Understanding Shortwave Bands

The Key to Successfully Using Your Shortwave Radio
  Now that you have a shortwave radio, no doubt you'll want to hear worldwide stations right away. What is shortwave? What will you hear? Shortwave is a broadcast frequency range that allows stations' signals to be heard over vast distances, usually thousands of miles. You'll hear news and information along with culturally oriented programming, sometimes including music. The programming may or may not be biased or propagandized.

If you're new to shortwave, please take some time to learn the basics outlined below. To successfully listen to shortwave stations you must know how to find them. They are found in the shortwave bands. If you're an experienced shortwave listener, you'll know what bands are and how to use them, but if you're new, you'll need to learn about bands first. After that you will have excellent success. Please read on.

Some Basic Rules of Thumb
  • Night shortwave reception is usually better than daytime shortwave. This can change from time-to-time, so it's worth checking the bands during the day as well.
  • Shortwave is usually better in the winter than other times of year.
  • Typically, the best daytime shortwave bands are 13, 15, 16, 19, and 22 meters, 16 and 19 usually the best. At night, the best bands are 25, 31, 41 and 49 meters, with 31 and 49 usually best.
  • Around sunset and sunrise, both the day and night bands may often be exceptionally good,often making listening at these times quite rewarding.
  • Because the construction materials of some buildings severely block shortwave signals, it may be best to hold the radio in your hands and get very close to a window or use an external antenna mounted next to the window or outside.

What are Bands?
This is the most important concept to learn right away. If you have ever listened to AM or FM radio, then you already know what a band is. In North America, the AM band is a frequency range stretching from 530 to 1710 kilohertz; the FM band is 88-108 megahertz. A band is a frequency range where stations are located. When looking for stations in these 'bands,' you will tune around with the tuning buttons (or the tuning knob on an analog radio) until you find a station you like. Shortwave is similar and the shortwave bands have names like 25 meters, 31 meters, 49 meters, etc. These are abbreviated 25m, 31m and 49m. Just like in AM and FM radio, one simply gets into the shortwave band and tunes around, looking for stations.
Each band represents a frequency range, as shown in the band chart below. For example, the 19 meter shortwave band encompasses the frequency range of 15100 to 15600 kilohertz. Since some radios show frequency in megahertz (MHz) and some in kilohertz (KHz), both are shown here. Look at your radio's tuning scale or its digital display to determine which frequency designation it uses in shortwave. On some shortwave radios these frequencies will look like 15100 KHz, 15105 KHz or 15110 KHz and on other radios they might look like 15.1 MHz, 15.105 MHz or 15.11 MHz. The exact frequency ranges for these bands may vary somewhat from one radio model to another. This is perfectly OK. On some radios the band names, e.g. 19 meters, are clearly marked, on others they are not marked at all. If it is not apparent how to get into a band on your radio, consult the owner's manual.

A Helpful Analogy About Bands
A shortwave band is like a street with many addresses on it. In this case, the individual addresses are called frequencies, each one a potential home of a broadcaster. For example, in the 19 meter band (it could be called 19 Meter Street), 15110 kilohertz is the home of Radio Spain International, 15190 is the home of BBC World Service and 15275 is the home of Deutsche Welle (Germany). As on any street, the occupants at a specific address are not always at home.

Day and Night Bands
Shortwave Band Chart
BAND MEGAHERTZ (MHz) KILOHERTZ (KHz)
120 m 2.300-2.500 MHz 2300-2500 KHz
90 m 3.20-3.40 MHz 3200-3400 KHz
75 m 3.90-4.00 MHz 3900-4000 KHz
60 m 4.750-5.060 MHz 4750-5060 KHz
49 m 5.950-6.20 MHz 5950-6200 KHz
41 m 7.10-7.60 MHz 7100-7600 KHz
31 m 9.20-9.90 MHz 9500-9900 KHz
25 m 11.600-12.200 MHz 11600-12100 KHz
22 m 13.570-13.870 MHz 13570-13870 KHz
19 m 15.10-15.80 MHz 15100-15800 KHz
16 m 17.480-17.90 MHz 17480-17900 KHz
13 m 21.450-21.850 MHz 21450-21850 KHz
11 m 25.60-26.10 MHz 25600-26100 KHz
Day Bands vs. Night Bands
Because shortwave signals depend on such factors as the sun, the ionosphere and interaction with the earth itself, signals cannot be heard on all bands throughout the day. Some bands are best during the daylight hours, and some are best at night. In general, the bands with frequencies below 13 MHz (13000 KHz) are better at night and the bands with frequencies above 13 MHz (13000 KHz) are best during the day.

Sunset and Sunrise "Often the best time to listen."
This is when shortwave signals are often strongest and clearest, during a window of time around sunset and sunrise. Sometimes it's a two-hour window, at other times three or four hours. Experiment to determine when it's best in your area.

Daytime Listening
Shortwave listening is generally at its poorest during the daylight hours of about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The major reason for this is that the broadcasters are not transmitting to regions at this time, assuming that we are all either at work or at school and are not able to listen during the day. In North America, daytime shortwave tends to be best in the East and Midwest.

The day bands are 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25 meters, often with 16 and 19 being the best. In the summer, these bands may stay open into the evening hours.
Evening/Night Listening
This is the best time to listen, because the broadcasters are deliberately transmitting to you, wherever you are, at least up to about 11 pm. These bands may be extremely good around sunset and sunrise too.

The night bands are 25, 31, 41, 49 and 60 meters. In the winter, these bands produce results earlier than in the summer months, often starting around 3 pm on 25 and 31 meters and 5 pm on 41, 49 and 60 meters. In the summer these bands start later, around 5 pm for 25 and 31 meters and around 7 pm for 41, 49 and 60.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Getting close to a window may substantially improve reception. Shortwave signals penetrate single-level wood frame buildings easiest, while concrete and brick buildings, multi-story and metal roofed structures often block signals. In such situations, position the radio as close to a window as possible. Holding it may also help. Use an external antenna if necessary.

Shortwave Directory
We recommend the use of a comprehensive shortwave directory, especially to seek specific countries or to determine what you're listening to. Such a directory lists the countries broadcasting on shortwave, showing their language, target area, broadcast time and frequency that is used. A frequency-by-frequency listing helps to determine what is being heard. The two such directories listed below are found in major bookstores, on-line bookstores and from the antenna retailers noted later. These and other ources of shortwave broadcast information can be found via your favorite search site by searching for shortwave broadcast schedules.

PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO, published by International Broadcasting Services (IBS). WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK, Published by WRTH Publications, Ltd.
Shortwave Antennas
An external shortwave antenna, especially when mounted outside, can greatly enhance reception. If your shortwave radio has an antenna socket, professionally engineered antennas can usually be used. etón Corporation does not manufacture or sell shortwave antennas, however, there are many excellent models available to significantly enhance your shortwave reception.

NOTE: When ordering any antenna, let the retailer know what radio it's for and that you want the proper plug fitting or adaptor installed on the coaxial cable for your model, or else the antenna's coax cable won't plug into the radio's antenna socket. This may cost a few dollars more, but it's well worth it and saves you time if such fittings and adaptors are not available from a local store in your area.

Full-Sized Passive Shortwave Antennas
These normally give the best performance. Generically they have names such as dipoles, trapped dipoles, parallel dipoles and slopers. They are characteristically fed with 50 or 75 ohm coaxial cable that leads to the radio's antenna socket. Even when built from instructions in a book, such antennas are an 'engineered system,' thus optimizing performance.
Active Shortwave Antennas (usually small)
Active antennas are much smaller than others and employ the use of amplifiers to compensate for their small size. There are many models to choose from. They usually do not perform as well as passive or non-amplified, professionally engineered models but are useful when a short, small size is needed.

Shortwave Antennas for Use on Boats
RF Systems makes the model MARINE BALUN KIT (about $90 USD), which can turn a backstay or a long piece of wire into an efficient shortwave receiving antenna. McKay Dymek makes the model DA-100EM (about $200 USD), mountable on a mast or railing, the antenna being only about 1.5 meter high (4 ft. 8 in.).

Long-Wire Shortwave Antennas
If your radio does not have an antenna socket, or if you want to take a simpler or less costly approach, this type of antenna can improve signal levels. Understand, however, that this is not an engineered system and noise levels may still be quite high. Such antennas are attached directly to the radio's telescopic antenna with an 'alligator' clip or other secure attachment device.

AM Antennas
We are often asked about AM antennas. Such antennas, usually AM-Loop antennas, are made by a variety of manufacturers and often work extremely well to boost signals. One brand, Select-A-Tenna, is a time-proven performer and includes models ranging from about $60-$200.
Finding Antennas
One way to find antennas is by performing a search on the Internet. The following retailers are known to sell such products:
Time Stations
These stations broadcast Universal Time (GMT), usually 24 hours per day.
CHU-time(Canada) 3330 Best at night
CHU-time(Canada) 7335 Day/night
CHU-time(Canada) 14670 Best during daylight
WWV-time/weather(US) 2500 Best at night
WWV-time/weather(US) 5000 Best at night
WWV-time/weather(US) 10000 Day/night
WWV-time/weather(US) 15000 Best during daylight
WWV-time/weather(US) 20000 Best during daylight