Whether you are new to amateur radio and do not have HF equipment yet or have been licensed for a long time, WebSDR is an interesting alternative or supplement depending on your situation.
WebSDR is a Software Defined Radio that is fed of the internet.
I have two favorites, one which is local to us here in Maine.
Sebago Lake WebSDR is available for 75/80 meters (with 6 meters in development). There are several HF nets in Maine where it is very useful to tune into:
Maine Seagull Net (Traffic – Radiogram handling) on 3.940 MHz LSB Monday through Saturday at 5:00 PM.
Maine Public Service Net (Traffic & EmComm related net) on 3.940 MHz LSB Sunday 9:00 AM
Maine Emergency Communication Net (Traffic & EmComm related net) on 3.940 MHz Sunday at 5:00 PM
To use this WebSDR:
1) Click Audio Start in the upper right hand corner
2) Click inside the Frequency box and type the frequency (in Khz), for example 3940 (not 3.940)
3) Click =kHz
4) Click on desired mode, for example LSB (Lower Sideband)
5) If you would like to save this in your memory, click “Store” under “Memories” (you can add a short title to it such as “SGN”)
If you are interested in listening to a wider variety of bands, a personal favorite is the NA5B WebSDR Recever System located in Washington DC. Steps operate very similarly: Start the audio, select the band/frequency, select the mode.
Happy Shortwave Listening!
73 DE KU1U
Cory