your question implies that the sw bands aren't "used any more". The opposite is true. HF radio is used more & more by military/gov't & other users these days. The cost of satellite time is rising & that isn't an issue with HF. They use HF radio for a lot of cool stuff these days like E-mail , sending video & pics, internet connections....While many broadcast stations are shutting down ,more utility stations are popping up all the time.