Short Wave

From Freeradio

Short Wave is generally considered to be the part of the radio frequency spectrum between 3 MHz and 30 MHz. Otherwise known as High Frequency, or simply HF.

Short wave is ideally suited to international radio communications, as its main mode of propagation is the sky wave - ie the radio waves bounce off the ionosphere - which can propagate the signal over thousands of miles.

The down side of short wave is that the signal is not constant and is prone to fading. Also, the short wave band is used by many radio users, not just broadcasters, so signals are prone to interference.

For short wave listening, best reception is obtained using a selective receiver (not prone to interference from adjacent frequencies), and a long-wire antenna (the longer the better, preferably well-matched) away from sources of Radio Frequency interference (including computers, TV's, switched-mode power supplies, pretty much anything nowadays).

Short wave listening became much easier with the advent of radios with digital tuning, which enable easy tuning to a frequency in kHz. Previously, only using expensive receivers with several bands was it possible to tune in a low-powered short wave pirate with relative ease (and read its frequency, for logging purposes).

Although pirates have used various parts of the short wave spectrum, certain bands within short wave have attracted a lot of free radio activity. In the 1980's, by far the most popular area for short wave pirates was the 48 metre band, from 6200 kHz to 6400 kHz.

Short Wave pirates

Significant short wave pirates of the 1980's include:

Radio Gemini(UK) , Radio Pegasus(UK) , ABC Europe , World Music Radio , Britain Radio International (UK) , Radio Dublin (Eire) , Jolly Roger Radio (Eire) , Radio Orion (Black Country area of the UK) , Radio Ozone International (Eire) , Radio Rainbow International (Eire) , WLR (Scotland - sometimes transmitted from Eire), World Mission Radio (International Waters - from the Ross Revenge)

Short wave pirates of the 1990's include:

WNKR(UK),Weekend Music Radio(UK),Radio Pandora(UK),Radio Spaceman(NL),Radio Borderhunter(NL),Radio Atlantis (West Midlands in the UK)