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Author Topic: Shortwave Listening  (Read 1315 times)

K1QQQ

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Shortwave Listening
« on: October 08, 2019, 09:27:58 PM »

I got into Amateur Radio in the mid-1960's as a Novice. I really enjoyed working the world on 10/15 with 75 watts and of coarse also 40/80 with quite allot of DX there also with 75 watts. Homebrew equipment. Always some construction articles at least with transmitters and it was soooo easy with available tubes and wiring between 'terminal boards', etc. Anything could be kept running forever. (almost)

Prior to Novice I recall tuning table radios listening to AM Broadcast when such was 'hot'.

I never spent any real time figuring out shortwave. Hey..you could be your own radio station so ?

2019. I am not sure how excited I can get over a Baofeng and the local repeater of which nobody seems to even talk on anymore. (oops..DMR craze ?)

Now everything is NOISE NOISE NOISE and 'no antennas' and who knows what. FT8 interesting but a short digit exchange on a fixed frequency ? Interesting.

2019. What is there to listen to ? AM Broadcast 530-1700 khz is still alive with most stations still transmitting. Yes..plagued by declines in listenership but financial is a big problem. Antenna site is worth far more for condos. NOISE-NOISE


What about shortwave ? I think allot of clubs have vanished but anybody know anything about this ? ::::::  http://www.naswa.net/journal/dues

When tuning shortwave why not know what is actually left there ?

Even above 30 mhz maybe this 'club' can bring ideas ? Anybody know anything about it ?    http://www.wtfda.org/

The National Radio Club for $15 a year you can keep up to all changes in AM Broadcast 530-1700 khz.  Internet/Email subscription.

http://nationalradioclub.org/

Now I see the North American Shortwave Club has a $15 deal.

SDR can only mean more listening options.


1 AM local time....just thinking....
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N8YX

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RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2019, 06:38:40 AM »

Go in search of utes, pirates, clandestines, HiFer beacons, aero mobile.

There's still plenty to listen to outside the traditional SWBC bands.
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KC6RWI

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RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2019, 10:08:08 AM »

I seem to never find the utility stations or pirate broadcasts, and air borne communications seem to evade me, I can pick up some west coast approach air freqs but they are weak..Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.
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RENTON481

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RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2019, 06:21:39 AM »

I just tune the bands (31m, 41m, and 49m) maybe once every evening or early morning and see if anything's on.

Lately, with prop being so bad, it usually hasn't been the case. The HF ham bands haven't been all that lively lately, either -- but maybe it's due to my not monitoring them as much as previously.

I've found short-wave.info a good site to help ID catches when I have trouble IDing them otherwise.

I used to tune in the utility bands (CW markers, marine SSB, aero SSB, etc.) but the last few times I tuned around earlier in this decade I didn't hear all that much so I lost interest.
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WB6FJD

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RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2019, 07:46:34 PM »

try Glenn Hauser's www.worldofradio.com for SW (& BCB/FM, etc) info..Glenn's "DX Listening Digest" has up-to-date (& accurate) SW/MW loggings, skeds, etc. & comes out (roughly) weekly...a good overall list of SWBC/some Utility stations is www.eibispace.de (it's time/frequency sorted)..HF Underground (www.hfunderground.com) will get you pirate/clandestine/SW/oddball SW info (& great pix of pirate radio QSLs)..www.radio.chobi.net (click on "Now On The Radio DX") is full of Asian DX (Korean/Chinese #s stations + SWBC)..


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KA3JJZ

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  • Posts: 38
RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2019, 02:25:51 PM »

A much better source of up to date utility logs can be had on the Utility DXers Forum (UDXF) reflector on the groups.io server. Some of you may remember the Worldwide Utility News (WUN) that was on Yahoo. The WUN closed down some years ago, and the UDXF took its place. The website is http://www.udxf.nl/

For SWBC stations, you will find that the Master Spreadsheet that Dan Ferguson puts out (updated very nearly daily, sometimes more) is rather hard to beat. It is a compilation of EiBi, HFCC and several other sources. It also has a text file that can be input for a Perseus SDR and is also importable into SDRPlay.  Look for the SWSKEDS forum on groups.io

Finally there are a number of applications - including Alexa and one for the IPhone and IPad. Check out the Schedules section of

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/SWL_Broadcast

Mike
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KQ4O

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  • Posts: 35
Re: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2019, 04:50:35 PM »

http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/images/solar-cycle-sunspot-number.gif

Things will pick up in a couple of years. I find that even a SSN of just 20 will make an enormous difference for the better.
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UTESWL

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  • Posts: 15
Re: RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2019, 10:26:39 AM »

I seem to never find the utility stations or pirate broadcasts, and air borne communications seem to evade me, I can pick up some west coast approach air freqs but they are weak..Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

What are you listening on? Maybe you need to upgrade to a decent SDR and Antenna. I have an SDRPlay RSP1a and W6LVP loop and pick up tons of utility and few pirate stations from back east too. You might want to read this article: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Short-Wave/Monitoring-Times-IDX/00s/Monitoring-Times-2011-12-OCR-Page-0054.pdf
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UTESWL

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Re: RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2019, 10:30:42 AM »

I just tune the bands (31m, 41m, and 49m) maybe once every evening or early morning and see if anything's on.

Lately, with prop being so bad, it usually hasn't been the case. The HF ham bands haven't been all that lively lately, either -- but maybe it's due to my not monitoring them as much as previously.

I've found short-wave.info a good site to help ID catches when I have trouble IDing them otherwise.

I used to tune in the utility bands (CW markers, marine SSB, aero SSB, etc.) but the last few times I tuned around earlier in this decade I didn't hear all that much so I lost interest.

Are you using an SDR or just randomly tuning around with a knob on an old radio? If you're doing the latter do yourself a favor and get an SDR so you can see large parts of the spectrum. Aero, Marine, Military and other SSB, CW and most importantly ALE traffic by its nature is intermittent, why tune around randomly hoping to find something interesting when you can just zero in on something when it pops up?
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RENTON481

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  • Posts: 330
Re: RE: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2019, 09:56:08 PM »

I just tune the bands (31m, 41m, and 49m) maybe once every evening or early morning and see if anything's on.

Lately, with prop being so bad, it usually hasn't been the case. The HF ham bands haven't been all that lively lately, either -- but maybe it's due to my not monitoring them as much as previously.

I've found short-wave.info a good site to help ID catches when I have trouble IDing them otherwise.

I used to tune in the utility bands (CW markers, marine SSB, aero SSB, etc.) but the last few times I tuned around earlier in this decade I didn't hear all that much so I lost interest.

Are you using an SDR or just randomly tuning around with a knob on an old radio? If you're doing the latter do yourself a favor and get an SDR so you can see large parts of the spectrum. Aero, Marine, Military and other SSB, CW and most importantly ALE traffic by its nature is intermittent, why tune around randomly hoping to find something interesting when you can just zero in on something when it pops up?

I tune with a knob. The SW Broadcast bands are pretty easy to find, and tune through. Same with the HF ham bands. I'm not really interested in utility broadcasts anymore. SWBC and hams (CW, SSB) are my HF interests.

Thanks for the tip, though.

If I were interested in utes I'd probably go the SDR route -- I can see how an SDR would be very useful for that. A lot of the guys who are into the various modes and ute stuff seem to use them.
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N4EF

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Re: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2019, 04:01:55 AM »

Today is Halloween.
Tonight, listen on 6950 kHz throughout the evening.
You’ll likely hear pirate stations.
Dave N4EF
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UTESWL

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  • Posts: 15
Re: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2019, 06:48:01 PM »

Today is Halloween.
Tonight, listen on 6950 kHz throughout the evening.
You’ll likely hear pirate stations.
Dave N4EF

Picked up Wolverine Radio on 6960 kHz
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K5TED

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Re: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2019, 08:15:44 PM »

There is a load of stuff available on SW. I listen to everything from BBC, to RHC to RCI to VOA every morning on the way to work with a IC-1000 and 54" mobile whip, and usually catch the WRMI music show on the way home.

If bands are good, I listen on amateur band stuff or ute bands.

Lots of oddball stuff out there.

From my car... 
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HFCRUSR

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Re: Shortwave Listening
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2019, 03:39:18 PM »

There is a load of stuff available on SW. I listen to everything from BBC, to RHC to RCI to VOA every morning on the way to work with a IC-1000 and 54" mobile whip, and usually catch the WRMI music show on the way home.

If bands are good, I listen on amateur band stuff or ute bands.

Lots of oddball stuff out there.

From my car...
That is very cool. Don't know where you are but to me it seems you're DXing some stuff with the BBC and VOA from overseas! I thought about doing a mobile setup in my Tacoma to accept my R75. Now that you stated what antenna you have for yours, if I go for it I know what to buy:)
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Not a ham, but an avid hobbyist in HF world. All things, short of transmit happen in this shack.
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