# Shortwave Overview

Part of the Radio Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/radio/guide/index.md)

*8. Option C: Shortwave Listening*

> **8.** Option C—Shortwave and Medium-Wave Listening. Do ALL of the following: **Shortwave and Medium-Wave Listening**

Option C is about the magic of hearing voices from the other side of the world using nothing more than a receiver and an antenna. You'll spend at least six hours listening to shortwave and medium-wave stations at different times of day, log what you hear, map the stations geographically, and discover how propagation changes between day and night.

## What You'll Complete

- **[Req 8c1 — Shortwave Listening Sessions](../req8c1/):** Four one-hour shortwave listening sessions (day and night), properly logged and mapped.
- **[Req 8c2 — Medium-Wave Listening](../req8c2/):** Two one-hour medium-wave (AM) listening sessions, logged and mapped.
- **[Req 8c3 — Compare Day & Night Logs](../req8c3/):** Analyze frequency and signal strength differences between day and night.
- **[Req 8c4 — Why Distant Stations Appear at Night](../req8c4/):** Explain the propagation science behind nighttime medium-wave DX.
- **[Req 8c5 — Smartphone Listening](../req8c5/):** Demonstrate listening to domestic and international broadcasts on a phone.

### Equipment Options

You don't need expensive equipment. Any of these will work:

- **Dedicated shortwave receiver** (portable models from manufacturers like Tecsun, Sangean, or C. Crane)
- **Software-defined radio (SDR)** — a $25 RTL-SDR USB dongle connected to a laptop
- **WebSDR** — free online receivers you can tune from your browser (try websdr.org or kiwisdr.com)

For medium-wave, any AM radio (including a car radio) works.

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