Start here · Essential guide
What Is Shortwave Radio Good For? Uses and Listening Tips
Learn what shortwave radio is good for: international broadcasts, news without the internet, outage backup, and a hobby. Includes simple tips to start listening.
Bands, Modes & Software
5 guides, starting with What Is Shortwave Radio Good For? Uses and Listening Tips.
Start here · Essential guide
Learn what shortwave radio is good for: international broadcasts, news without the internet, outage backup, and a hobby. Includes simple tips to start listening.
Shortwave is a range of frequencies; ham radio is a licensed two-way service that uses some of it. Learn how they differ in purpose, licensing and equipment.
Shortwave signals can sometimes travel thousands of miles. Learn how skywave works and which factors, from time of day to antenna and noise, affect distance.
A beginner-friendly overview of building a shortwave receiver: kit, IC board or regenerative design, tools, antenna wire, testing, troubleshooting and safety.
Shortwave radio covers roughly 3 to 30 MHz. See the main broadcast bands, how ham bands fit in, and which frequencies tend to work by day or night.
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