SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES

Received from Bill Continelli, W2XOY

Hi Everyone

Well, the war has just started. I’ve spent the evening combing the shortwave bands to see what can be picked up with a small portable with the built in telescopic antenna (Radio Shack DX-402). Here’s what the last 5 hours produced. This is not intended to be a detailed frequency/schedule guide - - check with Monitoring Times or Pop Com for more infor. It is intended to show how easy it is to pick up 25 countries in one day with a simple receiver and built-in antenna. As the war heats up, these stations can provide a different slant on the news, or even details that the media has “overlooked.” All Frequencies are in Megahertz.

RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL (RCI) - - 5.960, 6.040, 9.590

BBC-LONDON - - 5.975, 9.825

RADIO HAVANA CUBA - - 6.000, 9.820

USA-VOICE OF AMERICA - - 5.995 (QRM FROM CUBA), 6.130, 9.775

SPAIN - - 6.055

JAPAN - - 6.145 (very strong, relay from RCI?)

NETHERLANDS - - 6.165, 9.845

KUWAIT - - 11.990 (Afternoons, very weak as it is beamed to Asia, but it is readable.)

RADIO BULGARIA - - 7.400, 9.400

RFPI - - RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL, COSTA RICA - - 7.445 (Weak).

ITALY - - RAI, ROME - - 9.675 (Fair).

RADIO PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - - 6.200

CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL - - 9.580, 9.790

VOICE OF VIETNAM - - 6.175 (Strong!! Cuba relay?)

GERMANY - - DEUTSCHE WELLE - - 6.020, 6.040, 6.145, 9.640, 9.700

RADIO SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL - - 5.930 (QRM from WWCR), 7.230 (40 METER HAM QRM), 9.440

IRELAND - - RTE RADIO - - 6.155

VOICE OF RUSSIA - - 6.155 (right after Ireland went off), 7.180, 9.765

TAIWAN, RADIO TAIPEI - - 5.950

AUSTRIA, RADIO AUSTRIA INTERNATIONAL - - 7.325

ALBANIA, RADIO TIRANA - - 6.115, 7.160, (both weak).

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN RADIO - - 7.305, 9.605

ECUADOR , HCJB - - 9.745

USA, ARMED FORCES RADIO NETWORK - - 6.458, UPPER SIDEBAND.

LITHUANIA, RADIO VILNIUS - - 7.325

I tried, but could not get Iran, Iraq or North Korea.

There are many domestic shortwave stations that broadcast political programs. Try the following. You may not agree with the content, but it will be interesting!!

WWCR - - - 12.160 (DAYTIME), 3.210, 5.070, 5.935, 9.475

WBCQ - - - 7.415

WHRI - - - 5.745

WSHB - - - 5.85

WTJC - - - 9.370

WWRB - - - 5.050, 5.085, 6.890

WBGH - - - 5.920 (New station, just started testing)

Remember, all of the above was easily tuned in with a basic laptop SW radio. With an external antenna and better selectivity, you can do twice as good as I did.

Let me know!!

Monitoring The Iraq War

As the world waits and watches Iraq, if you've got a shortwave receiver with sideband mode (USB and LSB) you can hear certain military communications related to the conflict including many long-distance GHFS (Global HF System) stations including Emergency Action messages (EAMs) and Skyking messages which are high-priority messages for air and ground stations.

Frequencies to monitor (in the USB mode) include:

4709, 4724, 6712, 6739, 8992, 11175, 11271, 15038 (11175 is a very active frequency most of the time)

Shortwave broadcasts from the Middle East that you can hear with a reasonable antenna include the following. Note that UTC (Universal Time) is 5 hours ahead of EST. Note that because the changing situation in the area these times and frequencies are subject to change; of course checking the frequencies from time to time is your best bet of hearing a broadcast.

Egypt, Radio Cairo on 9900 at 2315 UTC

Iran, Voice of the Islamic Republic, Tehran on 9022 at 1030 UTC (also on 9835 and 11970) Iran also on 13730 and 13745 at 1330 UTC.

Iraq, Radio Baghdad on 11787 (varies slightly to 11785) at 2000 UTC.  Also check 15265, 15375, 15385, 21470 at 1100 UTC.

Israel, Kol Israel on 6280, 7475, 9435 at 0500 (also on 11605). Israel also on 15640, 17535 and 6220 at 2000 UTC. Also check 1700 UTC on 17545. At 1900 UTC on 11605, 15615 and 17545.

Kuwait (Radio Kuwait) on 11990 kHz at 1800 UTC. Also check 15110 kHz.

Syria, Radio Damascus on 12085 (and 13610 frequently) at 0500 and 2000 UTC

Turkey, Voice of Turkey, Ankara on 11960 and 12000 at 2100 UTC; on 6020 at 0400 and 2300 UTC

United Arab Emirates Radio, Dubai on 13675, 15395 at 0020, 1330 UTC; 15395 at 0030; 0200 on 15395 and 15370

MILITARY FREQUENCIES

Frequency (MHz) Mode Description

1. 11.175 USB Air Force GHFS primary days

2. 6.739 USB Air Force GHFS primary nights

3. 4.725 USB Air Force GHFS

4. 8.993 USB Air Force GHFS

5. 9.014 USB Air Combat Command (ACC) ops.

6. 11.243 USB STRATCOM primary days

7. 6.761 USB STRATCOM primary nights

8. 6.812 USB MYSTIC STAR primary AF-1/AF-2 SAMs

9. 11.246 USB Air Force GHFS McClellan/MacDill AFB

10. 13.201 USB Air Force GHFS (old SAC S-394)

11. 13.215 USB Air Force GHS Andrews?MacDill AFB

12. 13.244 USB Air Force GHFS

13. 5.680 USB search & rescue all military

14. 5.696 USB Primary USCG aviation (nights)

15. 8.984 USB USCG (primary days) secondary nights

16. 6.697 USB U.S. Navy HICOM

17. 11.267 USB U.S. Navy HICOM

18. 9.023 USB NORAD primary nights

19. 13.241 USB STRATCOM (old SAC)

20. 3.113 USB STRATCOM Sierra 302

21. 13.205 USB STRATCOM

22. 13.217 USB STRATCOM X-Ray 906

23. 13.247 USB Mystic Star/Andrews AFB?STRATCOM

24. 15.091 USB ACC (secondary) tactical ops.

25. 3.369 USB STRATCOM Alpha Sierra

26. 4.495 USB STRATCOM Sierra 304

27. 4.721 USB Mystic Star/Andrews AFB

28. 18.002 USB Air Force GHFS (discrete)

29. 18.046 USB Air Force GHFS

30. 5.020 USB STRATCOM Foxtrtot

31. 17.972 USB STRATCOM (discrete)

32. 17.975 USB Air Force GHFS

33. 20.631 USB STRATCOM (old SAC Whiskey)

34. 20.846 USB ACC tactical (old SAC Charlie Alpha)

36. 8.872 USB Navy anti submarine warfare ops.

37. 5.197 USB Air Mobility Command (AMC) ops.

38. 18.027 USB AMC ops.

39. 11.214 USB NORAD

40. 5.297 USB NORAD

41. 9.793 USB NORAD

42. 10.194 USB NORAD

43. 10.452 USB NORAD

44. 5.328 USB STRATCOM

45. 11.441 USB NORAD

46. 14.364 USB NORAD

47. 20.855 USB NORAD

48. 5.826 USB STRATCOM Papa 382

49. 6.826 USB STRATCOM Golf

50. 7.330 USB STRATCOM X-ray-Yankee

51. 7.983 USB STRATCOM Foxtrot Charlie

52. 8.101 USB STRATCOM Alpha Papa

53. 9.057 USB STRATCOM Sierra 309

54. 10.452 USB STRATCOM Oscar

55. 6.735 USB NORAD Charlie Two

56. 9.232 USB NORAD/CAP

57. 14.894 USB NORAD

58. 20.855 USB NORAD

59. 3.383 USB ACC

60. 3.365 USB ACC

61. 3.394 USB ACC

62. 4.474 USB ACC

63. 11.016 USB ACC

64. 11.214 USB ACC

65. 6.715 USB Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Service

66. 11.440 USB Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Service

67. 4.582 USB Civil Air Patrol (emergency and calling)

68. 4.466 USB Civil Air Patrol (CAP)

69. 4.627 USB CAP

70. 5.700 USB ACC tactical ops.

71. 3.023 USB search & rescue

72. 4.416 USB Navy HICOM Pacific Fleet

73. 8.711 USB ACC tactical

74. 10.267 USB ACC

75. 10.665 USB ACC

76. 4.700 USB Navy Anti Submarine Warfare Pacific

77. 4.702 USB Navy Anti Submarine Warfare Atlantic

78. 5.446 USB USMC tactical nets

79. 6.687 USB USMC special convoys

80. 13.181 USB Navy HICOM Pacific

81. 6.673 USB Hurricane Hunters primary nights

82. 13.267 USB Hurricane Hunters primary days

83. 5.562 USB Hurricane Hunters secondary nights

84. 11.510 USB ACC

85. 11.240 USB ACC

86. 4.540 USB Royal Air Force

87. 5.729 USB Royal Air Force

88. 6.690 USB Royal Air Force

89. 6.730 USB Royal Air Force

90. 8.990 USB Royal Air Force

91. 11.249 USB Canadian Air Force

92. 6.746 USB Canadian Air Force

93. 13.257 USB Canadian Air Force

94. 5.800 USB ACC tactical/STRATCOM Whiskey 100

95. 6.753 USB ACC tactical

96. 8.964 USB ACC tactical (discrete)

97. 11.627 USB ACC tactical

98. 17.975 USB Air Force GHFS

99. 15.041 USB STRATCOM (old SAC Mike channel)

100. 23.419 USB STRATCOM/NORAD intercommunications

73, Bill, W2XOY