NASWA Journal

The monthly bulletin of the North American Shortwave Association has been around for over 43 years, and features great articles by volunteer columnists.  NASWA is a club, so there are pages for awards, contributors and club news.  News about the programs of shortwave stations is compiled in "Easy Listening."  There are station bios in "Shortwave Center," and round-ups of new shortwave books and publications in "Listener's Library," plus "Technical Topics," and the monitoring column "Listener's Notebook," with other sections compiling tropical and international band loggings.  The NASWA Journal also has the "QSL Report," radio web news in "Net Notes," and pages on pirate shortwave radio.  Periodic round-ups of all the world's English-language shortwave broadcasts, for all target areas around-the-clock, are tabulated and published.

OXDA Listening In

Listening In is the monthly publication of the Ontario DX Association, published since February 1975.  It covers all aspects of the listening hobby--shortwave and medium wave, VHF/UHF, FM/TV, station profiles, news and schedules.  Columns include "Target Listening," "World Radio Report," "Beginner's Classroom," "QSL Album," "The Broadcaster's Forum," "QRZ? The Ham Radio Corner," "FM/TV Report," "Mediumwave Notebook," and a column on programming called "Listening In."  Listening In also includes new member profiles, a classifieds column, a member mailbag, propagation forecasts, equipment reviews, technical tips and editorials.  A comprehensive "centerfold" page lists major broadcasts in English.

Monitoring Times

This monthly radio magazine is over two decades old, built around a large center section of frequency and program listings called "Shortwave Guide."  There are lots of radio-related feature articles.  Other branches of the listening hobby, like scanners, longwave, AM, utility, satellites and computers are included.  Monitoring Times features a good roundup of FCC items, plus tips on new publications and products, as well as general radio and communications news.  The World of Radio's Glenn Hauser contributes "Global Forum," and MT's other shortwave-related columns include "The QSL Report," "Propagation Conditions," "Antenna Topics," "Magne Tests," "Ask Bob," "Computers and Radio," and Uncle Skip Arey's "Beginner's Corner."

BBC On Air
This is the monthly international listings magazine of the BBC World Service, as well as BBC World and BBC Prime Television.  There are feature articles on all the news, arts, drama, science, sport, pop and classical music output of the BBC World Service.  The colorful magazine has general program descriptions in "Guide to Programmes," with sections that feature more specific highlights of each month's offerings. BBC On Air has hour-by-hour program listings for each of the three streams, and frequency tables to help you find the BBC around the clock.  The magazine features regular columns like "Waveguide" and "Nelson's Column," and is well-illustrated.  The number and depth of feature articles has been increasing recently.  It's a must-have for regular listeners of the world's best shortwave station.

Radio Times

This is a weekly radio and television guide published by the BBC that's been around since the early days of radio.  The web site (click on the cover) can be customized to show the listings of radio and TV stations you choose.

Radio Active
A UK monthly magazine that features articles on communications receivers and services, as well as columns on radio news, radio books, radio software, satellite communications, radio web sites, radio events, scanners, amateur radio, shortwave, CB, QSLs--the lot.  It's a lot like Monitoring Times.  Editor Elaine Richards utilizes lots of color photography and graphics in each issue of Radio Active, and there are regular competitions featuring radio prizes worth hundreds of pounds.  Radio club news and reader equipment want ads are placed on pages throughout. Radio Active recently became part of the publishing group that produces short wave magazine.  Writer Chris Brand spotlighted International Listener in his "Radio-Related Websites" column in the March 2003 issue of Radio Active.

short wave magazine
This British monthly covers shortwave listening, among other aspects of the radio hobby like aviation, maritime, amateur, utilities, scanning, television, satellite and computers--again, much like Monitoring Times.  There's lots of color, with great feature articles, receiver reviews, book lists and columns.  Of particular interest in short wave magazine (they don't use caps!) is the letters section, and you'll find lots of news items about UK hobby activity.

Popular Communications
This monthly radio hobbyist's publication has been around since September, 1982.  Besides shortwave, Popular Communications covers scanning VHF/UHF communications, amateur, citizens band, and any other aspect of the radio hobby.  Monthly columns include "ScanTech," "The Listening Post," "Pirate's Den," "Broadcast DXing," and "Communications Confidential," and veteran shortwave writer Gerry Dexter is the SWBC editor.  Besides covering radio monitoring from international shortwave broadcasting to pirate radio, it's the only nationwide publication with regular columns and articles on citizens band radio.  There are also regular columns for computer-aided scanning/receiver control and antique radio restoration.

World Radio TV Handbook
edited by Nicholas Hardyman

This annual directory of international broadcasting has been around for almost 60 years, and lists shortwave and medium wave stations from every country in the world.  World Radio TV Handbook listings have station addresses, telephone numbers, web and e-mail addresses, maps and station personnel.  Information about interval signals, ID announcements and methods of verifying reception reports are included, as well as broadcast times, frequencies and power.  An index in the back lists shortwave stations by frequency.  WRTH contains an overview of shortwave receivers, and there are sections on television, propagation, antennas, time zones and other helpful information.  My collection begins with the 1968 edition.

Passport to World Band Radio
Lawrence Magne, Editor-in-chief

This annual shortwave guide, published in the fall before the cover year, features articles that introduce and examine shortwave radio listening, with a great hour-by-hour walk-through of programs on the world's airwaves called "What's On Tonight."  It's a colorful, almost TV Guide-like roundup of the programs of the major broadcasters, with frequencies and target audiences.  Passport to World Band Radio breaks down signals country-by-country, as well as channel-by-channel.  Shortwave receivers are reviewed, and in the back you'll find the "Blue Pages," with all shortwave signals listed by frequency.  Station addresses, e-mail addresses and URLs are included in Passport, with observations about promotional giveaways, verification policies and future plans.  Another must-have.

Passport to Web Radio
Lawrence Magne, Editor-in-chief

This second edition contains the latest information on how internet surfers can tune in radio (and television) stations from around the world.  A recommended listening section called "Prime Cuts" describes formats and programs.  Passport to Web Radio lists webcasts by country, with URL address, type of player needed, station format and a liberal dose of color graphics.  You need to have this one.  Get it out in 20 years, to remember the beginning of the internet.

Rough Guide to Internet Radio

L. A. Heberlein

Another book on the astonishing variety of great radio from around the world that's available through webcasting, the Rough Guide to Internet Radio helps computer users get set up to easily "tune in" broadcasts from around the world.  As mentioned in the book's review on Amazon, the one great limitation of radio throughout its history has been geography.  Except for the few hobbyists who try to catch skipping signals in the night, listeners have been limited to radio stations in their vicinity.  Now some 200,000 new listeners tune in every day, according to the book's author.  If you remember a program you once heard in Paris, it's probably on the internet.

The Worldwide Shortwave Listening Guide--2000-2001 edition
John Figliozzi

This is the hard-copy version of John Figliozzi's searchable Shortwave Listening Guide web site on the NASWA pages.  It's now sold directly via mail order.  Figliozzi's 112 page book is again wire-bound, so it can lay flat on a surface without flopping closed.  The 96-page main listing section provides a 24-hour guide to English language programs broadcast around the world by 75 international broadcasting services.  The 7500+ listings are arranged by GMT and include the station, days of broadcast, program title and description, as well at the target area and frequencies for each broadcast.  Each program is also assigned one of 36 type codes to assist you in finding the programs that interest you.  As with the first two editions, programs targeted to the Americas are highlighted in bold print, and there is an introductory section designed to orient the reader to the book, as well as to the basics of shortwave broadcasting and listening.  A major feature added with the 2000-01 edition is an expanded section with valuable information on--and references for--internet audio.  Click on the cover picture to link to the ordering site.

Listen to the World--the Shortwave Guide

From the publishers of the World Radio Television Handbook, Listen to the World--the Shortwave Guide is an introduction to shortwave listening, with color bar charts providing at-a-glance information about broadcasts, as well as frequencies.  There are contact details for international broadcasters.  Different languages are shown in 25 different color bars.

The Complete Shortwave Listeners Handbook
Andrew Yoder

This well-known handbook by Andrew Yoder is completely updated to give listeners information on the latest shortwave broadcasting stations, their frequencies, and formats.  The Fifth Edition now includes the latest information on popular web sites maintained by shortwave enthusiasts, as well as a directory of e-mail addresses of broadcasters around the world.  Also new to this edition of  The Complete Shortwave Listeners Handbook is an entire chapter on computers and shortwave listening, allowing the reader to take advantage of recent computer technologies that have become integrated with shortwave listening.

Shortwave Listening Guidebook
Harry Helms

This second edition of Shortwave Listening Guidebook is a ticket to the world in direct, non-technical language.  Author Harry Helms helps in selecting the right shortwave radio, discusses how reception conditions vary throughout the day and year, and how to correctly operate the radio.  It provides information on frequencies used by stations around the world.

Shortwave Listening on the Road: the World Travelers Guide
Andrew Yoder

This handbook is for the large number of shortwave listeners who travel frequently.  Author Andrew Yoder includes information shortwave enthusiasts can use to increase their listening pleasure while on the road. Shortwave Listening on the Road provides descriptions of the different types of portable shortwave radios, and explains how to build and install portable shortwave antennas.  Several projects are included to demonstrate the construction of these makeshift antennas.

On the Shortwaves, 1923-1945

Jerome S. Berg

This is the history of the pioneer days of shortwave broadcasting, from the early concepts of Marconi and Armstrong, through the Golden Era of the 1930's and finally through World War II.  Berg's book looks at early personalities in the development of radio, and covers early shortwave literature, receivers and antennas.  On the Shortwaves looks at the birth of the Voice of America, clandestine radio, broadcasting during the war and shortwave propaganda, as well as QSL cards and EKKO and Bryant reception verification stamps.

Radio Monitoring: The How-To Guide
T. J. Skip Arey

An introduction to the world of shortwave radio, long distance AM listening, scanning and ham radio. Monitoring Times columnist T. J. Skip Arey's thorough explanation of the basics, with reference material for the more seasoned listener.  Radio Monitoring: The How-To Guide covers the whole spectrum of radio monitoring in Arey's humorous, warm and friendly style.  There are sections on receivers, antennas and monitoring techniques.

Shortwave Receivers Past and Present--Communications Receivers 1942-1997
Fred Osterman

This reference is designed for the radio collector, but also for anyone interested in the history and development of shortwave radios, or for those contemplating a purchase.  Over 770 communications receivers manufactured in a 55-year span by 98 American and international manufacturers are featured in Shortwave Receivers Past and Present, with commentary on an additional 660 variations.  Fred Osterman's third edition features 120 more pages than the previous one, and Osterman includes data on receiver type, date sold, photograph, size and weight, features, reviews, specifications, new and used values, variations, value rating and availability.

Radios by Hallicrafters, with Price Guide
Chuck Dachis

The sought-after Hallicrafters radios are enshrined in a plethora of websites, lovingly put on the web by aficionados of this defunct brand. Radios by Hallicrafters focuses on the history and development of the revered Hallicrafters communications receivers.  Austin author Chuck Dachis looks at the entire line, complete with photographs and specs.  Like with other books about collectables, a price guide is included.

Wireless Spectrum Finder

Bennett Z. Kobb

What about radio frequencies above shortwave?  Wireless Spectrum Finder (formerly SpectrumGuide) is the independent guide to wireless communications and radio services in the VHF through EHF bands, with official data from the U.S. Table of Radio Frequency Allocations.  Bennett Z. Kobb is a technology analyst, editor/publisher and consultant.  Published in seven editions since 1994, Kobb's book serves engineers, investors, policymakers, scientists and the intelligence community, who use it to locate sections of under-utilized radio spectrum, identify interference sources, evaluate possible business entries, and for training and lobbying campaigns.  The book profiles cellular, PCS, experimental services, Third Generation, satellite systems, wireless broadband, private radio, consumer RF products, analog and digital broadcasting, telemetry, millimeter waves, radio and radar astronomy, Personal Radio Services (including the new, controversial Multi-Use Radio Service), environmental monitoring and electromagnetic weapons among its approximately 900 subjects in the 365 bands above 30 MHz.