"Rev. Tim McIntire" wrote in message
...
Hey, all...

I'm a moderate shortwave enthusiast (in that my time and budget don't
allow
me to go hogwild and buy/build all the cool toys I want), and I'm curious
about amateur/ham radio. Where's the best place to maybe listen in and
hear
what's up? I've got a YB 400 PE with a randomwire antenna, and I'm in the
Northeast.

Hi Rev. Tim,

I'm a ham and shortwave listener. For the best chance of hearing SSB
activity, try the 20 meter ham band most any time, day or night. Twenty
meters is probably the most-used of all the amateur radio HF frequencies.
The SSB portion is from 14150 KHz to 14350 KHz. You can also check out the
40 meter band from 7150-7300 KHz, best in the evenings, and the 10 meter
band is good in the daytime from about 28300-28800 KHz (the band goes up
higher than that, to 29700 KHz where you will find FM communications, but
most of the SSB transmissions will be in the range I stated).

There are other ham bands to listen to as well... 17 meters is almost as
good as 20 meters in terms of propagation, but there is less activity on it
and no contesting allowed-- try 18100-18168 KHz.

15 meters SSB can be found from 21200-21450 KHz. I have mainly used this
band for contesting and it seems to be used more in the daytime than night
(in my experience).

80 meters is definitely a nighttime band, best heard with longish outdoor
antennas, but even with an indoor antenna like me, you can still hear hams
chatting on the SSB portion from 3750-4000 KHz. Be warned, however, the
language and attitudes that can often be picked up on this particular group
of frequencies isn't the most "family friendly", if you get my drift. I tend
to stay away from it for that reason.

The frequencies I listed above are for SSB voice transmission sections of
the ham bands-- those below these frequencies are reserved for code and
digital modes. If you'd like to hear Morse code transmissions, check out the
frequencies below the lowest ones listed above in each band, and you'll hear
ditting and dah-ing away.

GL es best DX,

Jackie in "Zero Land"