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Did anyone use this system to listen and communicate in the days before the internet? I think the users were called 'DXers'?

My uncle did use and own SW Radio system in the 1960's. All the equipment he used was ex-RAF which he "acquired" after he left the RAF. I think to receive the signals you needed a), a licence and b) a specialised aerial?

This system is NOT to be confused with CB (Citizens Band) radio which came along in the late 70's.

To receive SW signals you needed special equipment? You couldn't just pick them up on "normal" radio.

Trumpy, stick an aluminium collander on your head, wire it up to the mains, and wrap 20metres of fine, copper wire round a fork (metallic), whilst wiring a small portion of it to the collander. Stick the fork in your left ear, and put a soup ladle down the back of your neck such that the ladle-bowl comes up over your head, pointing down. This will aid in SW signal pickup.

Being wired up to the mains (make sure the wire has a plug!!), switch on.

SW radio, direct to your mind. Tune and change stations by scatching a knife along the copper wire.

Winner!!!!

!happy!

I recall those that did use SW radio had lots of electrical equipment in their sheds (yes sheds, as they weren't allowed to bring it in to the comfy and warm house), which seemed to pile up the more they got into DXing.

HF is still in daily use by thousands of amateur radio "hams" who use it to communicate around the world.

All aircraft flying beyond the range of VHF radio communications use HF to communicate with ground stations - thus all flights across the Atlantic, Pacific, much of Africa, the Arctic and the Indian Ocean use HF on a daily basis and this form of communication is only starting to use data link (which can use either HF or satellite) instead of voice communication.

It will be many years before HF is phased out - more so for shipping which uses HF for ship to shore communications, including crew phone calls.

There was (is) no need for a licence to listen, just to transmit.

Mysteryman wrote:

> There was (is) no need for a licence to listen, just to
> transmit.

I'm sure when my Uncle was using his SW radio transmitter during the 1960's he had to have a licence to broadcast and receive.

I've been listening to HF since around 1958, starting with an old ex-RAF receiver.

Due to the Wireless Telegraphy Acts the licence to transmit was worded in such a way as to state that it covered transmission and reception.

It is technically illegal to listen to any non public broadcast in the UK but this is honoured in the breach by thousands of people listening to scanners, by people listening to "ham" radio, by aircraft and shipping enthusiasts and also by criminals - this is why Police now use radios which cannot be received by scanners available in the High St.

HF listening was the first area to which the authorities turned a blind eye -around 48 years ago, closely followed by aircraft band listening on VHF.

Anyone transmitting on HF or MW, LW or VHF without a licence will be tracked down and prosecuted by the authorities - as many pirate stations broadcasting music to localities in the UK have found.

The unenforced position regarding listening remains on the statute books in case any government wishes to ban reception of broadcasts by the public at anytime - something they could have done regarding listening to police transmissions. Instead they accepted there were just too many scanners around and changed their system.

Mysteryman wrote:

> I've been listening to HF since around 1958, starting with an
> old ex-RAF receiver.

That's what my Uncle used. He and some of his colleagues on their demob from the RAF managed to "acquire" one. They got many many years of listening and communicating with fellow enthusiasts from around the world.