Is Shortwave Alive & Well?

Being someone that has been around radio for more than 40 plus years from my early days of CB radio, I have slowly watched the ever changing world of radio.  Lots of HAM operators will make you think if you don’t get a HAM license you are wasting your time – I would say not necessarily!

What I personally have always liked about shortwave radio is I could put my shortwave radio in my bag and when we went for trips in the 70’s I could pull it out anywhere and pick up things that were just amazing.  The only thing I had to do was make sure I had plenty of D celled batteries for the trip.  And if we ran out there was always a service station that carried them.

HAM radio back then you would need to take so much with you just to set up, I know I watched my dad and while I was set up and picking up HAM radio or weather he would still be setting up LOL…  Today with radios like the IC-705 and some good loop antenna’s you can be on air pretty quick.

Shortwave Radio Today – has also improved so much.  With technology catching up with radio it really is a fascinating time to be in shortwave radio.  You can literally do everything a HAM operator can do except transmit & as you will see later in this article there are some cool services making it where SWL’s can even transmit!

Welcome To The era Of Decoding Apps! I don’t know CW like my dad did but I can pick up CW on my shortwave radio and pull out my tablet and open an app and see exactly who is transmitting and who they are chatting with. AMAZING!

I can also do the same for PSK31 & FT8 – My most amazing one is when I downloaded images from the ISS with a handheld radio and my SSTV App on my tablet!  I can also pick up SSTV frequencies via my RTLSDR dongle on shortwave and receive images from all over the world.  Again AMAZING!

I can also do the same for PSK31 & FT8 – My most amazing one is when I downloaded images from the ISS with a handheld radio and my SSTV App on my tablet!  I can also pick up SSTV frequencies via my RTLSDR dongle on shortwave and receive images from all over the world.  Again AMAZING!

QSL Cards – because I practice what I preach I have gone out and found resources and added them to our website SWLQSL.Com that will help SLW’s look professional when they reach out to HAM operators.  Our website is like QRZ for SWL’s and we even help you get a call sign that works like real HAM operators calls it lets people know your city & Country!  This way when you send QSL cards to HAM operators you are looked at as a real professional in the hobby. 

I have received QSL cards from 32 countries and counting and received Awards on eQSL just for shortwave radio! 

When we are out in the field we have a UHF CB handheld with us for emergency and in USA our family use GMRS so we always have a backup when we SWL.  So if you are reading this and wondering if SWL is alive and well, I hope this article answers your question.  Check out our YouTube and Instagram on the website and our profile page VK2021SWL WRYG735 and join us if you have not.

Have a great day and good DX’ing 73’s CJ VK2021SWL  WRYG735 www.swlqsl.com