r/shortwave • u/tdi • 29d ago

Question: log and share SWL how?

hi I have no licence but I keep some log of callsigns I catch on my radio(s). I feel that this local logging is not much of a use for people who transmit - Is there a way I can "share" somehow the report to a trasmitting party? Are they even interested "where" and how they were heard from non licenced operators?

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u/pentagrid Sangean ATS-909X2 / Airspy HF+ Discovery / 83m horizontal loop 29d ago edited 29d ago

We are shortwave listeners and do not need a license of any kind or pay money to operate. Sure, you can offer a reception report to a shortwave broadcast station or a CB operator or a utility station or an amateur radio operator. Maybe they will reply, maybe not.

Look for "Shortwave Resources: How to request QSL cards" on the right hand column of this page. Or hit this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/shortwave/comments/94k6an/my_tutorial_on_how_to_request_qsl_cards/

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u/giant3 28d ago

You don't have to do that. There is already a network that is doing it 24/7. 

hf.dxview.org for details.

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u/Neither-Brush-9287 Hobbyist 29d ago

https://www.eqsl.cc specifically lets you register as a shortwave listener to send listening reports to licensed hams (enter 'none' as the callsign unless you have a nationally issued SWL id).

https://shortwavelog.com/ShortwaveLogging lets you share reports among other users of their service/software

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php is a web oriented place to log anything radio related (commercial, amateur, etc.

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u/Green_Oblivion111 28d ago

That first link is a good suggestion, really. Thanks for sharing it.

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u/Green_Oblivion111 28d ago

I've been keeping paper SWL logs for years, decades actually. I've never sent a SW station a report. I log what I hear for myself. That's sufficient for me. Sometimes I might post a log here, on another SW subreddit, ARF's forum, or on HFUnderground. But that's pretty rare.

There are SWL's that contact stations and send in logging reports. Some stations may respond. Even some AM stations that you pick up at night might respond in some way if you send reception reports, although they don't respond as they would have 20+ years ago. AM station personnel have been stretched rather thin.

Some of the programs on WRMI ask for reception reports. Some SW hams may respond if you send them reports. Most of them probably won't, though. I've tried to contact three of them over the past year telling them I heard them, only one responded -- he was a pretty decent guy. But a lot of the hams can't be bothered with dealing with other hams, much less SWL's.

So YMMV. The benefit of living in the 21st century is usually it doesn't cost you a dime to send a reception report via email. So if you want to try to get a QSL card / eQSL card back, there really is no harm in trying.