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SW BANDS, SSB AND OTHER SHORTWAVE HELP
NEED HELP? CONTACT US.
Eton Corporation
1015 Corporation Way
Palo Alto, CA 94030
USA
U.S. States: 1-800-872-2228
Canada: 1-800-637-1648
Worldwide: 650-903-3866
www.etoncorp.com
Hours of Operation: M-F, 8:30-4, Pacific Time.
WHAT IS SHORTWAVE?
Shortwave is a broadcast frequency range that allows stations to be
heard over vast distances, usually thousands of miles. You’ll hear news
and information, as well as culturally oriented programming, including
music. Some programming is biased or propagandized.
Misconceptions:
Note that shortwave has nothing to do with picking
up far away AM and FM stations or picking up local two-way commu-
nications such as police, fire, ambulance, local airport traffic and marine
harbor traffic. For example, it is not possible to hear Los Angeles’ AM
and FM stations in New York City. Local two-way communications does
not take place on shortwave, but rather on VHF and UHF frequencies,
requiring the use of a VHF/UHF scanner to hear them.
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INTRODUCTION TO SHORTWAVE
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WHAT ARE SHORTWAVE BANDS?
The key to enjoying shortwave is understanding ‘bands’. If you have
ever listened to AM or FM radio, then you already know what a band
is. In North America, the AM band is a frequency range stretching
from 530 to 1710 kilohertz; the FM band is 88-108 megahertz. A
band is a frequency range in which stations are located. To find AM
or FM stations you tune around with the tuning buttons (or the tuning
knob on an analog radio) until you find a station you like. Shortwave
is similar and the shortwave bands have names like 25 meters, 31
meters, 49 meters, etc. These are abbreviated 25m, 31m and 49m.
Just like in AM and FM radio, one simply gets into the shortwave
band and tunes around, looking for stations.
Each band represents a frequency range, as shown in the accompanying
band chart. For example, the 19 meter shortwave band encompasses
the frequency range of about 15100 to 15600 kilohertz. Since some
radios show frequency in megahertz (mHz) and some in kilohertz
(kHz), both are shown here. Look at your radio’s tuning scale or its
digital display to determine which frequency designation it uses in
shortwave. On some shortwave radios these frequencies will look like
15100 kHz, 15105 kHz or 15110 kHz and on other radios they might
look like 15.1 mHz, 15.105 mHz or 15.11 mHz. The exact range of a
band may be slightly different in one band chart or another and may
even vary slightly from one radio to another. This is perfectly OK. On
some radios the band names, e.g. 19 meters, are clearly marked, on
others they are not marked at all. If it is not apparent how to get into
a band on your radio, consult the owner’s manual.
INTRODUCTION TO SHORTWAVE
continued
G5
OPERATION MANUAL