Possible Cuba FM reception in New York

[dx1ng]

It's been a spotty E-skip season here in the Hudson Valley, New York so far, but I might have received my first Cuban FM DX Monday 6/23.

I logged WHDR-93.1 Miami "93 Rock" with Pure Rock at 2:09pm, and noted some other So. Florida stations I had previously heard. Then I happened upon Spanish on 99.9, which I think could be Cuba, as I think I heard mentions of Habana and Cuba. Spanish music and announcers. Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish. Does anyone have any info on a Cuban on 99.9??

Later in the day I got my first HD skip with WUWF-88.1, with news and weather on HD-1, and classical sounding music on 88.1, all crystal clear at 1071 miles!!
Also new catches: WKGC-90.7 Panama City, FL, WYFK-89.5 Columbus, GA, and WBBK-93.1 "Magic 93.1" with Big Daddy from Blakely, GA, bringing Georgia total to 31, and Florida to 105 since May 2003.

Check out my website for more details: http://hometown.aol.com/dx1ng/

 

[Rob]

w University of West Florida is strong here
i've heard 93.1 over strong WNCV (93.3) several times.

im in fort walton beach, fl

(hence my name)

Rob

 

[KML0224]

dx1ng, you don't get any signal on 93.1 from either the New York City area or Springfield, MA? I get a so-so WHYN-FM 93.1 from Springfield. As for DXing, would you believe I've heard none in Connecticut yet this year? I know it's not the radio because I have an ID on tape for Saint Louis' 97.1 FM Talk on tape somewhere, which that same radio recorded.

 

[JakeLongwell]

There is a 99.9 FM in Havana. Its callsign is CMCH and its slogan/name is "Cadena Habana". It's rated at only 1kw, however. So I don't know if that is what you were hearing. 1kw seems pretty unlikely for E-skip, though.

 

[dx1ng]

dx1ng, you don't get any signal on 93.1 from either the New York City area or Springfield, MA? I get a so-so WHYN-FM 93.1 from Springfield.

KML...
I have locals on 93.3 and 92.9, but with new SONY XDR-F1HD tuner, they are no problem at all on 93.1. This leaves WPAT-93.1 (Paterson, NJ) with a good solid signal... but they are 70 miles to my South, so they are not "local". By turning the antenna to the Southwest, WPAT is weakened enough to allow signals like WHDR and WBBK to skip in and over-power WPAT.

Surprisingly, WHYN-93.1, while heard here on occasion when conditions are right, is much more difficult to hear here then you'd expect. (They are the same distance as WPAT). This morning there is no trace of WHYN. I am getting Q-93 from Syracuse weakly with fades this morning, with WPAT nulled. Syracuse area stations are never really good here.

There is a 99.9 FM in Havana. Its callsign is CMCH and its slogan/name is "Cadena Habana". It's rated at only 1kw, however. So I don't know if that is what you were hearing. 1kw seems pretty unlikely for E-skip, though.

Jake...
Thanks for reply. I'm aware of listing for CMCH, and I believe I've seen them listed somewhere as 3kw. I'm wondering if the listed power is transmitter power before antenna gain is figured in. They could have ERP of 10 kw or more. I did not hear slogan "Cadena Habana", so I'm wondering if there is another Cuban station, or if CMCH has new identity. I don't think there are any USA stations in the Southeast in Spanish on 99.9, and I really don't think it was Puerto Rico.

 

[DeadElvis]

1kw seems pretty unlikely for E-skip, though.

I am not sure I agree.

On sporadic-E, low-power stations are often heard. I have seen many folks logging translators at 250W or less. I have even seen a logging for an LPFM @ just 100W. Heck, I myself have heard an HD-FM signal from FL on sporadic E that could not have exceeded 250W. So, 1kW? That's plenty.

DE

 

[w9wi]

There is a 99.9 FM in Havana. Its callsign is CMCH and its slogan/name is "Cadena Habana". It's rated at only 1kw, however. So I don't know if that is what you were hearing. 1kw seems pretty unlikely for E-skip, though.

I've heard an 80-watt station on E-skip. (twice, the same station...) 1kw is no problem.

 

[Rob]

did you record their ID's all american stations must ID in english within + - 7 minutes of the TOH.
did you hear the commercials? (or did they have any)

sometimes, i would hear stuff in the ads that sound like "miami, fl"

and, i don't know if cuba broadcasts in stereo, either. (there using old russian transmitters)

-Rob

 

[KW4RZ]

CMCH "Radio Cadena Habana" is the only station I've seen listed on 99.9 in Cuba. That doesn't mean there aren't others though. Most repeater stations aren't listed and there seems to be so many. And it's anyone's guess to where they are. The Cuban government just doesn't seem to have any desire to provide complete and accurate information on FM radio. A good strong sporadic E opening to Cuba brings in all sorts of stations with various levels of audio modulation and distortion.

1kw stations on E skip is common and easy. Often amazingly strong. My low power record is a 20 watt translator in Pennsylvania. Dozens of others under 500 watts.

 

[DXingRadio]

Does anyone have any info on a Cuban on 99.9??

I was just in Miami (2 days ago) on vacation and the local station on 99.9 (WKIS) was Spanish. Maybe it was just the hours I listened to it being a weekend, I don't know. The station's website still says country which makes it even stranger ? But when I tuned past 99.9 a few times in Homestead it was Spanish, not country. Pirate, skip, format flip ? You decide.

 

[davideduardo]

did you record their ID's all american stations must ID in english within + - 7 minutes of the TOH.
did you hear the commercials? (or did they have any)

The FCC rule has no +/- in it. ID must be once an hour as close to the hour as possible in a logical break in programming. Many stations interpret this to mean out of a music sweep, so the ID out of the :45 stopset, often more than 10 minutes before the top of the hour.

All "American" (FCC licensed... Argentina is "American" too) stations do not have to ID in English. Spanish is permitted for Spanish language stations now, and has always been permitted of stations in Puerto Rico, USA, since 1922.

 

[davideduardo]

I was just in Miami (2 days ago) on vacation and the local station on 99.9 (WKIS) was Spanish. Maybe it was just the hours I listened to it being a weekend, I don't know. The station's website still says country which makes it even stranger ? But when I tuned past 99.9 a few times in Homestead it was Spanish, not country. Pirate, skip, format flip ? You decide.

WKIS, which broadcasts from near the Dade / Broward border, is Country, not Spanish. No Spanish specialty shows, no Spanish at all. Whatever you heard was not WKIS.

 

[kc0ltv]

There is a 99.9 FM in Havana. Its callsign is CMCH and its slogan/name is "Cadena Habana". It's rated at only 1kw, however. So I don't know if that is what you were hearing. 1kw seems pretty unlikely for E-skip, though.

Actually, 1 kW can get out quite well during an Es opening. Many DX'ers have even managed to DX low-power translators via E-Skip, though they often have good antennas.