[[EK070|{{ :images:rohde-schwarz-ek070-gb170.jpg?direct&300|Rohde & Schwarz EK-070}}]] For decades, short-wave communication was the only way to communicate across long distances without telephone wires. With the appropriate equipment and antennas, even global communication was also possible. In those days, the use of jamming transmitters to block an unwanted foreign station was the same as todays network blocking.

The older commercial receivers can be found in the section "[[Boatanchors]]", modern solid state sets in this section.

With the advent of satellite and internet communication, shortwave communication has largely become obsolete in Europe; in other continents with poor infrastructure and as a "stopgap" for disaster situations, shortwave communication and the radio amateurs who can make use of these waves with their equipment are still occasionally used.

===== Commercial receivers =====
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^Manufacturers^Typical sets^
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von Drake|Commercial receivers by Drake]]|[[R. L. Drake]] manufactured amateur radio receivers and transceivers from the late fifties on, later they were increasingly used in commercial communications. In the 1990s Drake had a range of modern [[Tabletop receivers by Drake|Tabletop receivers]] in its catalogue.|
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von RFT Funkwerk Köpenick|Commercial receivers by RFT / Funkwerk Köpenick]]|In the former German Democratic Republic, [[RFT Köpenick|VEB Kombinat Nachrichtenelektronik, Köpenik]] was high and manufacturer of communication receivers, the devices were exported mainly to various countries of the RGW (Comecon).|
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von Rohde Schwarz|Commercial receivers by Rohde & Schwarz]]|The Munich-based company [[Rohde & Schwarz]] is still one of the major manufacturers of communications equipment and transmitters, also in the VHF range.|
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von Siemens|Commercial receivers from Siemens]]|The German company [[Siemens]] was founded at the end of the 19th century as Telegraphen-Bau-Anstalt Siemens & Halske and started to develop transmitters, receivers and military equipment in the early days of radio technology. After the end of the Second World War, Siemens resumed the production of transmitters and receivers.|
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von Telefunken|Commercial receivers by Telefunken]]|The "Gesellschaft für drahtlose Telegraphie mbH", which was founded in 1903 and later became [[Telefunken]], passed through various hands in the last years and still is one of the most important German manufacturers of communication receivers.|
|[[Kommerzielle Empfänger von Watkins Johnson|Commercial receivers by Watkins Johnson]]|The [[Watkins-Johnson Company]] manufactured communications equipment mainly for military and intelligence agencies from 1966 onwards.|

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^Manufacturer^Typical equipment^
|[[Diverse kommerzielle Empfänger|Commercial receivers from various manufacturers]]|This section presents commercial receivers that were not produced by one of the traditional large manufacturers.|