LISTENING HINTS
Shortwave listening is a hobby with thousands of participants worldwide. It requires no special knowledge or skills, but your enjoyment increases as you gain experience and develop spe- cial listening techniques.
The information in this section can help you make the most of your
REFERENCE SOURCES
Many books and magazines about shortwave listening are available through your local library or news- stand. Consult sources such as the World Radio Handbook, Radio Ama- teur’s Handbook, Passport to World Band Radio, Monitoring Times, and Popular Communications. These pub- lications can help you learn about the conditions that make
using the frequency’s wavelength. For example, the
Use the following equations to convert kHz, MHz, and meters.
To convert MHz to kHz, multiply by
1,000. For example:
9.62 MHz ⋅ 1000 = 9,620 kHz
To convert kHz to MHz, divide by
1,000. For example:
2780 kHz ⎟ 1000 = 2.780 MHz
To convert MHz to meters, divide 300 by the number of MHz. For example:
300 ⎟ 7.1 MHz = 42.25 meters
To convert meters to MHz, divide 300 by the number of meters. For exam- ple:
300 ⎟ 42.25 meters = 7.1 MHz
FREQUENCY
CONVERSION
A band is a group of frequencies. Sometimes, bands are grouped ac- cording to their wavelengths, in meters. The tuning location of a station can be expressed as a frequency (kHz or MHz) or a wavelength (meters).
Amateur radio operators generally re- fer to the frequencies they operate on
BAND ALLOCATION
Certain bands are set aside for specific purposes.
Amateur Radio Frequencies
Tuning to the amateur radio frequen- cies can be interesting and helpful, be- cause amateur radio operators often broadcast emergency information when other means of communication break down.
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