Carrier pigeons. They worked in many a war. Maybe they will make a come back sometime.
Nice shortwave resource-
websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/m.html
Bkmrk
Bookmarked.
shortwave is different than ham no?
Bump for later - shortwave
In times of great emergency I as an Amateur Radio Operator and Mrs. teletech who is also a licensed Amateur Radio Operator have handled emergency traffic via networks we have to handle such traffic. This traffic is usually”health and welfare” type traffic. In the ‘days gone by’ we handled traffic via “phone patch’ where we actually patched our phones into our radio equipment. We are licensed and governed by the FCC so during an emergency we CAN be called upon to help provide emergency communications unless the US government takes us off the air. (I’ve been in the hobby 64 years this January and to my knowledge, the US government only did this once in WW 2)
Most people do not know that you do not need to know Morse Code nowadays to get a license and the test is not difficult because there are sample tests from which to study. I just need to get off my behind, take the test, get a radio and get set up. It’s a damn good thing to have when the lights and telephones go black. I knew a retired military neighbor who maintained a ham radio net when I was young and I was mystified by his radio and antennas. Then there was Art Bell who had his rig in the ‘High Desert of Pahrump, Nevada.
“The chair is against the wall.”
“John has a long mustache.”
I tested them with this antenna and confirmed that, in a built-up flat urban area, you can converse with ease over 2.5 miles, and around 3 miles if you get some elevation like an upstairs room.
Legally, you need a ham license to transmit, but no licenese is required for listening. In a grid-down SHTF scenario, no one will care about licensing.
bookmark
There is one very serious issue with a plan involving “ham” operators. To be legal you must transmit your call sign with the transmission. The real name(s) of operators is listed as public information at the FCC and is available online. Only takes seconds to identify the operator and find their address.
flr
A good question and a bunch of crap answers.
There are international shortwave broadcasting stations left, but most have abandoned SW in favor of internet streaming for news. What you can hear at any given time and locations is dependent on ionspheric conditions and other factors. The best way to find programming of interest is to use a database like this:
https://shortwaveschedule.com/
Then make your own notes for reference if the internet is unavailable.
Realtime information will be heard on the ham bands, with a few starting points that are active with nets every day. The best for long distance is 14.300 MHz USB which will have the Intercontinental, Maritime Mobile Service, and Pacific Seafarers Nets around the clock and will shift to emergency traffic. SATERN is the Salvation Army net operates during emergencies normally on 14.265 MHz, and the Hurricane Watch Net will be activated when weather conditions warrant using 14.325 and 7.268 Mhz. The EASTCARS neet on 7.255 and MIDCARS net on 7.258 operate for about 6 hours a day and give priority to mobile and portable stations and of course emergency traffic.
There will be local V/UHF repeaters in service but the coverage is limited to a 20-50 mile radius.
If the real question is where would a person tune on shortwave for news and information, it’s really impossible to say other than “tune around”. Hams have traditionally provided ad-hoc communications but they’re forbidden from broadcasting or commercial activities. Like most broadcast stations nowadays, shortwave transmitters are basically fed a stream of programming from a computer, but WWTW and WBCQ are two US-based shortwave broadcasters that serve the SWL market and would be the first place to try. Check their websites for times and frequencies as schedules vary around the year.
Finally, you don’t need an expensive radio. Even a < $50 SDR connected to a PC or laptop will hear everything there is to hear on shortwave. The bigger issue is the dearth of useful and interesting programming since this internet thingie came along.
He might not be your favorite, but the last time I checked, Alex Jones was on shortwave. Around 5 megacycles AM [1], I believe.
[1] I said it that way for fun. I was definitely not “old” when I signed up here at FR, but I do remember when we used that term, when I was a small child. Yeah I was into megacycles, microfarads and megohms even then.
I am not sure what is being asked here.
Amateur radio operators (hams) are active in many communities and are often called upon to provide communications in natural disasters where cell towers are down and power is out.
I have equipment for legal use on amateur radio frequencies, some of which allow worldwide communications by voice, Morse code and digital modes.
VHF ham frequencies are often used to provide emergency communications. The 2 meter band (roughly 144-146 Mhz) is clear-sounding but limited to line of sight. Repeaters are used and often linked to each other whereby signals can be bounced across much larger areas. These repeaters are often located on hills or mountains.
Many hams have generators to operate without a working power grid. I personally can transmit and receive by using a relatively small solar panel and battery arrangement. On the so-called “shortwave” amateur frequencies, I have communicated over thousands of miles using just a single, 12-volt battery recharged by a solar panel via a small, digital charge controller.
The antenna, matched to the chosen frequency, is the real secret to great results. There is a huge amount of information and practical experience out there to learn about antennas. They can be as simple as dipoles, cut to a specific frequency. These are just wires. You don’t necessarily have to buy expensive antennas or equipment.
In the past, hams built their own radios and antennas. Man hams still use very old tube radios to work the world with great results. Some do it with VERY LOW transmitter power (QRP). Morse code proficiency is no longer required to obtain a license but there are a huge number of old and young amateur radio people who prefer and LOVE Morse code and use it constantly.
Propagation (using bounced signals off the F layer of the ionosphere) is how hams can talk across the world.
Propagation is kind of hit and miss as conditions can vary based on sunspot activity. An active solar cycle charges the Earth’s ionosphere and allows some amazing long distance communication.
Many of us have communicated over vast distances. Tennessee to Antarctica. Arizona to New Zealand. These kinds of contacts are common.
You can’t guarantee you can talk to someone in a specific distant location at a specific time but the conditions can allow for some pretty amazing results.