozens of other devices can produce
severe interference. Get the shortwave radio as far away from them
as possible.
Your shortwave aerial (antenna) and it's relation to
Shortwave reception
You should also experiment with
both the length and the direction of the aerial of your radio. You
may experience poor shortwave reception if you are trying to
listen inside a steel-framed or concrete building, but if your
reception improves when you take your radio to a window or near
inside telephone wires, an outside antenna could help because the
building is shielding much of the signal.
Often all that is necessary
is to wrap an insulated copper wire a few feet long around the base
of the radio's existing telescoping antenna. See picture
below:
Just wrap the wire near the case
on the telescoping rod. You can experiment with either the bare
uninsulated wire touching the rod or use it with the insulation
if the signals tend to overload the receiver and become
distorted. Hang the end of the wire out of a window, keeping it well
away from metal objects and electricity cables. You can also try
wrapping several turns of insulated wire around inside telephone
wires and then wrapping the other end to the antenna rod on the
shortwave receiver. Don't attach anything to the "inside" of
telephone jacks! No direct connections to telephone lines! You can
damage yourself, the radio or the telephone. Don't attach anything
to electrical wires!
As most good-quality portable
short wave radios are designed to be used without an external
antenna, adding one can sometimes cause the radio to overload making
the signals distorted, so making a permanent shortwave antenna
without experimenting first is not recommended. If you're
using a better table top receiver, then it probably has circuitry that will compensate for
the overload. Most table top type shortwave receivers have an
antenna connection on the rear for an external antenna so just
connect the wire to it by following the instructions that came with
the radio.
Warning
It is important to remember
about any outside antenna that high static voltages can build up on it in
thunderstorms. During a thunderstorm, (actually when you first start
hearing thunder), you should disconnect the aerial from the radio
and either ground the disconnected aerial inside the building to a
known good ground or better yet, throw it out of the window. Most
ham (Amateur radio operators) do this even without thinking to help
protect their equipment! When you have fair weather, don't get the
antenna wire near any electrical hazards!
Be
safe around electricity, both man made and
natural!
How to
make simple outdoor antennas for short-wave
reception
If you want to try making a more permanent
outdoor antenna extension for your radio that will perform well and
increase your Shortwave listening experience, this can be done
easily by clicking here for some Shortwave antenna projects
that you can build yourself very
inexpensively. With a good receiver that does not overload, you'll
be surprised at how much they will improve your reception compared
to the built in antenna. Don't be afraid to experiment with
different antennas, you'll find one that works best in your
situation. Good luck and happy listening!
This short article of tips
to improve your shortwave listening should help you get much more
listening enjoyment from your shortwave
receiver.
