Over-Powered Mexican AM Stations

[cyberdad]

Updating my earlier post....

I've been in (or very near) Texas all week. Most of it in Austin. I've been paying particular attention to 1570, and here's what I'm finding (nighttime)....

Dallas: XERF firmly on top of things with a fairly good signal.

Shreveport: XERF generally on top here, but much weaker than it was in Dallas, 150 miles to the west. Lots of stuff in the background. But in general conditions weren't very good, so I'm not sure if what I heard was typical.

Houston (my location tonight): Had to null local KGOW on 1560, which was easy enough. XERF was very strong....strongest I've heard it all week. And especially in light of all the presumed transmitter problems, the audio was very good.

My general takeaway impression is that XERF has a pretty decent signal, but I rather doubt it's more than 50kw...and very plausible that it could definitely be less.

In Austin earlier this week, the steel and concrete downtown hotel pretty much blocked all signals...even the locals. I'm back there the next two nights and try again...perhaps with an angle by a window, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[crainbebo]

I have heard XERF a couple times before in Bothell...think it was 2010. 1570 is an interesting channel for me, I only have one station from three countries, USA (KCRF-CA), Canada (CKMW-MB) and Mexico (XERF).

-crainbebo

 

[davideduardo]

I have heard XERF a couple times before in Bothell...think it was 2010. 1570 is an interesting channel for me, I only have one station from three countries, USA (KCRF-CA), Canada (CKMW-MB) and Mexico (XERF).

-crainbebo

Does anyone know or remember when Nanaimo, BC, went off of AM on 1570? That was my westernmost Canadian logging from Cleveland long ago...

 

[jd]

The Canadian Communications Foundation site shows that CHUB got approval to move to FM in 1994; on January 2, 1995 the 1570 transmitting facilities (at North Cedar, Vancouver Island) were taken over by CKEG. By 2002 CKEG had switched to FM as well, and the AM array was leveled early that year.

 

[cyberdad]

I have heard XERF a couple times before in Bothell...think it was 2010. 1570 is an interesting channel for me, I only have one station from three countries, USA (KCRF-CA), Canada (CKMW-MB) and Mexico (XERF).

-crainbebo

Back in the late '60s border blaster days, they threw a potent signal into Iowa, where I was in college. They were much weaker, but still regular, about 250 miles to the northeast at home in the Chicago area (albeit with CFOR and CHLO in the mix).

At present, however, I can't remember the last time I heard them...at least in the Chicago area. Obviously, the more crowded conditions have a lot to do with this. But not having the brute force of 150kw can't be helping matters.

 

[jd]

Well, I'm guessing you meant to say 250kW.

But about the high power days I recall that many years ago XERF was off the air for quite some time, but I don't remember the reason. Maybe it was a lightning strike or something internal with the transmitter, but it seemed like they were off for something like two months, maybe longer. In the meantime at my location near Dallas I received a fairly decent signal each night from CFOR. Does anyone else remember this?

 

[cd637299]

Well, I'm guessing you meant to say 250kW.

But about the high power days I recall that many years ago XERF was off the air for quite some time, but I don't remember the reason. Maybe it was a lightning strike or something internal with the transmitter, but it seemed like they were off for something like two months, maybe longer. In the meantime at my location near Dallas I received a fairly decent signal each night from CFOR. Does anyone else remember this?

I live in south FL....but I recall hearing CFOR in FL on a car trip, in 1982. Could it have been around that time when XERF was down?

In the late 1970s I caught the old CKLM near Montreal on 1570 too----I might have been able to null XERF, or otherwise XERF was off air then too.

I think it was 1985 I faintly got CKLQ in MB before they moved from 1570 to 880. I don't recall XERF in the way then, either. (Never got an ID of CKLQ, but my report to them apparently satisfied them.)

Now many years after, US stations were allowed to run at night. So much for long haul DX on 1570 & the other Mexican clears.

cd

 

[cyberdad]

Well, I'm guessing you meant to say 250kW.

Probably.

And frankly, I don't remember exactly what they used to run...just that it was lots more than 50kw! As always, I stand to be corrected. And in fact, I appreciate it when someone who might have better information than me/knows more than me chimes in.

 

[jd]

I live in south FL....but I recall hearing CFOR in FL on a car trip, in 1982. Could it have been around that time when XERF was down?

Maybe it was. I remember Wolfman Jack on XERF, the staff announcer Paul Kallinger (what a voice!) and the 250,000 watt signal back then. But the brain cells that should be recalling when they were off the air are in FAIL mode, apparently.

Now many years after, US stations were allowed to run at night. So much for long haul DX on 1570 & the other Mexican clears.

I know. The first station I worked for, a 250-watt daytimer on 1570, got night power...all of 6 watts!

 

[davideduardo]

Maybe it was. I remember Wolfman Jack on XERF, the staff announcer Paul Kallinger (what a voice!) and the 250,000 watt signal back then. But the brain cells that should be recalling when they were off the air are in FAIL mode, apparently.

I learned from Sergio Ballesteros, the manager of XERF in much of the 60's, that there were many incidents caused by disagreements between the partners, who would sometimes ride their horses right into the station with pistols blazing. There were also interruptions due to financial disagreements with Richard Eaton, who at one point controlled the license via his Mexican wife.

So many of the problems were not technical.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

Hey David... I don't have an audio clip handy, but ... what is the weak Mexican I usually hear on ultralight / pocket radios on 1570 at night in El Cajon (east of San Diego), when I aim southeast and 1580 KMIK's IBOC isn't obliterating the channel? Would that be XERF or something else? (Before sunset / after sunrise if I point north I can sometimes eke out a faint signal from KPRO in Riverside, although more often than not it requires at least a Select-A-Tenna or equivalent to be copyable.)
Also any idea who the Spanish language station could be that I can occasionally hear under local 50kW 760 KFMB (7.3 miles NNW of me) with extremely careful nulling?

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

I learned from Sergio Ballesteros, the manager of XERF in much of the 60's, that there were many incidents caused by disagreements between the partners, who would sometimes ride their horses right into the station with pistols blazing.

This story somehow reminds me of the song "El Paso", although XEROK 800 is much closer to Rose's Cantina!

 

[crainbebo]

Probably XERF Ciudad Acuna, Coahulia.

-crainbebo

 

[Gregg]

1570 XERF Ciudad Acuna is a 100,000 watt, non-directional Mexican station. It's one of the "over-powered" Mexican stations mentioned above, although as David Eduardo points out, the NARBA treaty doesn't tell countries what the maximum power of their AM stations should be. The U.S. and Canada chose 50,000 watts but Mexico permits a number of its heritage AM stations to run with 100 kw, with 900 XEW Mexico City at a quarter million watts and 540 XEWA San Luis Potosi at 150,000 watts.

Fred Cantu's Mexican Radio and TV website lists a number of stations at 760, although none in Baja California that might be heard under 760 KFMB San Diego.

http://www.mexicoradiotv.com/frec_am.htm

Maybe XEABC Mexico City didn't power down one night from its 70,000 watts daytime signal and that's what you heard on 760? I doubt their 10,000 watt nighttime signal from Mexico City would be heard underneath a San Diego station in Southern California. And all other Mexican stations at 760 run with 1000 watts or less at night, so as not to interfer with WJR Detroit or KFMB San Diego.





Gregg
[email protected]

 

[cyberdad]

1570 XERF Ciudad Acuna is a 100,000 watt, non-directional Mexican station.

As previously discussed, I think there's general agreement that XERF hasn't been operating at it's authorized 100kw. Consensus seems to be 30-50kw....probably closer to 30kw.

I was in Texas in November and the nighttime signal (and audio) was good in Houston, Austin, and Dallas.
However on my trip last week which included stops in California and New Mexico, I never heard XERF once. At least that I could identify. The signal may have been present, but not to the extent that it could break through the noise on the channel.