● Live SW
9.395 MHz — WRMI Eastern N. America · 5.000 MHz — WWV Time Signal — 24/7 · 4.625 MHz — UVB-76 The Buzzer — Continuous · 9.730 MHz — Radio Romania International · 17.760 MHz — BBC World Service Africa · 9.700 MHz — Radio New Zealand Pacific · 21.620 MHz — Radio France Internationale · 600M+ Shortwave Receivers Worldwide · 150M+ Weekly Listeners Globally · 220+ Active Stations on Air in 2026 · 9.395 MHz — WRMI Eastern N. America · 5.000 MHz — WWV Time Signal — 24/7 · 4.625 MHz — UVB-76 The Buzzer — Continuous · 9.730 MHz — Radio Romania International · 17.760 MHz — BBC World Service Africa · 9.700 MHz — Radio New Zealand Pacific · 21.620 MHz — Radio France Internationale · 600M+ Shortwave Receivers Worldwide · 150M+ Weekly Listeners Globally · 220+ Active Stations on Air in 2026 ·
ShortwaveHQ
The World's Shortwave Search Engine
--:--:--
UTC
Live Bands
Live · A-26 2026 Schedule · Updated Every 30s

The World's ShortwaveRadio Search Engine

Search any frequency. Search any station. Search any language. Find what's on the air right now — anywhere in the world — with AI-powered identification.

Frequency in kHz or MHz · Station name · Language · Region · Press Enter or click Search
AI Identification
--
On Air Now
150+
Stations in DB
600M+
SW Receivers
150M+
Weekly Listeners
220+
Active 2026
--
Solar Flux
--
K-Index
--
Active Bands
On Air Right Now
Editor's Picks This Week
What Can I Hear?
Enter your country or continent. We show which stations are likely audible to you right now based on propagation.
Gray Line
Best DX window now
The day/night terminator. Signals on 31M and 41M travel extraordinary distances during the 30–60 min window at sunrise/sunset.
Quick Shack Log
Live Broadcast Intelligence

What's On the Air Right Now

UTC --:--  ·  -- stations active worldwide
Gray Line — Now
31M and 41M signals travel thousands of miles further during the 30–60 min gray line window.
Find
Station Finder
Search 150+ stations by any criteria
Showing: -- stations  ·  -- on air
Visual
Signal Radar
All 150+ stations across all bands
Frequency Spectrum · 0 to 30 MHz · All Active Stations
Click any signal to identify · Hover to preview
On Air Now
International
Time Signal
Utility
Pirate
Numbers
Hover over any signal dot to identify · Click to open in Frequency Search
Broadcast Calendar — 24-Hour Programming Grid
UTC hours across top · Each row = one station · Colored bar = on air · Red line = now · Click any bar to identify
Hunt
DX Challenge
Today's targets · Refreshed daily

DXing is the pursuit of distant or difficult stations. Eight daily targets, ranging from easy to extreme difficulty. Tune in, confirm reception, log it. Band conditions today: loading...

How to Log a DX Catch
1. Tune to target at the UTC window shown   2. Confirm station ID, language, programme content   3. Rate signal quality with SINPO code   4. Record in My Log   5. Send a written reception report for a QSL card reply
Schedule
Time Machine
What's on at any UTC time — past or future

Slide to any UTC time to see every station that's broadcasting. Plan your session hours ahead, or check what was on overnight.

--:-- UTC
Drag slider or tap a preset
-12 hrsNow+12 hrs
150+ stations · EIBI A-26 2026 data
Visual
World Transmitter Map
Active transmitters glow green
Global Shortwave Transmitter Network · 20 Major Sites
On Air Now
International
Time Signal
Numbers Station
Hover over a transmitter site to identify it · Click to search that frequency
24-Hour Frequency Timeline
All stations across all 24 UTC hours. Click any broadcast window to identify.
Conditions
Live Propagation
Updating...
Solar Flux Index — 24 hr trend
Band Conditions — All 12 SW Bands
Understanding Propagation
Mystery
Numbers Stations
ENIGMA 2000 Database

Numbers stations are shortwave transmissions of unknown origin broadcasting sequences of numbers, letters, or tones — widely believed to be intelligence agency communications to field agents. No government has ever officially confirmed operating one. Some have broadcast since the 1950s.

Active and Known Numbers Stations
ENIGMA 2000 Classification — Verified 2026
How to Listen
Numbers stations transmit in USB mode. Set your radio to USB, tune to the frequency, and listen. Transmissions begin with a preamble tone, then long sequences of five-digit groups. Tune 4.625 MHz any time to hear UVB-76 buzzing continuously — it has buzzed for over 50 years without explanation.
UVB-76 — The Buzzer
4.625 MHz · Active since 1973 · Russian origin
The most famous numbers station in the world. A buzzing tone transmits continuously around the clock. Occasionally it stops and a voice reads groups of numbers or letters. Monitored for over 50 years. Never officially explained. Active right now.
Listen Live on WebSDR ↗
Priority Frequencies
Personal
My Shack Log
Saved in your browser · Never sent anywhere
Reception Log
FreqStationUTCSignalNotes
Your log is empty. Start from the Quick Log on the Search page or add an entry here.
Add Entry
SINPO Code

Rate Signal, Interference, Noise, Propagation, Overall — each 1–5.

Perfect reception = 55555. Include SINPO in reception reports to stations for the best chance of receiving a QSL card reply.

Community
Radio Memories
-- stories
Share Your Memory

"The shortwave radio was not just a device. It was proof that the world was larger than your hometown — and that someone, somewhere, was broadcasting just for you."

— ShortwaveHQ Community
Heritage
Vintage Radio Museum
Click any radio for its full story
Archive
Station History
Active   Reduced   Closed
The Golden Age of Shortwave

From the 1930s through the 1990s, shortwave was the world's international communication lifeline. Hundreds of millions tuned in nightly to hear news from beyond their borders, music from distant lands, voices from other cultures.

Stations like BBC World Service, Voice of America, Radio Moscow, and Radio Australia were windows to the world before the internet existed.

"When I wrote to Radio Peking in 1973, I received Chairman Mao's Little Red Book. The QSL card took five months. I checked the mailbox every single day." — William T., Canada

Shortwave Glossary
Gear
Equipment Guide
Every budget and skill level
Collection
QSL Card Gallery
-- cards
Community Collection
Upload Your QSL Card
📬
Click to upload your QSL card photo
What Is a QSL Card?
A QSL card is written confirmation from a radio station that they received your reception report. The tradition dates to 1916 — older than broadcasting itself. Listeners described the frequency, UTC time, SINPO quality, and programme heard. Stations replied with beautifully designed postcards. Some collectors have thousands.
Business
Advertise on ShortwaveHQ
Reach 150M+ listeners worldwide
Why Advertise Here
The most engaged radio audience on the internet
ShortwaveHQ reaches the global shortwave listening community — a highly engaged, high-income audience of radio enthusiasts, survivalists, preppers, veterans, and international news followers. These are buyers who spend $100–$2,000+ on radio equipment.
600M+
SW Receivers Worldwide
150M+
Weekly Listeners
$423M
SW Radio Market 2025
5.9%
Annual Market Growth
Ideal Advertisers
Tecsun / Kaito / Sangean SDRplay / RTL-SDR C.Crane Company Survival / Prepper Gear Satellite Phone / Starlink Ham Radio License Courses Language Learning Apps International News Services
Featured Equipment — With Affiliate Links
Monetization Opportunities

Amazon Affiliate Program — Link every equipment mention to Amazon. 3–8% commission on radio, antenna, and accessory purchases from an audience that buys.

Direct Sponsor Deals — Tecsun, SDRplay, C.Crane, and Kaito all work with shortwave sites. Estimated $200–$1,500/month for a dedicated banner or featured review slot.

Display Advertising — Google AdSense or Mediavine once traffic reaches threshold. Shortwave audience CPMs run $4–$12 due to tech/hobbyist demographic.

WRMI / Station Sponsorships — Shortwave stations pay for frequency listings and promotion packages. WRMI charges $0.10–$0.50 per minute for air time; a content partnership is viable.

Contact for Advertising
Interested in advertising on ShortwaveHQ? We offer banner placements, sponsored equipment reviews, newsletter mentions, and custom partnership arrangements.
Platform Acquisition
ShortwaveHQ is a turnkey shortwave intelligence platform with 150+ station database, AI identification, world map, DX challenge, broadcast calendar, time machine, QSL gallery, and full community features. Built as a sellable asset. Contact us if you represent a radio equipment company, media group, or international broadcaster interested in acquiring or licensing this platform.
New to ShortwaveHQ? Start Here

Welcome to the World'sShortwave Radio Search Engine

Everything you need to find stations, track signals, and enjoy the hobby. No experience needed.

Step 1 — Search a Frequency
Type any frequency into the search box
The big search box on the home page understands everything: 9730 (kHz), 9.73 (MHz), BBC, Spanish, Africa. Type it and hit Search. The AI will tell you exactly what is on that frequency right now.
Step 2 — See What's On Right Now
The "On Air Now" page shows every live station
It updates automatically every 30 seconds. Filter by region or type. Tap the star ★ next to any station to add it to your personal watchlist so you never miss it when it comes on.
Step 3 — Find What You Can Hear
Enter your country — see what's audible to you
The "What Can I Hear?" box on the home page takes your country or continent and shows which stations are most likely reaching your location right now, with a signal likelihood percentage.
Step 4 — Log Your Receptions
Keep a personal shack log — right in your browser
Use the Quick Log on the home page (bottom right) or the full My Log page. Enter the frequency, station, signal strength, and notes. Export it as a spreadsheet any time. Saved privately in your browser.
The Best Frequencies to Start With
Not sure? Just ask.
The AI Assistant knows everything about shortwave radio — which stations are worth tuning, how propagation works, what equipment to buy, how to get QSL cards. Type any question in plain English.
Terms You Will See
MHz / kHz
The radio frequency. 9730 kHz = 9.730 MHz — the same thing. Both work in the search.
UTC
The world clock all radio schedules use. UTC is the same as GMT. The clock in the top right shows the current UTC time.
SWL
Shortwave Listener — that's you. You listen, you don't transmit. No licence needed.
DX
Long-distance reception. DXing means trying to catch distant or difficult stations.
QSL Card
A postcard a station sends you to confirm they got your reception report. The hobby's great tradition since 1916.
Propagation
How signals travel around the Earth. Check the Propagation page to see today's conditions before you tune.