Bbc Radio
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Taking Your Radio Abroad When on holiday or business abroad, you can still keep in touch with world events and happenings in Britain by listening to the BBC. The BBC radio service for reception overseas is the BBC World Service and it broadcasts 24 hours a day on short waves in English and many foreign languages. The programmes, however, are different from those received at home on the BBC, but you may hear some familiar favourites. Most modern radios cover long, medium and FM wavebands since these are used for domestic broadcasting, but to hear the BBC World Service abroad you will usually need short waves. BBC domestic Radios 1, 2 and 3 cannot be received very far outside the UK because FM signals do not travel well. As a general rule, unless within a few miles of the North Sea or the English Channel it is impossible. However, it is possible to hear Radio 4 long wave and even Radio 5-Live in some European countries close to the UK although reception may be variable and liable to interference from other stations.
What are short waves? Short waves lie between the medium and FM wavebands and are used for broadcasting and communication worldwide. There are nine commonly used short wave broadcasting bands:11 metre (26 MHz) 13 metre (21 MHz) 16 metre (17 MHz) 19 metre (15 MHz) 25 metre (11 MHz) 31 metre ( 9 MHz) 41 metre ( 7 MHz) 49 metre ( 6 MHz) 75 metre ( 4 MHz). You may not need all these bands to hear the World Service in the countries you travel to, but a receiver that covers the bands from 19 to 49 metres inclusive is desirable. World Service programmes are broadcast on many short wave frequencies at the same time, but the one that gives the best reception depends on your location. The reception of short wave signals varies greatly between day and night and reception can be subject to fading and distortion. Generally the lower frequencies (MHz) tend to be better in the hours of darkness, while the higher ones give better results in the main daylight hours. See overleaf for European frequencies, or the World Service web site on: (also has programme schedule) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml
What kind of receiver do I need? If your receiver doesn't cover short waves, you may be able to hear local programmes for the country you are in, but not necessarily the BBC World Service. So ideally your receiver should cover the short wave bands and also the long, medium and FM wavebands. The World Service is broadcast chiefly on short waves but also on the other wavebands in some parts of the world. What features are worth having on a radio? If you are used to a conventional radio with a tuning dial and pointer, finding the station you want on short waves can be rather difficult because the stations are all close together, and tuning has to be done carefully. Many other broadcasters share the frequencies, and the bands are often crowded. To make tuning easier, some radios have multibands, where the short waves are split into several narrower bands. Similarly, bandspread and fine tuning are other ways of making the stations appear to be more spread out across the dial so you can find them more easily. The best radios on the market have a digital display showing the exact frequency, eg 6195 kHz or 6.195 MHz. Not only does this enable you to be sure you are tuned precisely to the station, but it also makes tuning in much easier in the first place. This synthesised or digital tuning also allows you to key in the exact frequency of the station, and some sets have pre-sets which will store (memorise) the frequency for easy recall at a later time. However, you must have accurate frequency information - see overleaf - to use this facility properly.
If you use your radio a lot, it is worth considering this type. They tend to be more expensive than conventional dial radios, but if your radio covers long, medium, short and the FM wavebands it can be used back home as well as on your travels. Some digital dial radios are small, battery powered portable types which will fit easily into a suitcase. They usually have provision for an external aerial if required and also mains powering to save batteries. A good dealer or department store should be able to show you the latest range available from radio manufacturers.
What frequencies are used? As mentioned earlier, the World Service uses many frequencies to serve different parts of the world. The best one to use will depend where you are and the time of day. Listed below are some of the frequencies likely to provide the best reception in areas within 2000 miles of the UK. Try each frequency in turn as some are not used all the time and can change according to atmospheric conditions or because of interference. All frequencies are in kHz and are in the short wave bands unless indicated. To convert kHz to MHz, divide by 1000; eg 9410 kHz = 9.410 MHz. Belgium, British Isles, Ireland, Germany (North West), Denmark, Norway (South), France, Luxembourg, Netherlands Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal, Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, Balearics Commonwealth of Independent States, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Norway (North) Italy (South), Malta, Corsica, Sardinia
15575, 12095, 9760, 9750, 9410, 7325, 6195, 6180, 3955
17705, 15575, 15400, 15070, 12095, 9410, 7325, 6195 17640, 15575, 12095, 9540, 9410, 7325, 6195, 6180, 3955
Austria, Switzerland, Italy (North), Germany (South & East) Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia Greek Islands (Aegean)
15575, 12095, 9750, 9660, 9410, 6195, 3955
17640, 15575, 12095, 9750, 9660, 9410, 6195, 6180
1323 kHz (medium wave)
World Service is on FM in Berlin (90.2 MHz) and also in the Czechoslovakian cities of Bratislava (93.8 MHz), Brno (92.6 MHz), Bankska Bystrica (105.4 MHz), Cseke Budejovice (89.8 MHz), Hradec Kralove/Pardubice (99.1 MHz), Kosice (103.2 MHz) and Prague (101.1 MHz). In Sofia City in Bulgaria, use 98.9 MHz FM.
In areas relatively close to the UK, such as Ireland, France (North), Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany (North West) and Belgium, the 198 kHz long wave frequency can be heard. This carries Radio 4 during the day and BBC World Service during the night. There is also a 648 kHz transmitter in the UK, but it is highly directional and intended for eastern France and the low countries. As a result it is of little use in the UK other than in the south east of England, and east Anglia. Within the UK, Radio 4 and a number of BBC local radio stations carry the World Service at times - see the Radio Times for details. The World Service is also carried on the BBC DAB digital radio service. World Service programmes are listed in the Radio pages of Radio Times.
17640, 15575, 12095, 9760, 9680, 9410, 7325, 6195
Published by BBC Reception Advice http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception
What are short waves? Short waves lie between the medium and FM wavebands and are used for broadcasting and communication worldwide. There are nine commonly used short wave broadcasting bands:11 metre (26 MHz) 13 metre (21 MHz) 16 metre (17 MHz) 19 metre (15 MHz) 25 metre (11 MHz) 31 metre ( 9 MHz) 41 metre ( 7 MHz) 49 metre ( 6 MHz) 75 metre ( 4 MHz). You may not need all these bands to hear the World Service in the countries you travel to, but a receiver that covers the bands from 19 to 49 metres inclusive is desirable. World Service programmes are broadcast on many short wave frequencies at the same time, but the one that gives the best reception depends on your location. The reception of short wave signals varies greatly between day and night and reception can be subject to fading and distortion. Generally the lower frequencies (MHz) tend to be better in the hours of darkness, while the higher ones give better results in the main daylight hours. See overleaf for European frequencies, or the World Service web site on: (also has programme schedule) http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml
What kind of receiver do I need? If your receiver doesn't cover short waves, you may be able to hear local programmes for the country you are in, but not necessarily the BBC World Service. So ideally your receiver should cover the short wave bands and also the long, medium and FM wavebands. The World Service is broadcast chiefly on short waves but also on the other wavebands in some parts of the world. What features are worth having on a radio? If you are used to a conventional radio with a tuning dial and pointer, finding the station you want on short waves can be rather difficult because the stations are all close together, and tuning has to be done carefully. Many other broadcasters share the frequencies, and the bands are often crowded. To make tuning easier, some radios have multibands, where the short waves are split into several narrower bands. Similarly, bandspread and fine tuning are other ways of making the stations appear to be more spread out across the dial so you can find them more easily. The best radios on the market have a digital display showing the exact frequency, eg 6195 kHz or 6.195 MHz. Not only does this enable you to be sure you are tuned precisely to the station, but it also makes tuning in much easier in the first place. This synthesised or digital tuning also allows you to key in the exact frequency of the station, and some sets have pre-sets which will store (memorise) the frequency for easy recall at a later time. However, you must have accurate frequency information - see overleaf - to use this facility properly.
If you use your radio a lot, it is worth considering this type. They tend to be more expensive than conventional dial radios, but if your radio covers long, medium, short and the FM wavebands it can be used back home as well as on your travels. Some digital dial radios are small, battery powered portable types which will fit easily into a suitcase. They usually have provision for an external aerial if required and also mains powering to save batteries. A good dealer or department store should be able to show you the latest range available from radio manufacturers.
What frequencies are used? As mentioned earlier, the World Service uses many frequencies to serve different parts of the world. The best one to use will depend where you are and the time of day. Listed below are some of the frequencies likely to provide the best reception in areas within 2000 miles of the UK. Try each frequency in turn as some are not used all the time and can change according to atmospheric conditions or because of interference. All frequencies are in kHz and are in the short wave bands unless indicated. To convert kHz to MHz, divide by 1000; eg 9410 kHz = 9.410 MHz. Belgium, British Isles, Ireland, Germany (North West), Denmark, Norway (South), France, Luxembourg, Netherlands Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal, Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, Balearics Commonwealth of Independent States, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Norway (North) Italy (South), Malta, Corsica, Sardinia
15575, 12095, 9760, 9750, 9410, 7325, 6195, 6180, 3955
17705, 15575, 15400, 15070, 12095, 9410, 7325, 6195 17640, 15575, 12095, 9540, 9410, 7325, 6195, 6180, 3955
Austria, Switzerland, Italy (North), Germany (South & East) Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia Greek Islands (Aegean)
15575, 12095, 9750, 9660, 9410, 6195, 3955
17640, 15575, 12095, 9750, 9660, 9410, 6195, 6180
1323 kHz (medium wave)
World Service is on FM in Berlin (90.2 MHz) and also in the Czechoslovakian cities of Bratislava (93.8 MHz), Brno (92.6 MHz), Bankska Bystrica (105.4 MHz), Cseke Budejovice (89.8 MHz), Hradec Kralove/Pardubice (99.1 MHz), Kosice (103.2 MHz) and Prague (101.1 MHz). In Sofia City in Bulgaria, use 98.9 MHz FM.
In areas relatively close to the UK, such as Ireland, France (North), Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany (North West) and Belgium, the 198 kHz long wave frequency can be heard. This carries Radio 4 during the day and BBC World Service during the night. There is also a 648 kHz transmitter in the UK, but it is highly directional and intended for eastern France and the low countries. As a result it is of little use in the UK other than in the south east of England, and east Anglia. Within the UK, Radio 4 and a number of BBC local radio stations carry the World Service at times - see the Radio Times for details. The World Service is also carried on the BBC DAB digital radio service. World Service programmes are listed in the Radio pages of Radio Times.
17640, 15575, 12095, 9760, 9680, 9410, 7325, 6195
Published by BBC Reception Advice http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception
