Monday, February 9, 2009

Getting Started in Shortwave Listening

Shortwave listening (SWL) is a hobby that is easy to start and does not demand much money to be invested. Very usable shortwave receivers can be bought for $200 and you can find even better deals in the different internet shops and auctions. As soon as you have a new receiver you can turn it on and start seeking for shortwave broadcasts.

In the following series of articles, I'll tell you the most important tips to get started in the new hobby. Otherwise you might not find a single shortwave broadcaster and think that your brand new receiver is not functioning correctly.

The first thing you should become accustomed to is the internationally used world time. World time is often called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In some publications you might still see the abbreviation GMT, Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich is located in London, UK, which should give you the first idea of what is meant by GMT or UTC!

In the international shortwave broadcasts all the times are usually given in UTC. It is announced in a 24-hour format and you are unlike to hear 12-hour format in any of the radio shows or announcements. If you want to be sure about the time you should listen to some of the standard time stations that broadcast on the frequencies of 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000 and 20000 kHz. At least one of these stations is probably audible in your area any time of the day. Of course, you can also check the time on internet!

Once you know what is meant by UTC, you are ready to read timetables of international broadcasters.

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