2sw23 — Shortwave radio listening: finding and tuning | 2sw23.com

Night bands: 5.9-9.9 MHz

2sw23 — Shortwave radio listening: finding and tuning | 2sw23.com

After sunset the lower shortwave bands open: the 49 m band (5.9-6.2 MHz), 41 m (7.2-7.5 MHz) and 31 m (9.4-9.9 MHz) all work from dusk to dawn. Start on 31 m around 9.4-9.9 MHz, then move lower as the night deepens; the 19 m and 13 m bands you may have used at midday are daytime-only paths.

The band chart: frequencies and hours

This is not a broadcaster's programme guide, a receiver shop or a club page — it is an independent reference written for anyone with a shortwave receiver and a few metres of wire.

31 min this record

Six mistakes that cost you a night's listening

Scroll the strip sideways — 6 cards.

Mode

Listening in the wrong mode

Broadcasts are AM with a 4-6 kHz audio passband. If the receiver sits in SSB at 2.4-3 kHz, speech and music turn to garble no matter how strong the signal is.

Clock

Tuning at the wrong hour

Schedules are printed in UTC. Forgetting the offset — New York -5 or -4, London +0 or +1, Kuwait +3 — puts you an hour or more away from the broadcast.

Band

Daytime band after dark

The 19 m and 13 m bands are roughly 08:00-17:00 local-time paths. After sunset they go quiet, so move below 10 MHz instead of retuning the same segment.

Noise

Blaming the band for local noise

Household electronics can mask a whole band. A 7-10 m wire kept clear of house wiring often hears more than an expensive indoor setup.

Skip

Expecting nearby stations

A single F2 hop lands 1,000-3,500 km out. The loudest signal of the evening may be on another continent while close-in stations stay inaudible — that is normal.

Antenna

Cutting the wire by guesswork

Dipole length is 143 divided by frequency in MHz: 15.2 m for 9.4 MHz, two legs of 7.6 m. Guessing wastes wire and costs signal.

Numeric index

Night listening by the numbers

11years in an average sunspot cycleNear solar maximum the 11 m and 13 m bands open far more often, so regular listeners watch where the cycle stands.
300divisor that turns MHz into metresWavelength in metres equals 300 divided by frequency in MHz, which is why 9.4 MHz is called the 31-metre band.
143divisor for a half-wave dipole in metresA dipole for 9.4 MHz measures 143 ÷ 9.4 = 15.2 m end to end, and each of its two legs is half of that.

Which bands are actually open at night?

At night, listen below 10 MHz: the 49 m, 41 m and 31 m bands are the reliable dusk-to-dawn paths.

The shortwave broadcast spectrum is divided into metre bands named after their wavelength: 49 m covers 5.9-6.2 MHz, 41 m covers 7.2-7.5 MHz and 31 m covers 9.4-9.9 MHz. The name is pure arithmetic — wavelength in metres equals 300 divided by the frequency in MHz, so 9.4 MHz works out to 31.9 metres, which is where the 31-metre band gets its name.

After dark these three lower bands come alive and stay usable from dusk to dawn. A practical evening scan starts on 31 m at 9.4-9.9 MHz, drops to 41 m at 7.2-7.5 MHz later, and finishes on 49 m at 5.9-6.2 MHz in the deep night hours.

Above them sit the daytime bands: 19 m at 15.1-15.6 MHz and 13 m at 21.4-21.9 MHz are roughly 08:00-17:00 local-time paths and go quiet after sunset. The 11 m band at 25.6-26.1 MHz opens far more often near solar maximum, so its usefulness depends on where the 11-year sunspot cycle stands.

The band chart: frequencies and hours

Six bands a night listener asks about most, with the wavelength check (300 ÷ frequency) and the hours each group is open.
Metre bandFrequency rangeWavelength spanBest time to listen
49 m5.9-6.2 MHz48.4-50.8 mNight: dusk to dawn, local time
41 m7.2-7.5 MHz40.0-41.7 mNight: dusk to dawn, local time
31 m9.4-9.9 MHz30.3-31.9 mNight: dusk to dawn; the first band to try
19 m15.1-15.6 MHz19.2-19.9 mDay: roughly 08:00-17:00 local
13 m21.4-21.9 MHz13.7-14.0 mDay: roughly 08:00-17:00 local
11 m25.6-26.1 MHz11.5-11.7 mOpens far more often near solar maximum
Six bands a night listener asks about most, with the wavelength check (300 ÷ frequency) and the hours each group is open.

On the workbench: charts and wire plans

The figures from the sections above, gathered in one place for a second look at the bench.

Metre bandF2-layer skipSunspot cycleUTC
The key terms of this guide, drawn to one scale

What listeners ask after the first night

Why is the 19 m band empty when I tune in at 22:00?
Because 19 m is a daytime band. The 19 m (15.1-15.6 MHz) and 13 m (21.4-21.9 MHz) bands are roughly 08:00-17:00 local-time paths; after dark, move down to 31 m, 41 m or 49 m below 10 MHz.
Do I need a big antenna to hear anything at night?
No — a 7-10 m wire is enough for strong broadcasts. Shortwave broadcast transmitters commonly run 10-500 kW, so transmitter power does most of the work; a half-wave dipole cut to 143 ÷ frequency simply sharpens one chosen band.
The schedule says 18:00, but nothing is there at 18:00 on my clock. Why?
The schedule is in UTC, not your local time. Add your offset — London +0 or +1, Kuwait +3, New York -5 or -4 — and check whether daylight saving has shifted it by an hour.
Why does one station dominate a frequency for the whole evening?
That is normal skip behaviour. A single F2-layer hop covers 1,000-3,500 km, so one distant transmitter can own a channel for hours while nearer stations remain inaudible.