Regional Mexican on 810

[cyberdad]

About 90 minutes before dawn this morning, Regional Mexican music was blowing out WGY and everything else on 810. I listened befor a TOH ID, and there wasn't one. I thought perhaps what I was hearing was testing because the songs were playing back to back uninterrupted.

My guess is what I was hearing was WMJH, from the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. 3,600 watts. Supposedly a daytimer, but with an FM translator . Not that far of a hop, and R-L lists the format as reg ional Mexican. No stream. The only other possibility I saw was WSYW, also a Regional Mexican daytimer, from Indianapolis. But that was only 250 watts and a farther hop. I doubt it could have blown off WGY for anything longer than perhaps a half a minute. And also no translator.

Anyway, I'm wondering if any of you guys have heard this one or have any ideas about what I was hearing.

 

[CADXER]

WMJH has a Spanish language format so they are possible. I would also not count out WMGC as I have heard them in the past cheating with their 5 kW daytime signal at night.

 

[K6JHU]

KSVW in Santa Fe running on daytime power??

 

[cyberdad]

KSVW in Santa Fe running on daytime power??

Too distant for 5kw to blow out WGY, Conditions were not auroral with WCCO blasting. Whatever it was, they didn't bother with a TOH ID.

 

[RFCCRadioAudio]

WMJH has a Spanish language format so they are possible. I would also not count out WMGC as I have heard them in the past cheating with their 5 kW daytime signal at night.

If it's WMGC, what receiver are you using, and does it come in up there as clear as 720 or 780 does down here, or does it barely make it up there like 670 barely makes it down here?

 

[cyberdad]

If it's WMGC, what receiver are you using, and does it come in up there as clear as 720 or 780 does down here, or does it barely make it up there like 670 barely makes it down here?

I was using just my Sony SRF-37 AM-FM Walkman. Signal was mostly good. The usual occupant of 810 at my location is WGY, which considering 50KW non-directional, underperforms around here. Although it is reliable. I would say that what I heard on 810 it wasn't quite as strong as 720 and 780 are in middle Tennessee.

As for the Chicago 670, the problem I've experienced in the South is that it gets clobbered by R. Rebelde from Cuba. Go 500 miles north of here, and 670 is usually as good as the other Chicago big signals.

Finally.... I checked out 810 again on Friday night. No trace of the Spanish I had heard earlier in the week.

 

[gr8oldies]

Probably WSYW, Indianapolis which has been known to be on at night

 

[cyberdad]

Probably WSYW, Indianapolis which has been known to be on at night

Wouldn't rule it out, but as stated previously, the Grand Rapids station is 5kw (day), closer to me, and operates with a translator. WSYW is 250 watts (day), farther away, and doesn't have a translator.

 

[RFCCRadioAudio]

I was using just my Sony SRF-37 AM-FM Walkman. Signal was mostly good. The usual occupant of 810 at my location is WGY, which considering 50KW non-directional, underperforms around here. Although it is reliable. I would say that what I heard on 810 it wasn't quite as strong as 720 and 780 are in middle Tennessee.

As for the Chicago 670, the problem I've experienced in the South is that it gets clobbered by R. Rebelde from Cuba. Go 500 miles north of here, and 670 is usually as good as the other Chicago big signals.

Finally.... I checked out 810 again on Friday night. No trace of the Spanish I had heard earlier in the week.

You're right about Rebelde...5025 works just fine for them, so I wish they'd get off of 670. I don't mind listening to Cuban National Series games from time to time, but I want my Cubs!

 

[Hoosierky]

WSYW has been heard in Ontario when someone forgot to power down the station. Do not underestimate the power of 250 watts on 810. It gets out very well during the day.

 

[cyberdad]

WSYW has been heard in Ontario when someone forgot to power down the station. Do not underestimate the power of 250 watts on 810. It gets out very well during the day.

I don't mean to argue. I realize that 250 can get out very well via skywave. I can recall a few that I've heard from more than 500 miles away. So as I said previously, I wouldn't rule out WSYW. But, according to R-L, they're supposed to be a daytimer. Which, of course would mean turning the transmitter off instead of powering down.

But that said, if someone left the transmitter on and some sort of "glorified iPod plugged into it, that might explain "no ID".....and for that matter "no announcer, commercials, etc." just music.

 

[davideduardo]

You're right about Rebelde...5025 works just fine for them, so I wish they'd get off of 670. I don't mind listening to Cuban National Series games from time to time, but I want my Cubs!

I have wondered why Cuba continues to have a few stations on shortwave. Most radios imported there no longer have shortwave, and the government in other eras cracked down on shortwave ownership and even listening.

I suppose the idea is to "sell" their system in the rest of the Hemisphere, but short wave is all but dead everywhere else, too. In many countries, even AM is being phased out or abandoned.

So it's natural that Cuba, which is nearly 500 miles long, would want a lot of big coverage stations. And 670 has a secondary function of blocking the 50 kw (d) Spanish language anti-communist station in Miami. As long as there is a repressive and totalitarian regime in Cuba, the high power stations on most frequencies will continue... financed now by China.

 

[cyberdad]

I have wondered why Cuba continues to have a few stations on shortwave. Most radios imported there no longer have shortwave, and the government in other eras cracked down on shortwave ownership and even listening.;;;;;
.

I used to listen to shortwave almost daily. Now, it's almost never. In fact, I think the last time was when we spent our month on the beach near Pensacola in February. Maybe it was just conditions, but I thought R. Rebelde on 5025 sounded somewhat weaker than in the past. I wonder if perhaps Cuba is bowing to the inevitable and allowing shortwave....at least for domestic consumption...to "fade away".

 

[davideduardo]

I used to listen to shortwave almost daily. Now, it's almost never. In fact, I think the last time was when we spent our month on the beach near Pensacola in February. Maybe it was just conditions, but I thought R. Rebelde on 5025 sounded somewhat weaker than in the past. I wonder if perhaps Cuba is bowing to the inevitable and allowing shortwave....at least for domestic consumption...to "fade away".

Cuba used, nearly from the beginning, shortwave to promote itself as the "First Free Territory in (the) America(s)".

In the later 60's, I had an employee who listened to Radio Habana Cuba on a daily basis, and he'd spout the Comandante's latest statements. He had a firm conviction that the coming revolution was going to give my radio stations to him and his comrades.

At the time, Ecuador had perhaps 100 short wave stations, including the multi-500-kw-operations of HCJB. Now, only a few remain, and most are on only irregularly. No receivers, no listeners.

 

[radioman148]

Cuba used, nearly from the beginning, shortwave to promote itself as the "First Free Territory in (the) America(s)".

You just jogged my memory of my first shortwave radio in 1961. One of the first stations I heard was "Radio Habana Cuba, free territory of America".

 

[davideduardo]

You just jogged my memory of my first shortwave radio in 1961. One of the first stations I heard was "Radio Habana Cuba, free territory of America".

Interestingly, they slightly changed the slogan from Spanish to English. The Spanish is "Primer Territorio Libre en América" with "first" being a keyword.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I wonder if perhaps Cuba is bowing to the inevitable and allowing shortwave....at least for domestic consumption...to "fade away".

The Cubans sure are letting the international shortwave service deteriorate. Distorted audio, low audio, dead air, spurious emissions, feed mixups and missing frequencies are a constant occurrence. Shortwave guru Glenn Hauser ridicules the RHC problems constantly in his online loggings.

Much of the Cuban shortwave transmission infrastructure was updated by the Chinese around 15 years ago, but the Cuban engineers have, through indifference or incompetence, let everything go to pot.

Cuba used, nearly from the beginning, shortwave to promote itself as the "First Free Territory in (the) America(s)".

"Territorio libre en America" (and various translations) has been a staple of the Radio Havana Cuba ID sweepers for decades.

In the later 60's, I had an employee who listened to Radio Habana Cuba on a daily basis, and he'd spout the Comandante's latest statements.

That employee must have had a lot of time on his hands. Castro would drone on for hours during the live speeches RHC Spanish language frequencies would carry. A four hour speech was fairly typical, and some ran even longer.

At the time, Ecuador had perhaps 100 short wave stations, including the multi-500-kw-operations of HCJB. Now, only a few remain, and most are on only irregularly. No receivers, no listeners.

David, I think the 1kw HCJB transmitter on 6050 kHz is the last shortwave station on the air in Ecuador. A few years ago there were still two or three stragglers hanging in there.

 

[davideduardo]

That employee must have had a lot of time on his hands. Castro would drone on for hours during the live speeches RHC Spanish language frequencies would carry. A four hour speech was fairly typical, and some ran even longer.

He apparently divided his free time between reading Spanish interpretations of Marx and Engel and The Sayings of Charman Mao and listening to RHC. I had to read Das Kapital in its entirety to be able to shut him up.

David, I think the 1kw HCJB transmitter on 6050 kHz is the last shortwave station on the air in Ecuador. A few years ago there were still two or three stragglers hanging in there.

At one point, I owned a SW license that belonged to HCSP1, Radio San Pedro de Amaguaña, Amaguaña, Pichincha. When I bought the station, I moved the AM into Quito, changed it from 595 to 590, and turned the SW license in as I could not see then... 1967... and way to make money with SW.

 

[cyberdad]

Interestingly, they slightly changed the slogan from Spanish to English. The Spanish is "Primer Territorio Libre en América" with "first" being a keyword.

Perhaps Arnie Coro could explain that for us.

 

[cyberdad]

Back to the original topic....

I think you guys may have sold me on the Indianapolis station, after all....

Yesterday morning (Friday 8/17), I was hearing the same seemingly automated regional Mexican programmig that I had heard previously. Only this time, I had the radio aimed southeast instead of east.The signal was weaker than the previous time, and when I aimed the radio east, it disappeared. Unlike the other time when the signal was steady with the radio aimed east. Hmmm....