Often regarded as one of the most popular audio technology hobbies, shortwave makes it easy to pick up streams far and wide.
However, because shortwave isn’t quite the same as AM/FM listening, it can also be a little confusing. If you’ve already purchased a shortwave radio product but you’re not sure where to find the right signals, don’t panic.
There are plenty of great resources out there to assist you in finding a set of good shortwave stations.
Here’s what you need to know to jump in.
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Before we discuss some of the active shortwave stations available today, let’s get the basics out of the way. SW radio stations aren’t the same as AM/FM broadcasts. Browsing through shortwave channels can be quite confusing for beginners.
There aren’t any options for things like the BBC or Kiss FM.
To listen to shortwave radio, you’ll need a shortwave radio kit.
Tools like the Eton Elite with its classic selection of radio stations are a great choice. You could also consider survival-ready shortwave solutions like the Mesqool hand-crank radio.
The time of day, the equipment you have, and even your position (rural or urban) will impact the kind of shortwave stations you can listen to.
A few tips to keep in mind before you start searching for US shortwave stations include:
If you’re struggling to find good shortwave radio stations from your handset, check online. There are various websites available to list shortwave channels. However, the best way to use shortwave websites is usually to pinpoint schedules and frequencies.
There are various kinds of shortwave radio stations to discover when you’re browsing on your new device. International broadcasting is usually the most desired option for many SW lovers.
You can access to things like government-sponsored propaganda and international news through shortwave. There’s also support for domestic shortwave stations, where you can find similar channels to what you hear on your AM/FM device.
Many of the shortwave stations you’ll find in domestic regions are highly political, religious, or alternative in some way. There are a handful of non-commercial and commercial individual broadcasts out there too.
Other channels you may find include:
There are also a handful of less common shortwave stations out there, like mysterious numbers stations where people broadcast random numbers over the airways. Clandestine stations are still an option too, where you can hear about rebellion, political movements, and even civil wars.
According to the World Radiocommunication Conference, there are specific bands for various services around the world. For instance, 2.3-2.495 is typically a “tropical” band, while 9.4 to 9.9 is one of the most heavily used bands.
If you’re looking for active stations around the world right now, here are some great options. Notably, we’ll be listening the name of the station, the frequency, and the time the frequency is available in UTC.
The most common reason to get involved with shortwave radio is to hear from different cultures and discover exotic music from around the world. However, you can also listen to a range of more local reports through shortwave too.
If the above frequencies are a little too complex for you, then you might prefer to start by exploring some of this US shortwave station instead:
Voice of America is an international broadcaster supported by the American congress. Regarded as the largest and oldest international broadcaster funded by the government, VOA produces a host of content in up to 47 different languages.
The VOA broadcasts include:
Other shortwave radio stations US customers might listen to include:
The more you experiment with shortwave technology, the easier it becomes to find shortwave stations you can continue to listen to. With tools like the Retekess V115 it’s relatively easy to explore various frequencies with your tuner, and save presets you want to access again.
Products like the TECSUN R-9012 also allow radio lovers to explore AM, FM, and Shortwave radio at the same time.
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