362 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
362 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
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This posting contains answers to the following questions:
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o What is shortwave radio?
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o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?
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o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?
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o What kind of receiver should I get?
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o Where can I get a shortwave radio?
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o Could you explain the frequencies used? What's the 40 meter band? etc.
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o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
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Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?
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o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?
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o Where can I find further information?
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o What is shortwave radio?
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From a purely technical point of view, shortwave radio refers to those
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frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz. Their main characteristic is their ability
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to "propagate" for long distances, making possible such worldwide
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communications as international broadcasting and coordination of long-distance
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shipping.
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From a social point of view, shortwave radio is a method of facilitating
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worldwide dissemination of information and opinion, and a way to find out what
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the rest of the world thinks is important. Many countries broadcast to the
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world in English, making it easy to find out what a given country's position is
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on those things it finds important. Shortwave radio can also provide a way to
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eavesdrop on the everyday workings of international politics and commerce.
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o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?
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The World Radio TV Handbook is the standard reference for this sort of
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information. The WRTH provides SWLs worldwide with virtually everything they
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need on frequencies, schedules and addresses. It comes out annually, right
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about the first of the year, with an optional update magazine throughout the
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year. It covers virtually every shortwave station in the world, and many of
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the medium wave (AM), FM, and television stations as well. The body of the
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book is a listing of stations by country, with a cross-reference in the back by
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frequency. It's available from any radio store dealing in shortwave.
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World Radio TV Handbook
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ISBN 0-8230-5921-9
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Billboard Publications Billboard Ltd. WRTH
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1515 Broadway 71 Beak Street Soliljevej 44
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New York, NY 10036 London W1R 3LF DK-2650 Hvidovre
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United States United Kingdom Denmark
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The past five years have seen competition of a sort for the WRTH, in the form
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of Passport to World Band Radio. Passport's main section is a graph/table of
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what's on the air, by frequency. There are few addresses, but the beginning of
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the book is filled with articles of interest to the beginner. There is also a
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comprehensive review section of shortwave receivers currently available, one of
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the few places all this information can be found in one place. The book is
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more useful for identifying a station you've already tuned in than for
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searching out a particular transmission; the WRTH is useful at both, however,
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rendering the purchase of this book not essential. It can still be worthwhile,
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though, especially for beginners who won't be put off by the "gee whiz, look
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what we can listen to" tone of some of the articles. The book is unabashedly
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an advocate of making the hobby of "World Band Radio" accessible to people who
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wouldn't have participated before the advent of good, cheap portables.
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Passport to World Band Radio
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International Broadcast Services, Ltd.
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Box 300
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Penn's Park, PA 18943
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For utility band listeners, there are a couple of books that perform much the
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same function as the above two books, although due to the nature of
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point-to-point communication, not with the same sense of definitiveness.
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Confidential Frequency List
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Published by Gilfer Shortwave
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(address elsewhere)
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The Shortwave Directory
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Published by Grove Enterprises
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(address elsewhere)
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o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?
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The World Radio TV Handbook used to carry this information each year, but this
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feature is not present in the 1990 edition. (It will return, however, in future
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editions.) Nevertheless, there are still sources for this information.
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-Monitoring Times magazine carries a listing every month, one of the best
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arguments I know of for subscribing (it's what keeps me on their rolls....)
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-The North American Shortwave Association (NASWA) periodically publishes a
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complete listing in their bulletin, The Journal, sent to all members monthly;
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each month there are updates to the list. NASWA can be reached at:
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NASWA
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45 Wildflower Road
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Levittown, PA 19057
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Membership costs: $23/yr; sample issue $1
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-Tom Sundstrom, sysop of the Pinelands BBS in New Jersey (609-859-1910 modem)
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offers a subscription service with constantly updated electronic versions of
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his listing (which are also the source for the NASWA listings). It comes in
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text form, or formatted for Tom's Shortwave Database program for MS-DOS
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computers.
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-The best source for information of this type is the "SWL Program Guide." This
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gives not just the times and frequencies of most of the stations audible in
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North America, but the names of the programs and the days of the week they're
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on. It's sort of like TV Guide. You can also subscribe to quarterly updates
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published throughout the year. The mail order address is:
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Shortwave Listeners Program Guide
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P.O. Box 472
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Annandale, VA 22003 USA
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o What kind of receiver should I get?
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That depends largely on what kind of listening you expect to do. There are two
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or three basic kinds of radios. The first is the travel portable. These
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usually cost between $70 and $250. Their main characteristic is their
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extremely small size, making them most suitable for the person who spends a lot
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of time on airplanes. They do an adequate job of receiving the major
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broadcasters, such as the BBC, the Voice of America, Radio Nederland, etc.
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They are generally not capable of receiving hams, or utility transmissions, and
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they do not do a good job on weak stations. Many of them also lack frequency
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coverage beyond the major international broadcasting bands. As such, they
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cannot receive the out-of-band channels that often provide clearer reception
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(due to lessened interference) of such stations as the BBC, Kol Israel, and the
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Voice of Iran.
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The second category overlaps with the first, and consists of slightly larger
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portables. Common among this category are radios like the Sangean ATS-803A, a
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fine starter radio with many capabilities for the inexpensive price of $200.
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These radios often have digital readout, making it easier to know which
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frequency you are tuned to, and such features as dual conversion (which
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decreases the possibility of your radio receiving spurious signals from other
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frequencies), audio filters (which allow you to decrease interference from
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stations on adjacent frequencies) and beat frequency oscillators (which allow
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you to decode morse code and single sideband (SSB) transmissions on the ham and
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utility bands). The top range of this kind of radio includes technically
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sophisticated radios like the Sony ICF-2010 and Grundig Satellit 500, which
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contain innovative circuitry to lock on to a given signal and allow you to
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choose the portion of the signal you want to listen to, depending on which part
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gets the least interference. If you follow the newsgroup for any amount of
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time, you're bound to notice some discussion of the relative merit of these
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features versus their cost (about double that of the Sangean radio.) Many of
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these radios can be and have been used to receive distant and weak stations
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from a number of countries; they're also suitable for listening to programs
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from the major broadcasters.
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The third category of receivers is the tabletop receiver. These receivers cost
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from $600 upward, with a concentration of radios around $1000. These radios
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naturally contain many more features than the portables, and are used by
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serious hobbyists who specialize in rare and weak stations. Current radios in
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this group include the ICOM R-71A, the Kenwood R-5000, and the Japan Radio
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Corporation NRD-525. These radios can be very complex to operate, and are
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generally not recommended for the beginner. Radios from the first two
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categories can give a beginner a very good idea of what's on the air and where
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their interests lie, at which point one of these radios may be an appropriate
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acquisition.
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There are many sources for detailed information on specific radios, most of it
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provided by two groups. Larry Magne, who publishes the Passport to World Band
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Radio, includes a review of virtually all shortwave radios currently available
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in that publication. For more extensive reviews of selected receivers, he
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offers detailed "white papers", which run between ten and twenty pages or so.
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Magne also contributes a monthly review column to Monitoring Times, and also
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appears on Radio Canada International's "SWL Digest" program monthly with
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equipment reviews.
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The other main source for equipment reviews is a group centered around Radio
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Nederland and the WRTH in Holland. The WRTH, as mentioned above, has a review
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section covering mainly new receivers, but also contains a table with ratings
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of most currently available radios. Radio Nederland also offers a free booklet
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with receiver reviews.
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There are also two books published by Gilfer Shortwave in New Jersey that cover
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the subject of receivers, called *Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice*, and *More
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Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice*.
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Here are some addresses for sources for more information and receivers
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mentioned above:
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RDI White Papers
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same address as Passport to World Band Radio
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Radio Nederland Receiver Guide
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Engineering Department
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PO Box 222
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1200 JG Hilversum
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The Netherlands
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Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice
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More Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice
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Published by Gilfer Shortwave
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(address in next section)
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o Where can I get a shortwave radio?
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Many stereo stores and discount chains carry the Sony and Panasonic lines of
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receivers; the people there, however, generally don't know much about
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shortwave, and you're not likely to find many accessories there. Mail order
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stereo sources like J&R Music or 47th Street Photo in New York generally give
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the cheapest prices, but have the same problem. More knowledgeable, and
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falling roughly between the two in price, are the mail order houses that
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specialize in ham and/or shortwave radio. Many of them offer catalogs that
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contain useful tips for the beginner. Listing all of the houses is beyond the
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scope of this posting, but here are addresses for some of the better-known and
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respected businesses:
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---------
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Electronic Equipment Bank Gilfer Shortwave
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137 Church St. N.W. 52 Park Ave
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Vienna, VA 22180 Park Ridge, NJ 07656
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(800) 368 3270 (orders) (800) GILFER-1 (445-3371) (orders)
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(703) 938-3350 (local and (201) 391-7887 (New Jersey, business
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technical information) and technical)
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(703) 938-6911 (FAX)
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Grove Enterprises Radio West
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P.O. Box 98 850 Anns Way Drive
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Brasstown, NC 28902 Vista, CA 92083
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(800) 438-8155 (619) 726-3910
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(704) 837-9200
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Universal Radio
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1280 Aida Drive
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Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068
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(800) 431-3939
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(614) 866-4267
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o Could you explain the frequencies used? What's the 40 meter band? etc.
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As you tune around, you'll notice certain kinds of signals tend to be
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concentrated together. Different services are allocated different frequency
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ranges. International broadcasters, for instance, are assigned to ten
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frequency bands up and down the dial. These are:
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3900-4000 kHz (75 meter band) 13600-13800 kHz (22 meter band)
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5950-6200 kHz (49 meter band) 15100-15600 kHz (19 meter band)
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7100-7300 kHz (41 meter band) 17550-17900 kHz (16 meter band)
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9500-9900 kHz (31 meter band) 21450-21850 kHz (13 meter band)
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11650-12050 kHz (25 meter band) 25600-26100 kHz (11 meter band)
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In general, lower frequencies (below 10000 kHz) are better received at night
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and for a few hours surrounding dawn and dusk, and higher frequencies (15000
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kHz and up) are better received during the day. The frequencies in between are
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transitional, with reception being possible most times. In practice, these
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guidelines are not absolute, with reception on high frequencies being possible
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at night, and lower frequencies can provide decent medium-distance reception
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during the day.
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Hams (who have their own newsgroup, rec.ham-radio) and point-to-point, or
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utility communications, fill most of the rest of the frequencies. The
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Confidential Frequency List and The Shortwave Guide mentioned above can provide
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more information on what can be heard in these areas, as can utility loggings
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in magazines like Monitoring Times and Popular Communications, and in club
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bulletins.
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o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
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Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?
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This is a fact of life on shortwave. Because of propagation, antenna headings,
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the kind of radio you have, your local environment, etc., you're never going to
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be able to hear all the things you find in a list. The lists in Monitoring
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Times, etc., aren't lists of what's being heard in a general location. They're
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lists of everything that you could possibly hear, from a daily powerhouse like
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the BBC to a once or twice a year rarity like Bhutan. They're listed because
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you *might* hear them, depending on where you are and the given circumstances,
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not because they're necessarily being heard outside of their immediate target
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area.
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If you want lists of what is actually being heard in something roughly
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analogous to "your area", the best source for these are the logging sections of
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the bulletins of the SWL/DX clubs. You might want to sample a few club
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bulletins to see if they'll help. The bulletins also offer articles from
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experts on many facets of the hobby.
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o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?
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There are a number of books dealing with the basics of the hobby. One of the
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best is *Shortwave Listening with the Experts*, edited by Gerry Dexter, with
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contributions from many of the most experienced people in the hobby. The book
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makes an excellent introduction to a wide variety of aspects of the hobby, from
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basics like how to set up your shack, to in-depth articles on DXing the Andes.
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There will soon be another posting available listing many other worthwhile
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books for the hobbyist.
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o Where can I find further information?
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There are a number of hobby publications available. Two glossy magazines which
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cover the hobby are Monitoring Times and Popular Communications. They both
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cover a number of aspects of the hobby, including international broadcasts,
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scanning, pirate radio, QSLing, and Utility broadcasting. Monitoring Times
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also contains listings of broadcasts and programs in English, which gives it a
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slight edge. PopComm, however, is the one you're more likely to find on your
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local newsstand.
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Monitoring Times
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published by Grove Enterprises (address elsewhere)
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Popular Communications
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76 North Broadway
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Hicksville, NY 11801
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There are many clubs catering to the hobbyist, many of which publish bulletins.
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The umbrella organization for many of these clubs in North America is ANARC, or
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the Association of North American Radio Clubs. Robert Horvitz of ANARC
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is active on this newsgroup, and posts the ANARC Club Scan on a
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bimonthly basis. The Club Scan contains a complete listing of ANARC associated
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clubs and their interests, gives an idea of what they're up to currently, and
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lists where you can contact them, membership fees, how much a sample costs,
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etc. ANARC also hosts yearly conventions for hobbyists. The next one will be
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September 15-16, 1990 in Virginia Beach (for more details send a SASE to
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ANARCON-90, P.O. Box 9645, Norfolk, VA 23505-0645). You can also subscribe to
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the bimonthly ANARC Newsletter ($8/year to US addresses, US$8.50/year to
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Canada/Mexico, US$13/year elsewhere). It's a forum for discussing issues of
|
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|
concern and interest to monitors of all parts of the spectrum.
|
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|
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|
|
ANARC Publications,
|
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|
|
1218 Huntington Road,
|
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|
|
San Marcos, CA 92069 USA.
|
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|
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|
|
ANARC has counterpart organizations in Europe and the south Pacific. The
|
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|
|
European organization is the European DX Council (EDXC). More information on
|
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|
|
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, and Al Quaglieri of SPEEDX freely distributes a list of some of the
|
|||
|
|
better programs electronically. 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.
|
|||
|
|
Radio Canada International's SWL Digest is another strong entry along these
|
|||
|
|
lines.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
*** EOF
|
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