Shortwave radio facts for kids
Shortwave radio refers to special radio waves that travel between 3 and 30 megahertz (MHz). These waves are often used for broadcasting radio shows. Radios designed to pick up these broadcasts are called shortwave radios.
The Earth's ionosphere helps these radio waves travel very long distances. This means signals can even go around the world under the right conditions! Because of this, radio stations from far-off countries can send their shows to listeners across the globe. Sometimes, Sunspot activity or solar flares can make shortwave reception difficult. Also, different frequencies work better at different times of the day or year.
Contents
Why is Shortwave Radio Used?
Since the early days of radio, shortwave stations have shared news and cultural information. They tell listeners about the station's local area or country. Many governments and national news agencies have shortwave stations. They broadcast in English and their own native languages. This helps them inform both local people and those in other countries. Some even broadcast in many different languages to reach more listeners. Famous examples include Voice of America, BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of Russia.
Other Types of Shortwave Stations
Private companies or groups also run shortwave stations. Some broadcast religious programs. For example, HCJB and WEWN even broadcast actual church services. Others provide important information like weather or time. Stations like WWV and WWVH give the exact Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) at 2.500, 5.000, 10.000, and 15.000 MHz. WWV also broadcasts on 20.000 MHz.
What are "Pirate" Stations?
A few shortwave stations are unlicensed. The people who run them are often called "pirates." Pirate stations might not broadcast regularly. They might also change their location often. They sometimes play music not found on other stations. They can also share unpopular opinions. Government authorities try to stop these stations. This is because they are not licensed and can interfere with legal broadcasts.
Is Shortwave Radio Still Important?
Fewer people listen to shortwave radio now because of the Internet. However, it is still very important to people worldwide. This is especially true in places where the Internet and computer technology are not yet available. Many old shortwave stations now also stream their programs online. You can find them as audio feeds or podcasts, in addition to their radio broadcasts.
How Else is Shortwave Used?
Shortwave radio is also used for two-way communication. Ships and airplanes use shortwaves to talk with ground stations that are far away. They use it when they cannot connect using a communications satellite.
Images for kids
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Radio amateurs made the first long-distance shortwave transmissions before Guglielmo Marconi.
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The Hallicrafters SX-28 shortwave receiver had an analog tuning dial around 1944.
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This shows how a skip zone forms, where radio signals can't be heard.
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A National Panasonic R3000 analog shortwave radio receiver from about 1965.
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A portable shortwave receiver's digital display tuned to the 75 meter band.
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A Soviet shortwave listener (A. Kozlov, URS3-108-B) in Borisoglebsk, 1941.
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A pennant sent to overseas listeners by Radio Budapest in the late 1980s.
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Composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was interested in radio.
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A computer screen showing the signals from a modern software-defined radio shortwave receiver.
