Shortwave-radio era looks short-lived

[Ed-VA3ES]

Shortwave-radio era looks short-lived

By Doreen Carvajal
International Herald Tribune

Published: September 24, 2006
 
 
PARIS Perhaps it is fitting that a 50-second video clip of an ear-shattering explosion of 13 shortwave radio antenna towers on the Spanish Costa Brava is getting viewers on the Web site YouTube.
 
It took 32 pounds, or 14.5 kilograms, of dynamite to fell the massive antennas, which long relayed news from the United States to the former Soviet Union. But the most powerful force behind the demolition was the rapidly shifting landscape of radio, where listeners are migrating toward MP3 players, Internet radio and podcasting.

More - http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/24/business/radio25.php


 

[W1ATR]

Here's the youtube vid..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZWWTRmOM28

and here's a site I found with some nice pics...

http://www.radioliberty.org/introang.html

[wa2zdy]

Phil hit the nail on the head as usual.

[k4kyv]

Sevearal years ago they demolished several antenna towers located on the east coast, USA, built in the 1920's and used for transatlantic telephone communication.  I recall reading about it in RadioWorld; they mentioned that the towers were originally designed to last minimum of 400 years.

I don't listen to much shortwave any more.  With most stations I can get much better audio quality, 24/7, via streaming audio over the internet.  I listen frequently to Radio Canada, BBC and Radio France International; those stations have all but disappeared from shortwave.  I rarely ever hear Radio Australia or New Zealand.  HCJB is gone from shortwave, and so is AFARTS.  Very little audible VOA and most of it isn't in English.

The shortwave bands are filling up with bible beaters, but I wonder how many people actually listen to them.

I suspect the SWBC bands are still alive and will in lesser developed countries, for extended domestic coverage.  Even Canada still uses shortwave to relay some of its major AM broadcasters to remote northern locations.  CFRB, Toronto has a relay station, CFRX, on 6070 that comes in here entertainment quality in the winter months.  However, I don't hear nearly as much activity in the "tropical bands" in the vicinity of 2800, 3200 and 5000 as I used to.

Agreed, it's a shortsighted policy to completely dismantle the shortwave broadcasting infrastructure, but maybe the diminishing use of shortwave will take some of the pressure off the ham bands from SWBC interests.  Of course, that  didn't happen with the proposed 60m band.  I occasionally listen up there, and have yet to ever hear a single transmission of that high-priority national security communication that is supposed to be occurring on those frequencies.

This could also give BPL interests more ammunition in their quest to trash up what's left of shortwave radio communication.

[W1RKW]

This could also give BPL interests more ammunition in their quest to trash up what's left of shortwave radio communication.

And that's probably what the FeeCee is counting on.

[W1DAN]

Hi All:

One major factor in these decisions is the cost of running a 100-500kw transmitter. It is extremely expensive. FM, satellite and Internet delivery are providing a better bang for the buck for many broadcasters. Internet provides a direct feedback as to their listener count and location.

BTW, I heard the CBC has a plan to eliminate AM BCB broadcasts in Canada soon. They are moving all outlets to FM.

I am extremely saddened by the end of SW as I really love the sound. I still try to listen nightly, but it is getting hard to find english broadcasts.

But time marches on....

73
Dan
W1DAN

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

This could also give BPL interests more ammunition in their quest to trash up what's left of shortwave radio communication.

And that's probably what the FeeCee is counting on.

Not hardly. The FCC licenses shortwave stations ONLY to broadcast to foreign listeners. Domestic BPL would hardly interfere with foreign listeners.

[k4kyv]

This could also give BPL interests more ammunition in their quest to trash up what's left of shortwave radio communication.

And that's probably what the FeeCee is counting on.

Not hardly. The FCC licenses shortwave stations ONLY to broadcast to foreign listeners. Domestic BPL would hardly interfere with foreign listeners.

But remember, foreign broadcasters also broadcast to US listeners.  The US SWL community has been as vocally opposed to BPL as hams.  If the remaining major SW broadcasters stop broadcasting to N. America, domestic BPL would surely use that as an argument against SWL opposition, saying that HF radio has become irrelevant, and they can  listen to their stations over the internet, so there is no more need to be concerned about HF interference.

[John Holotko]

Perhaps the best adjective to describe these broadcasters' policies is "short sighted". Even in developed countries, not everyone has access to a broadband connection. My PA home is in a rural area. The "only game in town" is dial-up service, which is hardly satisfactory for streaming audio and totally unusable for video. Or I could pay an exorbitant price for broadband service through the local CATV company while being forced to pay for 50 channels of lousy television programming as part of the package.

Part of the problem  in as far as broadband access goes it right here at home.  According to numerous reports the US is lagging behind the rest of the world in as far as high speed broadband goes.  Many foreign countries enjoy lower prices, higher speeds and greater accessibility, even in rural regions. The loss of shortwave radio is in many respects more devastating right here at home than perhaps in Europe, japan, etc.

It's time the US get with the program and start getting serious about real high speed Internet access. I remember a time when the USA pretty much led the world in technology.  See the links below for more info.

As far as the shortwave stuff goes it's sad to see it go, broadband or no broadband. There is something unique about tuning in a station coming from some far off place and listening to the broadcast. Simple clicking on a link might be more expedient but it's just not the same. Nonetheless, we really need to shore up out broadband infrastructure here at home.

http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_telecom_and_utilities/003731.html

http://freepress.net/news/14939

http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/3468

[w1guh]

It really kinda sucks when...

You grow up with, and live a lot of your adult life, with something as fascinating as Short Wave Radio.  That magic radio with the extra dials that picked up stuff from around the world and you could hear, in real time, radio broadcasts from distant lands.

And then to learn that, WOW...I CAN DO THAT?  All's I have to do is get a ham license and I can broadast around the world!

HECK YES!!!!  I'll do that....where do I start?

And you do that for years, always LOVING the world of short wave.  The sounds, the sights, the smells...et al.  It becomes part of your bloodstream.

Then, one day, you wake up to realize that it doesn't exist anymore.  Somehow, it gradually became irrelevant.  Nobody's fault....just technology doing its thing. 

But all of a sudden you can get instant news from anywhere in the world.
You can corresponde instantly with anyone, whether they have a ham license or not, anywhere in the world with rock-solid reliability.
You can be heard by a large audience with no QRM, QRN, lids, etc.
You carry with you everywhere a transceiver with which you can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

For me, it's a painful process to see the death throes of HF as an important part of the RF spectrum, but, technologically speaking, it has no value except to those of us who know how FASCINATING it can be.

But I guess that there was a time when guys would debate which species of horse was the best for the family to own.

Sigh.  kinda a rant...kinda a dump....I love SW.

Paul

[K3ZS]

I have the Summer frequencies of the Canadian shortwave stations in my portable radio.   When camping in the Summer  it is the only entertaining radio usually available.   Also like AM 740 out of Cananda.   The continuous commercials, hate talk radio and lousy music in the US broadcast bands just is not worth listening to.   Many of the PBS/NPR stations used to have Jazz but they have cut back on that most of the time and just have classical music.   The other non commercial FM stations broadcast religious music and preaching.   One time, while camping on Lake Erie, I could pick up a lot of Canandian FM stations and several of them had Jazz and not too many commercials.   I wish the CBC could set up some FM stations in the US.

[W9GT]

And you do that for years, always LOVING the world of short wave.  The sounds, the sights, the smells...et al.  It becomes part of your bloodstream.

Then, one day, you wake up to realize that it doesn't exist anymore.  Somehow, it gradually became irrelevant.  Nobody's fault....just technology doing its thing. 

Ya know Paul, I agree whole-heartedlywith your sentiments.  There are many things that are now considered low-tech and obsolete..............take, for example, old cars, old radios, and antiques or all sorts.  That doesn't mean that we can't continue to enjoy these relics of the past and certainly we continue to enjoy our treasured mode of amplitude modulation that is among those techniques that is considered by many to be obsolete. 

People certainly still value such things of beauty as '57 Chevies, etc.  I hope we can continue to enjoy HF radio.

I guess the real threat, or looming tragedy, might be if we eventually lose our privileges to utilize HF frequencies to communicate with our relics of the past.   

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

But remember, foreign broadcasters also broadcast to US listeners.  The US SWL community has been as vocally opposed to BPL as hams.  If the remaining major SW broadcasters stop broadcasting to N. America, domestic BPL would surely use that as an argument against SWL opposition, saying that HF radio has become irrelevant, and they can  listen to their stations over the internet, so there is no more need to be concerned about HF interference.

Of course you are correct Don, but irrelevant. The FCC has nothing to do with foreign broadcasters.

[John Holotko]

The FCC has already stated their case with regard to BPL .Now it's just a matter of if and when companies roll it out and where. Then loss of foreign broadcast ers has nothing to do with BPL.

[N0WVA]

Radio is free. Internet is not. That seems like a major advantage to me. And I believe the cost of the internet will be going up as we are seeing now that the phone company wants money everytime you download something.

When a storm comes, and power goes out, what do you turn on to see if there are tornadoes coming your way?

My suspicians must be right about digital radio-the push to get rid of analog altogether. Whatever goes digital will have a price attached to it because it is then possiblle to regulate who gets to hear/see what.
Some of the small time local stations here air a commercial about a storm being reported, then at a key time when they tell where the storm is, the weather man stops talking and a womans voice demands you to put in another quarter to keep it playing. At the end, the commercial says" Radio: some things are meant to be free". So at least someone else sees what is coming.