What's On Shortwave? | Intro to Shortwave, Part 2 

I never would have expected it from anyone, but you did an excellent wonderful introduction of shortwave radio.

3rd Grade level instruction. Exactly what this newbie needed. Thank you for your step by step guidance through this new (to me) world.

My grandmother gave me the radio my uncle owned. I was 10 years old. I strung a wire out to the back yard and was fascinated with what I was hearing. Got my ham license when I was 20 I am slowly advancing to my 50th year in the hobby. There has been some gaps but I never let my license lapse. Found your channel by accident. I have thousands of QSL cards both from Hams and from sh0ortwave stations.

I can only repeat what others have said. Thank you

Terrific easy to understand language. Well done I really enjoyed this

I loved shortwave radio, I used to listen to many international broadcast stations! I will soon buy a good shortwave radio! Thanks

An exceptional and informative video! Thanks for taking the time to step through the sometimes confusing terms and concepts of the radio spectrum.

So you mentioned Radio Romania, as still doing SW broad casting, a short story about that! In 2015 I accompanied my high school daughter on a trip for her debate competition at Georgetown University, in Washington DC. Which is actually only a short Walk from embassy row. So one day we got a Uber ride to the Whitehouse, from the University Only about a hundred feet off the University, was the Romanian Embassy. Looking up at the Embassy I saw Many SW type antenna s. Apparently, the Romanians just love, short wave.

Excellent explanations. I would show your videos to anyone because you make it easy to understand the entire scope of radio waves. As a 40+ year commercial radio broadcaster and radio freak in general, I personally think it's terribly sad what's happened to shortwave radio. It used to be SO fun to surf the band here in the USA. Nowadays, it's rare to pick things up that interest me - and my interest in it has dropped as well. I even sold my coveted Sony ICF-2010 (although I purchased a Eton Elite Field BT Shortwave/AM/FM/Bluetooth portable radio). The same can be said for AM radio as well if you're looking to hear music. I love hearing 1970's classic hits formats on AM radio since that's where I heard those songs when they were new, but it's hard to make money catering to such a niche audience, so even luxuries like that are pretty tough to find on radio today.

These are great videos! I am learning so much! I always wanted to know about SW but all I could ever find was super technical stuff. This is perfect for me trying to learn and figure out what type of radio I want. Thank you for your efforts putting this together. I really appreciate it

You’re a great teacher thank you for the videos! Recently got interested in radio and I hope you continue creating content!

Given world events, I've gotten back into shortwave radio. Thanks for the excellent content. It's a brilliant primer.

Excellent little video. Your production, delivery of information and content was great. Couldn’t be better. Have subscribed to watch more of your great stuff

thanks for the video! i just got into short wave, something fun to do in the evening that gives my eyes a rest

Thanks Tom, just getting into this for some fun, I've watched several of your videos and find them very helpful. Keep up the great work sir!

I'm really enjoying the knowledge you're sharing on shortwave radio, Tom. My like pushed this video from 1K to 1.1K! 👍

Thank you Radio dog! I love your message.

Thank you so much, Tom. You turned complicated matter to simple and clear ways. It is very helpful for me as a beginner.

Another great lesson. Thank you so much for breaking it all down.

Recently purchased a Eton Executive Elite portable radio & am learning how it works & how to use the radio itself. Your to the point, clear & beginner level tutorial has been interesting & fun to listen to. My first success has been to find & monitor a major airport close to me on the AIR band. It was cool to listen to a pilot talk to the tower about a possible mechanical issue with the plane he was flying. Also your tutorial on what radio one might want to purchase was very helpful. Thanks, looking forward to more from you.

Thank you for all your information I’ve been into radios since I was a child god bless

Radio dog your utube videos are awesome 😎😎👍👍🎉🎊🎉

Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for taking the time to put this information out. Looking forward to "Part 3!" 73, KG1USA

Tom, thank you for your videos. Absolutely the best, most informative videeos out there, particularly for me a beginer.

Thank you so much You have a great way of communicating.

I like your style of presentation. Ill look for more of your stuff. Thanks.

Love your video. Even though you’ve oversimplified it, I would definitely recommend this video to anyone who is interested in the hobby of shortwave listening. I’ve been doing this since the 1970s and still found this video VERY interesting.

Tom, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. As I was listening, I wrote down questions but as the video progressed you continued to answer them. It's amazing how a sound "signal" can go through "transmit" the air & we can "receive" listen to it. Was just thinking about phonograph records & how a needle can pick up the music that's pressed & release it as sound. Just like tape that's recorded on. Know it's simple but it's still incredible how it works. Hope you will continue to teach us.

Great information for a beginner like me, I was sitting listening in my car in a petrol station just outside London . Thanks for posting .

Nice stuff......been in the hobby since '65 and this was a great reminder of many basics......

I just started hobby and on my first day listening; heard that lady calling out numbers !

The best explanation. More videos please. Tom.

Very nice, informative presentation. I used to listen a lot to shortwave, many years ago, but still learned some interesting new things. Thank you!

Tom....., I think that it is very "timely" that you are helping us (who are led to your great channel) to become familiar with an avenue of communication, that most people nowadays, think has been "left in the dust" by the internet, and other modern ways. But, I believe very soon..., we are going to see that for a portion of this time in history, they could be wrong. Thx 4 ur good work.

What a fantastic informative tutorial. If only you were my electronics, psychology teacher. Thank you so much.

Excellent! Thank you for taking the time in both beginner videos you have answered alot of my questions and told me things I had no idea about this hobby..maybe you could do a video on a shortwave radio recommendation brand for a beginner I would like to purchase a decent shortwave radio to begin with..thanks! Bill

Thanks, Tom. You made this subject very simple, getting directly to the doing, instead of just discussing radios. I understood everything very clearly and it made me feel more like getting one of those radios, like that one you have (I'd like to know what brand and model that is) . Exciting subject . I would love to listen to SSB and CW, to hear Morse transmission. I think Morse would be fun.

rip radio australia... was always good to listen to

PLEASE DO MORE VIDEOS, you make me got more interested about SW, greetings from ecuador :)

Great video series! Thank you

Thank you for sharing and teaching.

Well done. Thank You! Please make Part 3 with tuning instructions

Thanks, Tom. Your videos are always informative. Best wishes. -Tim

BBC shortwave is back online since a week ago

Thanks and regards from Serbia.

0:35 I had this exact model. It had excellent, loud, one speaker sound, dial light for the dark, excellent sturdy shoulder strap that snapped in with a clever mechanism. Tuning meter worked very well, with that fine tuning dial for shortwave. The am antenna folded up and rotated with a degree scale printed on it, like a protractor. BFO for CW, CB because that was the popular rage then, the MB was marine band; the AM below broadcast AM ... Longerwave radio for across the ocean. Mechanical 2 hour timer and some aux ports on the side. Disposable batteries fit in the back, but it also had an ac cord connection. It was durable.

Explained very well thank you

I'm a fun about shortwave radio and it's a hobby too, and this video it's really informative, thanks

Bravo for a job well done!I have subscribed!

Excellent series for beginners and experienced hobbyists alike.Thanks for making these videos Tom.73.

Great video series. Im a ham as well...a brand new one. I'm getting back into shortwave as well since its the best means of commo to be utilized in the event of a long lasting crisis. It's old dependable tech. BBC reactivated 2 shortwave stations to broadcast news into Ukraine. It's a shame shortwave really died out due to newer communications technologies. But there is plenty of equipment out there just waiting to be reactivated. I hear intermittent mandarin Chinese every now and then.....who knows what that is. I've also heard number stations....in English and in Spanish. that's spy stuff for sure. easiest untraceable way to send coded messages. fascinating stuff .

Just got a solid state SW radio. Can wait to tune in

Your voice is very soothing.

New sub here! I've watched two or three of your shows and i find them great for me to learn. I'm new to this shrotwave radio listening and by new I just got my first receiver two days ago and was so lost. LOL I've been watching and reading about it and starting to understand a very little. I did buy the book Ham radio for dummies. I felt like that was me a dummy. You do really good teaching me anyway. Are you a teacher? Anyway thanks going on to the next show.

Very informative. Thank you.

This is great info, thank you

It’s not just the internet that diminished SWL, it is the omnipresent digital noise present in many neighborhoods. I take my Tecsun 680 when I travel just to get away from RF noise when I can.

Thanks, well done presentation.. I used to as kid but will be getting SW radio soon.

Great info in this video... alot of my questions were answered !! You just got a new sub. My new Tecsun pt 310 et will be here anyday .

Excelent video!! Greetings from Brazil.

Another interesting video 👍🤗

Are you doing any more videos? I really enjoy your chnnel.

Very good video, thanks.

Great information thank you

Thanks for the info.

Cool. I have a radio just like the Panasonic on his desk. Its a great radio

Starting about 1990 I worked in Asia. Some of the countries I worked did not have free press, so I bought a sw radio to pick up BBC and whatever else to feel not so isolated. I soon discovered KCNA from North Korea, which had the looniest hard core propaganda broadcasts. It was old school Stalinist newspeak, right out of 1984. It was the most entertaining thing I ever heard on the radio.

Radio dog when I tune round the mw band it was in the winter at night I pick up the bbc

Tom, Thank you for the intro. I am a cruising sailor on a sailboat and have recently been exploring SW radio as a communication device in remote areas, particularly for weather broadcast. My interest in shirt wave is to use it as a back up if my other elect Tronics fail for whatever reason. I’ve recently been looking at the model Kaito K500. It’s cheap $50 and you recommend more like the the sun models. Is this K500 w the generator a good pick? Thanks in advance! Jon

This man is cia or something. Very professional and detailed information.

VERY INTERESTING THANKS.

3:33 LOL I selected this video because I thought there is nothing on sw, so I wondered what this man would say. In the seventies, you would need carefully fine tune because there was all manner of everything broadcasted on adjacent frequency. In the nineties, on a sailboat, I tried to listen to sw and it was so much blank space, but still programs, but not like I remembered ... so, I was expecting what he said;nothing on now

Thanks. Love the HFU.

Is there a video available where we can hear actual transmissions and tuning across the bands?

Radio dog me and my cousin are going to a Swap meet in September 11 Sunday morning at 8 am in Milwaukee 2022

I like your notebook Tom. Is it a FiveStar, from Mead?

Thank you for this. Is there a recommendation you can make as to a decent shortwave and ham radio I can look for. Because the useage is not what it once was, I’d like to find some affordable but decent. Thank you

18:13 When you said "mysterious signals", I immediately thought of "Contact" with Jodie Foster on the 'phones. Incidentally, does SETI broadcast on shortwave?

I have a feeling that Internet has sort of diluted the novelty of communicating with stuff from far away. Most shortwave forums i feel seem to be just making lists of all the stations they can receive, is there any regular listening involved? In India the government is very strict with radio licensing, and MW is strictly used by the government channel "All India Radio" although they play excellent music, and they have a huge library of interviews and radio plays. Indian government has sold FM bands and every city has their own stations However short wave broadcast from India is rather limited, but I did manage to get signals from China Radio that played kungfu music at night, they even had a hindi service where i used to giggle at the native Chinese struggling to speak extremely heavy sanskrit influenced hindi.

That's a cool way of looking at it. "Radio energy is natural, but we humans are crafty.... and we learned to domesticate it."

There is as many SW broadcasts now as there will ever be, so now is the best time to get into SWL! I don't see a boom of new TXers unless the internet implodes, which probably won't happen but censorship might push different groups to shortwave.

Sad thing is I wanted a Clock Radio and searched for one for a alarm clock, Would like AM FM and Short wave but not available with a decent clock to see at night! Most Short Wave Radios are little hand healed ones with little tiny buttons. I wanted a car Short Wave Radio but they are very expensive!

There are so many shortwave radios out there to choose from. Are they all basically the same?

Hi Tom what’s your opinion on thee Bell & Howell Portable Radio 9 Band World Receiver FM MW SW radio??

I bought a little Tecsun radio and was really hoping I could sweep the entire SW spectrum but now I realize it's only giving me 10 discrete bands to choose from. I was hoping to find weird stations in between the bands.

I heard your glancing descriptions of Christian broadcasts on Shortwave Radio. I serve as an Evangelical minister here in the United States. So I offer a little bit of background. When Christians like those persecuted more in other countries get on the air, and now more here in the United States, their focus goes more toward Heaven and Bible End Times Prophecies' fulfilment, whichever comes first. That concerns those Christians' hope in Christ in those difficult times, and especially knowing persecution will get worse. I hope this information helps.

get a shortwave so you can compare various cults and decide which one fits you best

Dear friend Tom, what a wonderful show, I love this video, well done, it shall be a "must" for every beginner, but sooo interesting for me "old school DXer"...... have to thank you ! All the best wishes for you and take care of your health! The german Klaus PS: an easy start into Utility are the VOLMET stations

This is ASMR for radio heads😊

There is a lot of truth in pirate radio, not oddballs.

Now I know all about the stuff you can hear on a radio but nothing on how to find it.

Great stuff! Do you have to have a license to operate in this area?

BBC is back broadcasting since the war in the Ukraine

If you listen to shortwave eventually you're going to get your ham license so you can transmit. So just go ahead and do it now

I’m 71 and have been shortwave listening off and on for a long time and though I enjoy listening to radio communications that normal people would find indescribably boring, I have to say that shortwave listening is not as interesting as it was during the “Cold War”.

Can you listen central america station radios

Oh, I see...that depends on some things.

What type of book would you recommend for someone in their 60s wants to learn more about radio waves? A beginners 101 where to fine.

Thanks for the tutorial. There is a large span of prices for shortwave radios. Why is a $100 radio better than a $20 one? Why is a $1,000 radio so much more than the $100 one?

maybe its Naive but i bought a mini sw radio, just to try to listen to ukraines BBC world service. However, I dont know how to enter the frequency with the manual style (similar to the one you show). I can scan around and found interesting stuff but i cant find a tutorial that shows how to find a specific frequency. Any tips?