{"id":45271,"date":"2020-09-10T11:19:12","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T15:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=45271"},"modified":"2020-09-10T11:19:12","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T15:19:12","slug":"cant-receive-anything-on-your-new-shortwave-radio-read-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/cant-receive-anything-on-your-new-shortwave-radio-read-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Can’t receive anything on your new shortwave radio–? Read this."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This morning, I received a question from Andrew, an SWLing Post<\/em> reader in the UK.\u00a0 Andrew writes:<\/p>\n

May I ask a question please? I am very much a newbie to this. I am not really interested in FM, but I would like to listen to international stations on SW, utilities stations, amateur broadcasts and if possible, local airports, aircraft on air band.<\/p>\n

I have just purchased a Tecsun PL-680<\/a> and have tried it inside my home with the telescopic and wire aerial that came with it, plugged into the antenna port and clipped to a point near the ceiling. All inside the house and the wire aerial did improve the reception, but I get hardly and channels either during the day or night.<\/p>\n

Grateful for your detailed advice on what I need to do exactly to improve the number of stations I can receive.<\/p>\n

Kind regards
\nAndrew<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thank you for your question, Andrew, and I hope you don’t mind that I share it here on the SWLing Post<\/em> as I receive this question so frequently from new shortwave radio enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

Of course, a number of things could be affecting your shortwave radio reception and there is, of course, the possibility the receiver is faulty–however, this is very unlikely. Let’s talk about what is most likely the culprit:<\/p>\n

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)<\/h1>\n

RFI is quite often the elephant in the listening room. It’s not always immediately obvious–especially if you’re new to shortwave listening.<\/p>\n

RFI (also known as QRM) is radio noise that is created locally and often concentrated in our homes and neighborhoods. RFI deafens our shortwave radios by overwhelming the receiver with strong spurious signals. Even if you can’t hear the noise, it could still be overwhelming your receiver from a different portion of the band.<\/p>\n

RFI can emanate from most any modern electronic or digital device in your home: televisions, power supplies, dimmer switches, smart appliances, and even computer hard drives. Honestly, most any device could be the culprit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

These “Wall Wart” type adapters can create a lot of RFI<\/p><\/div>\n

RFI can also be caused by power line noises outdoors which have a much larger noise footprint and typically require intervention from your local utilities company\/municipality.<\/p>\n

In all likelihood, though, it’s a noise inside your home.<\/p>\n

There’s a quick way to determine if RFI is the culprit:<\/p>\n

Take your radio outdoors, away from the noise<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a>Depending on where you live, this might only require walking with your radio to the far end of your garden\/yard, or it might require hopping in your car and visiting a local park. The idea is to find a spot far removed from houses and buildings, outdoor lighting, and even power lines if possible.<\/p>\n

Once you find a listening spot, turn on your portable and tune through some of the popular shortwave radio bands.<\/p>\n

If in the late afternoon or evening, I like tuning through either the 31 meter band (9,400\u20139,900 kHz), 41 meter band (7,200\u20137,450 kHz) and, if late evening, the 49 meter band (5,900\u20136,200 kHz). Jot down the frequencies where you hear stations and perhaps even make notes about the signal strength. Then go back home and see if you can receive as many stations. Shortwave stations change frequencies often, but if you listen from home at the same time the following evening, the radio landscape should be similar.<\/p>\n

My guess is that you’ll hear many more stations in the field than you can from within your home.<\/p>\n

Living with RFI<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sadly, RFI is just a fact of life in this century. It’s very hard to escape, especially for those of us living in dense urban areas. This is one of the reasons I’m such a big fan of taking radios to the field.<\/a><\/p>\n

There are things you can do to improve reception and I would encourage you to read through this post from our archives<\/a> (the first two points in the article directly address RFI). Do your best to track down sources of noise and eliminate them.<\/p>\n

If you find that, even in the field, your shortwave receiver can’t receive stations with the antenna fully extended, then it may indeed be an issue with the radio itself and you might need to send it back to the manufacturer or retailer if it’s within the return window.<\/p>\n

Post<\/em> readers: If you have other suggestions, feel free to comment!<\/p>\n

\n

Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Please consider supporting us via\u00a0Patreon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Coffee<\/span>\u00a0Fund<\/span><\/a>! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning, I received a question from Andrew, an SWLing Post reader in the UK.\u00a0 Andrew writes: May I ask a question please? I am very much a newbie to this. I am not really interested in FM, but I would like to listen to international stations on SW, utilities stations, amateur broadcasts and if […]<\/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":[373,545,3,196,43],"tags":[8750,2650,4089,2651,1296,453,4082],"class_list":["post-45271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-qrm","category-shortwave-radio","tag-field-radio","tag-noise","tag-qrm","tag-radio-frequency-interference","tag-rf-noise","tag-rfi","tag-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-bMb","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11118,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/video-how-to-fight-radio-noise-in-urban-areas\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":0},"title":"Video: How to fight radio noise in urban areas","author":"Thomas","date":"October 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"London Shortwave, a regular contributor to the SWLing Post,\u00a0lives in London, England and copes with serious amounts of radio noise (QRM)\u00a0at his home. Unlike many urban radio listeners, the QRM didn't chase him away from the hobby, rather he looked at\u00a0it as a challenge. Besides taking his radio kit outdoors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How To"","block_context":{"text":"How To","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"London","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/London.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/London.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/London.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47496,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/build-an-affordable-but-stealthy-magnet-wire-vertical-loop-antenna-to-mitigate-condo-qrm\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":1},"title":"Build an affordable (but stealthy) Magnet Wire Vertical Loop antenna to mitigate condo QRM","author":"Thomas","date":"January 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0TomL, who shares the following guest post: Magnet Wire Vertical Loop Antenna by TomL For those of you in a noisy condo like me, the environment does not give me many options.\u00a0 I was experimenting with a YouLoop on the wooden porch with somewhat acceptable\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/MagnetWireVerticalLoop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/MagnetWireVerticalLoop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/MagnetWireVerticalLoop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/MagnetWireVerticalLoop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45304,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/qrm-busting-robs-practical-approach-to-tackling-unwanted-radio-noise\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":2},"title":"QRM-busting: Rob’s practical approach to tackling unwanted radio noise","author":"Thomas","date":"September 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Our good friend Rob Wagner (VK3BVW) over at the\u00a0 Mount Evelyn DX Report has posted an excellent article on how to deal with man-made radio interference (QRM\/RFI) in our homes and neighborhoods. This has been a frequent topic here on the SWLing Post (indeed, as recently as Thursday). I've copied\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kenwood-R-1000-Encoder-Dial-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kenwood-R-1000-Encoder-Dial-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kenwood-R-1000-Encoder-Dial-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kenwood-R-1000-Encoder-Dial-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Kenwood-R-1000-Encoder-Dial-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63912,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/09\/noise-reduction-ideas-via-hackaday-electronics-unmessed\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":3},"title":"Noise-Reduction Ideas via Hackaday & Electronics Unmessed","author":"Thomas","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura for sharing this excellent Hackaday feature: Quieting That Radio. If you\u2019ve ever struggled to hear weak signals through modern RFI, this piece, featuring content from Electronics Unmessed, is well worth checking out. It explores the hidden interference SDR setups often face and\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\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-e1482065447566.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-e1482065447566.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-e1482065447566.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-e1482065447566.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29699,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/exotic-shortwave-dx-copied-in-rio-capim-northern-brazil\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":4},"title":"Exotic shortwave DX copied in Rio Capim, Northern Brazil","author":"Clint Gouveia","date":"December 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The beautiful Capim River in a land of Jaguars, Tarantulas and occasionally, wonderful shortwave DX Hi there, I returned from my third trip to the Rio Capim area of\u00a0Par\u00e1, Northern Brazil about 5 weeks ago, having been out there for exactly a month. Now, whilst this was strictly a business\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/MA305-jungle.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34180,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/arcing-can-produce-nasty-broadband-radio-interference\/","url_meta":{"origin":45271,"position":5},"title":"Arcing can produce nasty broadband radio interference","author":"Thomas","date":"September 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I mentioned in a previous post that, this year, QRM levels here at the condo in Qu\u00e9bec are higher on our balcony than they are inside the building. I think I found the source. A couple weeks ago, on my morning walk, I passed underneath some high voltage power lines\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Elecraft-KX2-PK-Loop-Condo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45271","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=45271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45271\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}