Any shortwave radio enthusiasts here?

[proReality]

I've just been given a Grundig S350 as a gift. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful and handy item to have around, but there are so many numbers to go through that by the time I've found something to listen to in English I've missed most of the important facts.

Does anyone know where I can go on-line to get a list of frequencies for the various countries that broadcast in English? Or is there a publication I can send for?

I know nothing about shortwave, so hopefully I'm using the correct terms to make myself clear.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Bossy Monkey]

1. Pretty sure that DemoTex is

In spite of the handle, he's in the mountains of NC now. Pretty sure he's mentioned his shortwave set from time to time.

[welshTerrier2]

2. Shortwave Radio Tips

here are some basics to get you started ... the number one tip: buy the book called "Passport to Worldband Radio (2005)" ...

shortwave broadcasting has radically changed over the last 40 years (when i first started listening) ... in the good old days, when you "received" a country, the broadcast really was coming from that country ... now, the "art" of tuning in weak, distant stations has been somewhat diminished in that many of the larger stations have their transmission originating from broadcast towers all over the world ... so, for example, you might be listening to a broadcast from Radio China that is actually being transmitted from Canada ... also, most larger shortwave broadcasters now have websites and you can listen to their broadcasts online without even owning a shortwave receiver ...

the next important thing to understand is that signals to wherever you are come in the strongest from just after sunset until around 11 pm ... shortwave broadcasters have their own "prime time" hours ... this does not mean, however, that you can't receive broadcasts in English at any time ... different sections of the shortwave broadcast band do better at different times of the day and night ... higher frequencies tend to do better during the day; lower do better at night ...

here's a table of the main listening bands (* denotes best anytime reception, ** denotes mostly daytime reception):

...Band..... Frequency Range
(In meters)..... (In MHz)

...120..... 2.300 - 2.495
.....90..... 3.200 - 3.400
.....75..... 3.900 - 4.000
.....60..... 4.750 - 5.060
...*49..... 5.950 - 6.200
...*41..... 7.100 - 7.300
...*31..... 9.500 - 9.900
...*25..... 11.650 - 12.050
.....22..... 13.600 - 13.800
.**19..... 15.100 - 15.600
.**16..... 17.550 - 17.900
.....13..... 21,450 - 21.850


to learn about shortwave listening:
http://www.monitoringtimes.com/html/mtswlprimer1.html and part2:
http://www.monitoringtimes.com/html/mtswlprimer2.html

good online source for shortwave radio receiver reviews:
http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/productreviews/receivers/rx_sort2.html

book recommendation:
i would highly recommend buying or checking out at your library the 2005 edition of "Passport to World Band Radio" ... this book is a must for those who have shortwave radios ... the program schedules are invaluable ... the book is updated every year ... unlike many broadcast schedules, "Passport" also includes a special schedule section for listeners in North America ...

english language broadcast schedules online:
http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/
http://www.anarc.org/naswa/swlguide/
http://www.swl.nu/

international "shortwave" on the internet (up-to-date?):
australia: http://www.abc.net.au/ra/audio/englishlive.htm
canada: http://www.rcinet.ca/Scripts/default.asp?s1=Programmes
china: http://www.crienglish.com/news/# (couldn't get audio to work)
france: http://www.radiofranceinternationale.com / (click on english)
germany: http://www.dw-world.de/english
great britain: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml (bbc)
iran: http://www.iribnews.com/front_en.ASP?sec=front_en (website only ... no audio)
israel: http://www.israelradio.org/english.html (2 newscasts per day)
japan: http://www.nhk.or.jp/rj/index_e.html
netherlands: http://www.rnw.nl/distrib/realaudio/html/english.html
new zealand: http://xtramsn.co.nz/musicandvideo/0,,6151,00.html
pakistan: http://www.arab2.com/radiotv/pakistan-tv-television.htm
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=10... (french audio - english website)
vietnam: http://www.vov.org.vn/amthanh1/weeklypage.htm

[proReality]

3. Thank you!

That's a big help.

[enigmatic]

5. Damn, just ...

What he said:)

[enigmatic]

4. HUGE SW fan here...

I've got about 30 SW radios; I collect vintage ones as well as the latest. Grundig is the top o the line for portables, so you're in for a treat.

This will start you off:

http://www.monitoringtimes.com/

http://www.popular-communications.com/

And a great shortwave links page:

http://www.blackcatsystems.com/radio/shortwave.html

I've been a DX buff since I was a kid; it's a blast to twirl the knobs of a radio on a great night for skips; have fun!

[KatyaR]

6. Here's another link:

Glenn Hauser's World of Radio


Glenn updates this weekly, and it's full of information.

Have fun--I love listening to shortwave!