How to Identify a Signal on the Radio

Dr. Zarkov and Friends listening to a radio transmission from Earth.

You will need to know the frequency you tuned to in kHz, and the time of the reception in UTC. Search for the frequency in the list. Check all entries for this frequency.

• The listening time should fall inbetween the start and end times given for the broadcast.
• The day of the week should match. (If none is given in the list, the broadcast is daily.)
• Try to guess the language you hear, if you don't know it.
• Try to estimate the probability of propagation.

The target-area code should give you a clue if the signal is beamed in your direction or not. If you are right in the target area, great. If you are "behind" it (from the transmitter's point of view) or inbetween, your chances are also good. If the line connecting transmitter and target area is perpendicular to the line connecting the transmitter to your location, chances are lower. They are also lower if the target area is very close to the transmitter, while you are far away.

Still, all rules can be turned upside-down by propagation conditions. You might sit in a good direction but the waves may skip 80 kilometers above you in the ionosphere.

Listed information may be wrong, misleading, or outdated. Transmitters may fail, be upgraded, or drift in frequency.

Transmitter sites may change (for example, fire in the control room, hurricane tore the antenna down, and transmissions have all been redirected to the Bonaire transmitter). Broadcasters and transmitter operators may mix up programmes or tune to the wrong frequency.

The list will be useful for fast identification of many stations on the band, but in a number of cases it will be of no use to you or it may bring you to a wrong conclusion. NO WARRANTY in case of a wrong ID, an embarrassingly wrong log or reception report sent out etc.

The ONLY 100% ID is that which you hear on the radio yourself. Even QSLs may be wrong.

Find a broadcast you would like to hear:

Make extensive use of the SEARCH and SORT functions of the computer program on this web site. Click on the column headers to sort first by time, or click by language or station or however you wish. Try it out.

Here is the best web source for Signal Identification

This wiki will help to identify radio signals through example sounds and waterfall images. Most signals are received and recorded using a software defined radio.

SIGIDWIKI.COM - Signal Identification Guide

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