Shortwave radio broadcasting seems to be picking up. I was listening tonight to the endless

[RKP5637]

broadcasts. Maybe it's the area I'm in, but there is a lot and it's not typical religious broadcasting, but a lot of it I can't understand. The long range broadcasters are not there, of course, but I was amazed at what I was getting. It seems far more than in the past. I also listened to one patriot station, that was scary. I have tube equipment, so I guess I'm ready for any EMP ... scary thought.

[Laffy Kat]

1. What does EMP stand for?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Electro Magnetic Pulse.

It's a burst of electro magnetic energy that can disrupt all sorts of electronics.

Here's a link to the Wiki article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

[Laffy Kat]

4. Thanks! nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. No problem.

It's something that often comes up in the context of nuclear war, that modern nukes would have a strong EMP, or in various post-apocalyptic novels in which modern life is utterly destroyed by an EMP.

[lastlib]

9. Goldeneye!

The James Bond movie, Soviets developed an EMP weapon and put it in orbit. Bad guy stole it and tried to use it to loot the Bank of England. Cool movie!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. I have not seen that one.

Perhaps I should!

[Haggis for Breakfast]

14. Also in "Broken Arrow"

a movie with John Travolta and Christian Slater.

FYI : "broken arrow" is a military term that refers to the intentional theft of a nuclear warhead.

[KWR65]

3. As a teen In the 70's and early 80's I listened to shortwave all the time.

I listened to the BBC, Radio Canada, Radio Australia, Vatican radio, Radio Habana, Radio Moscow, Radio Prague and I used to listen to daily bible readings on WYFR. That was the only way to get other world news instantly before the computer came along and destroyed SW with instant updates with lots of SPAM popping up while you try to read the news or an articles. I must have collected over 200 QSL cards (Post cards the station sent listeners that wrote them.)

[RKP5637]

7. Yep, it was a lot of fun. I miss the old time broadcasters a lot. n/t

[Wednesdays]

21. In addition to your list, I used to listen to

Deutsche Welle regularly, and frequently to Radio Netherlands, Cairo, Rome, Kiev, Lithuania, South Africa, Switzerland, Israel, Bulgaria, and Peking. I managed to tune in Japan once on a very weak signal. I used a Lafayette Explor-Air, and I had the best luck finding things on the 19 and 25 meter bands.

I wanted to listen to other countries, too, but most countries didn't broadcast in English, or their output power was too weak and/or they didn't beam their broadcasts toward North America.

[HAB911]

22. Wow, I also listened to Radio Prague

until one night it was off the air

Soviet Union fixed that Spring stuff

[dhol82]

5. Interesting. My husband used to be a Ham.

If we go post apocalyptic that might become the only way to communicate.

[RKP5637]

8. It's reliable for sure!!! n/t

[Dave Starsky]

11. It's all a bunch of fucking whackjobs and scammers now.

As a former DXer who loved the hobby, I am sad that there is just absolutely nothing worth listening to on shortwave anymore.

[applegrove]

12. We had a short wave radio as a kid. There was a map of the world on the radio

And you could tell what part of the world you were getting your feed from. Cool.

[mitch96]

13. I use to love listening to SW before the internets

And Yes the patriot wackjobs were out there... I think they all moved to the ALT right newsgroups.
Interesting that you mentioned if the fecal material hits the rotating oscillator HAM radio will be there.. When it all came down in Puerto Rico recently, Hams came in and helped with communications. They practice for this type of stuff on a yearly basis... I had fun as a HAM building and messing with radios... Hell one transmitter I built used less power than my nite lite... I still have two SW rigs...... just in case
m.... ww4ml ..

[Elwood P Dowd]

15. I think Alex Jones is still on shortwave - WWCR.

Last time I listened to my ole' Drake before it died he was on there. He can tell lies at a faster rate than Trump. Radio Havana is actually a refreshing change after listening to some of the WWCR and World Harvest Radio stuff.

I first started messing with shortwave radios back in the 1950s when my dad had a Zenith Transoceanic. As an adult in the 1970s up until computers took over I've owned a few from companies such as Yaesu, Drake, Philips, Zenith, along with small portables from Magnavox, Sony, and Samsung.

[RKP5637]

18. There's been some wonderful gear throughout the years. Much of it sturdy, heavy, so heavy lol and

reliable. The Zenith Transoceanic was wonderful. Too bad FM was not included on the tube models. I had a Sony ICF-2010. That was a nice set and many still love it.

[mitch96]

23. Sony ICF-2010

That's a GREAT rig.. I could not afford that model so I got a Sangean ATS 818. Later on I got a smaller 900 series rig too. I slowly picked up some optional branded portable antennas and a schematic/parts book.. nice rigs.. good times
mitch

[roamer65]

16. The 1859 Carrington Event.

Read up on it and it will scare you as to the fragility of our technological house of cards.

We just missed one by a day or two in 2012.

Day by day we exist on this planet.

It will make an EMP attack look like a firecracker in comparison.

[RKP5637]

17. Imagine that happening with the delicate devices today. I posted a link below for anyone

interested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

[dembotoz]

19. Shortwave was a way to discover a world us media did not report

Not talking wierd ass crazy right wing stuff.
BBC, radio duetche wella, Canada.

America stopped being curious about the rest of the world years ago and today we are stuck with the gop and trump and a populous too damn stupid to care

[RKP5637]

20. Definitely! And with the flick of a dial you could get some good valid information. Now, you aren't

even sure of the sources and there are so many damn lies and distortions. It was also reliable, 7x24.

Now, many are listening at the end of a wire/cable. The infrastructure can be disrupted any many would be without communications. At lease with shortwave you could pickup what was going on around the world, even if everything in your country was down.

I recall some military analysts in other countries being concerned when they took down their huge worldwide shortwave transmitter antennas, if at some point in the future they might need those antennas as backup for communications.

[XRubicon]

24. Moran R's are obsessed with EMP

They are stupid to the core and believe anything they are told.

[RKP5637]

25. It's incredible. So easily led by the nose and they think they are the patriots of America. n/t

[brooklynite]

26. "I guess I'm ready for any EMP"

Where are you going to get your power supply? Where are the transmitters going to?

[RKP5637]

27. The transmitters will go into space, any nearby UFOs! The power will come from the 900 car batteries

I have stored away! LOL