Instructions

What is Short-Wave.Info?

Short-Wave.Info is a simple way in which to interrogate a database of all the short wave broadcasts being transmitted by the majority of the world's broadcasters. There are two ways in which this vast database of broadcasts can be queried:

you can select a language and/or a particular broadcaster; or
you can select a specific frequency.

In either case, our sophisticated search software will return a series of results (unless, that is, there were no results matching your query). This software is designed to allow listeners to quickly find the frequencies to which to tune as well as permitting stations being received to be easily identified. Note: You can click on any frequency, language or broadcaster shown in the results of a search to begin a new search.

Selection by Language and/or Broadcaster

Where a language has been selected, all the broadcasts on-air in that language will be shown. A list of the frequencies used for these broadcasts along with the particular radio broadcaster concerned will be produced, and a map showing the location and frequency of every transmitter on-air will also be produced. Similarly, if a specific broadcaster has been selected, all transmissions on-air by that broadcaster will be shown. Where both a language and a broadcaster are selected, all the transmissions by that broadcaster, in that language, will be listed, whether on-air or not. Any which are on-air at the selected time are highlighted (in red) and a map of these transmissions is produced.

Selection by Frequency

If a frequency is selected, all broadcasts on that frequency and within plus or minus 10 kHz of that frequency will be shown. Any on-air at the selected time will be highlighted and a map of their location produced.

Hints and Tips

Frequencies above around 9 MHz (9000 kHz) will travel across areas of daylight reasonably well. Frequencies below around 12 MHz (12000 kHz) will travel across areas of darkness well. (It therefore follows that frequencies between about 9 and 12 MHz will travel across areas of both darkness and daylight). The map produced by the software shows the location of on-air transmitters and shades the parts of the earth currently in daylight and darkness.

If the area in which you are located is currently in daylight, the best reception is likely to be from transmitter sites which are also in daylight and which are on frequencies over 9000 kHz. If you are in the area which is currently in darkness, look for transmitters which are also darkness and which are on frequencies below 12000 kHz.

Examples

You are having a friend from Turkey over to stay and want to let them be able to listen to the news from home. One option would be to select 'Turkish' as the language from the pull-down menu and then click the 'GO' button. This will provide you with a list of all broadcasts currently on-air in Turkish. If you wanted to select a particular time, unclick the 'NOW' button and enter a time (in GMT/UTC) into the boxed. Alternatively you might choose to select 'Voice of Turkey' from the station list. You could even do both and select 'Voice of Turkey' and 'Turkish' - this will show you a list of all the broadcasts from Voice of Turkey in Turkish, highlighting those currently on-air.

You are tuning around on your short-wave radio and hear a station on 9870 kHz. You then type '9870' into the frequency box and click the 'NOW' button. This will produce a list of all the stations which broadcast on 9870 kHz or on frequencies within 10 kHz of it, and highlight those currently on-air. As long as you can identify the language being broadcast, you can then find out what station you are listening to!

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful for the work of Aoki for compiling the database which is used to generate the maps and lists on this site.