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 What kind of audience can a specific shortwave broadcaster hope to reach? Dr. Graham Mytton, former head of BBC World Service audience research, says: 'You may have audiences of less than 0.1%.... But this does not mean an insignificant achievement necessarily. Shortwave broadcasters are niche broadcasters. Often they are not aiming to reach mass audiences, but people with specific needs, interests and tastes.... If your average reach was, let us say, one person in 10,000, that is 0.01%. On a global scale that is a lot of people -- about 350,000 of them. The problem is that we can never afford the scale and number of surveys that would necessarily prove it.'
However, many sources agree that shortwave radio is experiencing a resurgence. According to VT Communications, which operates the BBC's worldwide transmitter sites, 'latest research shows that shortwave radio listeners are growing globally, with shortwave penetration at its highest in the developing countries. That is not to say that shortwave is not having an impact in the developed countries. The increase in the shortwave audience, says VT Communications, is spelt out dramatically by just one factory in China that is frantically producing 300,000 shortwave radio sets per month just to support demand. Grundig in America report growth each year on their sales of shortwave receivers.'
At this moment there are at least 600 million shortwave radio sets worldwide, surveys reveal that around 1% of the population of Jamaica and the United States listens regularly to shortwave radio stations. In Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Trinidad, listenership to shortwave is between 1% and 5% of the population. In Ecuador, it is between 5 and 10%. Guyana in South America has a shortwave listenership rate of between 10 and 30% of the population. Other countries -especially certain African countries- have a shortwave listenership rate of over 30%.
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 In high frequency (HF) bands, reliable use can be made of both ground wave and sky wave energy components, allowing communication over short and long ranges. Distant communications may take place by means of sky waves; the ionosphere. The ionosphere is a region where the air pressure is so low that free ions and electrons can move about for some time without combining to neutral atoms. The D layer is situated 37 to 57 miles above earth; it commences at daybreak peaks at noon and vanishes at sunset. That's why the 76 mtr is the band of choice for regional communication within a range of 500 miles during the day and at night may have a distance up to 3000 miles. The F layer is the most useful layer for DX communications. The height may be from 130 to 260 miles above earth. The F layer may split into two layers during daytime, the upper F layer (F2) remains the useful one for long distance communications. During the day a typical distance is 2000 miles and in the evening it may be up to 4000 miles. Of importance is the antenna radiation angle, the higher the angle the better the change to work DX. (For amateur radio instead of music radio it's the opposite) This is because a high-angle signal may require two or more hops (bounced from earth to the ionosphere and back) to reach a distance point which will weaken the signal but the skip will be less. Other important factors are the time of year and the sunspot cycle.
Scientists said periods of inactivity are normal for the sun, but this period has gone on longer than usual. “It continues to be dead” said the National Astronomical Observatory. The last cycle reached its peak in 2001 and is believed to be just ending now. The next cycle is just beginning and is expected to reach its peak sometime around 2012. Today’s sun, however, is as inactive as it was two years ago, and scientists aren’t sure why. It’s a dead face producing no sunspots. (dark, cool areas on the photosphere) In general during a sunspot high cycle conditions are best for the higher HF frequencies. So now you know why there is little activity on higher bands.
 The Dutch Radio communications Agency is stepping up its efforts to catch illegal broadcasters.
The Agency says the recent level of complaints about interference to licensed broadcasters and air traffic communications
is 20 per cent higher than in the same period last year.
Dutch pirate stations often organize extended broadcasts during the summer months, which makes it easier to track them down.
The east of the Netherlands is the area with the most pirates. So far this summer, 20 stations have been caught and closed down.
The pirates will be fined up to €4,500 and sometimes even more.
 In June 2007 the approximate visits were 9.800,
in August 2007 the visits increased to 31.815. In February 2008
again the monthly visits increased to 63.650 and in March there where more
then 71.000 visits... Most visitors came from the US; 13,5% (including US Military!).
Other visitors came from Europe, Asia and the Middle East, some from South America
and Australia, none from Africa. The Workshop area with schematic diagrams is the
most visited part of the website, second the Eye and ear area with jingles.
Most visitors came in via Google, second via other sites... Many thanks for visiting my 'hobby' site!
 A 'must read article' from the Chicago Tribune regarding pirate radio at the upcoming Republican National Convention. Free Radio Santa Cruz, a politically oriented unlicensed radio station that also streams live over the internet anticipates numerous call-ins from protesters during the Republican convention. The station, which has been on the air illegally for nearly 10 years, has broadcast live, from-the-streets reports at many of the major protests in recent years - including the latest WTO meeting in Mexico and last month's Democratic National Convention in Boston. Visit Chicagotribune.com and search for 'pirate radio' for the complete article.
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 Free Radio Nova tested a new rig (especially
build for a starting relay station) to be used on high band frequencies
(15.x & 9.x kHz). Those who where ready could picked up the signal.
Although the output power is limited (50 watts) another reason was to test
a new Inverted-V antenna. Why might the Inverted-V be preferred to the dipole?
The first reason is mechanical - only one high support is required. Another
often cited reason is that the Inverted-V makes a better match to the typical 50 Ohm feed line.
 The Inverted-V will give up to 3 dB at high take-off angles.
Despite the theory the steeper the Inverted-V the worse it is, 90 degrees is
about the tightest it ought to be. For best results the included angle needs
to be as large as possible so in effect it looks like a roof on a chalet,
nearly horizontal, so 160 degrees. In terms of efficiency the best is a say 20m
support pole and as large included angle as possible, ie) the antenna is
nearly like a proper dipole. Less efficient is the same 20m pole and a
smaller included angle. Even less efficient is say a 10m pole and a large
included angle, and the worst efficient is a 10m pole a small included
angle. Other than the gain difference at high angles, the Inverted-V has
basically round patterns. At lower take-off angles however, the Inverted-V
maintains a uniform azimuth pattern, whereas the dipole becomes
increasingly bi-directional. Last but certainly not least is
due to the relatively low height above ground, the Inverted-V
antenna 'shoot' straight up for a perfect skip.
 Schematic Diagram of the New Build Shortwave Transmitter
 On Wednesday September 29th at 9:20 AM armed federal marshalls
and FCC agents served a warrant at the studio of Free Radio
Santa Cruz. They have confiscated equipment and shut down
the broadcast.
 Free Radio Santa Cruz Raid Mix
On January 1st 2002 article 10.16 of the Telecommunications act entered into force. Since that date, it has not only been illegal to install and use radio equipment without a license, but also to have such equipment present in a fully or partially installed state. This amendment to the law makes taking action against the illegal use of the spectrum more effective. Besides this changes to the law 'ether-flits' came into action; a pro-active way to clean-sweep the (FM) spectrum from unauthorized radio stations. For the Radio Communications Agency it was a busy but effective year; a significant drop of 62% of those unauthorized radio stations based on jamming reports. However, 'ether-flits' now in action for over a year a small increase of illegal activities is shown, especially in the North East provinces of the Netherlands; Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel. In the area of Hengelo 'ether-flits' actions didn't have any influence of the presence of unauthorized radio stations. The Radio Communications Agency will undertake further action; by profiling the persons behind pirate stations and start discussions with the Justice Department for operators who are caught more then twice, eventually this could end in criminal sentences. Also mentioned is the increase of violence against members of the Radio Communications Agency during a raid, although I can imagine that people can be frustrated when their home brew rigs are carried out I fully disapprove of those who actually become physical towards members of the RCA. Furthermore the minister of Economics (Brinkhorst of D66) will investigate if there is free spectrum for more local radio stations. Only D66 (!) and the LPF opposed it, the investigation is now taking place.
As a 'Robin Hood' of the airwaves my self I have great interest in the first part; profiling. A few years ago a student did a promotion study on pirate radio stations, although it was very interesting to read I didn't recognizing my self entirely. Perhaps the Scully's and Mulders of the Radio Communications Agency can do a better job searching for the x-factor why people start an unauthorized radio station, I look forward to their conclusions.
Evaluation of 'ether-flits' in Dutch
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