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AM Frequency of the Week: 800

CADXER said:
You should be able to. In the past when they were running 500 kW they were easily heard in the Chicago area on regular basis.
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The difference now is that TWR is going to have several very directional antenna systems, one aimed at Cuba and the other at the Brazilian Amazonia. When on the Cuban array, we can assume that the main lobe is going to be directed from Bonaire to that island, and that means the peak value would be towards the Des Moines to Chicago arc.
 
So potentially, I would be a bit east of that lobe here in Columbus. Granted with 450K, I should still get something out of that considering neither CKLW or XEROK would give it any issues here and despite the distance, but I suppose we'll see depending on what time they send that lobe up toward Cuba. They are going to blanket the Southeast for sure.
 
TWR did run bilingual English/Spanish hurricane coverage (at least the aftermath) for an hour for a few evenings. It will be interesting to see if another Cuban Chorus appears.

By the way, if you'd like to hear what the AM dial sounds like on Bonaire, TWR has set up a remote SDR. You can find it at www.sdr.hu, then search "Bonaire".Not much from the US heard, but I've logged WIOD, WMAQ, and WMEN. Otherwise it reminds me of the tropical bands in the 70s. They have 800 sharply attenuated (but the 2nd harmonic on 1600 is still strong.
 
Cool link. Thanks! Found some stateside receivers as well ... neat to hear some of the AM blowtorches with AM quality (a little static is part of the ambience for me, honestly).
 
Yeah, that's what I wonder. Will it be 'in the clear' for a week and then Rebelde or Progreso comes to block it ala 710/1180, in which we'll never hear Bonaire again? I hope I can catch a new country. Too bad I wasn't alive to try and catch Bonaire under X-Rock in the '70s.
 
I would guess TWRs directional signal would make it past the Cuban Chorus if it materializes. I actually pulled Radio Marti on the Bonaire receiver. They were pushing Justin Bieber. Weird.
 
TWR was easily heard in the Chicago area in the early 80s. In fact quite often I heard it on my car radio along with Radio Moscow's relay from Cuba on 600.
 
It was suggested on this or another thread that if they stick to the spiritual and avoid the economic and political,
Raul might leave them alone. Wow, that is one of the looooooooooongest URL's I have ever seen!
 
radioman148 said:
TWR was easily heard in the Chicago area in the early 80s. In fact quite often I heard it on my car radio along with Radio Moscow's relay from Cuba on 600.
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Yes, those were the good old days. Driving in downtown Chicago and listening to Radio Moscow North American Service. The other thing I miss are the Central American and Caribbean stations on split frequencies that produced reception of stations such as TICAL on 525, Grenada and Radio Vision Cristiana on 535, Radio Nacional Costa Rica on 575, Dominica on 595, Radio Nacional El Salvador on 655, St. Kitts on 825, Radio Belize on 835, Cayman Island on 1205 and 1555.
 
Thou shalt have no other Gods besides Castro, however. Churches are apparently tolerated. U.S. style evangelicalism isn't widely practiced in Latin America (though it is growing), so we shall see.
 
CADXER said:
Yes, those were the good old days...The other thing I miss are the Central American and Caribbean stations on split frequencies...Radio Belize on 835, Cayman Island on...1555.
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I remember Belize on 834 and I was working for a signal challenged station on 1550 in Miami that got hammered by the Camanian one every night.
 
I was in Bonaire last Tuesday. Did not hear a peep on 800 on the several occasions I tuned to the frequency with my Tecsun PL-606. Around sunset, our ship left the island but tuning in after darkness set in, yielded nada signal-wise from 800.
 
gr8oldies said:
Apparently TWR is set to crank up the big rig tomorrow (Tuesday) night. Caribbean vacationers, check your tooth fillings
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I remember when TWR was running 500 kw during the decades I lived in Puerto Rico. Daytime, essentially no signal on the north coast of PR, but reasonably listenable on the south coast and 10-15 miles inland. Nights, fair signal on north coast, but obliterated by local WKVM-810. Excellent night signal, but not significantly better than the big Caracas and coastal Venezuelan stations like 710, 750, 910, etc.
 
Interesting to see what happens tomorrow night signal-wise, interference-wise, and if the Cubans get Evangelical Protestant religion. Looks like 800 is a surprisingly quiet frequency in Cuba (if MWList is to be believed).
 
gr8oldies said:
Interesting to see what happens tomorrow night signal-wise, interference-wise, and if the Cubans get Evangelical Protestant religion. Looks like 800 is a surprisingly quiet frequency in Cuba (if MWList is to be believed).
Click to expand...

From my beach location at the FL-AL state line. 23 miles southeast of downtown Pensacola....

Pretty sure I heard it, but I couldn't make out a positive ID. 800 was a jumble of stations, but a monologue in Spanish was on top. It didn't sound like religion, but "La Habana" was spoken a couple of times, and it definitely didn't sound like R. Rebelde or R. Progreso. When the monologue ended, there was a short interlude of steel drum music, a fade, and then another monologue. Also did not sound like religion, but a couple more mentions of "La Habana" and "Notre y Central America".

Whatever it was didn't sound like the PJB of old that delivered a very listenable signal from time to time at my home location northwest of Chicago. Conditions seemed to be good , at least when I checked a couple of the adjacent channels. WBBM was alone and strong on 780. R.Reloj comfortably on top of the mess on 790 (and definitely stronger than whatever I was hearing on 800. 810 was a mess. 820 was WBAP with a good signal and Spanish underneath. A little farther up the dial, WWL was its usual robust self with R. Reloj underneath.

My location this time is a little noisier than in previous visits. Lots of electronics in the building. But I'll keep after it and report if and when I encounter any new developments. I'm here for another three and a half weeks.
 
I didn't check it out in my car but on the Central Indiana SDR, CKLW was mostly alone and sounding as though it was on day pattern, with some Spanish underneath. Same with a Cincinnati SDR (I believe this is in the VOA Museum/ham club). Bonaire has its own SDR (with 800 attenuated but you can still hear the 2nd harmonic on 1600.). i did tune in tonight and what you heard may well have been them.
 
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