Option C: Shortwave Listening

Req 8c2 — Medium-Wave Listening

8c2.

Listen to several medium-wave stations for two one-hour periods, one period during daylight hours and one period at night. Log the stations properly and locate them on a map, globe, or web-based mapping service.

Medium-Wave (AM Broadcast Band)

Medium-wave refers to the AM broadcast band: 535 kHz – 1,705 kHz. Any AM radio — including a car radio, a portable receiver, or even some smartphone apps connected to an SDR — will work.

What to Expect

Daytime Session

During the day, you’ll primarily hear local and regional stations within a few hundred miles. AM signals travel by ground wave during daylight, which limits range. You might hear 5–15 stations depending on your location.

Nighttime Session

At night, the ionosphere changes dramatically. The D layer (which absorbs MF signals during the day) disappears after sunset, allowing medium-wave signals to reach the E and F layers and bounce back over hundreds or thousands of miles. You may hear stations from across the continent — a station from 1,000+ miles away can come in clearly.

This dramatic difference between day and night is the entire point of this exercise. Your logs should show it clearly.

Logging Format

Use the same format as your shortwave logs:

Field	Example
Date	2026-04-06
Time (local and UTC)	11:30 PM CDT / 0430 UTC
Frequency	1,120 kHz
Station	KMOX, St. Louis, MO
Signal	Strong
Notes	Sports talk, clear signal

Map each station’s transmitter location after each session.