Trans World Radio-SA | Programmes: The nature of short wave

Owning an expensive radio is not the answer to good listening. The largest factor to reception is determined by where your radio is located. High on top of a mountain is the best place, while a ground floor flat dweller of a large city has the worst spot. A residential area provides a very satisfactory location. You need not buy a new radio or plan to move, but we will consider what affects reception and hopefully improve it. Following a few simple tips will give better reception.

Short waves are transmitted over very long distances. They bounce off the ionosphere and follow the curvature of the earth. The ionosphere consists of several layers of electrified particles encompassing the earth at a height between 100 to 300 km. It is produced by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. The sun spot activity repeats in a cycle every eleven years and greatly affects short wave reception. Therefore, reception depends on the year, the season, and the time of day. TWR transmits several of its programmes on more than one meter band at the same time. Also, we change the meter bands throughout the day and in accordance with the time of year. The seasonal adjustments are normally carried out on the last Sunday of March and October and the Broadcast Schedules are updated accordingly.

Propagation

The radio signal from Swaziland will have covered a considerable distance before it reaches your radio. It may therefore suffer in quality. There are two main features of long range broadcasts worth mentioning.

The ionosphere with its many layers is constantly shifting, subjecting the signal to occasional fading. This causes variations in signal strength. Hopefully this should not be serious and still allow you to understand what is being said.

The international broadcast bands are frequently very crowded and the many stations operating are in continual conflict for a clear spot. Occasionally another station may broadcast very close to TWR. This is called interference. If you hear interference during our broadcasts, do not simply accept it. Please report it to us. Often by fine tuning your radio, you may be able to tune out the interference. If we are aware of the problem it can possibly be rectified from our end. Within a few days you will notice that either the interfering station or TWR will have shifted frequency to a clear spot on the band.

This site is best viewed in Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher

For comments or suggestions please contact the webmaster