AM Frequency of the week: 750

[cyberdad]

Wish I could turn on the radio and hear Super CFL and Noisy CFLs.

There is a recreation of "super CFL" online. On balance, it's a well-excecuted presentation. As you'd expect, it has jingles, voices, and music from the WCFL's top 40 heyday, which ran from the mid 60s to mid 70s. On top of that there are commercials, and features as originally broadcast. Including "Chickenman", "Capsule Countdowns" and "Min-spins". Production and audio quality is very good.

I seldom listen, however, because they've expanded the music quite a distance beyond the mid-70s. Which to my ears makes things sound just plain weird. The excuse for this music approach is "this is how Super CFL might sound Today". I'm not knocking the post-'76 music at all. I like most of it. Just that it sounds out of place with the other elements of what was "Super 'CFL".

Apologies for the veer. As for the other CFLs....or whatever. I still haven't been able to track down the phantom RFI source at my current location....YET.

 

[cyberdad]

Back OT Update:

Finally found relatively noise free spot in a corner by a floor-to-ceiling hurricane glass window. First thing I did this evening was dial up 750 and find WSB all alone with a kick-a** signal. Certainly didn't sound like an ailing tx to me. Audio was also excellent, so maybe they solved whatever issues they might have been having. Anyway, after a few minutes, WSB faded completely for a little less than a minute and Spanish pop music came through. 7:40pmCST/01:40 Zulu.

For the time being, I'll presume Venezuela, but I'll try to spend more time on the channel in the evenings ahead. Receiver was the SRF-37 Walkman. The hurricane glass windows face south toward the Gulf, so I'm pretty much forced to aim the radio in that direction. I also have the GE Superadio-II and the Eaton E-10 with me, so I'll see what might turn up on those.

FWIW, the other signal on that part of the band as strong as WSB was PJB from Bonaire on 800. Definitely stronger and more dominant than what I was hearing on my last visit here last February when they had just come back on. Audio was excellent as well, so I assume they're now fully up and running.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I have been listening quite continuously over the last few days, and there has been no on-air mention of technical problems. It is rather interesting to hear a government falling live on the radio.

Given that access to rural transmitters might be limited, it's possible they lowered power a bit to let the transmitter take it easy.

According to a report I read over the weekend, I believe from the BBC, utility power and water are being rationed in Caracas, as they have occasionally for years. So RCR might have lowered power to conserve generator fuel.

 

[davideduardo]

According to a report I read over the weekend, I believe from the BBC, utility power and water are being rationed in Caracas, as they have occasionally for years. So RCR might have lowered power to conserve generator fuel.

That is very likely. There is a shortage of gasoline, as much of the gasoline is refined outside the country. But apparently diesel is not in short supply, and that's what most developing country geny sets run on.

 

[davideduardo]

Anyway, after a few minutes, WSB faded completely for a little less than a minute and Spanish pop music came through. 7:40pmCST/01:40 Zulu.

For the time being, I'll presume Venezuela, but I'll try to spend more time on the channel in the evenings ahead. Receiver was the SRF-37 Walkman. The hurricane glass windows face south toward the Gulf, so I'm pretty much forced to aim the radio in that direction. I also have the GE Superadio-II and the Eaton E-10 with me, so I'll see what might turn up on those.

I can't discount music as fill between news shows, but RCR has been all-talk for about 26 years.

But... having gone through three coup d'etat incidents myself, I can say that radio stations that generally do news will sometimes cut all newscasts during times when they don't know who will be regulating them next week. You can't be punished for not saying anything.

It's the stations that are on the wrong side that get closed... that get the owner shot or exiled... as I learned myself.

 

[cyberdad]

... having gone through three coup d'etat incidents myself, I can say that radio stations that generally do news will sometimes cut all newscasts during times when they don't know who will be regulating them next week. You can't be punished for not saying anything.

It's the stations that are on the wrong side that get closed... that get the owner shot or exiled... as I learned myself.

Thanks for your perspective. What I heard was clearly pop music in Spanish. Female singer. And definitely not Cuba. Or at least definitely not matching what I was hearing on either R. Rebelde or R. Progreso. To the extent that I'm able, I'll keep monitoring and report anything I can ascertain.

 

[cyberdad]

The plot thickens....

Earlier this evening (9:00pmCST/0300GMT) here 23 miles southeast of downtown Pensacola on the Gulf, 750 was a mix of WSB and R. Progreso. The latter getting the better of it more often than not. No trace of anything else. Last night there had been no trace of Progreso. Go figure! Conditions tonight appear to be quite good. The Chicago blowtorches are all "in the house" (except WSCR), while Mexico is well represented with XEOY, XEG, and XEEP. among others.

More as this unfolds....

 

[radioman148]

The plot thickens....

Earlier this evening (9:00pmCST/0300GMT) here 23 miles southeast of downtown Pensacola on the Gulf, 750 was a mix of WSB and R. Progreso. The latter getting the better of it more often than not. No trace of anything else. Last night there had been no trace of Progreso. Go figure! Conditions tonight appear to be quite good. The Chicago blowtorches are all "in the house" (except WSCR), while Mexico is well represented with XEOY, XEG, and XEEP. among others.

More as this unfolds....

@Cyberdad, do you get AM 1000 WMVP down there? When I've listened to the Key West receiver I've heard it once or twice at the most.

 

[kf4rca]

The few times WSB has been off the air late at night, I've heard that deep voiced announcer that I have also heard on Radio Progresso (over WLS 890).
Surprised that WSB has had trouble with their Harris DX50's. They should have kept one of their old Continentals (317C) as backup.
VOA didn't go with Continentals because they were junk.

 

[cyberdad]

@Cyberdad, do you get AM 1000 WMVP down there? When I've listened to the Key West receiver I've heard it once or twice at the most.

WMVP is a relatively catch down here. It's present more often than not. And sometimes completly on top. But usually it's either mixing with XEOY, if not unerneath it. Which was the case last night.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Daytimes here used to be a feeble WBMD from Baltimore. See, we're actually closer to the MD line than to the NY line. I don't see anything listed in Radio-Locator on 750 in Baltimore anymore. Perhaps that's why a 'WMXH' was a sunset catch, out of Elephant PA. That's north of Scranton.
WSB is the nighttime occupant.

* * * * * * *

Ditto on Caracas, David E. I have them listed from the JFK Airport days as 'YVKY, Radio Caracas'. I was the lousiest DXer of our nocturnal quartet, too. They could be loud. Also I have a 'YNX, Radio Sandino' listed, from Nicaragua. I don't know any Spanish except for an attempted pickup line such as 'Te ves bien con las gafas'. So I never caught any actual calls.
Or much action, either, except for one inconclusive time with this Puerto Rican lass who looked like Natalie Wood .....
So the DX listings of 'heards' in the National Radio Club's DX news International section of loggings were my only guide.

 

[cyberdad]

Correction: In my earlier response to radioman's question about WMVP.... I meant to say "WMVP is a relatively EASY catch....". Not to be confused with Steve's INCONCLUSIVE outcome with the pickup line he was using.

 

[jim-satx]

Daytime in NW San Antonio is heavy-duty splatter from 50 kW local 760 KTKR.

At sunset, WSB starts to come up through the splatter when I aim NE. At night WSB sometimes has a pretty good signal, but depending on propagation conditions it can be weak at times. Sometimes XECSI in Culiacán can be heard underneath.

Aiming NW there's still a good amount of KTKR splatter even though the station drops to 1 kW. I can null out WSB pretty well, and a weak CKJH will occasionally pop in and out. A few times I've heard a weak KOAL.

At sunrise, KMMJ starts mixing in and covering WSB when it goes to day power. Also, daytimer XEJMN "La Voz de los Cuatro Pueblos" comes up with a fair signal when it signs on for the day. KMMJ outlasts it, though, and is the last to fade before skywave is gone.

 

[formula72]

Days::Nothing distinguishable ( just lots of splatter from 740 KCBS ).

Nights: Depends on which direction the radio is facing. East, KOAL out of Utah, North, KXTG out of Portland. These two battle it out sometimes when one of the signals fades

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

@ David E ..... Serious here, and without having to start a new thread:

Might you explain, vis-a-vis your travels all over the world ('pretty senorita down in old Mexico', for example), the difference between Spanish, Latino and Hispanic?

Is there a discernable distinction or two?