Topic: Shortwave Radio

Technically speaking, I was introduced to shortwave radio as a middle schooler, through a program at the university I would eventually attend as an undergrad. In 2006, my friend Father Time reintroduced me to shortwave, also known as world band radio, as a hobby that I could enjoy while working long shifts at Fort Irwin National Training Center in the Mojave Desert.

Father Time advised me to purchase a Grundig Mini100PE, which was marked down from $30 to $10 to make way for the new Grundig Mini300PE. All of my early experiences with shortwave were in the Mojave Desert, listening to the 100PE.

In May of 2007, I purchased two additional shortwave sets: a Grundig FR200, and a Grundig S350. In my experience, the S350 has better reception capability, but the FR200 and MINI100PE have the advantage of lacking automatic tuning correction. Automatic tuning is advantageous for some stations, but it tends to wander when receiving weak transmissions. Because of this, I ended up purchasing two more Mini100PE units in 2009 to use backups. They're great, but they do tend to develop shorts in the speaker wires after awhile, and I haven't been able to figure out how to fix the flaw.

I've been able to tune in a number of interesting stations over the last few years, but my two favorite stations to listen to are the "Voice of Justice" program (1, 2) from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and Radio Havana Cuba. I find propaganda broadcasts to be extremely entertaining. In the case of the so-called "Voice of Justice", it's also a great way of keeping up on what the Iranian regime's current party line is. (I'm not positive that you can even tune the Voice of Justice in anymore, but you can download it here.)

There are some great advantages to shortwave. In areas where no AM or FM band signals are available, you can usually find something on shortwave. It's a great form of entertainment when you're out camping, or living or working in remote areas. In this globally connected age, it's also a great way to learn about other regions and distant cultures without spending more time staring at a computer screen than you already have to.