Bring Back Shortwave

Technical reception & antennas

• Many commenters say built‑in SW antennas are inadequate, especially indoors; an outdoor long‑wire clipped to the whip is the simplest effective upgrade.
• Height helps mainly to avoid local obstructions, not for ionospheric reasons; altitude is often misunderstood.
• Noise sources (LED bulbs, laptop PSUs, solar gear, powerline networking) can “blank out” reception; moving outside or killing noisy devices often helps more than bigger antennas.
• Suggested antennas range from cheap loops (MLA30+, Youloop) to K9AY loops, Beverage and rhombic antennas, to large directional Yagis on towers for serious DX.
• Some warn against random long wires near strong transmitters or high static environments (e.g., military bases, desert) because of risk of overloading or damage.

Shortwave, resilience & strategy

• Several posts argue HF/shortwave, plus medium and long wave, remain vital when digital, cellular, or satellite infrastructure fails, especially in war or disaster.
• Emphasis on low‑tech robustness, century‑deep engineering experience, and the difficulty of detecting receivers (advantage for number stations and covert comms).
• Others highlight intergenerational “loss of knowledge” and poor understanding among modern engineers, citing attempts to remove AM from EVs and close AM/LW services.
• There’s concern that relaxing EMI standards for EVs and switch‑mode electronics has already raised the HF noise floor dramatically, threatening band usability.

Content, nostalgia, and culture

• Many reminisce about BBC World Service, Radio Australia, Radio Moscow/China propaganda, number stations, and childhood exposure to global events via SW.
• Others report that in practice they now mostly hear religious broadcasters or Chinese state outlets; this limits appeal and can make prepper scenarios unintentionally comic.
• Pirate stations (especially around 6.95 MHz) and North Sea/medium‑wave pirates are described as some of the most entertaining and eclectic remaining content.

Hobby ecosystem: ham, SDR, and activities

• Listening requires no license; transmitting does. Ham exams are easier now (no Morse) and can be taken online, but some find question pools off‑putting.
• Cheap SDR dongles and web‑SDR servers have sparked exploration of the spectrum (including ISS passes), and simple homebrew receivers are popular.
• POTA/SOTA are cited as driving a mini‑revival of HF portable operation, with gamified logging and real emergency‑relevant skills (rapid setup in the field).
• QSL cards and international mail from broadcasters remain a beloved part of the culture for some.

Policy, efficiency, and future

• One side calls megawatt‑class shortwave sites inefficient and serving a “tiny” audience, arguing that locals mostly prefer FM or streaming; they see SW headed for extinction.
• Others counter that a single HF transmitter can reach vast areas and unlimited receivers without subscriptions or infrastructure, making it “extremely efficient” for broadcast.
• Debate over the article’s claim that SW is a single point of failure: critics point to jamming and easy transmitter targeting; supporters note options like multiple sites, frequency‑hopping, and the value of having SW as a complementary backup.
• Some propose opening vacated AM/LF/MF/HF spectrum to low‑power or community hobby broadcasting, rather than letting it go dark or be lost to interference.