[2] Why would anybody want or need one?
  
   The primary reasons people use shortwave radios range from interest in
   the exotic, to helping others in local emergencies. From a logistical
   point of view, a shortwave radio is a means of enabling the reception
   of transmissions of interest or utility by a target audience that may 
   have considerable degrees of geographic dispersion. Many countries
   broadcast to the world in English via state-run propaganda stations,
   and often make it overly easy to find out their positions on those
   things that they find important.

   Shortwave radios provide a way to eavesdrop on the everyday workings
   of foreign politics & commerce, and even to hear a wider range of AM
   programming from domestic broadcasters, since they can tune in more
   AM-type transmissions reaching the radio than so-called 'AM radios'.
   Many will also enable one to receive SSB transmissions of emergency
   & other information by radio operators in the amateur, marine & air
   bands (unlike the traditional in-dash shortwave car radios from
   Becker, Blaupunkt, Mekka, Motobras, Philips & Sony).
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