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Post by Wave Trekker on Mar 25, 2010 21:11:48 GMT -5
What with becoming obsessed with numbers stations in the last couple of weeks, I came across some site saying something about 'save short wave radio' or something. I don't recall where I saw this though.
Is this in danger of dying out? Or is it just something where people say it is, but years later it'll still be around? Kind of like vinyl albums (they supposedly 'died' in the 1980s to most, but they're actually still around/being produced in small quantities by some bands), and I also was hearing just a few years after that that bookkeepers wouldn't be needed eventually...over 20 years later, there's still ads for them and all.
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Post by Wave Trekker on Apr 13, 2010 0:11:55 GMT -5
Probably found my answer, with this article here: www.rwonline.com/article/95976Funny though, for once you can't blame the internet for killing something (or at least get it in the running for a later slaughter), since it arguably started it's decline after the Cold War ended, along with several big shortwave entities ceasing broadcasts, among a few other things. Ouch. |
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Post by The Black Ninja on May 26, 2010 1:20:19 GMT -5
Are there still many short wave stations being used ?? And what mostly for?? My bad 4 asking I just don't have any knowledge of it.
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Post by Wave Trekker on May 26, 2010 9:11:52 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't really know either. For numbers radio stations, for one thing. But as far as short wave radio goes in general...can't really say. There's amateur radio operators too, but of course you can just do that online in various ways. It'd be nice to have someone on here who was more knowledgeable of these things!
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Post by rob on Jun 9, 2010 14:42:52 GMT -5
Probably found my answer, with this article here: www.rwonline.com/article/95976Funny though, for once you can't blame the internet for killing something (or at least get it in the running for a later slaughter), since it arguably started it's decline after the Cold War ended, along with several big shortwave entities ceasing broadcasts, among a few other things. Ouch. Believe it or not, the biggest threat to shortwave here in the US is broadband internet. Cable lines running on powerlines block the frequency of shortwave, and if you live in an area with a lot of power lines then it's a safe bet that your shortwave signal is going to be screwy. I'm not an expert or anything, but my dad is a radio enthusiast. I grew up talking on CBs and Ham radios, but I never really got into it like he does. |
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Post by Wave Trekker on Jun 9, 2010 17:32:06 GMT -5
Believe it or not, the biggest threat to shortwave here in the US is broadband internet. No, I believe it... Cable lines running on powerlines block the frequency of shortwave, and if you live in an area with a lot of power lines then it's a safe bet that your shortwave signal is going to be screwy. Ah, something to look forward to, whenever I get a short wave radio, due to living in the big city (whee!)!  Thanks for the info... I'm not an expert or anything, but my dad is a radio enthusiast. Have you asked him if he knows anything about number stations? |
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Post by rob on Jun 10, 2010 3:44:24 GMT -5
I asked him tonight about it as a matter of fact. He was unfamiliar with the term "numbers station" but when I explained the concept to him he went "Oh, you mean "spy stations"? ;D
He says he picks them up every now and then while he's trying to tune in the BBC. He's of the opinion that they're military related. I asked him to join this site because he's pretty good with shortwave, and I think he could answer a lot of questions we might have. Either way, I'll share what I learn as he's putting together a shortwave "care package" for me to start experimenting with.
(Darryl: Off topic, but Dad said even with all the power lines in major cities, you should still be able to pick up clear signals at night with shortwave, at least for the time being. I told him you were in Texas and he said that wasn't as bad as being somewhere on the coast like New York or Los Angeles where the oceans help fragment signals worse than they should.)
I have to thank you too for helping my dad and I bond over a hobby of his that I never appreciated much until I started researching this subject. It's a very awesome experience.
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Post by Wave Trekker on Jun 10, 2010 9:40:19 GMT -5
I asked him tonight about it as a matter of fact. He was unfamiliar with the term "numbers station" but when I explained the concept to him he went "Oh, you mean "spy stations"? ;D Heh, yeah, either term will do! He's of the opinion that they're military related. Yeah I've seen some links of some known (or at least that's what people assume) military-based spy stations... I asked him to join this site because he's pretty good with shortwave, and I think he could answer a lot of questions we might have. Either way, I'll share what I learn as he's putting together a shortwave "care package" for me to start experimenting with. That'd be great! Because I'm...well, not even a beginner with this yet, since, again, no short wave radio at my end yet. Because I'll definitely need a hand with this! (Darryl: Off topic, but Dad said even with all the power lines in major cities, you should still be able to pick up clear signals at night with shortwave, at least for the time being. I told him you were in Texas and he said that wasn't as bad as being somewhere on the coast like New York or Los Angeles where the oceans help fragment signals worse than they should.) Yeah you can still pick up some stations far off, even if you're just using regular, rather than short wave radio, as I once listened to the famed WLS (which had a brief mention in the Ferris Bueller's [sp?] Day Off movie at the beginning) station based in Chicago (!) one year while in high school, I was able to pick that up one winter, for some reason! I have to thank you too for helping my dad and I bond over a hobby of his that I never appreciated much until I started researching this subject. It's a very awesome experience. That's great! And I'm always thankful for whatever help and info people can share as well |
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Thanks for the info...