Welcome to the Shortwave Radio Listening Resource Center of NW7US
Shortwave Radio Listening -- listen to the World on a radio, wherever you might be. Shortwave Radio is similar to the local AM Broadcast Band on Mediumwave (MW) that you can hear on a regular "AM Radio" receiver, except that shortwave signals travel globally, depending on the time of day, time of year, and space weather conditions.
The International Shortwave Broadcasters transmit their signals in various bands of shortwave radio spectrum, found in the 2.3 MHz to 30.0 MHz range. You might think that you need expensive equipment to receive these international broadcasts, but you don't! Unlike new Satellite services, Shortwave Radio (which has been around since the beginning of the radio era) can work anywhere with very affordable radio equipment. All that you need to hear these signals from around the World is a radio which can receive frequencies in the shortwave bands. Such radios can be very affordable. Of course, you get what you pay for; if you find that this hobby sparks your interest, you might consider more advanced radio equipment. But you would be surprised by how much you can hear with entry-level shortwave receivers. (You'll see some of these radios on this page).
You do not need a special antenna, though the better the antenna used, the better you can hear weaker stations. You can use the telescopic antenna found on many of the portable shortwave radios now available. However, for reception of more exotic international broadcasts, you should attach a length of wire to your radio's antenna or antenna jack.
This website guides you to resources for further exploration of the Shortwave Radio Listening hobby.
Quick lookup: Find out who is transmitting on an HF frequency, right now:
The International Shortwave Broadcasters transmit their signals in various bands of shortwave radio spectrum, found in the 2.3 MHz to 30.0 MHz range. You might think that you need expensive equipment to receive these international broadcasts, but you don't! Unlike new Satellite services, Shortwave Radio (which has been around since the beginning of the radio era) can work anywhere with very affordable radio equipment. All that you need to hear these signals from around the World is a radio which can receive frequencies in the shortwave bands. Such radios can be very affordable. Of course, you get what you pay for; if you find that this hobby sparks your interest, you might consider more advanced radio equipment. But you would be surprised by how much you can hear with entry-level shortwave receivers. (You'll see some of these radios on this page).
You do not need a special antenna, though the better the antenna used, the better you can hear weaker stations. You can use the telescopic antenna found on many of the portable shortwave radios now available. However, for reception of more exotic international broadcasts, you should attach a length of wire to your radio's antenna or antenna jack.
This website guides you to resources for further exploration of the Shortwave Radio Listening hobby.
Quick lookup: Find out who is transmitting on an HF frequency, right now:
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Who am I? Read more about me and my activities with this hobby.
NW7US is the Amateur Radio call-sign issued by the Federal Communications Commission to my Ham Radio Station, conferring the right to operate this equipment under certain privileges. This call-sign is assigned to me as both an identification of my Amateur Radio station, as well as a reference to those privileges I have been granted after having passed both a series of written examinations which cover rules, procedures, technical theory, and related knowledge, and a series of morse code (cw) proficiency tests.
I'm Tomas Hood. I am an Amateur Radio Operator. I also own a computer service shop and store, called, 'Sapphire Website and Computers Services', in Stevensville, Montana. I have been in the computer industry since 1983. One of my computer 'hats' is 'programmer'. I can program in Perl, PHP, XML, WAP/WML, HTML, C/C++, VBA, SQL, and so forth. I design web sites and applications.
NW7US is the Amateur Radio call-sign issued by the Federal Communications Commission to my Ham Radio Station, conferring the right to operate this equipment under certain privileges. This call-sign is assigned to me as both an identification of my Amateur Radio station, as well as a reference to those privileges I have been granted after having passed both a series of written examinations which cover rules, procedures, technical theory, and related knowledge, and a series of morse code (cw) proficiency tests.
I'm Tomas Hood. I am an Amateur Radio Operator. I also own a computer service shop and store, called, 'Sapphire Website and Computers Services', in Stevensville, Montana. I have been in the computer industry since 1983. One of my computer 'hats' is 'programmer'. I can program in Perl, PHP, XML, WAP/WML, HTML, C/C++, VBA, SQL, and so forth. I design web sites and applications.
You may purchase my CD (Beginnings EP 2009) or the downloadable MP3 versions of the songs from my new EP, here: Tomas David Hood Music.
Don't miss your new WRTH, the ultimate guide for the serious radio listener!
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The Passport to World Band Radio is an excellent guide, and a fine introduction, to the world of Shortwave Radio, and more. Get your copy, today!
Order it now and save...
Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio
Amy Fusselman says: "A beautifully designed love letter to...the critical but unsung role radio hams have played in service to our country."
Order it now and save 30%
Amy Fusselman says: "A beautifully designed love letter to...the critical but unsung role radio hams have played in service to our country."
Order it now and save 30%
Shortwave Listening Guidebook: The Complete Guide to Hearing the World (Paperback)
by Harry L. Helms - This is a good introduction to Shortwave Radio Listening. It covers the technical aspects (such as the different parts of a shortwave receiver and how to use them, radio wave propagation, and antennas) in enough (but not too much) detail to be of use to the casual listener. There's an overview of the various shortwave bands, as well as what you may find between the bands. The many aspects of shortwave listening are covered, from listening to major broadcasters such as the BBC to such specialties as trying to hear distant stations, "pirate" broadcasters, and so on.
Order it, today!
by Harry L. Helms - This is a good introduction to Shortwave Radio Listening. It covers the technical aspects (such as the different parts of a shortwave receiver and how to use them, radio wave propagation, and antennas) in enough (but not too much) detail to be of use to the casual listener. There's an overview of the various shortwave bands, as well as what you may find between the bands. The many aspects of shortwave listening are covered, from listening to major broadcasters such as the BBC to such specialties as trying to hear distant stations, "pirate" broadcasters, and so on.
Order it, today!
- + Starting Radios for Shortwave Listening:
- Sangean ATS-909 All Band Digital Short Wave Receiver - Mid-priced, good portable all band receiver.
- Sangean ATS-606AP Compact AM/FM/SW Receiver - Mid-priced, good portable all band receiver.
- Sangean ATS-404 Digital AM/FM/SW Stereo Receiver - Low-priced, good portable all band receiver.
Also:
Check out the Main HFRadio.org Website.
[ About my music | Jump to the music player... ]
I write the propagation columns for the following magazines:
CQ Magazine America's fastest growing magazine for the active ham radio operator. CQ is the world's leading independent magazine devoted to amateur radio. For more than a half-century, CQ has been on ham radio's leading edge -- the first to promote mobile operating (in the 1950s), semiconductors (in the 1960s) and packet radio -- the original e-mail (in the 1980s). The amateur satellite program got its start with an idea in the pages of CQ!
CQ VHF Magazine It is back! May 2002 saw the return of this quarterly magazines that focuses on amateur radio above 50 MHz. Articles and columns target both the beginner as well as the expert.
Popular Communications Magazine Exciting reading for the shortwave and scanner listener. It features authoritative information on scanner monitoring of police, fire, utility and aircraft transmissions as well as short wave listening, monitoring short wave digital, fax and teletype broadcasts, cb radio, alternative radio, clandestine radio, telephones and wiretapping, bugging, surveillance, pirate broadcasters, military communications, amateur radio, satellite tv reception, radio history and nostalgia.
Check out the Main HFRadio.org Website.
[ About my music | Jump to the music player... ]
I write the propagation columns for the following magazines:
CQ Magazine America's fastest growing magazine for the active ham radio operator. CQ is the world's leading independent magazine devoted to amateur radio. For more than a half-century, CQ has been on ham radio's leading edge -- the first to promote mobile operating (in the 1950s), semiconductors (in the 1960s) and packet radio -- the original e-mail (in the 1980s). The amateur satellite program got its start with an idea in the pages of CQ!
CQ VHF Magazine It is back! May 2002 saw the return of this quarterly magazines that focuses on amateur radio above 50 MHz. Articles and columns target both the beginner as well as the expert.
Popular Communications Magazine Exciting reading for the shortwave and scanner listener. It features authoritative information on scanner monitoring of police, fire, utility and aircraft transmissions as well as short wave listening, monitoring short wave digital, fax and teletype broadcasts, cb radio, alternative radio, clandestine radio, telephones and wiretapping, bugging, surveillance, pirate broadcasters, military communications, amateur radio, satellite tv reception, radio history and nostalgia.