SHORT WAVE HEAVEN
Short Wave radio has been around for a long time. It is a wonderfully reassuring feeling when far from home to listen to a familiar voice on a Short Wave radio.
Sadly, Short Wave reception is increasingly difficult for people touring France, Germany and the rest of Europe. BBC World Service signals are now aimed only at Africa, Middle East and Asia.
But - if the skies are merciful - you can still hear the BBC bouncing off the ionosphere from somewhere distant. And China Radio International gives you a powerful signal, proudly telling listeners "we will never give up on Short Wave."
The Russians, Romanians and the Vatican are the next most enthusiastic on international radio broadcasting. Plus - if you speak Spanish - Radio Spain provides an excellent service. So don't ditch the Short Wave radio, polish it off and get tuning!
It can be difficult to know what to look for. But these charts make listening quick and easy. This tells you everything heard in North West Europe in English in March 2012:
Listening in English on Short Wave in North West Europe
And these 4 charts take you on a tour of what you can hear as you wander up and down the short wave bands in the winter 2011-12 schedule:
Daytime listening in English on Short Wave 13-6MHz
Daytime listening in English on Short Wave 21-15MHz
After dark listening in English on Short Wave 21-7MHz
After dark listening in English on Short Wave 7-3MHz
These charts are not exhaustive, so go to these sites for more detail:
The official broadcasters' site, but some countries don't take part including India: http://www.hfcc.org/data/
This one has some nice maps: http://short-wave.info/index.php
And for up to date gossip and news, check out: