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titanicman · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 71 Location: Qatar

I like listening to shortwave stations but my reception in KSA for most stations is weak. I onlyt receive BBC. Voice of America is quiet weak or a strange sound appears at their dial location. Why?

Which shortwave frequencies work for others?

Where can I buy or make a shortwave antenna? I live in an apartment building in Riyadh. The existing shortwave antenna for my stereo is a unattachable wire string -- it just comes out of the stereo.

Thanks. Titanicman Very Happy

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

Shortwaves do not travel well through concrete, explaining poor reception in apts.

Nor are shortwaves "short". They are actually very long, which means a normal antenna for a AM/FM radio is useless. You need one tens of metres long. Simply attach some wire to the end of your telescopic antenna and run it outside to the apt room. It must be tens of metres long to work effectively. I find bare wire works better than plastic coated.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

If you go for satellite TV get Orbit. As an extra with them you get radio reception, including BBC World Service.

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

[quote="ntropy"]
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titanicman · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 71 Location: Qatar

Would a long-wire antenna receive a shortwave signal if it's located inside? To receive 7-20 MHz, could I trail a long copper wire through my home or does the wire need to be outside? My balcony is roughly 5 metres long, so would hanging an copper wire out there help?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I installed the Hotbird sat tv system. It also has a large number of radio stations - with FM quality.

I paid 750 sr one off. About 300 free-on-air tv channels, plus 300+ radio channels. That includes the BBC World Service and more than 400 other radio channels.

An added benefit is that I have a TV channel that shows Elvis Presley movies dubbed IN FRENCH !

And the news in Slovenian - on two channels.

Forget Shortwave - it is last century's technology !

titanicman · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 71 Location: Qatar

I'd agree -- satellite & Internet radio is 21st century. Shortwave is 20th century technology! However....

Shortwave is the only way to go for me. Satellite setup in my compound is quite restrictive. I live in a Saudi-owned apartment compound that doesn't allow Hotbird. They only allow NileSet and ArabSet -- all Arabic except for channel 2 & BBC TV & Euronews TV. They're really conservative and apparently Hotbird has a few porn channels or other things deemed as undesirables.

On the shortwave note, where can I locate antenna tuner's in KSA?