QRZ! Ham Radio 1/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - December 1993.iso/buffalo/faqshort.txt

Text File | 1993-10-05 | 24KB | 418 lines

Subject: Shortwave Listening FAQ

Compiled by Ralph Brandi, [e-mail]
128 Greenoak Blvd., Middletown, NJ 07748 U.S.A.

[Note from the compiler--This article is posted monthly on the USENET groups
rec.radio.shortwave and rec.radio.info.  It is also available electronically on
CompuServe, America Online, the ANARC BBS, the WELL, and from the
rec.radio.shortwave ftp archive on ftp.funet.fi, and in print from the ARRL.
If you find this article somewhere else and/or find it useful, I would
appreciate if you could drop me a postcard or send me e-mail letting me know
where you found it, what the Last modified date on the copy you have is, and if
you have any suggestions to make the article more helpful.  If you don't find
it useful, I'd like to hear about that as well.]


This posting contains answers to the following questions:

o What is shortwave radio?
o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?
o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?
o What kind of receiver should I get?
o Where can I get a shortwave radio?
o Could you explain the frequencies used?  What's the 40 meter band? etc.
o What is SINPO/SIO?
o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
  Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?
o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?
o Where can I find further information?


o What is shortwave radio?

>From a purely technical point of view, shortwave radio refers to those
frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz.  Their main characteristic is their ability
to "propagate" for long distances, making possible such worldwide
communications as international broadcasting and coordination of long-distance
shipping.

>From a social point of view, shortwave radio is a method of facilitating
worldwide dissemination of information and opinion, and a way to find out what
the rest of the world thinks is important.  Many countries broadcast to the
world in English, making it easy to find out what a given country's position is
on those things it finds important.  Shortwave radio can also provide a way to
eavesdrop on the everyday workings of international politics and commerce.


o Where can I find broadcasts by Radio Foobar?

The World Radio TV Handbook is the standard reference for this sort of
information.  The WRTH provides SWLs (shortwave listeners) and DXers (listeners
specializing in distant [DX] and weak stations) worldwide with virtually
everything they need on frequencies, schedules and addresses.  It comes out
annually, right about the first of the year.  It covers virtually every
shortwave station in the world, and many of the medium wave (AM), FM, and
television stations as well.  The body of the book is a listing of stations by
country, with a cross-reference in the back by frequency.  It's available from
any radio store dealing in shortwave.  You can also contact the WRTH through
their publishers, Billboard.

World Radio TV Handbook 1993
ISBN 0-8230-5924-3

The past several years have seen competition of a sort for the WRTH, in the
form of Passport to World Band Radio.  Passport's main section is a graph/table
of what's on the air, by frequency.  The beginning of the book is filled with
articles of interest to the beginner.  There is also a comprehensive review
section of shortwave receivers currently available, one of the few places all
this information can be found in one place.  The book is more useful for
identifying a station you've already tuned in than for searching out a
particular transmission; the WRTH is useful at both, however, rendering the
purchase of this book not essential.  It can still be worthwhile, though,
especially for beginners who won't be put off by the "gee whiz, look what we
can listen to" tone of some of the articles.  The book is unabashedly an
advocate of making the hobby of "World Band Radio" accessible to people who
wouldn't have participated before the advent of good, cheap portables.  There
also seem to be efforts being made to address some of the shortcomings of the
book, such as a comprehensive address section (finally!) that also contains
useful information on how stations respond to correspondence, based on the
experience of other hobbyists.  Much of this information has been difficult or
impossible for hobbyists to obtain outside of a small elite group, and provides
a useful addition to the hobby.  It does tend to weaken the focus of the book,
which has previously seemed aimed at mainly beginners.

For utility band (non-broadcast transmissions) listeners, there are a couple of
books that perform much the same function as the above two books, although due
to the nature of such point-to-point communication, not with the same sense of
definitiveness.

Confidential Frequency List
Published by Gilfer Shortwave

The Shortwave Directory
Published by Grove Enterprises


o Where can I find a list of broadcasts in the English language?

The World Radio TV Handbook has a list of English Language Broadcasts, starting
on page 566 of the 1993 edition.  Unfortunately, since the WRTH only comes out
once a year the data tend to go out of date fairly quickly. There are a number
of sources for current lists:

-Monitoring Times magazine carries a listing every month, one of the best
arguments I know of for subscribing (it's what keeps me on their rolls....)

-The North American Shortwave Association (NASWA) periodically publishes a
complete listing in their bulletin, The Journal, sent to all members monthly;
each month there are updates to the list.  See the address at the end of this
article.

-Tom Sundstrom, W2XQ, offers custom IBM PC-compatible software and a
subscription service with constantly updated electronic versions of his data
files (which are also the source for the NASWA listings, as well as forming
part of the listing in the WRTH).  The data files are in the standard dBASE III
format, capable of being imported into any software that reads DBF files, and
are distributed in a compressed self-extracting file for IBM PC users and .ARC
format for those using other operating systems. The data files are available on
the Pics OnLine BBS in Atco, New Jersey, U.S.A. ([phone] US Robotics
HST, [phone] V.32 9600 baud), or by special arrangement with Tom on the
commercial GEnie service. See the address for TRS Consultants at the end of
this file, including e-mail addresses.


o What kind of receiver should I get?

That depends largely on what kind of listening you expect to do.  There are two
or three basic kinds of radios.  The first is the travel portable.  These
usually cost between US$30 and US$250.  Their main characteristic is their
extremely small size, making them most suitable for the person who spends a lot
of time on airplanes.  They do an adequate job of receiving the major
broadcasters, such as the BBC, the Voice of America, Radio Nederland, etc. They
are generally not capable of receiving hams, or utility transmissions, and they
do not do a good job on weak stations.  They may, therefore, not be the best
choice for expatriates wishing to listen to their home stations, for instance,
especially the less expensive radios.  Many of them also lack frequency
coverage beyond the major international broadcasting bands.  As such, they
cannot receive the channels outside the defined bands that often provide
clearer reception (due to lessened interference) of such stations as the BBC,
Kol Israel, and the Voice of Iran.

There are a few very low cost (under US$50) SW receivers that are the subject
of frequent inquiries in rec.radio.shortwave: the DAK MR-101s, and a Chinese-
built unit that is sold under (at least) the names Pomtrex, MCE, TEK, Windsor,
and Citizen.  The DAK, despite its digital tuning, has received generally
negative reviews. The Pomtrex, which is an analog unit, has had much greater
acceptance by users.  Unfortunately, the radio seems to have virtually
disappeared from the market.  A recent radio that has garnered attention is the
Casio PR-100.  Initial evidence indicates that this radio is similar to the DAK
radio.  In general, radios in this price range can be expected to perform
poorly, but may provide an inexpensive introduction to the world of shortwave
and acceptable reception of the strongest international stations.

The second category of radios overlaps with the first, and consists of slightly
larger portables.  Common among this category are radios like the Sangean
ATS-803A, (also sold around the world as the Realistic DX-440, Emerson 803A,
Siemens RK 651, and many other names), a fine starter radio with many
capabilities for the inexpensive price of US$200.  These radios often have
digital readout, making it easier to know which frequency you are tuned to, and
such features as dual conversion (which decreases the possibility of your radio
receiving spurious signals from other frequencies), audio filters (which allow
you to decrease interference from stations on adjacent frequencies) and beat
frequency oscillators (which allow you to decode morse code and single sideband
(SSB) transmissions on the ham and utility bands).  The top range of this kind
of radio includes technically sophisticated radios like the Sony ICF-2010, Sony
ICF-SW77, and Grundig Satellit 700, which contain innovative circuitry to lock
on to a given signal and allow you to choose the portion of the signal you want
to listen to, depending on which part gets the least interference. If you
follow the newsgroup for any amount of time, you're bound to notice some
discussion of the relative merit of these features versus their cost (about
double that of the Sangean radio.)  Many of these radios can be and have been
used to receive distant and weak stations from a number of countries, and can
provide a cost-effective way for expatriates to receive programs from their
native countries; they're also suitable for listening to programs from the
major broadcasters.

The third category of receivers is the tabletop receiver.  These receivers cost
from  US$600 upward, with a concentration of radios around  US$1000.  These
radios naturally contain many more features than the portables, and are used by
serious hobbyists who specialize in rare and weak stations.  Current radios in
this group include the ICOM R-71A, the Kenwood R-5000, the Japan Radio
Corporation NRD-535 and NRD-535D, the Lowe 150 and 225, and the Drake R-8.
These radios can be very complex to operate, and are generally not recommended
for the beginner. Radios from the first two categories can give a beginner a
very good idea of what's on the air and where their interests lie, at which
point one of these radios may be an appropriate acquisition.  Strangely enough,
not all of these radios contain the kind of innovative circuitry that are part
of less expensive portables like the Sony 2010 mentioned above.  Newer radios,
such as the NRD-535D, the Lowe radios, and the R-8 are starting to include such
capabilities.

There are many sources for detailed information on specific radios, most of it
provided by two groups.  Larry Magne, who publishes the Passport to World Band
Radio, includes a review of virtually all shortwave radios currently available
in that publication.  For more extensive reviews of selected receivers, he
offers detailed "white papers", which run between ten and twenty pages or so.
Magne also contributes a monthly review column to Monitoring Times.

The other main source for equipment reviews is a group centered around Radio
Nederland and the WRTH in Holland.  The WRTH, as mentioned above, has a review
section covering mainly new receivers, but also contains a table with ratings
of most currently available radios.  Radio Nederland also offers a free booklet
with receiver reviews.  The WRTH has also released a new book, *The WRTH
Equipment Buyers Guide*, available from the end of 1992. The book contains
extended versions of the reports available in the past five years of the WRTH,
as well as new and updated reports.  It also contains information on
accessories and antennas, as well as a fairly technical tutorial on receivers.

There are also two books published by Gilfer Shortwave in New Jersey that cover
the subject of receivers, called *Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice*, and *More
Radio Receivers, Chance or Choice*.  These books are fairly out of date now.

The Sony ICF-2010 and the Drake R-8 have Internet mailing lists devoted to
discussions of their features among users.  Joining these mailing lists can be
a good way to keep up on modifications or workarounds for your radio.  You can
join the mailing lists with requests to the following addresses:

Sony ICF-2010: [e-mail]
Drake R-8: [e-mail]


o Where can I get a shortwave radio?

Many stereo stores and discount chains carry the Sony and Panasonic lines of
receivers; the people there, however, generally don't know much about
shortwave, and you're not likely to find many accessories there.  Mail order
stereo sources like J&R Music or 47th Street Photo in New York generally give
the cheapest prices, but have the same problem.  There are lists available on
the photography newsgroups that can indicate whether a given store of this type
is reliable and provides acceptable service.  More knowledgeable, and falling
roughly between the two in price, are the mail order houses that specialize in
ham and/or shortwave radio.  Many of them offer catalogs that contain useful
tips for the beginner.  Addresses for some of the better-known and respected
businesses can be found at the end of this article.


o Could you explain the frequencies used?  What's the 49 meter band? etc.

As you tune around, you'll notice certain kinds of signals tend to be
concentrated together.  Different services are allocated different frequency
ranges.  International broadcasters, for instance, are assigned to ten
frequency bands up and down the dial.  These are:

3900-4000 kHz (75 meter band)         13600-13800 kHz (22 meter band)
5950-6200 kHz (49 meter band)         15100-15600 kHz (19 meter band)
7100-7300 kHz (41 meter band)         17550-17900 kHz (16 meter band)
9500-9900 kHz (31 meter band)         21450-21850 kHz (13 meter band)
11650-12050 kHz (25 meter band)       25600-26100 kHz (11 meter band)

In general, lower frequencies (below 10000 kHz) are better received at night
and for a few hours surrounding dawn and dusk, and higher frequencies (15000
kHz and up) are better received during the day.  The frequencies in between are
transitional, with reception being possible at most times.  In practice, these
guidelines are not absolute, with reception on high frequencies being possible
at night, and lower frequencies can provide decent medium-distance reception
during the day.

Hams (who have their own newsgroups, rec.radio.amateur.*) and point-to-point,
or utility communications, fill most of the rest of the frequencies.  The
Confidential Frequency List and The Shortwave Guide mentioned above can provide
more information on what can be heard in these areas, as can utility loggings
in magazines like Monitoring Times and Popular Communications, and in club
bulletins.


o What is SINPO/SIO?

The SINPO code is a way of quantifying reception conditions in a five-digit
code, especially for use in reception reports to broadcasters.  The code covers
Signal strength, Interference (from other stations), Noise (from atmospheric
conditions), Propagation disturbance (or Fading, in the SINFO code),
andOverall.  The code is as follows:

(S)ignal       (I)nterference   (N)oise        (P)ropagation   (O)verall
 5 excellent    5 none           5 none         5 none          5 excellent
 4 good         4 slight         4 slight       4 slight        4 good
 3 fair         3 moderate       3 moderate     3 moderate      3 fair
 2 poor         2 severe         2 severe       2 severe        2 poor
 1 barely aud.  1 extreme        1 extreme      1 extreme       1 unusable

In recent years, many broadcasters have tried to steer listeners away from the
SINPO code and toward the simpler SIO code.  SIO deletes the extremes (1 and 5)
and the noise and propagation categories, which were confusing to too many
people to be useful.  In sending reports to stations other than large
international broadcasters who are likely to understand the codes, it is better
to simply describe reception conditions in words.


o Why can't I receive all of the broadcasts listed in Monitoring
  Times/WRTH/Passport/etc.?

This is a fact of life on shortwave.  Because of propagation, antenna headings,
the kind of radio you have, your local environment, etc., you're never going to
be able to hear all the things you find in a list.  The lists in Monitoring
Times, etc., aren't lists of what's being heard in a general location.  They're
lists of everything that you could possibly hear, from a daily powerhouse like
the BBC to a once or twice a year rarity like Bhutan.  They're listed because
you *might* hear them, depending on where you are and the given circumstances,
not because they're necessarily being heard outside of their immediate target
area.

If you want lists of what is actually being heard in something roughly
analogous to "your area", the best source for these are the logging sections of
the bulletins of the SWL/DX clubs.  You might want to sample a few club
bulletins to see if they'll help.  The bulletins also offer articles from
experts on many facets of the hobby.


o What are some books or other resources that can help me get started?

There are a number of books dealing with the basics of the hobby.  The most
recent book, one that has been getting good reviews, is *The Shortwave
Listening Guidebook* by Harry Helms.  The book should be easily available from
most shortwave specialty outlets.  It is also being published directly by Mr.
Helms, and is therefore likely to stay in print for a while.


o Where can I find further information?

There are a number of hobby publications available.  Two glossy magazines which
cover the hobby are Monitoring Times and Popular Communications.  They both
cover a number of aspects of the hobby, including international broadcasts,
scanning, pirate radio, QSLing, and Utility broadcasting.  Monitoring Times
also contains listings of broadcasts and programs in English, which gives it a
slight edge.  PopComm, however, is the one you're more likely to find on your
local newsstand.

There are many clubs catering to the hobbyist, many of which publish bulletins.
Many of these groups are part of an all-encompassing group known as ANARC, the
Association of North American Radio Clubs.  ANARC has a list available of its
constituent clubs, listing addresses, what the focus of each club is, club
publications, and current dues.  You can contact them by writing to ANARC, 2216
Burkey Dr., Wyomissing, PA 19610, USA.  You should include some form of return
postage when asking for the club list.  The WRTH contains contact addresses for
the clubs that constitute ANARC.

ANARC has counterpart organizations in Europe and the south Pacific.  The
European organization is the European DX Council (EDXC).  More information on
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.  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 Havana
Cuba's "DXers Unlimited" often offers construction tips for people who like to
do things themselves, especially for antennas.  And Saturday nights on WWCR
7435 kHz offer an excellent combination of Glenn Hauser's World of Radio, which
covers mostly DX tips, and Signals, a media magazine which covers a wide
variety of topics, including scanners, satellites, and shortwave.


o Addresses

Billboard Publications      Billboard Ltd.        WRTH
1515 Broadway               23 Ridgmount St.      Soliljevej 44
New York, NY  10036         London WC1E 7AH       DK-2650 Hvidovre
United States               United Kingdom        Denmark

Radio Nederland Receiver Guide         Passport to World Band Radio
Engineering Department                 International Broadcast Services, Ltd.
PO Box 222                             Box 300
1200 JG Hilversum                      Penn's Park, PA  18943 USA
The Netherlands

Electronic Equipment Bank              Gilfer Shortwave
137 Church St. N.W.                    52 Park Ave
Vienna, VA  22180 USA                  Park Ridge, NJ  07656 USA
800 368 3270 (orders)                  800 GILFER-1 (445-3371) (orders)
[phone] (local and             [phone] (New Jersey, business
   technical information)                 and technical)
[phone] (FAX)                   Free Catalog
Free catalog

Grove Enterprises                      Radio West
(also Monitoring Times)                850 Anns Way Drive
P.O. Box 98                            Vista, CA  92083 USA
Brasstown, NC 28902 USA                [phone]
800 438-8155 (toll free N. America)    Price list:  US$1
[phone]
Free Catalog

Universal Radio                        Popular Communications
6830 Americana Pkwy.                   76 North Broadway
Reynoldsburg, Ohio  43068 USA          Hicksville, NY  11801 USA
800 431-3939 (toll free N. America)
[phone]
SWL Catalog:  US$1.00

NASWA                                  TRS Consultants
45 Wildflower Road                     PO Box 2275
Levittown, PA 19057                    Vincentown, NJ 08088-2275
Membership costs:  US$25/yr;           [phone]
sample issue  US$2                     [phone] (FAX)
                                       E-mail: [e-mail]
                                       GEnie E-mail: T.SUNDSTROM
                                       Free catalog.

[Final note to readers not in North America; this article focuses largely on
North American sources and information.  This is simply because it is sometimes
difficult to find information on practices and sources outside of North America
from where I live.  If you have any suggestions to adapt this article to
readers around the world, they are more than welcome.]