AM Frequency of the Week:1180

[davideduardo]

I'd take those listed 200kW powers with as many grains of salt as possible. In the Soviet days, sure but not with the Chinese transmitters.

The Chinese are experts at higher power transmission on AM and at tuning multiple stations into a single tower. The Czech transmitters from the 60's and 70's came in 60, 120 and 240 kw versions (listed, inaccurately, as "300 kw"). There were also lots of 10 kw to 30 kw smaller units, all using now discontinued Svetlana tubes.

Remember, the coverage of a 200 kw AM is only double that of a 50 kw AM... but due to power shortages and the high expense of electricity for the government, many ran more limited power except those on 1550, 1140, 710, 1180, 1160, etc.

WRTH 2021 shows 39 Cuban stations on 1180, from 200 kw to just 1 kw. The 200 kw is in Matanzas, which is absolutely due south of Marathon and would be where the Martí signal is the strongest. Since the Martí directional produces a theoretical 300 kw lobe, it seems logical that 200 kw in Matanzas as well as 4 other 1180's in that province would be a guarantee that Martí would not be listenable.

 

[cyberdad]

I have a tentative hotel reservation for next month in Marathon. 50-50 proposition at best. Stay tuned!

 

[Mediafrog+]

The Czech transmitters from the 60's and 70's came in 60, 120 and 240 kw versions

Those power levels were also used on Soviet built transmitters at that time. On shortwave, the various USSR external services commonly used 120kw units, which were very frequency paired to produce 240kw for more distant target areas, such as North America.

In the early days of the People's Republic of China, what was then Radio Peking used Soviet built transmitters for shortwave. But the Chinese started producing their own home-grown copies, and the same 120/240kw power levels continued there.

 

[gr8oldies]

The Chinese are experts at higher power transmission on AM and at tuning multiple stations into a single tower. The Czech transmitters from the 60's and 70's came in 60, 120 and 240 kw versions (listed, inaccurately, as "300 kw"). There were also lots of 10 kw to 30 kw smaller units, all using now discontinued Svetlana tubes.

Remember, the coverage of a 200 kw AM is only double that of a 50 kw AM... but due to power shortages and the high expense of electricity for the government, many ran more limited power except those on 1550, 1140, 710, 1180, 1160, etc.

WRTH 2021 shows 39 Cuban stations on 1180, from 200 kw to just 1 kw. The 200 kw is in Matanzas, which is absolutely due south of Marathon and would be where the Martí signal is the strongest. Since the Martí directional produces a theoretical 300 kw lobe, it seems logical that 200 kw in Matanzas as well as 4 other 1180's in that province would be a guarantee that Martí would not be listenable.

I can remember, though, Cuba blowing everyone away up and down the dial. Doesn't seem to be the case anymore