In Canada, the US, and Europe, local FM/AM broadcasting is freely available. That means that you don’t really need to use shortwave radio. You can even create radio stations on the internet if you prefer.
However, in many other countries where local broadcasting is less accessible, shortwave still has a massive impact.
Shortwave stations can deliver a vital link to the rest of the world for people living in remote parts of the world. In a lot of communities, shortwave radio has emerged as a valuable way to reach marginalized communities.
This has lead to a surge in religious shortwave radio channels. You’ll find a lot of Christian sermons and other faith channels on shortwave.
Popular Shortwave Radio Receivers
- Eton/Grundig
- Tecsun
- Kaito
- CCrane
- Alinco (Out of production)
- Sangean
- Sony (Out of production)
- A.O.R. (USA made/Expensive)
- iCOM (Expensive)
- Yaesu (No new Equipment)
- Drake (Used only/Out of production)
- Radio Shack (Used Only/Out of production)
- Retekess (Low end)
- RTL-SDR Dongle ($35 Available online)
- RTL-SDR Software (Generally Free)
Shortwave Antenna Products
Personally, I like Tecsun receivers as they are very sensitive, very portable and offer many of the features found on larger more expensive radios. I prefer an external antenna jack over a clip on. I like the battery life on the newer Tecsun radios along with the faster recharge time.
I also like Kaito’s emergency radios as they offer multiple ways to charge. Solar and Hand Crank can prove priceless in the aftermath of a great disaster when electrical power and batteries are hard to come by.
Regardless of the nature of the emergency or disaster you will always fine someone broadcasting afterwards. Now, use your best judgement as it could be propagandas garbage or a hostile government trying to get you to surrender. But it could also be help and relief – A Hot meal and a shower.
At any rate a emergency or portable Shortwave radio is essential in any survivalists or preppers go bag!
Shortwave Listening: Tips on finding broadcasts.
When it comes to listening to shortwave broadcasts, it’s not going to be as easy or predictable as listening to local AM and FM broadcasts. Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to find shortwave stations.
- Shortwave Radio Stations do not generally operate 24/7 and where and when they operate could depend on the time of day and propagation.
- Invest in a good pair of head phones; headphones help you isolate sounds and can be a good way to hear weak stations.
- As a general rule of thumb, Shortwave reception is much better after the sun goes down. The best nighttime bands are from 5900-10000khz. During the day, the easiest frequencies are from 12000 to 22000.
- Most countries broadcast at least an hour of English-language broadcasts every day, some do a lot more.
General Shortwave Frequency Allocations
In the table below, we’ve expanded the normal band ranges to include those operating outside the bands — these are sometimes where you will find the most interesting content!
| Band | Frequency Range | Listening Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 120 meters | 2300–2495 MHz | Tropical Band; but the FCC allowed WWCR in Nashville, Tennessee to broadcast here. |
| 90 meters | 3200–3400 MHz | Tropical Band: used mainly by stations in the tropics. |
| 75 meters | 3900–4000 MHz | Shared with the US Ham Radio Bands. Restricted to 3950-4000 kHz in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Best reception is at night. |
| 60 meters | 4750–5060 MHz | Tropical Band: Popular in Brazil. |
| 49 meters | 5900–6200 MHz | You will hear a good mix of broadcasts from around the globe. |
| 41 meters | 7200–7600 MHz | Shared with the US Ham Radio Bands. Restricted to 7300-7450 kHz in the Americas. |
| 31 meters | 9400–9900 MHz | One of the most heavily used bands. |
| 25 meters | 11600–12200 MHz | Best during the summer months. |
| 22 meters | 13570–13870 MHz | Used in Eurasia |
| 19 meters | 15100–15830 MHz | Best during the summer. mostly during daytime hours. |
| 16 meters | 17480–17900 MHz | Highest frequency band; common to find stations using it every day. |
| 15 meters | 18900–19020 MHz | Pretty much unused; rumors it may become a DRM band |
| 13 meters | 21450–21850 MHz | Active in the Asia-Pacific region. |
| 11 meters | 25600–26100 MHz | Not a lot of activity; sometimes used for local DRM broadcasting and you may hear some high-power pirate CB guys. |
Shortwave Video’s
Military & Government Monitoring
Realistically if your including a Shortwave receiver in your Go Kit, your probably not going to be listening to your favorite radio station while your booking it across the country trying to avoid uncertain death. You are more than likely either trying to pick up uncensored news, security updates from the interior US and what our Military and Government are doing in response to the issue you are running from. Shortwave may not have everything your looking for but it has more than other equipment.
Amateur Radio Emergency Services or ARES will have nets active typically for everything from severe weather to some sort of invasion. You might not get certain “sensitive” information from those nets but you will be able to learn a lot.
When a National incident happens a lot of communications traffic is passed on HF because its faster and more secure than the internet and phone lines. The issue is its often not in simple voice mode. SHARES uses a data mode as do other groups and agencies. Many Federal departments operate on ALE networks and both Government and Ham operators use a variety of PSK modes. All of which is monitorable using a shortwave receiver and easy to obtain software.
Now, if this is a real SHTF kind of thing there could be a lot of government and military operating in simple phone (voice) and even CW (morse code) out in the clear. This is probably because Satellite communication has been knocked out and Internet, cellular and fax have all been severely damaged. The worlds largest telecom corporation AT&T keep HF frequency licenses for this very scenario and you are a head of the game having packed one in your go kit, lets hope that you wrapped it in a faraday material and its still working.
Today, there are several great websites and books available with all kinds of information for monitoring HF communications and beyond. Learning this stuff today could be your saving grace tomorrow.
Here is a good article about Military HF and its future.
Some of my favorites are:
- Milcom Monitoring post
- Military HF Communications
- Survive Doomsday
- Monitoring Times Hot 1000 HF Frequencies
