Mediumwave
Mediumwave (MW)
radio transmissions serves as the most common band for
broadcasting. The standard
AM broadcast band is 525 kHz to 1715 kHz in
North America, but remains only up to 1615 kHz elsewhere.
In most of the
Americas, mediumwave stations are separated by 10 kHz and have two
sidebands of ±5 kHz. In the rest of the world, the separation is 9 kHz, with sidebands of ±4.5 kHz. Both provide adequate audio quality for
voice, but are insufficient for
high-fidelity broadcasting, which is common on the
VHF FM bands. In the US the maximum transmitter power is restricted to 50 kilowatts, while in
Europe there are medium wave stations with transmitter power up to 2.5 megawatts.
Mediumwave signals have the property of following the curvature of the earth (the
groundwave) at all times, and also reflecting off the
ionosphere at night (
skywave). This makes this frequency band ideal for both local and continent-wide service, depending on the time of day. For example, during the day a radio receiver in the state of
Maryland is able to receive reliable but weak signals from high-power stations
WFAN, 660 kHz, and
WOR, 710 kHz, 400 km away in
New York City, due to groundwave propagation. The effectiveness of groundwave signals largely depends on
ground conductivity—higher conductivity results in better propagation. At night, the same receiver picks up signals as far away as
Mexico City and
Chicago reliably.
Many North American stations are required to shut down or reduce power at night in order to make way for
clear channel stations that can then be received over a wider range.
In Europe, each country is allocated a number of frequencies on which high power (up to 2.5 MW) can be used; the maximum power is also subject to international agreement. Other countries may only operate low-powered transmitters on the same frequency, again subject to agreement. For example,
Russia operates a high-powered transmitter, located in its
Kaliningrad exclave and used for external broadcasting, on 1323 kHz. The same frequency is also used by low-powered local radio stations in
England; other parts of England can still receive the Russian broadcast. International mediumwave broadcasting in Europe has decreased markedly with the end of the
Cold War and the increased availability of satellite and Internet TV and radio, although the cross-border reception of neighbouring countries' broadcasts by expatriates and other interested listeners still takes place.
Due to the high demand for frequencies in Europe, many countries operate single frequency networks; in Britain,
BBC Radio 5 broadcasts from various transmitters on either 693 or 909 kHz. These transmitters are carefully synchronised to minimise interference from more distant transmitters on the same frequency.
Stereo transmission is possible and offered by some stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, and France. However, there are multiple standards for
AM stereo with
C-QUAM being the legally-permitted one in the United States, and receivers that implement the technologies are relatively rare but not uncommon. Another well-known system, which is no longer used, is Kahn Powerside.
In September
2002, the United States
Federal Communications Commission approved the
iBiquity in-band on-channel (IBOC) system of
digital audio broadcasting, which is meant to improve the audio quality of signals. The
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) IBOC system has been approved by the
ITU for use outside
North America and
U.S. territories.
As aerials mostly
mast radiators are used. Stations broadcasting with low power commonly use masts with heights of a quarter
wavelength, while high power stations mostly use half wavelength. The usage of masts longer than 5/8 of radiated wavelength gives a bad radiation pattern. Usually mast antennas are insulated against ground and show a high voltage against ground during transmission, which complicates maintenance, installation of air safety warning lights or using the mast as a tower for UHF/VHF-radio, but there are several ways to use grounded masts or towers.
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Medium Wave Antenna in Solt (Hungary) |
If grounded masts or towers are required, then cage aerials or longwire aerials are used. Another possibility consists of feeding the mast or the tower by cables running from the tuning unit to the guys or crossbars in a certain height. Directional aerials consist of multiple masts, which need not to be from the same height. It is also possible to realize directional aerials for mediumwave with cage aerials where some parts of the cage are fed with a certain phase difference.
Other type of aerials sometimes used for mediumwave are T- and L-aerials. The kind used depends on the need for grounded or insulated towers.
In some cases
dipole aerials are used, which are spun between two masts or towers. Such aerials radiate toward the sky. The mediumwave transmitter at
Berlin-Britz for transmitting RIAS used a cross dipole mounted on five 30.5 metre high guyed masts to transmit the skywave up to the ionosphere at nighttime.
Europe's largest antenna park
DX 183 is placed in Northern Jutland, Denmark. The well-known German DX'er Wilhelm Herbst has constructed and built the antennas. DXers are welcome to use the facilities.
For most of the 20th century, the radio frequency
500 kHz was reserved world wide as the
Morse code international calling and distress frequency for ships on the high seas. The frequency
2182 kHz is still used for this purpose, but employing voice transmission.
Other services that operate in medium wave include
Navtex and the
amateur radio 160-meter band. The obsolete
LORAN-A system used medium wave.
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AM radio*
Longwave*
MW DX*
Shortwave*
FM radio*
Satellite radio*
List of medium wave transmitters in Germany* Tomislav Stimac,
"Definition of frequency bands (VLF, ELF... etc.)". IK1QFK Home Page (vlf.it).
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The Medium Wave Circle - The premier club for MW/LW enthusiasts
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Medium Wave News - Published regularly since 1954
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"Building the Broadcast Band" the development of the 520-1700 kHz MW (AM) band*
Introduction to Long Distance Medium Wave Listening - updated March 2006
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DXing.info - News, audio files, reports on mediumwave stations
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Medium Wave
