1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Why is the reception quality via shortwave often so poor?

The quality of shortwave reception fluctuates considerably. This is caused, amongst other things, by the varying physical propagation situation at the time.

https://p.dw.com/p/De8u

All international broadcasting stations have the same problem and try as best as they can to counteract it. Deutsche Welle constantly monitors transmission quality.

Please feel free to download our guidelines for tips and tricks on how to improve shortwave reception quality.