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In my search to identify the stations I can (barely) hear on my small shortwave setup, I discovered the HFCC. They have a tool that takes your location and UTC time, and provides a list of stations that are aimed at my part of the world (ITU zone). the list is sorted by hours of transmission, and lives here.

This is very nice, but it's not what I'm after. I'd like a list of all broadcasters, on the air at the time I search. I'd like to be able to sort this list, by frequency or by range to Tx station.

Obviously, this is a matter of setting up a query of the HFCC database files. Before I risk re-inventing the wheel, I'm asking: has anyone else made a database app that uses the HFCC data?

Edit: This question has been declared "off topic" So I'm amending the question.
What techniques are used to maintain a log (or database) of stations received?
I'm still just starting, so the international broadcasters are easier to chase (known transmit times, known location - range & bearing easy to calculate). Whatever log I use, should be expandable for when I get the equipment (and license) to transmit.
Do people still exchange cards when they make a contact, or has that practice fallen out of favor?

Kevin Reid AG6YO
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Alan Campbell
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  • The schedule you link looks like it does list all broadcasters (that HFCC knows about) to me. – Phil Frost - W8II Nov 28 '14 at 17:43
  • Hi Alan. I'm sorry, but at the moment, this question smells very much of asking both about broadcasting, and "product recommendations" (where the product in this case might be a service). As such, it would be [off topic here](http://ham.stackexchange.com/help/on-topic). Perhaps you can [edit] to clarify how this question fits within the site's scope? Thanks! – user Nov 28 '14 at 23:07
  • Shortwave is a "technology of radio". Broadcasting doesn't always mean a commercial endeavour which suggests/recommends products. If you've actually heard SW you will rarely hear any "commercials". It's mostly talk, station ID and more talk. CNR/CIR gives language lessons for example. Give it a try. The broadcasts on the MW (medium wave) band (or AM band for those in the US) do have commercials. – sessyargc.jp Nov 28 '14 at 23:17
  • @MichaelKjörling Sorry about that. If I edited the question to ask how people "maintain a log" (of stations detected) would that be better? Public broadcasters are easier: with a known lat / long & broadcasting time. Contact with true "hams" comes later, when I gain the equipment (and license!) to transmit. – Alan Campbell Nov 29 '14 at 01:04
  • @AlanCampbell Unfortunately as it stands, your edit doesn't help at all. You now seem to be asking **three** distinct questions: how to identify potential broadcast stations for broadcast short-wave listening, how to maintain a listening log that can later be expanded into a transmission log as well, and whether people (I assume you mean radio amateurs) exchange cards post-contact. (continued) – user Nov 29 '14 at 22:27
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    The last is definitely on topic, the second may be on topic (depending much on how you phrase it such that it is sufficiently focused to be authoritatively answerable; it may be a duplicate, check the [logging](http://ham.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/logging) tag for helpful questions), and your first question remains the same. I would encourage you to post the latter two as two separate questions, distinct from this one, after checking that they haven't already been answered, and possibly rollback the edit. – user Nov 29 '14 at 22:27
  • @sessyargc.jp Technically, shortwave is a frequency range. (Strictly speaking known as HF; 3-30 MHz, corresponding to wavelengths of 100 down to 10 meters.) Just because a question involves the use of the radio spectrum doesn't make it on topic here; asking about the transceiver in a car RF key fob would be off topic as well, *unless* the question is framed in such a way as to be applicable to either amateur radio specifically, or radio *in general*. Please see the above-linked "What topics can I ask about here?" help center article which describes the topic scope of this site. – user Nov 29 '14 at 22:31

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Radio Explorer purports that it can use the HFCC data directly (but I haven't tried it, because I use another tool named "eibiview"). Give it a spin and verify if it gives you what you need.

Some other resources that might be useful to you are the listings from eibi and AOKI. ebiview can process these lists and also present you with what you require (or something close). eibiview can be downloaded at the eibi website above.

sessyargc.jp
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  • Radio Explorer is "free" software. Take note that if you are a serious SWLer/BCLer, one feature of Radio Explorer is not working correctly. Updating the solar information to predict MUF/LUF is not working. – sessyargc.jp Nov 28 '14 at 23:19