HCJB 6050 Quito, Ecaudor

[SomeRadioGuy]

In pretty decently, with some talking and some music. Remarkably decent/clear signal, SINPO 45344 or so at 0430 Sept 28 in Alaska

 

[radiofan2023]

Cool, how far is that from you?

 

[davideduardo]

Cool, how far is that from you?

The interesting thing is that this is a local Ecuador national service and not intended for distant reception, right down to the transmission antenna.

 

[radiofan2023]

Holy cow

 

[davideduardo]

Holy cow

Not uncommon. When I bought HCSP, an AM and SW pair licensed to San Pedro de Amaguaña, Ecuador, in 1966, the 300 watt short wave station got out well with just a longwire hung between two eucalyptus trees. There were over 100 DX reports from Europe, North America and Oceania in a file box, unanswered. Apparently they got a couple of those DX reports a week but could not afford the postage to answer them.

 

[radiofan2023]

Not uncommon. When I bought HCSP, an AM and SW pair licensed to San Pedro de Amaguaña, Ecuador, in 1966, the 300 watt short wave station got out well with just a longwire hung between two eucalyptus trees. There were over 100 DX reports from Europe, North America and Oceania in a file box, unanswered. Apparently they got a couple of those DX reports a week but could not afford the postage to answer them.

Did you have stickers or anything to send the letter writers, or just send back letters?

 

[davideduardo]

Did you have stickers or anything to send the letter writers, or just send back letters?

I did not answer. I had a short period of time to get the station out of that town, and took the equipment and had my crew dump it into a ravine.

The studio transmitter "building" was made of what we call "adobe" or sun dried clay. It had a compacted dirt floor. There was no telephone, and I don't think they had letterhead paper let alone stickers or decals.

Oh, it had a unisex outhouse. That part of the town did not have running water.

I relicensed the station, still as HCSP1, to Quito. Built a quarter wave tower in a wetland to the south of Quito, running just 1 kw but covering three full provinces and part of another two. Changed format to Ecuadorian national music and made most of the money selling messages, greetings, death notices, etc., to walk-ups who came to the desk we put out on the sidewalk every morning to book those items. Biggest day was Saint Peter / St. Paul day when hundreds of people would buy "saint day" (more important than a birthday) greetings to friends or family.

Typical paid message: "Attention on the El Porvenir hacienda in the Rumiñahui district of the Province of Cotopaxi. The boss arrives tomorrow in on Yellow Line bus at noon. Please take a donkey to town to pick him up. He is out of the hospital and is recovering well and wishes to return to home."

Different time, different world.

 

[Mediafrog+]

The interesting thing is that this is a local Ecuador national service and not intended for distant reception, right down to the transmission antenna.

It has been reported that the 6050 shortwave outlet has dropped its separate indigenous language programming, and is now simulcasting the domestic HCJB FM network.

The SW power is listed as 1kw in recent editions of the WRTH. Poor but listenable signal here in Houston many nights; some of the Andean influenced Christian music is quite beautiful.

 

[gr8oldies]

We can of course remember HCJB being one of the easiest shortwave stations to hear, in multiple languages

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

ive always thought that HCJB as 10kw, that's what its listed as elsewhere. When i eventually write them for a QSL, I'll ask and find out

They are 5900 miles away from me.

18 deg az on the long path takes it over central/eastern europe, off the back is antarctica and australia