Shortwave And Ham Radio Bands

My grandfather’s old TRANS-OCEANIC shortwave radio (with tubes) still works great

‘Shortwave Radio’ (and HAM Radio) listening can be an enjoyable hobby – even while only listening to communications from near and afar over the airwaves. Not only is shortwave radio ‘listening’ a hobby for some, it can also provide information input during a time of disaster. While transmitting requires a license, listening is free.

The span of frequencies which are used for shortwave broadcasts and for HAM radio are split into ‘bands’. They’re sometimes referred to as ‘meter bands’, as in the 40 meter band, the 31 meter band, the 20 meter band, and so on…

The following is a list of the various ‘x’ meter bands, their associated frequencies, and a general description of what you might hear.

Depending on your specific shortwave radio, you will be able to receive local and international broadcasts as well as some (or all) of the amateur radio (Ham radio) bands. The allocated frequency bands generally have their own characteristics regarding the best time of day for reception (day or night).

Your shortwave radio might already list some of these bands on the front panel or listed in it’s manual. The information is also readily available on the internet from many sources.

By the way, the bands themselves (usually represented in meters) is the result of the width (crest to crest) of the signal’s wavelength. Picture a sine wave. For example the 31 meter band (filled with international broadcasts) is actually getting to your radio antenna by way of an ‘invisible’ wavelength of about 31 meters from one crest to another of its sinusoidal wave (that’s about 100 feet!).

Download and/or print your own copy:
Shortwave and Amateur (Ham) Radio METER BANDS

Meter Band	Frequency (kHz)	Condition	Comments
120	2300 – 2495	Night	Mainly used ‘locally’ in tropical regions Also used by government in North America
90	3200 – 3400	Night	Mainly used ‘locally’ in tropical regions Used by various agencies of U.S. government
80	3500 – 4000	Night	Amateur (Ham radio) band LSB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode
75	3900 – 4000	Night	Mainly used in Eastern Hemisphere Mainly Europe, Africa
60	4750 – 5060	Night	Mainly used ‘locally’ in tropical regions Best reception during Fall and Winter
49	5900 – 6200	Night	Popular band for nighttime broadcastingThe best overall nighttime band for Int’l broadcasting
41	7100 – 7350	Night / Day	Int’l Broadcast, except North-South America which is reserved for Amateur radio
40	7000 – 7300	Night / Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band LSB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode
31	9400 – 9990	Night / Day	Most Popular Int’l broadcasting band Best mid-afternoon to mid-morning
25	11600 – 12100	Mostly Day	Popular Int’l band for daytime broadcasting Good any time of day
22	13570 – 13870	Mostly Day	Int’l broadcasting Not heavily used
20	14000 – 14350	Mostly Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band (Popular long-distance DX) USB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode
19	15030 – 15800	Mostly Day	Int’l broadcasting The best overall daytime band for Int’l broadcasting
17	18068 – 18168	Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band USB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode
16	17480 – 17900	Day	Int’l broadcasting
15	21000 – 21450	Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band USB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode
13	21450 – 21850	Day	Int’l broadcasting Seldom used
12	24890 – 24990	Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band USB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode, Best during sunspots
11	25670 – 26100	Day	Int’l broadcasting Seldom used
10	28000 – 29700	Day	Amateur (Ham radio) band USB (voice) and CW (Morse code) mode, Best during sunspots

To add one thing… If you want to get a radio and listen to the amateur bands, mostly all of HAMs use USB (Upper Side Band) or LSB (Lower Side Band). Mostly all listening short wave commercial radios don’t have SSB (Single Side Band) capabilities and will only receive AM broadcast (Amplitude Modulation) on 160 to 10 meters. Listening to either USB or LSB on a receiver that only has AM will sound something like a muffled noise.

Mostly all short wave broadcast stations are high power and transmit AM. AM transmissions take 3X the power of either a LSB or USB transmission to reach the same distance, thus ham radio operators mostly use this mode.

So if you’re looking for a shortwave radio, it’s best if it also receives SSB (Single Side Band).