{"id":52026,"date":"2022-03-02T12:35:49","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T16:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=52026"},"modified":"2022-03-02T13:05:31","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T17:05:31","slug":"everyone-should-have-a-shortwave-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/everyone-should-have-a-shortwave-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Everyone should have a shortwave radio"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Screen shot taken from a nearby resident’s video showing missile attacks on Kiev TV tower (via YouTube)<\/p><\/div>\n

There’s a reason why Russia disabled Kyiv’s TV tower with two missiles on the morning of March 1, 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As Ukraine’s Defense minister was quoted in The Guardian<\/a>: “Moscow aims to cut off communications to \u2018break the resistance of the people’.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

One of the first things an invader tries to shut down is a country’s free press; traditionally, this has meant swift control of newspapers and radio. No surprise here–this is a standard part of an invader’s playbook.<\/p>\n

These days, of course, this also includes TV and the Internet.\u00a0So far, Russia’s attempts to completely cut off Internet in Ukraine hasn’t been successful, but it’s not from a lack of trying.<\/p>\n

In fact, even within<\/em> Russia social media platforms<\/a>\u00a0 have been blocked or severely restricted to prevent the free-flow of information among its citizens. Russia has even shut down one of its oldest radio stations<\/a> for not toeing the party line with Ukraine coverage.<\/p>\n

Propaganda machines<\/a> are most effective when there’s no competing sources of information.<\/p>\n

Why shortwave radio?<\/h1>\n

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

Shortwave portables are accessible, affordable, and effective tools for circumventing censorship.<\/p>\n

It’s sad that they aren’t as common as they were back in the Cold War. Most people under 40 years old have likely never used or even heard of shortwave. I mean, if so many today don’t realize that you can receive television over the air<\/a>, how could we expect them to know what a shortwave radio is?<\/p>\n

Unlike the Internet–robust and decentralized as it may be in some countries–shortwave radio can’t be controlled by any one ruler or easily shut down. Shortwave broadcasting infrastructure isn’t within reach of an invader without causing a serious international conflict.<\/p>\n

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

In addition, radio listening is an amazingly covert and untraceable activity. With a good pair of earphones, you can listen to any station within range and no one will be the wiser. A radio can’t be confiscated and the owner’s listening history exported.<\/p>\n

Smart phones, on the other hand, often have location services in play which leak user location information. Unless encryption is used, those in charge of internet services also have access to all communications that pass through the pipeline as well.<\/p>\n

It’s not difficult for those in power to gain access to information that passes through the internet.<\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong: smart phones are amazing tools. They give the user access to news, social media, and instantaneous information that might help their ability to seek safety–but they require a little savvy if you don’t want to be tracked. They also need frequent recharging. Shortwave portables, on the other hand, will often last weeks if not months on one set of batteries. They allow you access to international news, and the vast majority can deliver local and regional news via FM and Mediumwave stations.<\/p>\n

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

Most importantly, though? Shortwave radio is the ultimate free speech medium, as it has no regard for national borders, nor for whom is in power (or not in power) at any moment. Shortwave radio works everywhere on the planet; no matter how remote you are, you can still receive stations over shortwave.<\/p>\n

So yeah. I think every family should have at least one shortwave radio. Especially when someone is actively trying to cut off your access to news and information.<\/p>\n

Note to our friends in Ukraine:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The BBC has added two shortwave broadcasts to Ukraine on 5875 kHz from 8\/10 UTC and on 15735 kHz from 2\/4 UTC.<\/p>\n

SWLing Post<\/em> readers, please comment if you know of other new shortwave broadcasts to help those in Ukraine and Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s a reason why Russia disabled Kyiv’s TV tower with two missiles on the morning of March 1, 2022. As Ukraine’s Defense minister was quoted in The Guardian: “Moscow aims to cut off communications to \u2018break the resistance of the people’.” One of the first things an invader tries to shut down is a country’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[3,43],"tags":[2615,4655,84],"class_list":["post-52026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-ukraine","tag-why-shortwave","tag-why-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-dx8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28880,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/radio-world-shortwave-station-bends-but-doesnt-break\/","url_meta":{"origin":52026,"position":0},"title":"Radio World: Shortwave Station Bends But Doesn\u2019t Break","author":"Thomas","date":"October 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Radio World via Richard Langley) Among the many victims of Hurricane Irma in September was the transmitter\/antenna farm of Radio Miami International, WRMI in Okeechobee, located on a cattle ranch 40 miles inland from Port St. Lucie on Florida\u2019s Atlantic coast. On Sunday Sept. 10, Irma\u2019s roaring winds tore\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\/2017\/09\/WRMI-Irma-damage5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/WRMI-Irma-damage5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/WRMI-Irma-damage5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/WRMI-Irma-damage5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44333,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/can-you-help-john-identify-a-vintage-shortwave-radio-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":52026,"position":1},"title":"Can you help John identify a vintage shortwave radio book–?","author":"Thomas","date":"July 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John (KC8RZM), who writes: I wonder if anyone at SWLing can help me identify this book on shortwave listening from my childhood. It was an older book when I checked it out from the local library mid-1970s but what I remember specifically is that\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\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25363,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/requiem-for-radio-amanda-dawn-christies-performance-piece-honoring-rci-sackville\/","url_meta":{"origin":52026,"position":2},"title":"Requiem For Radio: Amanda Dawn Christie’s performance piece honoring RCI Sackville","author":"Thomas","date":"April 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: CBC News) Moncton artist bringing back sounds of former Sackville Radio-Canada towers A Moncton artist has brought back to life the sounds of the 13 CBC Radio-Canada International shortwave towers that once stood in Sackville, N.B. on the Tantramar Marsh. \"It's kind of like you're conjuring ghosts of radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Amanda-Dawn-Christie-Requiem-Radio-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Amanda-Dawn-Christie-Requiem-Radio-1024x768.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Amanda-Dawn-Christie-Requiem-Radio-1024x768.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28407,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/photos-of-wrmi-antenna-field-damage\/","url_meta":{"origin":52026,"position":3},"title":"Photos of WRMI antenna field damage","author":"Thomas","date":"September 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Since we've been following WRMI in the wake of Hurricane Irma, I've posted a few photos below that WRMI shared on their Facebook page. These photos give us an idea about the magnitude of damage to their antenna farm. 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Here is the catalog description: \"The Skywave is the ultimate travel radio\u00a0with great AM\/ FM, Shortwave, Aviation\u00a0and Weather. Performance is excellent\u00a0and it is small and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"This image of the CC Skywave, clipped from the CCrane online catalog","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/CCrane-CC-Skywave-226x300.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":64466,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/rnz-pacific-launches-2025-26-cyclone-watch-service-on-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":52026,"position":5},"title":"RNZ Pacific Launches 2025\u201326 Cyclone Watch Service on Shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"November 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Ian Millett (N3CVA), who writes: Thomas, This was posted to the RNZ website at 2 pm NZ time November 1. 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