Shortwave Radio Bands

This page contains information about shortwave radio listening, best time to listen to shortwave,
what you can hear on the short wave bands, a list of U.S. shortwave broadcasters and more!

When is The Best Time To Listen To Worldband Shortwave Radio?

What can you hear on the shortwave bands?

Contrary to popular belief......You can "DX" (listen to Distant Shortwave Transmissions) 24 hours a day!

The hours of darkness still offer the best time for shortwave DXing. This is because of improved propagation conditions on the lower frequencies or bands, reduced static noise created by storms, and because shortwave broadcasters like to aim for the local evening hours for their primary audience since most of them will now be at home listening to their World Band (Shortwave) radio receivers. In short, when you're at home, they are at work.

In general, the bands with frequencies below 13000 KHz (13mhz) are better at night and the bands with frequencies above 13000 KHz (13mhz) are best during the day.

Around sunrise and sunset, both the daytime and nighttime band reception can be good, sometimes so remarkably good you'll think their coming from the next town but they are coming from around the world!

In the summer time, the day bands often are good into the early evening but sometimes are hampered by summer static as are the nighttime bands.

In general, the lower frequency bands, 120 meters thru 40 meters are very prone to thunderstorm static, especially durning the summer months. Thunderstorm static can be heard from hundreds of miles away on a good receiver. If the thunderstorm static gets so loud that reception is impossible, then there's most likely a severe storm close to you and it's advisable to check the local weather.

TABLE OF SHORTWAVE BANDS

DAYTIME RECEPTION

Shortwave listening is generally at the worst during the daylight hours of about two hours after sunrise until about two hours before sunset. The major reason for this is that the broadcasters are not transmitting to North America at this time, assuming that we are all either away from home and are not listening during the day.

Typically, daytime shortwave bands "receive" better in Eastern North America than in Western North America. So if you live from about the middle of the U.S eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, then your reception will be better than if you live out west.

DAYTIME BANDS

CHARACTERISTICS

13 meters - Results vary. You can have extremely good reception around sunrise and sunset!

16 meters - Similar to 19meters below.

19 meters - 19 meters is considered the best overall daytime band. May also be good at night in the summer months although expect summerstatic from time to time. Sometimes extremely good around sunrise and sunset. Sometimes good at night in the summer.

22 meters - Similar to 19m.

EVENING/NIGHT RECEPTION

This is the best time to listen, because the broadcasters are deliberately beaming to North America. These bands may be extremely good around sunset and sunrise too.

NIGHTTIME BANDS

CHARACTERISTICS

25 meters  - Similar to 31m.

31 meters -  Good all night, everywhere. Often extremely good at sunrise and sunset. Good results often start about an hour before sunset.

41 meters -  Similar to 49m. Good all night in Eastern North America; varies in Western North America.

49 meters - The best overall nighttime band. (This band is near the 40 meter Ham radio band. Hams experience lots of interference from shortwave broadcasters during the early and nighttime hours.)

Shortwave signals vary greatly in strength depending upon the time of day, the sun, the ionosphere and interaction with the earth itself. Some bands are best listened to during the day, while others come in best at night. In general, the best time to use your shortwave radio is around sunrise and sunset. Experiment to find what works best for your location and your radio and remember that:

49 meters - The best overall nighttime band.

19 meters - 19 meters is considered the best overall daytime band.

U.S. shortwave broadcasters list from the FCC!

FCC Authorized Stations on the HF Shortwave bands in the U.S. and territories

• KAIJ Dallas, TX - No Longer in Operation

• KFBS Northern Mariana Islands, SA No longer on the air?

• KHBN Medorn, Aimeliik, Palau - Since gaining independence, licensed locally as T8BZ, and, by treaty, frequency coordination by FCC

• KJES Vado, NM

• KNLS Anchor Point, AK

• KSDA Agat, GU

• KTBN Salt Lake City, UT - No Longer In Operation

• KTMI Lebanon, OR - New Station Construction Permit

• KTWR Agana, GU

• KVOH Rancho Simi, CA

• KWHR Naalehu, HI - No Longer In Operation

• WBCQ Monticello, ME

• WBOH Newport, NC - No Longer In Operation

• WEWN Vandiver, AL

• WHRA Greenbush, ME - No Longer in Operation

• WHRI Furman, SC

• WINB Red Lion, PA

• WJHR Milton, FL - New Station Construction Permit

• WJIE Millerstown, KY - No Longer in Operation

• WMLK Bethel, PA

• WRMI Miami, FL

• WRNO New Orleans, LA

• WTJC Newport, NC

• WTWW Lebanon, TN - New Station Construction Permit

• WWBS Macon, GA - No Longer in Operation

• WWCR Nashville, TN

• WWRB Morrison, TN

• WYFR Okeechobee, FL

These guidelines can be used worldwide and are not dependent on location. These guidelines are subject to change by Mother Nature!

A Partial List of Shortwave Stations: 

Many of these stations can be heard around the world depending on your location.

Tune your receiver carefully on or around the designated frequencies.

You can usually hear these stations throughout North America. Reception varies based on the season, time of day, and a number of other conditions. Fading, static, and other interference is expected at times.This information is subject to change without notice.

To convert kHz to mHz, count 3 digits right to left and add a decimal point.

Example: kHz 3223 =  mHz 3.223 (notice the decimal point just to the left of the 2.

Improve Shortwave Reception!

Build Shortwave Antennas!

Shortwave Receiver Reviews!