1980s US Commerical Shortwave Stations

[w9wi]

I know it would not happen but I'd like to see a return of KUSW. I guess TBN still owns the station and can't sell to another broadcaster.

If TBN still owned the station I don't see any reason they couldn't sell it to another broadcaster.

However, a quick look at the FCC records shows the license expired in 2002 -- which I suppose means there's nothing to sell!

 

[spunker88]

So what ever happened to shortwave, the only American based stations are religious nowadays it seems. I finally got my first shortwave radio and was surprised how well some stations come in and sound. The higher frequencies handle noise a bit better than AM. Maybe its because I'm in a rural area and theres not much interference. You'd think nationally syndicated talk radio or something would have an interest in it over AM since you can cover a large area and most ads are national anyways. But I guess the fact that shortwave often needs to switch frequencies and the fact that there are many more AM radios out there means shortwave loses.

 

[davideduardo]

The users of these transmitters can generate ERPs so high that they can be received over relatively large areas of the globe -- day and night.

But, aside from VOA (which I believe used 250 kw transmitters at Greenville), HCJB was I believe the only operation with 500 kw transmitters on SW in the Western Hemisphere. While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals) and "TWR" in Bonaire had 500 kw, also on AM, from the 60's into the 90's, there has not been any permanent high power operation with such high power elsewhere since prior to W.W. II.

The superpower AMs, such as the Riyadh one above 1500, got rather dismal coverage as they tended to be in places with poor conductivity... which is, I guess, part of the reason for using such high power to begin with.

I believe all gigawatt and above transmitters were used on AM (MW) or LW, as I don't recall any going on SW.

 

[davideduardo]

The users of these transmitters can generate ERPs so high that they can be received over relatively large areas of the globe -- day and night.

But, aside from VOA (which I believe used 250 kw transmitters at Greenville), HCJB was I believe the only operation with 500 kw transmitters on SW in the Western Hemisphere. While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals) and "TWR" in Bonaire had 500 kw, also on AM, from the 60's into the 90's, there has not been any permanent high power operation with such high power elsewhere since prior to W.W. II.

The superpower AMs, such as the Riyadh one above 1500, got rather dismal coverage as they tended to be in places with poor conductivity... which is, I guess, part of the reason for using such high power to begin with.

I believe all gigawatt and above transmitters were used on AM (MW) or LW, as I don't recall any going on SW.

After some checking in my old WRTVH issues, I believe that VOA had two 500 kw 50's vintage Continentals relocated to Greenville. I don't know how much service they got.

 

[Icangelp]

...While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals)...

David.
Haven't heard the story of these two.
Who operated the stations? I can't imagine the Costa Rica operation was implemented solely for the domestic C.R. audience.

 

[davideduardo]

...While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals)...

David.
Haven't heard the story of these two.
Who operated the stations? I can't imagine the Costa Rica operation was implemented solely for the domestic C.R. audience.

CR was going to be some sort of voice of southern "resistance to integration" in the 60's... TIRICA on 625 AM in San Jose was bought in 1963, and a million watt directional site built at, I believe, Liberia. The thing interferred with phones miles around, pulled down the power grid and never went on regular schedule. In the 70's, the Venezuelan government had bought the transmitters and put them on 1240 near La Táchira, Miranda state, directional east and west to cover "all the country." Of course, it did not cover it all, and the plant was soon ramped down. U.S. Engineer Bruce Earle

 

[cd637299]

There was also a Radio Millon (for 1,000,000 watts) in Costa Rica....not sure of the frequency (although it was AM), nor do I know if it ever made it to air. I heard about it in the 70s. David?

cd

 

[davideduardo]

There was also a Radio Millon (for 1,000,000 watts) in Costa Rica....not sure of the frequency (although it was AM), nor do I know if it ever made it to air. I heard about it in the 70s. David?

That was TIRICA, 625. They apparently thought that they could cover CR daytime, and the deep south at night.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

[
After some checking in my old WRTVH issues, I believe that VOA had two 500 kw 50's vintage Continentals relocated to Greenville. I don't know how much service they got.

Greenville had six Continental 420A units from day one, three at A Site, 3 at B Site. They were all 1950s vintage, in fact they were built in the early 1950s, but never used until Greenville was built.

They were purchased for a planned VOA transmitter operation about 30 miles NW of Wilmington, NC, in the East Arcadia area. I was told the tower foundations were built for the station at East Arcadia, but nothing else was constructed, as the McCarthy hearings put a kabash on the project. The six transmitters were actually in railroad cars, awaiting the building construction and then after the East Arcadia site was taken off the books, the transmitters were placed in storage for further use.

Bear in mind, the 420A is two 250 kw Doherty amplifier units with a combiner, so the output is 500 kW. Well, should be with good tubes. The 420A can be operated in combined operation or single sided, with one or the other amplilfier section.

I looked at a 1985 transmitter schedule and the six transmitters had pretty fair daily use:

GA-1 10.5 hours
GA-2 14 hours
GA-3 8 hours

GB-1 11.5 hours
GB-2 7 hours
GB-3 14.5 hours


Interestingly, the 1999 WRTH has Greenville listed with 11 500 kW transmitters, which is off by one count. There were 10 500 kw units, the six Continental 420As, a Continental 420B, one AEG-Telefunkin 500kW, a BBC 500kW and a Marconi 500 kW.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals) and "TWR" in Bonaire had 500 kw, also on AM, from the 60's into the 90's, there has not been any permanent high power operation with such high power elsewhere since prior to W.W. II.

If we are talking about MW operations, VOA has two 1000 kW MW transmitters in daily service, both DX-1000 units installed in 1996 timeframe, one at Poro, Philippines and the other near Bangkok, Thailand.

Both Harris transmitters replaced Continental 105-B transmitters, which also ran 1000 kW.

 

[Skim]

I enjoyed that KUSW aircheck. Thanks much!

 

[davideduardo]

While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals) and "TWR" in Bonaire had 500 kw, also on AM, from the 60's into the 90's, there has not been any permanent high power operation with such high power elsewhere since prior to W.W. II.

If we are talking about MW operations, VOA has two 1000 kW MW transmitters in daily service, both DX-1000 units installed in 1996 timeframe, one at Poro, Philippines and the other near Bangkok, Thailand.

Both Harris transmitters replaced Continental 105-B transmitters, which also ran 1000 kW.

But neither Thailand nor the Philippines are in the Western Hemisphere which was the context of the post.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

While Costa Rica and Venezuela briefly had 1 megawatt on MW (same transmitter, a pair of Continentals) and "TWR" in Bonaire had 500 kw, also on AM, from the 60's into the 90's, there has not been any permanent high power operation with such high power elsewhere since prior to W.W. II.

If we are talking about MW operations, VOA has two 1000 kW MW transmitters in daily service, both DX-1000 units installed in 1996 timeframe, one at Poro, Philippines and the other near Bangkok, Thailand.

Both Harris transmitters replaced Continental 105-B transmitters, which also ran 1000 kW.

But neither Thailand nor the Philippines are in the Western Hemisphere which was the context of the post.

True it is that neither Philippines nor Thailand are in the Western Hemisphere, but from post #22, we note that Riyadh was also mentioned in the general discussion of high power MW operations. My apologies if I do not understand "elsewhere" to be limited to the Western Hemisphere.

 

[carmen]

the only American based stations are religious nowadays it seems

there is BCQ. only one off top of my head. i guess we're supposed to listen to KFJC/WFMU/WKCR/ streams over wifi these dayys.

shortwave often needs to switch frequencies

'q is alwyas 5110/7415/9330/15420 the first two are proably the most relevant, if youre on west coast, the path probably isnt fully dark and propagating unti their programming has mostly ended worth a shot tho. then theres 6900-6960 randomness and usually decent AM chat on 3885/7295, decent MX on 5025/6185 from cuba and mexico

 

[KUSW]

John Florence here, former program director of KUSW 1987-1990. I've read a few posts and I will provide some information. BTW I still have many hours of airchecks from KUSW including the sign on and sign off.
Our interval signal was "Telegraph Road" by Dire Straits. Here is why. When we signed on we had a terrible problem with RF in everything. 2.5 million watt transmitters will do that. Sounded like weasels squeeling every time we tried to play a cd machine or open a mic. Ken Meyer, our engineer worked on eliminating the noise and just when he succeeded we would change frequency and he would have to start over tracking down the RF Weasels. I was in the control room waiting for Ken to do his thing and give me the go ahead. I had Telegraph Road playing over and over because it was long. 14:30 or something. When ken finally let me know he was ready we had already been on the air for a while, TR was at the 9:30 mark I cracked the mic and said "From the West to the World Superpower KUSW!" and that's how Telegraph Road became our interval signal. Plus it was such a perfect song for what we were doing. Later Gary Gears of Chicago was listening and called me up. "John, let me make you sound like a real radio station" in that Jolly Green Giant voice of his (Gary was the Ho Ho Ho of the JGG). He supplied us with liners after that at no charge. Anyone interested in more info about KUSW can contact me at [email protected].

 

[fybush]

Hey John! Nice to see you posting here. Hope all's well for you in Utah!

 

[kenglish]

Here's an article from the Deseret News from December 29, 1989:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/78945/KUSW-IN-SL-GETS-A-REQUEST-FROM-PANAMA.html

 

[Bongwater]

In the '80s, there was a shortwave pop station in Saipan called Superrock KYOI (I think the word "yoi" means "good" in Japanese.) Japan was their target audience. The station played a Drake-Chenault automated Hot AC format.

They had pretty ambitious plans and for a while, things were looking good. But a faulty transmitter and it's remote location, on top of a crazy, pre-internet long distance business working, stretching from Japan to Honolulu and back to Saipan and having it's programming air mailed to Saipan from Los Angeles (one can only imagine the monthly long distance telephone/telex bills back then!) were it's downfall. It was bought by the Christian Science Monitor in 1987 and the format flipped to religious under the KHBI calls

There's a Russian internet tribute station to KYOI (in English - made of airchecked jingles, promos and some old commercials and a very GOOD selection of lost '80s pop hits from MP3s.) You can hear it here:

http://kyoi.ru/sam/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KYOI

 

[RadioFan2J3]

Former KYOI station, much modified, is still on the air running mostly Radio Free Asia programming. Programming is via satellite from the RFA studio operation in DC. The Saipan transmitter facility is under the technical operational control of the International Broadcating Bureau.

Three Continental 100kW HF transmitters and three curtain dipole antenna systems.

Every now and then, a Pacific typhoon will damage some of the antenna system, but lots of spare parts will put the antennas back in working condition.

In the '80s, there was a shortwave pop station in Saipan called Superrock KYOI (I think the word "yoi" means "good" in Japanese.) Japan was their target audience. The station played a Drake-Chenault automated Hot AC format.

They had pretty ambitious plans and for a while, things were looking good. But a faulty transmitter and it's remote location, on top of a crazy, pre-internet long distance business working, stretching from Japan to Honolulu and back to Saipan and having it's programming air mailed to Saipan from Los Angeles (one can only imagine the monthly long distance telephone/telex bills back then!) were it's downfall. It was bought by the Christian Science Monitor in 1987 and the format flipped to religious under the KHBI calls

There's a Russian internet tribute station to KYOI (in English - made of airchecked jingles, promos and some old commercials and a very GOOD selection of lost '80s pop hits from MP3s.) You can hear it here:

http://kyoi.ru/sam/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KYOI