Shortwave radio still packs an audible thrill

reuters ^ | 1/14/09 | Robert MacMillan

[mylife]

So why bother with shortwave?

It's easy and cheap -- and fun. You can hear and learn things that you would never find even if you work your search engine like a mule. From Swaziland to Paris to Havana, shortwave broadcasters can surprise an adventurous listener more than any MP3 playlist.

"You tune carefully, twist the radio from side to side, and there's still a bit of a 'Hey, I made this happen!' sort of thing," said Harold Cones, retired chairman of the biology and chemistry department at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

It's also magic. Shortwave radio enthusiasts acknowledge the thrill -- the romance, in a way -- of going out at night and snaring news, music, odd bleeps, religious zealots and other broadcasts from the wild sea of frequencies in the sky.

[mylife]

Thanks.

The page doesnt work for me as I dont have java script enabled.

There are several web controlled receiver sites out there.

I have the ability to set mine up that way but find it easier to just tote around my little Kaito 1103 and a longwire, rather than a laptop

[mylife]

I loved listening to the radio as a kid.

[dfwgator]

I remember listening to Radio Moscow right around the time Ceaucescu (the ousted Romanaian dictator) was “lamin’ it”, but hadn’t yet been caught. There was speculation he fled to the USSR. The Radio Moscow announcer, Joe Adamov (who probably spoke better English than most of us here!) had nothing good to say about the despot, and said in effect, “we don’t want him.”

Joe Adamov was the best thing about Radio Moscow.

[AmericaUnite]

bump

[dfwgator]

225 posts and counting....not bad.

[mylife]

I have not seen Lafayette electronics since I was a kid

[mylife]

Lotta geeks out there, Pining for the airwaves.... LoL ☺

[mylife]

One of the coolest things about shortwave is the real time unfiltered aspect of it.

The internet is great too.

It is wonderful to make contact with some one who has boots on the ground in a world hotspot even if they are spinning propaganda. Listening to several sources as things unfold really engages the old brainbox, unlike listening to CNN or Fox alone.

[Future Snake Eater]

Har har....says someone named “Future Snake Eater”

OK, I wasn't referring to her name, I was referring to the illiterate single welfare mom who had a chip on her shoulder like something was owed to her by everyone else. Unfortunately, God blessed her with a tremendous singing voice and she's been able to make a much nicer living off of it than I have been able to with my education and hard work. Go figure.

To be understood, Idol must be taken on a macrolevel.

Sure, and there are people who deserve the success and it's a pleasure to watch them succeed (Carrie Underwood springs to mind). In too many cases, though, these folks seem to be grasping for the quick buck. I can't say I blame them, but I don't romanticize it either.

[VoiceOfBruck]

Listening to a "numbers station" even as we speak.

EVEN AS WE SPEAK!

17515 AM, computer generated Spanish. This is getting a little dull, think I'll go back to FReeping.

[mylife]

Sure enough. I hear it but very weak.

Has any one ever broke the code? L0L

I tried to no avail

[mylife]

One of the best shows on shortwave Ted Randall's QSO

I was listening live to the field day Iraq show.

a podcast can be found on the link above.

Hats off to Capt Jeff Hammer and to all the Folks who sent gear to the station in Camp Taji

[VoiceOfBruck]

It finished up abt 1145 EST. I hope whoever was listening got the message! There are some good numbers stations websites including spynumbers.com, but no, nobody’s “cracked the code” yet; at least if they have, the info is not publicly available.

I actually wonder why anyone would even use such a low-bandwidth medium at all. I’m picturing a couple of nostalgic old spies using it to talk about hip surgery and complain about the food at the Home for Retired Spies.

[VoiceOfBruck]

In case you were concerned about having to learn morse code, worry no more; it’s no longer a requirement.

[mylife]

LOL! Hilarious!

I actually was surprised that when ever I heard a # station, in spanish, major shiznit would occur within 24 hours or during the broadcast down in SA. Usually having to do with FARC,Colombia or Venuzuela.

After a while I realized that the #s stations are on a regular schedule, so it seems unlikely that these things are related.

Still, the mystery remains...what is the code?
These #s stations are well logged but no one knows the code.

I find it fascinating that no one in the whole world seems to know what the deal is with these things.

By the way...Bertha’s MRI came back with negative results..L0L

Sometimes I learn interesting things just listening to the old folks lives in various places

[2111USMC]

Bump & Bookmark

[VoiceOfBruck]

Well supposedly the encryption mechanisms are well-known (one-time key, dictionary lookup, etc.); it’s just a matter of knowing the key.

RU a ham or SWL?

[mylife]

Just SWL

[x]

Yes, the Cold War was good for shortwave (as was WWII).

Today, a lot of the foreign broadcasters are easier to find on the Internet.

Wrn.org is a good place to start.

They have links to various national broadcasters and also repackage them for their own Internet feeds in different languages.

[mylife]

Its all fascinating to me.

The coolest transmissions come from the most remote places.
Places I would never have heard of if it weren’t for the radio.

I am listening to a fellow on moose island up in maine at the moment who is running 3 lighthouses up there.

Interesting

14256khz