Short Wave Radio

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

LW can cover vast distances as it follows the curvature of the earth. SW is propagated over long distances by skywave where it is reflected by the atmosphere of the earth.

Agreed, but I’m still wondering why the French in particular got into long wave (‘grandes ondes’ as they call it). We haven’t used it to nearly the same extent: I’ve a feeling that there was a Radio 2 frequency on 1500m during the 70s (probably one of the old BBC Light bands) before it gave way to Radio 4 and Test Match Special!

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I've heard of Atlantic 252 being picked up as far away as Brazil when the atmospherics were right.

Radio propagation is massive subject. The 'right' atmospheric conditions can cause all sorts of weird and wonderful things to happen. It's possible to broadcast to certain places only at specific times of the day when the atmospheric conditions enable it. Broadcasters have taken this into account when it comes to scheduling programmes.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I've heard of Atlantic 252 being picked up as far away as Brazil when the atmospherics were right.

Rigonda was another Soviet brand of audio equipment, mostly made in Latvia but labelled Made In USSR.

Oh, yes, Atlantic 252 which briefly transformed itself into a sports station called Team252,I think.

Latvia was an SSR at that time, having been annexed by Stalin. It was part of the Russian Empire but had broken free after 1917.

[Richard1978]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I've heard of Atlantic 252 being picked up as far away as Brazil when the atmospherics were right.

Rigonda was another Soviet brand of audio equipment, mostly made in Latvia but labelled Made In USSR.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

As a little aside, I wonder why the French had such a thing about Long Wave.

LW can cover vast distances as it follows the curvature of the earth. SW is propagated over long distances by skywave where it is reflected by the atmosphere of the earth.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I'm bit dubious. The rarity of telephone lines is due to the high costs of copper and installation of them. In fact POTS phone lines are declining in Britain and survive because of large numbers of older people with them who do not want broadband.

Take into account that local and national radio stations in third world countries in decades gone by were usually poorer quality than their western counterparts. Many third world countries and their people looked towards either the US, Britain, or the Soviet Union so wanted radio broadcasts from them. There was also much demand for radio from the free world for people living behind the Iron Curtain.

Yes, I see your point. What I really meant is that sophisticated technology can coexist easily with relative lack of development and that intermediate 'stages' such as telephone lines can be missed out. One of the advantages of SW in the Third World was that its signals were strong and could cover vast distances, whereas local MW, FM and sometimes LW (in Francophone Africa) were as you say inferior. Many of the political struggles of the Cold War were conducted in the third world and radio was available propaganda weapon for all sides: VOA could be as propagandist as Radio Moscow although BBC World Service at that time sought and largely achieved objectivity and was more highly regarded than VOA.

As a little aside, I wonder why the French had such a thing about Long Wave.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I can imagine/visualize this yer (as I had a lot of friends on FB from Africa - though I don't use FB) now

Thanks for the Heads Up Silver Bear, it is worth knowing/noting

Check your inbox btw too please

Thanks mate

80sChav

Yes you’ll get a catch-up message in your inbox. Interesting that you had so many African friends - good music there in 70s and 80s especially West Africa.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

There's also a parallel between SW and internet technology: today there are more internet connections and smart phones in sub-Saharan Africa than there are telephone lines.

I'm bit dubious. The rarity of telephone lines is due to the high costs of copper and installation of them. In fact POTS phone lines are declining in Britain and survive because of large numbers of older people with them who do not want broadband.

Take into account that local and national radio stations in third world countries in decades gone by were usually poorer quality than their western counterparts. Many third world countries and their people looked towards either the US, Britain, or the Soviet Union so wanted radio broadcasts from them. There was also much demand for radio from the free world for people living behind the Iron Curtain.

[80sChav]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Agree with you on both counts. There's also a parallel between SW and internet technology: today there are more internet connections and smart phones in sub-Saharan Africa than there are telephone lines.

I can imagine/visualize this yer (as I had a lot of friends on FB from Africa - though I don't use FB) now

Thanks for the Heads Up Silver Bear, it is worth knowing/noting

Check your inbox btw too please

Thanks mate

80sChav

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

In a way, SW radios are Cold War era technology. They were more popular / normal to own in Africa and Asia than in Europe due to the large distances involved and limited availability of local radio stations. The collapse of communism reduced the demand for SW services both in the communist world and the free world.

Agree with you on both counts. There's also a parallel between SW and internet technology: today there are more internet connections and smart phones in sub-Saharan Africa than there are telephone lines.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

In a way, SW radios are Cold War era technology. They were more popular / normal to own in Africa and Asia than in Europe due to the large distances involved and limited availability of local radio stations. The collapse of communism reduced the demand for SW services both in the communist world and the free world.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Me too and too the BBC ones and Local ones - i loved fidgting for a new Radio Stn on our old Ghetoblaster (or what was befgore a Ghetoblaster) especially as living on the East Coast at the time we could pick many "local" Stations and even TV from Holland/Belgum too

80sChav

We forget how near the East Coast is to the continent. It would be easy to pick up Local Dutch stations. I like the East Coast and find the people warm and friendly.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Probably the Vega Selena. They were genuine USSR-made radios and of excellent quality, certainly better than Roberts radios of the time which cost more new. I have two of these, one bought from a local electrical shop in 1987 and a NOS one from the early 1990s which I bought in 2011. The later one is made in Belarus as by this time the USSR had been dissolved. Built like a tank and as powerful as a ghetto blaster.

Are they still on the market?

[CrystalBall]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I remember in the 70s that there used to be adverts in papers for SW "worldband" radios, that made it sound like you could pick up stations from all over the world. I think the advert stated, or possibly implied, that the radios were Russian or possibly from another East European country. I wondered at the time if they were genuinely from that area or actually from a bit further east than that.

Probably the Vega Selena. They were genuine USSR-made radios and of excellent quality, certainly better than Roberts radios of the time which cost more new. I have two of these, one bought from a local electrical shop in 1987 and a NOS one from the early 1990s which I bought in 2011. The later one is made in Belarus as by this time the USSR had been dissolved. Built like a tank and as powerful as a ghetto blaster.

[80sChav]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Medium wave: I used to listen to LBC on 261 metres when it was a decent radio station. In the 70s I had a very powerful old style wood-framed ‘wireless’ which took
secer minutes to light up. I could get stations as far away as India on medium wave late at night.

Me too and too the BBC ones and Local ones - i loved fidgting for a new Radio Stn on our old Ghetoblaster (or what was befgore a Ghetoblaster) especially as living on the East Coast at the time we could pick many "local" Stations and even TV from Holland/Belgum too

80sChav