long wave

The longwave radio band is a range of frequencies used for AM broadcasting, which extends from 148.5 to 283.5 kHz. It falls within the low-frequency (LF) part of the radio spectrum (30–300 kHz).^[1]

Unlike the medium wave band, which is widely used throughout the world, the longwave band has been primarily used for broadcasting the station identity of Nondirectional Beacons (NDBs) in Morse Code for use by radio direction finders in marine navigation. In voice transmissions, longwave is used only within ITU region 1. Most of the longwave broadcasters are in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Mongolia. The rest are located in Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Libya. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have vacant low powered broadcasting allocations. Long wave signals travel particularity well over the Ocean. Typically, a larger area can be covered by a longwave broadcast transmitter than a medium-wave one. This is because ground-wave propagation suffers less attenuation due to limited ground conductivity at lower frequencies.^[2]

Carrier frequencies

Carrier frequencies are exact multiples of 9 kHz ranging from 153 to 279 kHz, except for two stations in Germany on 177 kHz and 183 kHz.

Until the 1970s, some longwave stations in the Soviet Union operated on frequencies as high as 400 kHz, and there was even a station on 433 kHz in Finland.^[3]

Some stations, for instance Droitwich in the UK, derive their carrier frequencies from an atomic clock. They can be therefore used as frequency standards.

ITU regions 2 and 3

Outside region 1, there is no longwave broadcasting.

In North America during the 1970s the frequencies 167, 179 and 191 kHz were assigned to the short-lived Public Emergency Radio of the United States. Nowadays the 160-190 kHz range is used in the United States for Part 15 LowFER amateur and experimental stations, and the 190-435 kHz band is used for navigational beacons.

List of longwave broadcasting transmitters

List of the most important longwave broadcasting transmitters ^[4][5]

Frequency	Station name	Country	Location	Aerial type	Power	Remarks
153 kHz	Deutschlandfunk	Germany	Donebach	Directional aerial, two guyed steel lattice masts, 363 m high, fed at the top	500 kW	Night: 250 kW
	Antena Satelor / Radio Romania	Romania	Braşov	T-aerial on 2 guyed steel lattice masts with a height of 250 metres	1200 kW
	NRK Finnmark	Norway	Ingoy	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast of 362 m height, fed at the top, ex-Omega equipment	100 kW
	Chaine 1	Algeria	Kenadsa / Bechar	Three guyed steel lattice masts, height 357 m.	2000 kW
162 kHz	France Inter	France	Allouis	Two guyed steel lattice masts, height 350 m, fed on the top	2000 kW	Time signal phase-modulated
	TRT	Turkey	Agri		1000 kW
171 kHz	Medi 1	Morocco	Nador	Directional aerial consisting of three guyed steel lattice masts, 380 metres tall	2000 kW
	Radio Rossii	Russia	Bolshakovo near Kaliningrad		600 kW
	Radio Rossii	Ukraine	Krasne near Lwow		150/75 kW	inactive at present
177 kHz	Deutschlandradio Kultur	Germany	Zehlendorf near Oranienburg	Omnidirectional aerial, cage aerial mounted on 359.7 m high guyed mast, triangle aerial on 3 150 m high guyed steel lattice masts	500 kW	Since August 29th, 2005 between 2 and 5 a.m. CET DRM-Mode Non-standard frequency (not divisible by 9)
180 kHz	TRT	Turkey	Polatli		1200 kW	Turkish Programme
183 kHz DRM Test after 00:00 UTC	Europe 1	Germany	Felsberg-Berus	Directional aerial, four ground insulated steel lattice masts. Heights of 270 m, 276 m, 280 m and 282 m. Spare aerial: two ground insulated steel lattice masts of 234 m height.	2000 kW	French progamme. The most powerful longwave transmitter in Germany. Non-standard frequency (not divisible by 9).
189 kHz	RÚV	Iceland	Gufuskalar near Hellissandur	Slight oval bi-directivity aerial, top loaded parallel connected triangular loops, mast as a common member, all guys insulated except two radiating diametrically opposed grounded top guys, loops closed by copper straps in the ground from two conducting guy grounding points to base of the guyed steel lattice mast insulated against ground, height 412m	300 kW	RÚV national programs 1 and 2 Rás 1 and Rás 2
	RAI	Italy	Caltanissetta	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast, height 282 m	10 kW	Inactive since August 2004
198 kHz	BBC Radio 4	United Kingdom	Droitwich (SFN)	T-aerial on 2 guyed steel lattice masts insulated against ground with a height of 213 metres	500 kW	Relays BBC World Service after the end of its own programmes.
			Burghead (SFN)	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast	50 kW
			Westerglen (SFN)	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast, height 152 m	50 kW
	Chaine 1	Algeria	Berkaoui / Ouargla	Three guyed steel lattice masts.	2000 kW
	Polskie Radio Parlament/Radio Polonia	Poland	Raszyn	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast insulated against ground, 335 m high	200 kW	excluded for financial reasons the Polish Radio
	Radio Majak	Russia	Sankt Petersburg - Olgino	Omnidirectional aerial, 205 m high guyed steel lattice mast	150 kW
207 kHz	RÚV	Iceland	Eiðar near Egilsstaðir	Omnidirectional aerial, steel lattice mast insulated against ground, height 220 m	100 kW	RÚV national programs 1 and 2 Rás 1 and Rás 2
	Deutschlandfunk	Germany	Aholming	Directional aerial, two guyed steel lattice masts, 265 m high, fed at the top	500 kW	Night: 250 kW
	Ukrainian Radio	Ukraine	Brovary	two guyed steel lattice masts insulated against ground, 259.6 m high, each equipped with a cage antenna at its lower part	600 kW
216 kHz	Radio Monte Carlo	Monaco	Roumoules	Directional aerial, 3 300 metre high guyed steel lattice masts, 330 metre high guyed steel lattice mast as backup aerial	1200 kW	Transmitter site exterritorial, exclave of Monaco
225 kHz	Polskie Radio Program 1	Poland	Solec Kujawski	Directional aerial, 2 guyed radio masts fed on the top, heights 330 m and 289 m	1000 kW	Earlier transmitter site Konstantynów
234 kHz	RTL	Luxembourg	Beidweiler	Directional aerial, 3 guyed grounded steel lattice masts, 290 m high, with vertical cage aerials	2000 kW	Spare transmitter site Junglinster
	Radio 1	Russia	Krasny Bor transmitter	Omnidirectional aerial, 271.5 metres tall guyed mast with cage antenna	1200 kW	May be inactive at present
243 kHz (DRM)	DR Kalundborg	Denmark	Kalundborg	Semi-directional Alexanderson aerial 153/333 degrees, two grounded 118 m steel lattice radiating towers with interconnecting top wire capacitance	300 kW	AM suspended 2007, reduced-power DRM from October 2008
252 kHz	Chaine 1	Algeria	Tipaza	Omnidirectional aerial, single guyed lattice steel mast, height 355 m	1500 kW	French programme; during night-time half transmitter-power
	RTÉ Radio 1	Ireland	Clarkstown	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast, insulated against ground, height 248 m	500 kW	Used for Atlantic 252, 1989–2002. Now the only AM transmitter for RTÉ Radio 1. Decreases power at night to 100kW.
261 kHz	Transmitter Burg	Germany	Burg	Omnidirectional aerial, cage aerial on 324 m high guyed, grounded steel lattice mast, 210 m high steel tube mast, insulated against ground	200 kW	Inactive at the moment, formerly used by Radio Wolga and Radioropa Info
	Radio Rossii	Russia	Taldom	Omnidirectional aerial, central mast, 275 metre tall, surrounded by 5 guyed masts on a circle around	2500 kW	Most powerful transmitter in the world. Currently not used on its maximum power.
	Radio Horizont	Bulgaria	Vakarel	One of the few Blaw-Knox Towers in Europe, 215m high	75 kW
270 kHz	ČRO 1 - Radiožurnál	Czech Republic	Topolna	Directional aerial (maximum of radiation in East-West direction), two grounded 257 m high guyed steel lattice mast with cage aerials	650 kW
279 kHz	Belaruskaje Radyjo 1 (BR1)	Belarus	Sasnovy		500 kW
	Radio Mayak (RUS)	Russia	Yekaterinburg	Omnidirectional aerial, guyed steel lattice mast of 256 m height, fed at the top	150 kW

Height diagram of the antenna towers and antenna masts of longwave broadcasting stations

Notes and references

See also

• Low frequency: for other uses (military, commercial and amateur) of this part of the radio spectrum (30-300 kHz)
• Electromagnetic spectrum: Very low frequency, Shortwave, Ground wave, Skywave, Medium wave
• Radio broadcasting: AM broadcasting, BBC Radio 4, BBC Light Programme, Radio clock, Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française, Warsaw radio mast, Digital Radio Mondiale, International broadcasting,
• Shipping: Global navigation satellite system, Navigation, Shipping Forecast
• Lists: List of wave topics
• Other: 1 kilometre, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Fail-safe, WGU-20

External links

• Tomislav Stimac, "Definition of frequency bands (VLF, ELF... etc.)". IK1QFK Home Page.
• The Medium Wave Circle - The premier club for MW/LW enthusiasts
• Medium Wave News - Published regularly since 1954
• Euro-African Medium Wave Guide
• "Longwave Club of America"
• How to receive DRM from Kalundborg longwave station
• Klawitter, G.; Oexner, M., Herold, K. (2000). "8.2 Langwellenrundfunk" (in German). Langwelle und Längstwelle. Meckenheim: Siebel Verlag GmbH. pp. 116–131. ISBN 3-89632-043-2. 
• Busch, Heinrich (2001-11-14), Luftschiff Graf Zeppelin LZ127, http://www.seefunknetz.de/lz127.htm  (German)