{"id":14404,"date":"2015-08-17T10:27:26","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T14:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=14404"},"modified":"2015-08-17T10:27:26","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T14:27:26","slug":"it-might-not-be-your-radio-poor-propagation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/it-might-not-be-your-radio-poor-propagation\/","title":{"rendered":"It might not be your radio: poor propagation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PL-680-BBC-Click-Frequency\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Lately, I’ve had a number of emails from new readers that read\u00a0something like this:<\/p>\n

“I just purchased a new portable shortwave receiver, but I can’t seem to hear anything<\/em><\/strong> on it other than the strongest of stations. Should I return this radio? Am I doing something wrong?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The SWLing Post<\/em> attracts a lot of new shortwave listeners–which is terrific–but there’s nothing worse than being excited about a new hobby (and new radio) only to find that you can’t hear much of anything.<\/p>\n

But right now, it may not be your fault–nor your radio’s.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"HFpropagation\"<\/a>

Propagation conditions don’t get much worse than this.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

There are many factors that influence what you can receive, so I typically send new listeners\u00a0to this article, which is full of tips to help you get the most out of your radio<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But lately, even if you follow\u00a0all of these handy tips<\/a>, you may still<\/em>\u00a0find it\u00a0difficult to\u00a0receive\u00a0distant stations–especially during daytime hours. The fact is,\u00a0for the past few weeks,\u00a0we’ve been experiencing fairly\u00a0dismal shortwave radio propagation conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How can we tell? \u00a0Well, the K index–<\/em>a scale from 0 to 9 which indicates\u00a0the magnitude of geomagnetic storms–“K0” equating a\u00a0quiet magnetic field, while “K9” indicates\u00a0extreme storms–has risen to K6 and even K7 for the past two days,\u00a0unusually high, indeed. The result? In radio terms,\u00a0such unsettled conditions\u00a0mean that shortwave signals simply can’t effectively propagate across the globe. \u00a0To add insult to injury,\u00a0sun spot numbers–which can indicate effective\u00a0radio propagation–have also been somewhat\u00a0low.<\/p>\n

I understand how Post\u00a0<\/em>readers are feeling. \u00a0I’ve been particularly sensitive to the crippling effects of the geomagnetism during this weak cycle, as I’ve been attempting to hear the elusive\u00a0Radio Nacional Arc\u00e1ngel San Gabriel<\/a> in Antartica…alas, not really possible right now.<\/p>\n

Should we just\u00a0give up, then, letting the sun and geomagnetism rule the day–? Not at all! \u00a0Typically, these periods come and go within a matter of weeks.<\/strong>\u00a0 No worries, readers;\u00a0you’ll soon find that your radios work just fine. \u00a0In fact, at the conclusion\u00a0of poor solar conditions, there are often excellent band openings…<\/p>\n

The take-away here? \u00a0Just stay tuned! \u00a0<\/em>Better listening conditions await.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lately, I’ve had a number of emails from new readers that read\u00a0something like this: “I just purchased a new portable shortwave receiver, but I can’t seem to hear anything on it other than the strongest of stations. Should I return this radio? Am I doing something wrong?” The SWLing Post attracts a lot of new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,810],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-space-weather"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-3Kk","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5534,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/pirate-radio-recordings-radio-gaga\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":0},"title":"Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio GaGa","author":"Thomas","date":"February 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"For your listening pleasure: 28 minutes of pirate radio fun, courtesy of Radio GaGa. Recorded on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013\u2013starting around 00:10 UTC\u2013on 6.925 MHz (USB). Click here to download the MP3 of the recording, or simply listen below: Standard Pirate Radio Disclaimer:\u00a0This is a recording of a real pirate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"All we hear is Radio GaGa!\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/RadioListeningFamily-300x221.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2736,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/hear-wtwws-new-transmitter-2200-utc-on-9990-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":1},"title":"Hear WTWW’s new transmitter – 22:00 UTC on 9,990 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"February 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's your chance to catch the first broadcast of the new shortwave transmitter installed at WTWW in Nashville, Tennessee. Ted Randall will be hosting a show called, \"This is Only A Test.\" Here's the press release: (Source: Ted Randall) It is not very often that you can hear a new\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/swdial.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":33879,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/catch-some-shortwave-pirate-radio-action-this-labor-day-weekend\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":2},"title":"Catch some shortwave pirate radio action this Labor Day weekend!","author":"Thomas","date":"August 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Monday, September 3, is Labor Day throughout most of North America; shortwave pirates\u00a0love\u00a0to operate on long holiday weekends (though you can hear them most any weekend for that matter). So, if you\u2019ve never heard a live pirate station on shortwave radio, this is a great opportunity to catch your first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hallicrafters-Dial-Analog-Black-and-White-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hallicrafters-Dial-Analog-Black-and-White-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hallicrafters-Dial-Analog-Black-and-White-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":946,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2010\/11\/new-shortwave-radio-station-radio-free-sarawak\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":3},"title":"New shortwave radio station: Radio Free Sarawak","author":"Thomas","date":"November 17, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"The independent radio station, Radio Free Sarawak has started broadcasting via shortwave on 7590 and 15680 kHz. RFS broadcasts are targeted to communities in Sarawak, East Malaysia at 6:30-7:30 and 18:00-19:00 local time (or 22:30-23:00 and 10:00-11:00 UTC respectively). Per the RFS webite: Radio Free Sarawak is the independent radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/RFS.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14577,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/labor-day-weekend-a-great-time-for-pirate-radio-action\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":4},"title":"Labor Day weekend: a great time for pirate radio action","author":"Thomas","date":"September 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Monday, September 7, is Labor Day throughout most of North America; shortwave pirates love to operate on long holiday weekends (though you can hear them most any weekend for that matter). So, if you\u2019ve never heard a live pirate station on shortwave radio, this is a great opportunity to catch\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Arr2-D2-Pirate-Radio","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Arr2-D2-Pirate-Radio.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3557,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/in-zimbabwe-if-you-want-to-hear-the-truth-listen-to-shortwave-radio-africa-to-listen-to-voa\/","url_meta":{"origin":14404,"position":5},"title":"In Zimbabwe, “if you want to hear the truth…listen to Shortwave Radio Africa…listen to VOA”","author":"Thomas","date":"May 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a brilliant piece on the lack of press freedom in Zimbabwe and the importance of shortwave radio. It was broadcast yesterday on Weekend All Things Considered. Links to the show and audio are below. (Source: NPR) In Seke, a rural community 40 miles outside Harare, James Chidakwa and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/07\/npr_logo.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}