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Garry Cratt

Shortwave in 2025 — The Airwaves Are Alive Again

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Shortwave is far from silent.

From new transmitters humming to life in the Pacific, to hobbyists catching signals from the other side of the world, there’s been plenty happening lately on the bands. Here’s a look at some of the most interesting updates.

New Voices on the Airwaves: Shortwave Australia

Over the past few weeks, a station identifying itself as Shortwave Australia has been heard broadcasting on 2310 kHz and 4835 kHz. Reports from listeners across the country describe strong signals and a program of nostalgic, old-time music drifting across the dial — a refreshing discovery for anyone who enjoys exploring the lower shortwave bands.

While official details are limited, a growing number of hobbyists have confirmed regular activity on these two frequencies. The station’s broadcasts have been logged during afternoons and evenings (local time), with 4835 kHz often producing the strongest results in daylight hours before fading around dusk. At night, 2310 kHz seems to take over, offering surprisingly consistent reception when conditions are right.

Programming so far appears to focus on music and general entertainment, with minimal announcements or station IDs — a style that gives the broadcasts a distinctly nostalgic feel. Listeners have described the experience as “like tuning into a forgotten corner of the radio world.”

Online, discussions about the station have started to appear on hobby forums and monitoring blogs, where enthusiasts are sharing signal reports, audio clips, and reception logs. Some have uploaded recordings to YouTube and SDR platforms, while others are tracking the station on sites like Shortwave.Live, which lists it as active on both frequencies around the clock (though actual transmission times vary).

Want to Try Your Luck Tuning In?

🎧 When to listen: Afternoon or early evening — that’s when most recent reports have been logged.
📻 Frequencies to check: Start with 4835 kHz, then try 2310 kHz later in the night.
🔌 Reception tip: Use a loop or long-wire antenna placed well away from household noise sources.
🌐 Online option: Explore KiwiSDR receivers around Australia to see how the signal propagates in different regions.

We’d Love to Hear From You

Have you caught Shortwave Australia on the dial? What times, signal strengths, or music have you logged?

If you’ve captured a short audio clip or screenshot, share it with us — we may include listener reports in a future blog post to help map out the station’s reach and schedule.

Shortwave lives on through discoveries like this, and with help from the listening community, we can keep these new voices heard far and wide.

China Goes Digital

China has formally adopted DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) as its national standard for shortwave and mediumwave broadcasting. The move could transform the listening experience, offering FM-quality sound and data broadcasting across vast distances.

Pacific Coverage Expanding

RNZ Pacific has completed a major transmitter upgrade near Taupō, New Zealand, installing a new 100 kW Ampegon TSW-2100 unit supporting both analog and DRM signals.

At the same time, Papua New Guinea has announced plans to reintroduce shortwave broadcasts to improve coverage for its remote communities — an encouraging reminder that shortwave still matters, especially where the internet can’t reach.

Vanuatu: Back on the Bands

VBTC has announced new shortwave frequencies of 2485, 3945, 5040, 7260, and 9960 kHz.
The 9960 kHz signal has been heard regularly along the east coast of Australia, with a transmitter power of 10 kW.

Technology Meets Tradition

Researchers have even turned to AI, developing systems that can automatically classify hundreds of shortwave signal types using deep learning.

Meanwhile, mysterious stations like UVB-76 (“The Buzzer”) continue to intrigue listeners and keep the global shortwave conversation alive.

Explore, Learn, and Listen

If you’re new to the hobby or looking to go deeper, check out our range of free downloadable guides at TecsunRadios.com.au — including our Shortwave Explained booklet and Listener’s Guide (Version 15).

Whether you’re rediscovering radio after decades or tuning in for the first time, one thing’s for sure: the airwaves have never been more alive.

 

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Michael

Extraordinary Footage from the Argentinian Antarctic Base of Penguin Entertained by Tecsun Radio

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We have received some extraordinary footage all the way from an Argentinian Antarctic base. Penguins enjoying some music being played in this very remote location from a Tecsun Radio.

In an all white landscape, typically quiet apart from the sound of cracking ice, distant seals and penguins honking.

Alejandro LU8YD captured some penguins being entertained by some music broadcast from the local FM station LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, using his Tecsun PL360.

They have named this footage “Pinguino”. It’s interesting to see the penguins gather around and listen to this music while preening themselves and relaxing.

This a reminder of how radio is used around the world, often in extremely remote locations as a source of information and entertainment, even for the penguins!

In a time where the news cycle can be on a constant negative cycle, we thought we would share this fun little snapshot from Antarctica! 

The radio you are seeing in this video is a PL360. Here at Tecsun Radios Australia, we have recently introduced the new upgraded version of this radio, The Tecsun PL-368 DSP Handheld HF SSB Receiver with Synchronous Detection, you can read all about it here.

Speaking of Antarctica, We are excited to announce that Tecsun Radios Australia will donate shortwave radios to the Argentine Antarctic Base.

The Esperanza Antarctic base was founded in 1952 and has approximately 65 people living year-round. There are approximately 8 families with their children and a school with three levels of education. Each family has its own independent house. Scientific activities are carried out in cooperation with other countries. LRA36 is a station created in 1979 and broadcasts on shortwave on 15476 KHz USB, FM on 96.7 MHz, and streaming.

The place is located next to Caleta Choza in Bahia Esperanza north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Tecsun Radios Australia will supply a range of Tecsun radios to those living at the Argentinian Esperanza Antarctic Base as part of an investigation into DX propagation and MW/SW monitoring in a low noise environment.

We will be supplying a mixture of PL-365s, PL880s, and other models to this community to be used in schools, family homes, communal dining rooms, warehouses, and power plants.

We expect we will receive some details on what shortwave reception is like from down there.

We look forward to sharing with you more details as to how these are put to use once they arrive at the base community.

 

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Ricardo Rosario

Solar Cycles and how they affect shortwave propagation

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In 1843 the phenonema known as the Solar cycle was discovered by Samuel Schwabe a German astronomer who observed transitions of the Sun from periods of high activity to low activity every 11 years, over a period of nearly 20 years.

Put in simple terms, the Sun is composed of a huge ball of electrically charged hot gas. As this gas moves, it generates a powerful magnetic field. This magnetic field transitions through an 11 year cycle (known as the Solar Cycle) during which the magnetic poles of the Sun are transposed, ie the north and south poles change places.

This cycle affects activity on the surface of the Sun, such as sunspots and solar flares. The energy released by these events charges particles in the ionosphere, affecting radio propagation. More solar flares and sunspots occur at the peak of the cycle than at the bottom of the cycle. Typical values are 80-100 sunspots at the cycle peak and 15 or so at the cycle minimum.

When a strong flare occurs, the increased x-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation produces ionisation in the lower, D (absorption) layer of the ionosphere, disrupting HF radio broadcasts by absorbing rather than reflecting signals. 

We are currently at the end of Solar Cycle 24 (calculated as mid 2020), and from this point we can expect an increase in solar activity and changed radio propagation as the maximum useable frequency (MUF) for shortwave communications increases with an increase in solar activity.

At the peak of the Solar Cycle, the higher frequencies of the shortwave spectrum are very good. Low power stations can be heard over remarkably long distances. 

At the bottom of the cycle, the current position, those higher frequency signals will not usually support normal propagation via the ionosphere. So propagation at lower frequencies will be better whilst higher frequencies will suffer. 

 

Article written by Tecsun Radios Australia

Image of sun via Nasa.

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Ricardo Rosario

The Future Of Shortwave.

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The future of shortwave

 

The future of Shortwave is looking bright as the BBC Shortwave transmissions service of two decades ago is being revisited.

 

In a time where people are distancing themselves and experiencing isolation. Shortwave may just be what the world needs to unite all cultures!

 

People who enjoy shortwave and for those who are interested in shortwave radio something interesting has emerged from the  High Frequency Co-Ordination Conference (HFCC), a non-governmental association.  

 

Due to the fact that many of the old transmitters needed to be replaced or upgraded a decision to revisit the need for shortwave and consideration to re-launch the BBC shortwave broadcast  service (cut 20 years ago) has been undertaken. Modern technology allows greater coverage and lower operating costs, re-energising the enthusiasm for shortwave broadcasting.

 

Even in this high tech world, there are still so many developing and free world countries relying heavily on Shortwave radio. Not everybody in the world has smart phones, broadband, connected cars or enough disposable income.

 

Shortwave defies cultural, religious and geographical barriers, Shortwave is free and unlike most platforms available it can be consumed anonymously.

For some countries, much of their information and media is censored, so receiving updates through shortwave from neighboring countries can be the only source they can access.

 

Many, especially in North Korea which are rated as the second most censored country in the world, tune in to cross border broadcasts despite serious consequences if caught by the Kim Jong-Un regime.

The BBC Shortwave transmission services used to broadcast to most of the world, over time however, many were cut, limiting broadcasts  to larger audiences in Africa and part of Asia. 

Currently, the major shortwave broadcasters are BBC, Voice of America, All India Radio, China Radio International, Radio Japan, Radio Romania, Radio New Zealand, Radio France International, Radio Taiwan International, KBS Korea and Voice of Turkey and many more.

 

Reinstating the previous BBC Broadcasts would mean the world of shortwave could be enjoyed cross culturally again especially in a time where boarders are closed to each other and people are feeling isolated.

 

 “Shortwave is just short of a miracle, actually. When it is beamed at an angle, it hits the ionosphere. A mirror around the Earth and then it falls like a ball at great distances, beyond the horizon. Thus these transmissions reach listeners over large areas, continents and beyond. Two or three high-power transmitters can potentially cover the entire world.”

                                Ruxandra Obreja ( chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale.)

 

Are you looking for a radio whilst self isolating that is capable or shortwave listening?

Here are our picks.

Tecsun S-8800 High Performance AM/FM Radio.  A true Broadcast Listeners Receiver  designed to provide maximum performance on the AM (MW) bands, allowing listeners to receive fringe AM radio stations with unmatched audio clarity

Tecsun SL-880

Tecsun PL600 World Band Radio provides reception of the shortwave, medium wave, long wave, and FM broadcast bands. The Tecsun PL600 World Band Radio’s PLL synthesised design ensures excellent frequency stability.

Tecsun pl600

To shop the full range of our radios and antennas, click HERE

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