More Information About Shortwave - Grundig Yacht boy 400 Owner's Manual

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHORTWAVE

Listed below are the characteristics of the major shortwave
bands. Follow these guidelines for best listening results.
Because shortwave signals depend on such factors as the
Sun, the ionosphere and the Earth itself, signals cannot be
heard on all bands throughout the day. Some bands are best
heard during the daylight hours, and some are best at night.
If the term "band" is new to you, please read the section
titled WHAT IS A SHORTWAVE BAND? (see page 8).
DAYTIME LISTENING
Shortwave listening is generally at its poorest during the
daylight hours of about 10 am to 3 pm. The major reason
for this is that the broadcasters are not transmitting to
North America at this time. They assume 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. You will have some success, but not
nearly as good as during the late afternoon and evening
hours. The best band is indicated in BOLD type in the
following chart:
DAY BANDS CHARACTERISTICS
13m Results vary. Worth trying.
16m Similar to 19m.
19m The best daytime band.
22m Similar to 19m with fewer stations.
25m Best around sunrise and sunset.
Results vary during mid-day.
31m Similar to 25m.
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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
bands are indicated in BOLD type in the following chart:
NIGHT BANDS CHARACTERISTICS
19m Summer months.
22m Summer months.
25m Best two hours before/after sunset/sunrise.
31m Good all night everywhere.
41m Good all night in Eastern North America;
varies in Western North America.
49m The best night band everywhere.
NOTE: Getting close to a window may substantially
improve your reception.
The construction materials of some buildings simply do not let
signals in very well. Signals penetrate wood frame buildings
easiest, while concrete and brick buildings usually block
signals. If you are in a building with one
or more storeys above you, signals can also be impaired
in strength. In such a situation, position yourself, and
especially the radio's antenna, as close as possible to a
window while listening.
On the following page is a list of the shortwave bands
used for international broadcasts and their corresponding
frequencies. Since some radios show frequency in mega-
hertz and some in kilohertz, both are shown here. The
YB400PE shows shortwave frequencies in kilohertz.
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