The demand for shortwave radio frequencies has plummeted over the rise of the internet.
However, some stations still operate, and even a lively cult of SW radio enthusiasts are always open to sharing low-key frequencies and will even give you an on-air call-out.
So what are some shortwave radio frequencies and shortwave radio stations?
Shortwave is a hobby these days. Some people can reflect their band to places beyond the horizon, giving them a sense of the larger world and could be a light in a lonely and dark existence. Read on and learn all you need to know about shortwave radio frequencies and radio stations.
Shortwave Radio Frequencies and What They Do
Shortwave radio isn’t as popular as it was back in the days before cell phones and the internet. There is still a massive community worldwide who are into SW radio, but the uses can vary from coverage of religious services to outright state-sponsored propaganda.
Knowing where to get what you are listening for is half the challenge with Shortwave stations.
A few things you might find on shortwave radio frequencies are:
- Religious Services – While the SW frequencies are not the same as AM/FM, they will have things like religious services broadcast on the air. So, for example, if you are a practicing Muslim, you can find prayers from Mecca or a famous mosque located in an exotic locale worldwide.
- Travel Information – If you plan to travel, having a good SW station loaded with travel info from the area is a fantastic way to avoid problems and discover what the locals are doing.
- Utility Alerts – There are frequencies set aside for ships at sea to pass along warnings and other utility information. These frequencies are essential to ship captains, who must know if there are obstructions in the shipping lanes or a rough patch of weather in the area.
Shortwave has several different options on the dial. The fact that stations can be found .025 increments apart gives them the ability to have several different program types ranging from informational to educational.
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Shortwave Radio Frequency Range Across the Dial
First off, you aren’t going to be able to find stations as easily on SW as on the AM/FM radio. This is because they populate the low end of the radio wave spectrum and take specialized equipment to listen. So if you are planning on spinning the dial and landing on a station that operates 24/7, you could be out of luck.
Stations are placed in order by the wavelength they populate. You can move up the dial, like on the AM/FM, but it does not give you the same stereo quality but a wide range. You can pick up stations across the horizon, whereas radio and TV stations must work on a line of sight operating standards. That means the antenna must be in sight of the station to transmit.
Some reasons you can’t spin the dial and find a shortwave station in operation are:
- Functionality – Some shortwave stations don’t function around the clock. We are so used to the radio in our cars, always having programming, that we might not understand how shortwave stations work. For example, their station could be for information or religious service that only goes live when they are in session.
- Location – The station could be out of service because the area is remote. If a station or radio is in a place that takes a while to get to or is only manned at certain times, it could be dead air. These location stations usually report weather or obstructions in the ocean.
- Time Zone – Being in a different time zone from the program could lead you to a station with no broadcast. That means the station could be highly active; you are just tuning in at the wrong time.
Shortwave stations are also going to be run up in small increments. The increments will depend on which type of radio you are using, but most will go up in .005 segments. This is good because it allows you to dive into the SW radio world and see how much is out there to experience and enjoy.
List of ShortWave Radio Stations
If you are looking for good entertainment or information on the shortwave dial, the best thing to do is to know where to look. It sounds like a no-brainer, but some folks will plod along one segment at a time until they find something they understand or enjoy.
Remember that time is crucial for some of these locations. Times will be added to the shortwave segment to allow people to enjoy the programming on the station better. Keep a list saved in your favorites file or written down by your radio for a reminder.
Shortwave Radio Station Frequencies in USA
Here’s the list of all Shortwave radio broadcasters owned by the USA government.
| Name | Frequencies (Khz) | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Voice of America | 4930, 4960, 5960, 6080, 6105, 6110, 7125, 7175, 7205, 7405, 9645, 9760, 9785, 9885, 11655, 11885, 11890, 11975, 12015, 12150, 13600, 13640, 13710, 13735, 13755, 15150, 15185, 15205, 15290, 15445, 15580, 17640, 17715, 17730, 17895 | Worldwide news service |
| RFEL | 7345 | Europe and Asia |
| Radio Free Asia | 17640 | Asia |
| Radio Sawa | 1548 | Middle East |
| Radio Farda | 17830 | Iran |
| Radio Martí | 7345 | Cuba |
| WWV/WWVH | 10000,15000 | Military News |
| Adventist World Radio | 5010 | Christian Missionary |
| Alt Universe Top 40 | 6070,9670 | SCORCHED EARTH MUSIC SHOW |
| KVOH | 9975 | Voice of Hope |
| Supreme Master TV | 9395 | Peace |
| Texas R Shortwave | 5950 | Music |
| Uncle Bills Melting Pot | WBCQ 7490, 6070 | Comedy & Music |
| WBCQ The Planet | 7490,9330 | Free speech |
| WEWN | 9470,9385 | Catholic |
| WINB | 9265 | Gospel of Jesus Christ |
| World’s Last Chance R | 3265,6160,7490,9330 | Talk Show |
| WRNO Worldwide | 7505,15420 | Religious |
| WTWW | 5830,15810 | Religious |
| WWCR | 3215,4840 | Religious |
| WWRB | 3185,5050,15240 | Religious |
| Family Radio | 5010,9455 | Religious |
A few of the most popular stations on shortwave radio are:
- Vatican Radio – One of the most listened to stations is from the Mass in the Vatican. It is located at 9.64 frequency between 440 and 500 PM central time. The masses are a comfort to those who are lucky enough to hear them.
- Radio France – Found between 1:00 PM and 11:59 PM, the sounds of Radio France are located at 3.695. They have a mix of music and news programs that entertain and give an insight into what is happening in and around the country.
- Voice of America – One of the most popular American stations is the Voice of America. It airs at different times on different frequencies.
Europe Shortwave Radio Station Frequencies
| Frequency (KHz) | Station Name | Broadcasting Language |
|---|---|---|
| 3965 | Radio France Internationale (DRM) | French (Digital) |
| 3975 | 6160 Shortwave AM Radio | English |
| 3985 | SRF Schweizer Radio | German |
| 3995 | HCJB Deutsch | German |
| 4026 | Laser Hot Hits | English |
| 4625 | UVB-76 | Russian |
| 4996 | RWM Etalon Vremeni | Russian |
| 5000 | IAM Segnale Orario | Italian |
| 5140 | Charleston Radio International | English |
| 5825 | Radio OZ-Viola | Danish |
| 5830 | Dneprovskaya Volna | Ukrainian |
| 5840 | World Music Radio | Danish |
| 5895 | LKB/LLE | Norwegian |
| 5900 | BIBLE VOICE BCN/ Radio Dardasha7 | Arabic |
| 5910 | Interradio Romania | Macedonian |
| 5905 | Deutscher Wetterdienst | German |
| 5920 | HCJB Deutsch | German |
| 5940 | Interradio Romania (DRM) | Russian |
| 5970 | China Radio International | German |
| 5980 | Scandinavian Weekend Radio | Finnish |
| 6000 | Radio Rossii Adygeya | Russian |
| 6005 | BBC | English |
| 6005 | Schweizer Radio SRF | German |
| 6030 | Interradio Romania (DRM) | Russian |
| 6070 | Radio Channel 292 | German, Dutch, English |
| 6085 | Radio MiAmigo | English |
| 6090 | Caribbean Beacon (University Network) | English |
| 6150 | Radio Marabu | German |
| 6150 | Europa 24 | German |
| 6155 | Ö1 | Deutsch |
| 6160 | 6160 AM Shortwave Radio | English |
| 6170 | Interradio Romania | English |
| 6170 | Scandinavian Weekend Radio | Finnish |
| 6170 | Radio Onda | Portuguese-English |
| 6175 | Radio France Internationale | French |
| 6180 | Deutscher Wetterdienst | German |
| 6205 | Laser Hot Hits | English |
| 6990 | Radio Voronezh | Russian |
| 7285 | China Radio International | Romanian |
| 7330 | Radio Joystick | English |
| 7345 | BBC | English |
| 7360 | Interradio Romania | Russian |
| 7365 | HCJB Deutsch | German |
| 7375 | Interradio Romania | Romanian |
| 7390 | Interradio Romania | Russian |
| 7395 | Interradio Romania | Romanian |
| 7450 | ERT3 102FM | Greek |
| 9420 | ERA I Foni tis Elladas | Greek |
| 950 | Interradio Romania | Romanian |
| 9545 | BBC | Amharic |
| 9565 | China Radio International | Turkish |
| 9580 | Interradio Romania | Russian |
| 9600 | Interradio Romania | Spanish |
| 9640 | VATICAN RADIO | Ukrainian |
| 9645 | VATICAN RADIO | Ukrainian |
| 9830 | ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO | Bulgarian |
| 9935 | ERA I Foni tis Elladas/ERT3 102 FM | Greek |
| 9996 | RWM Etalon Vremeni | Russian |
| 11530 | Voice of Welt (Radyo Denge Welat) | Kurdish |
| 11645 | ERA I Foni tis Elladas | Greek |
| 11650 | Interradio Romania | French |
| 11700 | VATICAN RADIO | Ukrainian |
| 11740 | VATICAN RADIO | Ukrainian |
| 11920 | China Radio International | French |
| 11955 | World Adventist Radio | Turkish |
| 11980 | Dniprovska Khvilya | Ukrainian |
| 12005 | Radio Farda | Persian |
| 12160 | TWR India | Panjabi |
| 13690 | Radio France Internationale | Hausa |
| 13740 | Interradio Romania | Russian |
| 13790 | Interradio Romania | French |
| 13800 | Golos And | Russian |
| 14996 | RWM Etalon Vremeni | Russian |
| 15130 | Interradio Romania | French |
| 15220 | Interradio Romania (Digital) | Chinese |
| 15390 | Radio Exterior de Espana | Spanish |
| 15520 | Radio Exterior de Espana | Spanish |
| 15785 | bit eXpress | German |
| 17605 | Adventist World Radio | Afar |
| 17620 | Radio France Internationale | French |
| 17640 | Radio Free Asia | Tibetan |
| 17670 | Interradio Romania | English |
| 17715 | Radio Exterior de Espana | Spanish |
| 17750 | Interradio Romania | Romanian, Curierul romances |
| 17770 | Radio Xoriyo Ogaden | Somali |
| 17830 | Radio Farda | Persian |
| 17855 | Radio Exterior de Espana | Spanish |
| 21490 | Interradio Romania | English |
| 21500 | Interradio Romania | English |
| 21580 | Radio France Internationale | French |
| 21620 | Radio Exterior de Espana | Spanish |
| 21690 | Radio France Internationale | French |
| 25000 | MIKES Aikamerkki | Finnish |
| 26060 | Railway Roma (DRM) | Italian (Digital) |
Private Shortwave Broadcasters in US
Here’s the list of all Shortwave radio broadcasters operated by private broadcasters in the US.
KNLS – World Christian Broadcasting – Anchor Point, Alaska
KSDA – Adventist World Radio – Agat, Guam
KTWR – Trans World Radio – Agana, Guam
KVOH – “Voice of Hope” – Rancho Simi, California
WBCQ – “The Planet” – Monticello, Maine
WEWN – “Eternal Word Network” – Irondale, Alabama
WHRI – “World Harvest Radio International” – Furman, South Carolina
WINB – “World International Broadcasting” – Red Lion, Pennsylvania
WJHR – Milton, Florida (unique for broadcasting in Upper Side Band modulation)
WMLK – Assemblies of Yahweh – Bethel, Pennsylvania
WRMI – “Radio Miami International” – Okeechobee, Florida
WTWW – “We Transmit World Wide” – Lebanon, Tennessee
WWCR – “Worldwide Christian Radio” – Nashville, Tennessee
WRNO – “WRNOradio.com” – New Orleans, Louisiana
The stations in the States will be just like the free channels you find on your Roku or FireTV. However, they will be news-oriented and not feature too many commercials as the government or large news companies often fund them.
Conclusion
Shortwave radio is something that most people are not too familiar with. Shortwaves aren’t as effective as long waves, like in FM radio or TV, because the signal isn’t as reliable. However, a shortwave can be manipulated to reach much farther stations and more exciting content.
The most popular and listened to stations are often located outside of the United States. Make sure that you find a dependable list of times and frequencies, or you could spend a long night listening to static’s warm and brilliant sound.
