TRRS

After months of listening to me whine about the poor reception on shortwave radio, the bands are popping with stations tonight. Shortwave radio is not dead. So dust off those shortwave radios and do some scanning of the bands.
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Remember, I am no expert so take everything you see with that in mind.
Thanks for watching.

[@sigint99]

Monitoring the HF bands is still more interesting and challenging than clicking on mindless web pages full of disinformation and advertising.

[@hamrad88]

sigint99 Interesting this comment says it was posted 3 weeks ago and for me it just showed up. Thanks for your comments. Tom

[@philbabb6460]

true but tbf I got here by mindless clicking so there's room for both :)

[@aaronhyde5249]

There are few things that I enjoy more than tuning around the shortwave bands with my Tecsun PL-880 and its included external antenna.

[@renekenshin6573]

I built my own regenerative shortwave receiver and been listening to international broadcast every night, my favorite is the local ATC on single sideband. SW is far from dead.

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for your report.

[@MrPalmguy]

Well guys, I retired to the Philippines earlier this year. I'm using a Sangean ATS 803A with the original 52 inch whip and Im listening to tons of enjoyment this evening on 49 meters. Cant make me believe SW is almost dead.

[@4nradio782]

What's probably happening at 14:27+ when the 9445 station sounds better with attenuation is not that the tuned station is too powerful, but that you have another very strong "in band" station. The attenuator helps the dynamic range of the radio and improves its overloading characteristics. Without attenuation the background noise is higher, with some garbled audio breakthrough. The attenuator and RF gain control are two of the most useful controls on a receiver.

[@hamrad88]

Thank you for your very useful comment. I agree 100% but still no expert at tuning. Tom

[@bobskie321]

Back then in 1980s most radio cassettes includes Short Wave band. I still have those. The tape still works although I had already replaced the belt several times. Despite it's over 30 years old it's still strong in pulling Short Wave signals. Many Short Wave stations are loud and clear here in the Philippines. During night I can receive signals in both SW1 (2.3 - 6+ MHz) & SW2 (7 - 22 MHz) but during daytime only SW2 stations are receivable. Back then in 1980s Short Wave signals are congested specially at night but now only few left most are Chinese few are English and other languages.

[@hamrad88]

+bobskie321 Thanks for your report. There is still a lot of activity on shortwave but it is harder to find.

[@ezl7052]

Sunday night (11/09/2014) CST at around 9:00 PM and on those frequencies were really open for DX broadcasts. I was using the Grundig Satellite 800 at the time on just a groundplane antenna set for 10 meters.

[@hamrad88]

Wish I had an 800. Tom

[@jackimyers9364]

Not dead yet. I picked up 35 shortwave stations yesterday with my old DX-300.

[@hamrad88]

Awesome. Thanks for the report and have a great day.

[@sirdarklust]

Shortwave radio is a comatose patient on the verge of death. Anyone who doesn't know this hasn't been into the SWL/DX hobby for decades, as I have. The number of stations on the air is a small fraction of what it was even 20 years ago. Don't think that because small radios are selling that it means a great interest in SW; it means a great interest in the religious junk permeating the SW bands. Also, many of the radios are being sold to old SWLers, who are collecting them. These days, old SWLers own multiple radios, more than they did in the past, when they were more expensive. It's sad, but in 5-10 years, SW will be a novelty.

[@hamrad88]

sirdarklust There is still a lot out there. You just have to look harder.

[@sirdarklust]

hamrad88 No matter how much you look, you won't find what isn't there. Even 20 years ago you could find 30 or more stations beaming to North America during prime time (0000-0400 UTC). Now? Maybe 4 or 5 non-religious broadcasters? Come on. I respect you and your videos, but shortwave is nearly gone, like it or not. I grew up on it and have seen it waste away. In a few years we will be telling people about this :thing that used to exist called shortwave radio." It's very sad, indeed, but let's be realistic.

[@vargas095]

sirdarklust SWL is almost dead, I've been a ham radio operator for over 40 years. I use to listen also to SW bands during the cold war years and the bands were jumping with many stations from all over the world. I also lived in the caribbean in the 70's and that was fantastic. I returned to the states in the early 80's and did not get back into radios until recently and bought a shortwave receiver, hung a long wire antenna and to my surprise the bands were dead, all I could hear were a couple of stations and the most powerful stations were religious. I sold the radio and I am getting back into ham radio. SWL is dead, no doubt about it.

[@ChorltonM21]

sirdarklust You forget to mention all the China Radio International. Take away the christian, muslim and CRI broadcasts and there's not a lot left now.

[@enotes9]

citizens in a small part of the world may have modern means of communication, but by and large, the large majority of people rely on radio. it is easy to make the mistake that everyone knows what is trending on twitter, or facebook, but it isn't the way things really are. Even here in South Korea, AM radio is alive and well.

[@Radionut]

Good stuff. I spend several hours a day with my radios tuning the bands and trust me there is not a single dead zone anywhere. I especially like the number stations

[@hamrad88]

There is plenty out there but right now a lot of it is below the noise level.

[@gregsmith7428]

I recall in the 80's tuning into BBC, Radio Netherlands, DW, and numerous religious stations HCJB in Quito for one. Most interesting was sirens and barking dogs leading into The Hour of the Time with Bill Cooper. SWL was like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you'd get any night.

[@Jakthehero33]

I've been interested in radio more and more over the years, and am very amazed and interested in shortwave and ham for how far it goes. Just recently got a cheap shortwave radio just to check them out. Soon I wanna try for my technicians license for ham and take after my grandfather who had a general license in ham. Radio is awesome

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for your comments. Yes, shortwave and amateur radio can be a lot of fun.

[@rattbastardo]

hamrad88 us

[@szaki]

I have 2 SW radio, Sony ICF 7500 and DX-440. Just dust them off the other day! Well, I can imagine SW being dead, since on my Nokia mobile phone I can get thousands of radio stations from all around the world in HQ and local FM stations using the earphones as an FM loop antenna! Works well! Now the cost of internet is another thing!

[@hamrad88]

szaki Thanks for your comments. Tom

[@ledexpress]

Great video. What type of antenna are you using for this shortwave Radio?

[@hamrad88]

+ledexpress2014 G5RV

[@SpectreOZ]

Glad things are looking up for you that side of the globe... so we can look forward to more radio comparison's within reviews.

[@hamrad88]

That is the plan. :) Tom

[@tomm7096]

The Radio Romania you are listening to is broadcast from WRMI in Okechobee, FL

[@stupullenchannel3525]

These are the finest radios for the intermediate operator .... Satellite 750 ,would never rid my self of this, ever😁😁😁

[@hamrad88]

Mine has served me well.

[@WvhKerkhof]

Still a lot of radiostations from Sudan, Turkey, IraQ, USA, Chili, Bangladesh on the shortwave in 2019!

[@hamrad88]

Correct.

[@ashfordramrattan3467]

Thanks extremely helpful for us newcomers to the hobby.commendable effort at the topic that short wave is not dead.

[@hamrad88]

It is definitely not dead however listening conditions have been poor for the past two years but now things are improving. See my recent shows.

[@bobahlberg6360]

when you find a station what guide are you using to find what station it is?

[@paganphil100]

+Bob Ahlberg Just search on Google for "shortwave radio frequencies"......lots of sites will tell you what the stations are.

[@timothystockman7533]

80 meters was open to Europe a few nights ago. I worked a couple stations in UK and one in Belgium on LSB using 100 watts into an 85 foot end-fed antenna. --de N3TS

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for the report.

[@billymoretti8437]

Thanks for this! I've been thinking about getting into shortwave..looks like I'll be joining the club soon!

[@Antenna101]

Hello! I started this hobby in 2020! Im worried shortwave might die. I hope it wont!

[@hamrad88]

I will not die anything soon. However due to the low solar activity, reception is poor right now if you live in the US. The good news is that they are improving everyday. Check out my other videos.

[@Antenna101]

@@hamrad88 Interesting,thank you for replying! Im next to croatia and shortwave is amazing here 24/7!

[@hamrad88]

@@Antenna101 Yes, Europe still has a lot of shortwave stations.

[@aureliusprimus]

Really a beautiful work... I saw you want to know what were the frequencies on your computer.. Can you tell me if there is a internet site for this ? In this week, I shall receive my new Tecsun S2000 (also the same one that Grundig Satellit 750) and Kenwood R2000, I hope in good condition...

[@hamrad88]

+Aurelius Primus There are several websites. I use short-wave.info.

[@aureliusprimus]

+hamrad88 you mean the kenwood r2000 and tecsun s2000 can be good receivers ?

[@hamrad88]

+Aurelius Primus They are both pretty good radios. Their were some problems with the early productions of each but they were fixed later on.

[@aureliusprimus]

+hamrad88 thanks !!! you know I saw a auction on e bay about grundig 800 millenium... but I loose it

[@aureliusprimus]

+hamrad88 Hello Tom If you can tell me : I have the tecsun s2000 and the kenwood r5000. Now I have the possibility to have a yaesu fr 7000 or aa kenwood r5000. What would you suggest to me as a choice ?

[@justinellison4214]

Its a damn nice well preforming high end reciever. KC9SKR.

[@cmvb69]

What website were you using to look the frequencies up ?

[@hamrad88]

short-wave.info

[@OtterLakeFlutes]

Yes, and people parrot things they expect and hear, like "This is not a good time, esp. for AM..." because they looked at an 11-year sunspot trend calendar. But things hop, here and there, all the time, and there are always regulars piercing through with pure beef, too. And after I went from an atheistic agnostic to unexpectedly interacting with God on an hourly basis now, suddenly there are way more stations to listen to for longer periods, haha! You know, the ones I used to kinda roll past.

[@aureliusprimus]

Hi Tom Can you tell me how the radio is connected to your antenna ? I know there are some BNC connections on the radio, and yours seems to be a PL one ?

[@hamrad88]

For this setup there is a BNC to PL adapter.

[@aureliusprimus]

+hamrad88 thanks a lot... ☺

[@hamrad88]

You are welcome.

[@levynatan]

Hello Thank you for your videos are very helpful Can you tell me please the site you use to have the ID of the broadcaster you are listening? Thank you in advance 73

[@hamrad88]

Sure.... www.short-wave.info/index.php

[@horsewhisperer5751]

hi,tom my eton 750 as stopped changing over from external to interanal antenna useing the switch on the side,help will a fm external antenna help me to pick up fm again.

[@danvanlandingham3854]

I've DXed Radio Romania in the past as I've logged the Voice of Turkey,Kuwaiti Radio and the Philippines on a couple of occasions.These were on my Realistic DX 160,my Grundig S 450 DLX or any number of my old Hallicrafters and National general coverage receivers.I don't log them all the time as I did in fifty years ago on a circa 1936 vintage Wards Airline three band tombstone I gave $2.00 for in 1968.

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for your comments.

[@brentjaybush8626]

The sad reality is, stations are dropping like flies. Other than a small number of SWLs, there are no listeners.

[@hamrad88]

The number of listeners is growing everyday since shortwave radios are very cheap and in remote countries its their only form of communications.

[@jkssr1885]

Good good stuff tnx.. Im trying to find that grundig for 250.00 but cant any place you know of for that price?

[@hamrad88]

Jim- Hamradio Unfortunately, they have become very popular again and the price has gone up. Amazon has them for $299.

[@jsmit7384]

We're on a flat earth under a dome, that's what the signals bounce off of, hi from Van. , B.C.

[@hamrad88]

+j smit hey

[@Kennynva]

What do you think of the 800 version in this radio??? I hear they had alot of problems with it...but after it goes back to Drake two times...

[@hamrad88]

I have an 800 (later version) and it works great. See my reviews.

[@BodyTransformationDubai]

Greetings, I needed a SW for sports radios in Europe, mostly England and Spanish/Italian if possible. Can you guys tell me if this is possible living in Portugal and what is the best equipment for that? Appreciate it

[@hamrad88]

I have no personal experience with listing to sports on shortwave but I would think so. Maybe some of my other viewers in that part of the country will give you some insight. You could use the websdr website to at least try out some stations. Tom

[@BodyTransformationDubai]

But what is the best equipment for what I'm looking for? What price ranges are we talking?

[@hamrad88]

FailHQ For under $100, I like the Degen 1103. See my reviews. Tom

[@BodyTransformationDubai]

you mean Degen DE13 AM/FM/SW emergency radio?

[@hamrad88]

FailHQ No. www.amazon.com/DEGEN-Digital-Shortwave-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B006O3R3WK

[@tonymagnier9846]

How does this radio compare with Big Bertha?

[@hamrad88]

Berta is a 10 and this is a 7.

[@tonymagnier9846]

@@hamrad88 cheers Tom, hope all is well, 73s

[@user-pf8ph3eq6j]

What is the manufacture of this device

[@hamrad88]

Grundig

[@user-pf8ph3eq6j]

Is the German industry

[@hamrad88]

@@user-pf8ph3eq6j Yes but the were bought out years ago.

[@user-pf8ph3eq6j]

​@@hamrad88Did the company move to China?

[@skinkle777]

You should start using glove puppets LOL....

[@charliedontsurf70]

tom,do you have any videos of numbers stations broadcasts?

[@hamrad88]

Sorry, no.

[@jkssr1885]

Really like your vid Tom but the SWL is dead. Im a ham and sold all the hf gear. Did mostly cw since 1991 and the FCC got rid of cw now its almost all gone with SWL. so sad i had fun on it.

[@greggaieck4808]

Toms radio room your Grandig 750 is so awesome

[@timedriverable]

I have the Grundig satellite and am wondering if running a ground makes a difference in reception? Thanx in advance.

[@hamrad88]

It will depend on the antenna your are using. I am using a G5RV antenna which is a dipole antenna and the center conductor is connected to one leg of the dipole and the ground to the other.

[@timedriverable]

@@hamrad88 Yeah I have an inverted V for my kenwood...but its down now from the snow up here in the sierras.I just want to listen to am on my old Grundig. I'm at 5000ft

[@hamrad88]

@@timedriverable The 750 has a good MW (AM) antenna which is directional and should be all you need providing you don't have a lot of RF noise near the radio.

[@timedriverable]

@@hamrad88 From another video recently I learned that if you dont have the original ac power supply you wont be able to receive any shortwave which I'm not getting right now. I can receive fm but no am as well.I have a "switchable power supply with my choice of different voltages up to 12 volts and only 1 amp. But am getting overwhelming noise.With an S9 signal.Hope this makes sense. 73's

[@hamrad88]

@@timedriverable Right now most people can not get shortwave stations especially if they live in the US. We are a solar cycle minimum and listening to shortwave is almost impossible but things should start improving this year.

[@wesleymccurtain166]

"Shortwave " is dead????? Hahahahahaha. Those people are crazy because I can walk outside with a piece of crap DX 375 with parts about to fall off of it due to cheapness and time of use in. I can hear LOTS of stations on any given night with that just standing outside where there is really too much EM noise. I can drive to a remote spot and hear all kinds of stuff all night long on SW radio. Especially everything lower than 10 MHz.

[@hamrad88]

+wesley mccurtain Thanks for your comments.

[@wesleymccurtain166]

You are very welcome.

[@weatherchaser1166]

Some of the "dead" reviewers need a hug

[@zach0gr]

Every year at least 2-3 stations are closed read my main mesage on the top As for today i have lost RSG on 3320 from meyerton It was my beacon for this band.

[@zwayer2112]

Hey Tom, I just bought the new ccrane skywave ssb radio today. How do you install and use the shortwave reel antenna?It came with the radio and im not sure how to set it up .

[@hamrad88]

You clip it to the telescopic antenna. It should be used outside as there is too much RF noise inside buildings.

[@zwayer2112]

hamrad88 place it vertical or horizontal?

[@szaki]

I think, SW is alive in rural areas, where internet is limited or not available and that's the only communication that can be used! Problem in cities and apartments, larger antennas are prohibited outside the walls!

[@hamrad88]

szaki Very valid points. Tom

[@jtinalexandria]

Shortwave radio is definitely dying as a medium. You can't cite the fact that there's still a tiny handful of international SW broadcasters active (China, Turkey, Romania, NZ, BBC World Service in a vastly reduced form, and a few US-based religious crazies) to prove that "SW is certainly not dead!". The true value of a shortwave receiver now, brand new, is only about 1/100 what it was during the early-mid 1990s, because there's only about 1/100 the useful broadcasting going on now, on the SW bands, as there was back then.

[@cristixav]

At 17:10 you didn't recognize the voice of Pope Francis speaking in Italian it was most probably Vatican Radio, and not a LAm station on 9460. Cerrik is in Albania, which is not in the Middle East, but in the Balkan Peninsula (Europe). The SW and MW transmitters in Albania have been buil by the Chinese and since the 1990 they are using them for China Radio Int. transmissions. Other broadcasters are using those too, such as the Evangelical TWR Europe.

[@hamrad88]

cristixav Thanks for taking the time to provide those corrections. Tom

[@jkssr1885]

wow loog guys TALKING HANDS hi hi. Kidding asside i enjoy the shows thanks.

[@anndeefam]

ok here it is 2019 and I'm scrolling through the freq on my sw radio and its is dead, nothing but static.

[@hamrad88]

It will get better as the solar conditions change but it will take a few years except for an occasional improvement. We are in the 11 year cycle low.

[@hamrad88]

I wish I had a good answer. Shortwave conditions will improve.

[@archerpiperii2690]

Could you expand on that please?

[@hamrad88]

@@archerpiperii2690 do a search for solar cycle or solar flux index.

[@Grunta5]

I've been listening since 1978. S.w is pretty much a thing of the past. All the dozens of major broadcasters have closed down. Used to be a fantastic hobby with many English broadcasters. Thank the internet for it's demise.

[@greggaieck4808]

Toms radio room your utube videos are awesome

[@jandejong6498]

A tragedy: bij using many digital devices in my house it is impossible to listen to my Kenwood R5000.!

[@hamrad88]

Same here. Must use outside antenna.

[@jandejong6498]

Thanks for your advice! I am going to try several options! Happy Newyear!

[@alexlutza]

hello from Romania via internet

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

[@zwayer2112]

Place it vertically or horizontally?

[@hamrad88]

Verically. As high as you can get it away from power lines and buildings.

[@zwayer2112]

Hey thanks , Im looking forward to watching all of your videos this weekend.I hope i can find cool things to listen too. thanks so much for your time tom.

[@snapletgames4086]

What is your callsign?

[@jroysdon]

No callsign is required to listen to the radio. Only if you're going to transmit do you need a callsign (such as on the Amateur Radio bands). Grundig and other shortwave radios only receive. You need a transmitter or a transceiver (transmitter + receiver all built in one) to do both.

[@cressi777]

I agree with you Sirdarklust, short wave is long gone and i was a short wave listener but i move on, the only thing left are the Nostalgic Listeners who refuse to face the reality and of course are the only ones buying these radios from china because big companies stop making these radios 20 years ago. I respect Hamrad88 but his videos belong in the past.

[@redbeardsbirds3747]

The undercover spy wants you to think SW is dead! lol

[@hamrad88]

SW is a live and well.

[@stephenwilliams5201]

You bet. I hear dead band. Nope! I have a hunk of wire. So during on and off lock Downs. I have a time listening to radio. Beats starring at the walls and listening to the COVIT hype. . And get exercise. maintaining my antennas. We're somewhat short of a HOA here and I get one jerked down so I have ...spares.! And they say. that it goes down... another can't go up. So as fast as it falls a " new" one is in its place. Hihi. Good show.

[@hamrad88]

LOL. Have a great day.

[@Kerys23a]

Voice Of Korea.

[@hamrad88]

+Che Guevara Thanks for the info.

[@cameraman655]

I fell in love with the hobby around 1970, when I first heard Radio Netherland's 'Happy Station' on my Grandfather's old Hallicrafter's "Boat Anchor". After playing around with DXing, some 30 years later I left the hobby in '00' or so, sold my R5000 and NRD 535 year or so later. Like many life, work, relationships got in the way of this largely solitary and often misunderstood hobby. Been looking at returning, but from what I have seen, not a lot to return to. So many stations severely cut their operating hours or like the aforementioned Radio Netherlands, off the air altogether. As I referenced on another thread, the Cold War years were a golden era for SWL broadcasting and listening, both East and West were pumping out hours of propaganda via Radio Moscow and their satellite states (Radio Berlin Int'l), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, VOA, even the "neutral" broadcasters like the BBC and Radio Australia were blasting the globe with their signals. Like any good DXer, I would send out a ton of reception reports in the hopes that my mailbox would be stuffed with QSL cards and assorted goodies, especially from those "Godless Commie" countries that would tempt me with their shoddy pennants and lapel pins of Marx, Mao or Lenin (would really piss off my Grandfather, but hey, he was the one that got me hooked on this hobby in the first place). Back to the point of this thread, I hate to agree with the overall consensus, but the SWL hobby is on life support, with broadcasters seemingly jumping ship, the glory days are likely behind us.

[@hamrad88]

+cameraman655 The good news is there is a whole new part to shortwave listening. Digital decoding can be done with free software and a computer. Yes, many of the big stations are gone but there still is a lot to listen to in these times of unrest.

[@cameraman655]

+hamrad88 Again, I may give it a try in the coming months. With Fall/Winter coming up, the ionosphere should be much quieter, so this might be the time to get started. While I sold my heavy rigs some 15 years ago, I believe that I have an old Sangean 808 somewhere in my basement, used it while on overseas assignments (former wire service photographer), might dig it up she is still in working order.

[@hamrad88]

+cameraman655 Yes, conditions should be getting better. Dig it out and keep us posted.

[@letitrotfuckit]

Oh sure its so dead, ever listened to 6925 kHz? Bizzare dance music and ranting.

[@charleswendt4868]

I am listening to a Grundig 750 as I am writing this

[@hamrad88]

Great

[@charleswendt4868]

@@hamrad88 on of my first receivers was an old military EMSargent Regen. had an 80 for the rectifier. and some 76 tubes if I remember correctly

[@hamrad88]

Very interesting.

[@jkssr1885]

found one at HRO for 280.00

[@hamrad88]

Jim- Hamradio Go for it. :)

[@LeonAllanDavis]

"kilometers"...can't be American..he must be Canadian...

[@StormsRadiosCats]

This is a great website for searching for stations you are hearing, which i suspect you may have been using in your video. nice radio by the way. www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=23846

[@zach0gr]

Shortwaves anyway lose their interet for serios DXing .Every year a few major oe even minor stations drop their tranimissions For example this year Armenia stoped on 4810 leaving only their relays. Meyerton tday 31. is off droping notonly some relays but also RSG on 3320 Msia was last year on 9835 and 11665 now 9835 is off with shorter schedul than Jul 18 In'sia in now on 3325 and has lost its coverage towards Europe. Neatly al INsian staions left the SW band India has left 60mb but youcan still listento other bands Even digital ute stationa seem to lose the bands Most ofd the stations you can find now are religious , clandestines and CRI who filled neayl all bands. And even some pirates

[@johannesmostert8023]

Great radio Grundig

[@hamrad88]

+Johannes Mostert Yes, it does a pretty good job for the money.

[@spiritofecstasy8525]

👨😊 Great Video! THANKS! .......Who Is That Guy In California That Is Always All Over Shortwave? - The One That Has The Horses And Talks About Them A Lot! He Also Talks About The Bible And Politics A Lot!

[@hamrad88]

Don't know.

[@spiritofecstasy8525]

+hamrad88 : Okay, THANKS! Don't See How You Missed Him! He Is Always On There And Always The Loudest Channel, When I Try To Listen To Shortwave! I Will Have To Get My Shortwave Radio Back Out! But Thanks! 😊

[@spiritofecstasy8525]

+hamrad88 : Aha! Dr. Gene Scott

[@hamrad88]

Oh, what threw me off is when you said he was out of California. I thought the preacher man (all over the bands) was out of Tennessee.

[@realitycheck6359]

Yea ... I think even from this demonstration ... SWR is on the way out. Bit like religion despite it being like the die hard of stations cling to the air. Very Sad ... Not into religion myself ... I even have a hard enough time listening to the brain washing secular stuff. Some of the old BBC skits would of been good or talk back on decent topics ... only preaching left these days. : ( --- All that said ... this looks like a good radio. I regret giving away my original PPL Degen 1103. I gave it away due to the lack of stations on the air waves and also moving away from main stream thinking. Happy Dxing.

[@quattro4468]

Thats a nice chinese radio. I realy do want it.

[@hamrad88]

Yes, one of my favorites.

[@nickv4073]

Now that we have internet radio, SW radios are pretty much obsolete and a waste of time and effort. Now if we ever get into nuclear war or an asteroid strike wipes out half the world, you might have something useful.

[@leenobody3249]

SW is still very relevant and many enthusiasts enjoy it .It is a very technical hobby if you want it to be too.Digital radio leaves me ice cold.It is heartless and boring.Having said that internet radio is very handy .

[@nickv4073]

@@elmerseiscientos Why do you believe internet radio is not free? Secondly, please give me a couple of examples of "fun" found on SW? I could use a good laugh.

[@nickv4073]

@@elmerseiscientos You have to pay for your internet provider?. You have to pay for that anyway. Otherwise, no KZbin and you would not have the ability to make stupid posts that dont support your view. You proved my point not yours, Genius.

[@nickv4073]

@@elmerseiscientos Really now? I can listen to just about any radio station anywhere in the world. They all broadcast over the internet. I'm listening to New York sportstalk right now on WFAN-NY. I can tell you its a lot more fun than listening to Vietnamese music or Bible thumpers on SW. lol!!

[@nickv4073]

@@elmerseiscientos Merry Christmas to you too. Maybe I'll listen to some internet radio from Spain while I'm going to sleep tonight.

[@cameraman655]

I see that you are trolling the int'l broadcast bands, what about the tropicals, 60, 75 and 90 meters? (surprised I still recall this after a 17 year absence from the hobby) I am on the fence as to whether SW is dead or not. I have been out of the hobby since 2000, after 25 years of DXing. In those 17 years, we have lost a lot of big int'l broadcasters, RCI, RNW, R.Australia, SRI and many others. Frankly, SWL is on life support, governments are cash strapped which lead to the decline of int'l broadcasting in the late 90s/early 00s in the first place but more importantly, the audiences simply are not there, especially in the "developed" world. Indeed, in areas where the "net" has yet to take over (and that is damn few as a recent trip West Africa proved), SW is still the best way of communicating over long distances. Still, most of the broadcasters utilizing SW are local outfits and their equipment is often ancient and in most cases in dire need of repair, so many have turned to satellite broadcasting. I do agree with some below who have pointed out if and when our fragile and unguarded "grid" goes down, especially the "net", we all will regret not having this ancient but valuable resource to fall back on.

[@hamrad88]

Thanks for your comments. I don't listen to those bands much because most of it is local Spanish stations just south of me. I am in Florida.

[@cameraman655]

Yeah, I seem to recall you mentioning Florida. I lived in Texas (40 miles N of Houston) at the time and I do know how those Latin stations can boom in, but I did pull out some nice African and numerous Indo/ PNG stations as well as several AIR outlets on 60 meters during the 80s. 73s and have a great Thanksgiving...

[@hamrad88]

Thanks and have a great turkey day too.

[@brucekilgore1618]

hell.no.!!!!!!-ist.buzyer.than.ever...3927khz..c.u.there