Special thanks to Anker Petersen, editor of DSWC International newsletter DX Window, for sharing the following feature with the Shortwave Central blog readers.
Gayle VanHorn
Trends in Tropical Bands broadcasting 2008
by Anker Petersen
Since 1973 the Danish Shortwave Club International has published an annual publication which first covered the frequency range of 2.200 to 5.800 kHz and was called the "Tropical Bands Survey". But since 1999 I expanded it as editor to cover all Domestic broadcasting stations on shortwave from 2.200 kHz till 30 MHz. That is now called the Domestic Broadcasting Survey - the DBS- and it is popular worldwide among hard-core DX-ers. Our latest edition was published in April 2008.
The task for the editor of the DBS is, throughout the year until the next publication, to check the bands himself and follow the loggings from our members and other DX-ers around the world. For each station in the list, a note is taken of the months when it has been heard. If a station has not been heard by any DX-er during the past 12 months, it is deleted. By this measure, the DBS contains only the active domestic broadcasting stations.
With this systematic registration of broadcasting stations on the Tropical Bands each year, it is possible to make some statistics on how many frequencies were active in each region of the world and compare these numbers.
I have selected the Tropical Bands Surveys published with 12 years intervals in 1973, 1985 and 1997, and the Domestic Broadcasting Surveys from 2003 and 2008. For each of these five years I have then counted the number of active Domestic Broadcasting stations between 2.200 and 5.800 kHz. International broadcasters, Clandestine and Pirate stations are not included in these statistics.
Active domestic transmitters on 2200 – 5800 kHz
Region 1973 1985 1997 2003 2008
Central Africa 102 76 40 26 17
Southern Africa 57 39 33 9 8
Middle East 9 4 1 0 0
Indian Subcontinent 62 45 45 36 31
South East Asia 40 29 21 7 4
Indonesia 171 105 65 19 14
China, Taiwan, Mongolia 119 110 75 44 32
CIS (former USSR) 61 59 47 21 5
Far East 38 28 28 17 9
Papua New Guinea 17 20 20 20 16
Australia and other Pacific 10 4 13 7 12
Central America, Mexico 21 23 24 17 6
Caribbean 29 3 3 4 2
Northwestern South America 98 41 19 5 3
Ecuador 47 33 22 13 8
Peru 78 69 78 53 33
Bolivia 35 42 25 15 18
Brazil 107 87 67 50 40
Southern South America 5 2 1 0 0
Total 1106 819 627 363 258
We are approaching the end of the Era of Domestic broadcasting on the Tropical Bands for two main reasons: The technical standard of a large part of the transmitters in the tropical countries is poor and they cannot be repaired for economical reasons. In more developed countries the domestic shortwave transmitters are being replaced by FM- and Internet-networks. The trend above is clear: The falling trend continues and has become more steep during the past year.
The average number of closed domestic stations per year during 1997-2003 was 44 whereas it was only 14 during 2003-2007. But a total of 49 have left the bands during the past 12 months! If that pessimistic trend continues, the end of domestic broadcasting on the Tropical Bands may appear already in year 2014! A more realistic closure is around 2021.
Countries like Brazil, Peru, China, India, Bolivia and Papua New Guinea are still dominating the Tropical Bands.
Stations on the Tropical Bands which have closed down in 2006-2007, including International stations and Clandestines.
kHz kW Station Country Last log
2371 - Minsk utility station (USB) Belarus APR06
2390 0,5 R Huayacocotla, Veracruz Mexico JAN06
2460 1 Super R Alvorada, R. Branco, AC Brazil SEP07
2490 1,6 R 8 de Setembro,Descalvado, S. Paulo Brazil APR06
3215 10 RRI Manado, CN Indonesia FEB07
3220 - KCBS, Hamhung, Bangsong North Korea JAN07
3231,8 10 RRI Bukittinggi, SW Indonesia JAN06
3270 100 WWRB, Manchester, Tennessee USA APR06
3306 - ZBC, Guineafowl, Gweru Zimbabwe JUN06
3344,6 0,5 R Ayopaya, Independencia, Cochabm. Bolivia FEB06
3375 10 R Western Highlands, Mount Hagen Papua New Guinea JAN06
3385 1 R Guarujá Paulista, Guarujá, SP Brazil SEP07
3815 0,2 Kalaalit Nunaata R, via Tasiilaq(USB) Greenland MAR07
3930 - R Voice of Komala, via No. Iraq Clandestine APR06
3955 100 Voice of Russia, Vladivostok Russia JAN06
3960,1 10 RRI Palu, Tondo, CC Indonesia JAN06
3970 - Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, No. Iraq Clandestine FEB07
3980 100 R Liberty, via Biblis Germany MAR06
3985 250 VOIRI, Ahwaz Iran MAR06
4030 - Voice of the Struggle of Iranian Kurdistan Clandestine JAN07
4394,5 - Onda Cero R (USB), Madrid-Spurious Spain DEC07
4620,5 - R Espacial, Otuzco, La Libertad Peru JAN07
4728,2 - R Aripalca, Aripalca, Nor Chichas Bolivia FEB07
4760 100 R Liberty via Yangiyul Tajikistan FEB06
4761,7 - R Guanay, Guanay, La Paz Bolivia FEB06
4839,9 15 Heilongjiang PBS, Shangzhi, Heilongjiang China PPPPP
4855 - Minsk utility station (USB) Belarus JAN06
4874,6 10 RRI Sorong, PP Indonesia MAR07
4875 100 R Hara, via Dusheti Georgia FEB06
4890 250 R France International, Moyabi Gabon JAN06
4890 40 NBC, Port Moresby Papua New Guinea JUL07
4890,1 - R Macedonia, Arequipa Peru JAN06
4890,4 1 R Chota, Chota, Cajamarca Peru JAN07
4900 50 AIR Guwahati A, Assam India MAR07
4915 50 GBC, Accra Ghana NOV06
4925 0,5 R Difusora, Taubaté, SP Brazil JAN07
4960 50 AIR Ranchi, Jharkhand India MAR07
4995 100 R Liberty via Yangiyul Tajikistan FEB06
5010 1 HRMI, La Voz de Misiones Int. Honduras APR07
5015 1 R Pioneira, Teresina, PI Brazil FEB07
5026 10 R Uganda, Kampala Uganda MAR07
5035 100 R Centrafricaine, Bangui-Bimbo Central African Republic JAN06
5035 500 WEWN, Vandiver, Alabama USA MAY06
5040 - Hrvatski R, Deanovec, Spurious Croatia JUL07
5135 1 R Amazonas, Pt. Ayacucho, Orinoco Venezuela APR07
5323,7 - La Voz del Alta, Acobamba Peru FEB07
5420 50 Voice of Minorities, Beijing China FEB07
5500 - Voice of Peace & Democracy of Eritrea Clandestine JAN06
5500 10 Voice of the Tigray Revolution Ethiopia DEC06
5699,8 - R Triple SH, San Ignacio, Cajamarca Peru FEB06
5699,8 0,15 R Frecuencia, San Ignacio, Cajamarca Peru JAN07
(Anker Petersen, Denmark)