RadioBanter - View Single Post

January 17th 05, 05:08 PM

wrote:
Hello, I've just about given up on trying to understand Shortwave
Bands. Can't find any info on the internet! I can't believe I can't
find this info on the internet!

I'm looking at purchasing a shortwave radio. I've seen radios that
showcase SW1/sw2/sw3/sw4/ etc...

Then I see radios that showcase MW/LW/SW/PS? (poice scanner)? etc...

Ok so are the MW/LW/SW/PS ... the same as SW1/SW2/SW3/ etc.?

In other words if I buy a radio with say 6 or 10 shortwaves does that
mean I can tune in to MW/LW/SW/PS and so forth? I wanna be able to
listen to the marine channels, police scanners, aviation talk, and then
all of the world bands out there. YOu see I cannot even get the
terminology right. I'm having a lot of trouble just trying to learn
this stuff so I can go out and buy the DAMN radio!!!

so in essence I want to listen to all the bands or waves that are
available to me. I wanna see what interests me ... I thought listening
to all these bands were neat. Say can you also listen in to the NASCAR
races on SW radios? I notice you can buy a scanners that does just
that...

It *is* confusing, isn't it?!

There is only one shortwave band. However, for technical design reasons
many radios split that one band into multiple "slices". For example, I
have a Grundig YB300 which splits shortwave into SW1 (2.3-7.8MHz) and
SW2. (9.1-26.1MHz) Another radio, a "boom box", splits shortwave into
SW1 (2.3-7.0MHz) and SW2. (7-22MHz) Yet another radio covers
1.711-30MHz in a single band.

Kinda like the way older TV sets used to have separate dials for VHF and
UHF, while newer TVs tune all the channels the same way.

It's the outer limits of the MHz values that determine what you can
hear. All three radios can hear a station on 5.965MHz. None of them
could hear a station on 30.5MHz. Only the latter two could hear a
station on 8.2MHz.

As a VERY, VERY general rule any radio that splits SW into multiple
slices is of poorer quality than one that can receive all SW as a single
slice. On the other hand, it is also much less expensive.

MW: Medium Wave. Same thing as regular AM radio.

LW: Long Wave. In North America, you may find low-powered air
navigation beacons here. (in Europe, there are AM broadcast stations on
LW. Under exceptional conditions you might hear them on the
U.S./Canadian East Coast.)

PS: Public Service. Police, fire, etc.. Most radios that cover both
shortwave and public service perform REALLY, REALLY BADLY on the public
service band. You'll probably be able to hear the Weather Service near
162.5MHz but not much else unless you live next door to a police station.

NASCAR on scanners: What they're doing is tuning in to the two-way
radios the drivers use to talk to their pit crews. These communications
are VERY short-distance. You have to actually be at the track to hear
them. In theory a radio with the PS band could hear these transmissions
but I don't think performance will be very good, and you'll still have
to be at the track.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com