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Technical Terms

What is shortwave?

The term "shortwave" refers to a range of radio frequencies. Basically, frequencies are the numbers on your radio dial. They are measured in either kilohertz (kHz) or megahertz (MHz). one MHz is equivalent to 1,000 kHz.

You may notice that the numbers on your "mediumwave" dial (or "MW", referred to as "AM" in North America) go from 540 kHz up to 1,700 kHz (the western hemisphere extended the broadcast band to 1700, while the rest of the world left the end of the band at 1600) shortwave begins just beyond the end of the mediumwave scale and extends roughly from 2,000 kHz all the way up to 30,000 kHz (2 to 30 MHz).

We call the waves "short," "medium," etc., because we are referring to the length of the radio waves that go from the radio station to your receiver's antenna. By using various electrical formulas, you can determine the length of the radio wave for any particular frequency. The lower the frequency, the longer the wave. For example, at 540 kHz, the wave is quite long: 555.5 meters (1,822 feet, 6 inches). At 2,000 kHz - the bottom of the shortwave range of frequencies - the wavelength is quite a bit shorter: 150 meters (492 feet). Up at 30,000 kHz, the wavelength is even shorter: only 10 meters (just under 33 feet).

As you could guess, below medium-wave (i.e. below 540 kHz) there is a frequency range called "long wave," and below that "very long wave." There's no such thing as "very short wave;" it's called "very high frequency," or VHF instead, which contains the TV and FM bands. Above that is ultra high frequency (UHF, more TV channels in some parts of the world), then extremely high frequency (EHF) and then "microwave," a term which again refers to the length of the radio wave. Yes, your microwave oven is actually emitting radio frequency energy!

 

What is FM?

FM stands for "Frequency Modulation" and is the band used for local radio. The audio quality is much higher than that of shortwave radio, but its disadvantage is a smaller coverage. The FM frequency range begins at 88 MHz, and goes through to 108 MHz.