The basic building block of good communications is the feeling that every human being is unique and of value. - Unknown

Short-wave listening is a direct and immediate source of information and entertainment.

Among the means of communication, Radio remains the only medium which offers world-wide entertainment at a low cost.

Short-wave broadcasting, which started in late 1920s has the advantage of an almost unlimited reach at any time. By listening to short-wave stations, not only do you have a much wider choice than is possible from the local station, but you can hear new types of music, learn a foreign language and improve your general knowledge. It is also an excellent way of making friends in other countries.

All you need is a good short-wave receiver and a matching antenna.

To many, the mentioning of the term Short-wave Broadcasting will ring in mind, names like B.B.C, Voice of America or Radio Moscow. But in between these powerful broadcasts, one can find several other broadcasts, mostly in unidentifiable languages, broadcasting various types of programs and music. At first it may seem confusing to select and listen to a particular broadcast. Stations seem to be very close together on the dial. Persistent, patient and careful tuning will give results. Experience is the great teacher.

'But, why so much trouble when you can get entertainment clearly on FM or Medium wave from the local broadcasting station?'

Human nature is such, that most people want varieties - be it in clothes or in entertainment. Some of us eagerly await to listen a transcription program produced by the BBC or Deutsche Welle when these are transmitted over the local station frequencies. Short-wave listening is a direct and immediate source of information and entertainment.

For most people this means scanning the short-wave bands looking for new SW stations, though often they are so weak that it is difficult to hear the station announce its name, let alone listen to the program content. The attraction here is that, if you listen on certain parts of the SW dial at the right time, you will find SW domestic broadcasts. These broadcasts are not intended for foreign listeners. It will be interesting to find out the right time and the frequency.

For geographical and economic reasons, some countries, mostly from the third world, use the SW band in the same way that FM or MW is used by the local stations.

The short-wave broadcasting bands (also called High Frequencies) are divided into two categories - Tropical bands and International broadcasting bands.

Three frequency bands on SW are assigned by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to broadcasting exclusively in the tropical countries. They are: 

The 120 meter band (2300 - 2495 kHz.)
The 90 meter band (3200 - 3400 kHz.)
The 60 meter band (4750 - 5060 kHz.)

These Tropical bands are assigned to al countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. These bands are also used by some other countries such as the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Mongolia, Albania and Australia with its army broadcasting station.

It would be easier to identify transmissions in English which come from the so called International Broadcasting Stations. These stations broadcast programs from one country to another where the separation between the two may be thousands of kilometers. International broadcasting stations announce their address in their broadcasts. On request, this type of stations will send a schedule of the times and frequencies (places on the SW dial where you can find their broadcast).

Following are the International short-wave broadcasting bands:

The 49 meter band (5950 - 6200 kHz.)
The 41 meter band (7100 - 7300 kHz.)
The 31 meter band (9500 - 9900 kHz.)
The 25 meter band (11650 - 12050 kHz.)
The 21 meter band (13600 - 13800 kHz.)
The 19 meter band (15100 - 15600 kHz.)
The 16 meter band (17550 - 17900 kHz.)
The 13 meter band (21450 - 21850 kHz.)
The 11 meter band (25670 - 26100 kHz.)

International broadcasting stations are making programs for listeners and their prime source of feedback is listener mail. If you hear a program that you like, or you want to suggest a topic for discussion, then most international stations receive such suggestions enthusiastically. International stations also need reception reports from listeners to find out the reception condition of their transmissions in the target areas. The listener who sends a report will receive confirmation from the station, usually on a specially prepared card - the so-called "QSL Card". The term QSL has been adopted from the Q-code used between Morse code operators. The Q-code is internationally accepted amongst radio operators, thus language is no problem though one is limited to standard phrases.

QSL means 'verification of reception'. Some other examples of the Q-code are QRA - Name of a Station, QRK - Readability of signals, QRX - Please stand by.

The QSL cards contain details of when and where the transmission took place. This practice of sending QSL cards is still adopted. But reports on one day on one frequency are of limited value these days. That is not to say that reception reports are of no use, but various techniques are necessary to make the reception report worthy.

Many listeners collect QSL cards because DX clubs award diplomas to those sending QSL cards from all over the world or from all countries of the same continent. Other listeners collect these cards for the fun of it and as souvenirs.

On the QSLs issued by broadcasting stations and how those stations regard them in the 1980s, a survey was conducted by the European DX Council (EDXC) during the early part of 1980 involving most International SW broadcasters. The survey was updated in 1983. The high response rate indicated that many stations regard this subject as one which deserves serious consideration.

DXing

Most listeners are content to listen to the stronger stations, though there is also another equally interesting aspect of the hobby, which seems to suit those with more of a technical interest. This is termed DXing. The term is not defined in any of the dictionary but if we let D stand for Distance and X, as in mathematics, stand for Unknown, then we see the term DXing as meaning "listening to radio stations from an unknown distance." A person engaged in the hobby is called a DXer.

There are several clubs and associations all over the world formed by enthusiastic DXers on a voluntary basis. These clubs encourage others to develop this hobby and also offers necessary advices and incentives. They advise interested listeners on how to prepare reception reports, give listening tips and exchange information among members.

As mentioned earlier, some stations use the SW band for domestic broadcasting. Most of the domestic broadcasts in the SW can be found in the tropical bands. It would be a novel experience if you hear, for example, an Indonesian folk song directly from a domestic station located in Indonesia. Many DXers find this way of being able to listen directly to domestic broadcasts from countries located thousands of kilometers away, as the most fascinating aspect of DXing.

The reception conditions vary from day to day and throughout the sunspot cycle. This variation offers a great challenge to the DXer. There is always something to search for. Finding stations of the tropical bands needs some special skills. This is called 'Tropical Band DXing.'

One of the top tropical band DXer in the world is a Sri Lankan. He is Mr. G. Victor Goonetillake - Organizer of the 'Union of Asian DXers'. He is an authority on the subject and he assists those who are interested in the hobby through the club. The club publishes a bulletin which circulated among members. This bulletin contains loggings by members, station news, listening tips and technical and background articles. Active listeners are encouraged to join the club. The club is run as a non-profit organization on a voluntary basis. Anyone wishing to get a sample bulletin and details regarding membership are kindly requested to send a Rs.2/- stamp or a postal order to the following address: UADX, 32/4 A, Malwatte Road, Dehiwala*.

Part of the art of DX listening is to know when and where to listen. There are numerous books on the subject, but it can also be good experience to find out yourself, by simply getting to know the bands and who broadcasts where. If further reference is required, there is a publication called "World Radio TV Handbook" which is published annually. It is a sort of Directory of the airwaves.

In addition, there are various programs put out by International broadcasters designed for the SW hobbyist and these often include listening tips. The majority of these programs concentrate on International SW broadcasting, but there are also those which concentrate on technical subjects, advanced DXing or Amateur Radio. In this regard, a lead is set by Radio Netherlands' "Media Network" program*. This program, produced and presented by Mr. Jonathan Marks, could be heard on Radio Netherlands frequencies every Thursday*. (Listening tip: 08,30 hrs GMT  on 21485 kHz., 11.30 hrs GMT on 17575 kHz. and 14.30 hrs GMT on 11735, 15560, 13770 and 17575 kHz.). Radio Netherlands also sends, on request, many booklets and various information designed to help the SW listeners and DXers, free of charge*.

Other aspects of the hobby are again of a technical nature. Some people like to experiment with antennas, others look at parts of the radio spectrum outside the SW bands, whilst there are those who specialise in listening to stations from a chosen country or in a specific language.

The branches of interest are certainly varied and all equally enjoyable. Most people have interests in more than one aspect of the hobby. The UADX hopes that many more will join this fascinating hobby and it is ready to advise you on how to do it.

*Note: This article was written in 1985. At that time SW radio was the only source to learn news directly from the country where it happens. The names of personalities, organisations and programs mentioned in this article may not be relevant now. However, the article is published here for posterity. In spite of the DBS, Short-wave is still used widely by broadcasting stations and the hobby is pursued by enthusiasts.