Eton E10 Owner's Manual page 23

12 UNDERSTANDING SHORTWAAVE BANDS continued
DAY BANDS AND NIGHT BANDS
THE DIFFERENCE IS IMPORTANT
Because shortwave signals depend on such factors as the sun, the ionosphere and interaction with the earth
itself, signals cannot be heard on all bands throughout the day. Some bands are best during the daylight
hours, and some are best at night. In general, the bands with frequencies below 13 MHz (13000 KHz) are
better at night and the bands with frequencies above 13 MHz (13000 KHz) are best during the day. Listed
below are the characteristics of the major shortwave bands. Follow these guidelines for best listening
results. How to get into a specific band will vary from one radio to another. Consult your owner's manual for
instruction on how to access the bands on your radio or call Etón Corporation if it's not clear to you.
SUNSET AND SUNRISE
OFTEN THE VERY BEST TIME TO LISTEN.
We are often asked whether there is a truly best time for listening to shortwave, when signals are strongest
and clearest. Often, this is a window of hours right around sunset and sunrise. Sometimes it's a two-hour
window, other times three or four hours. Experiment to determine when it's best in your area.
DAYTIME LISTENING
Shortwave listening is generally at its poorest
during the daylight hours of about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The major reason for this is that the broadcasters
are not transmitting to North America at this time,
assuming that we are all either at work or at school
and are not able to listen during the day. If you
want to try daytime listening, use the guidelines
below. Typically, daytime shortwave tends to be
better in Eastern North America than in Western
North America. The best daytime bands are shown
in BOLD print in the table below.
BAND
(METERS)
120
90
75
60
49
41
FREQUENCY RANGE
2250 – 2550
3150 - 3450
3850 - 4050
4700 - 5100
5800 – 6300
7100 – 7500
EVENING/NIGHT LISTENING
This is the best time to listen, because the
broadcasters are deliberately transmitting to North
America.
These bands may be extremely good around sunset
and sunrise too. Best night bands are shown in
BOLD print in the table below.
NIGHT CHARACTERISTICS
BANDS
25m
Similar to 31m
Good all night everywhere. Often
31m
extremely good at sunrise and sun-
set. Good results often start about
an hour before sunset.
41m
Similar to 49m. Good all night in
Eastern North America; varies in
Western North America.
49m
The best overall night band.
E10 OWNER'S MANUAL
21