Back in 2024, I created shortwave.live, a shortwave radio schedule website, to help new people get into the hobby. Since then, it helped a lot of people, including many who have been in this hobby for a long time. This year, I’m launching this new forum site to build a community for shortwave listeners.
Why not a Discord Server or a Subreddit?
I want this forum to become a good online resource for shortwave, and I want people to be able to find our discussions through search engines. The internet is a much more closed place now. If you want to see Discord discussions, you need a Discord account, which even asks for ID verification to view certain things. Reddit is also a much more closed place now. They sometimes don’t even allow you to read a post without an account. It’s worth mentioning that the Reddit website is too heavy and full of unnecessary JavaScript. A website from 2002 loads faster than Reddit. For these reasons, I started this forum website. I used Discourse for the forum software and everything is hosted on my server. All you need is an email address to sign up if you want to participate in a discussion or post something. You don’t need an account if you just want to read; all of our discussions are open for anyone to see.
Just found this site almost by accident. I like the look-n-feel of it, and your philosophy of keeping it simple.
Another licensed amateur here, but have been a SWL since 11 or so.
Personally, I think more should trawl the “air waves” as that is about the only way to learn a bit about other countries and peoples, from the people themselves (well, agents of them) short of actually going there! Any obviously over patriotic noises usually indicate a government sponsored broadcast, so take with a pinch (or sack!) of salt.
Sadly, the rise in modern digital domestic gadgets, and especially the cheaper end of the product lines, create way too much unwanted radio noise that can seriously disrupt SWL’ing.
However, there are many “online” “Web SDR’s” about, that are located in (RF) quiet areas, so even without a shortwave radio, you can still listen, using a web interface on a desktop or mobile device.
Above all, enjoy. And remember, depending where you live, if you hear stuff obviously “not “intended for You”… Keep it to yourself, depending on the laws in your country. We are (I think) entering some strained times again.
I’m brand new and will start learning my way around the website. I’m still using my 1957 Zenith Trans-Oceanic. I remember hearing the last Deutsche-Welle broadcast from Koeln to the Americas. A sad day indeed. Anyway, at sixty three years of age, I’m studying to get my amateur operators license. Thanks for helping to keep this hobby alive!
Just found you this evening whilst searching for info on SW in general. I am a complete beginner, but have always had lots of radios. I have some old Grundig Satellit radios. I guess they are not up to the job like the digital equipment you all seem to have, but I love them, and am hoping to get some success, especially after getting advice andknowledge from you all here. Great site, I appreciate being a new member. Andrew
Greater than great. The Internet has become too bloated, too commercial with every site wanting your private data for its cookies and more. So something relatively straightforward is good to find.
It came up very well when I was searching for frequencies, don’t know how you achieved that but it works well.
This is a great construction. There are features upon features going deeper the more you explore. Definitely not a one-evening home-brew idea. How did this come about, and what is the Catalan connection if I may ask? Please tell us more about the technical aspects of the site and how it came about in this form.
A well-deserved thank you for your hours of thought and effort.
Inksi
PS. Would like to move this post to ‘Site Feedback’ if possible
Donald, hello and thanks for reply. The two halves are a great mix together. It was the forum bells and whistles that caught my eye but without a doubt the scheduling presentation is more important. Right now I am listening to China Radio which would never have happened without this feature -a real success bearing in mind the limitations of my aerial
I note that this looks as good online as on mobile which must be way more popular, so thanks for not missing the traditional platform out.
