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The Big 640 AM in Cuba

A

ALRocker

Guest
Does anyone know how much power they run? They come in better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm surprised I can't get them during the day!
 
> Does anyone know how much power they run? They come in
> better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm surprised I
> can't get them during the day!
>
200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the day in AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it makes KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.

Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
 
> > Does anyone know how much power they run? They come in
> > better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm surprised I
> > can't get them during the day!
> >
> 200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the day in
> AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it makes
> KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.
>
> Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
>
Thanks. I've been able to log KFI, WGST, and WCRV. I may have got Blountsville, Tn., but couldn't get a ID on it.
 
> > > Does anyone know how much power they run? They come in
> > > better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm surprised I
> > > can't get them during the day!
> > >
> > 200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the day
> in
> > AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it makes
> > KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.
> >
> > Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
> >
> Thanks. I've been able to log KFI, WGST, and WCRV. I may
> have got Blountsville, Tn., but couldn't get a ID on it.
>

When and how did you catch KFI? I'm presuming that was right at sunrise?
 
> > > > Does anyone know how much power they run? They come
> in
> > > > better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm surprised
> I
> > > > can't get them during the day!
> > > >
> > > 200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the day
>
> > in
> > > AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it
> makes
> > > KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.
> > >
> > > Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
> > >
> > Thanks. I've been able to log KFI, WGST, and WCRV. I may
> > have got Blountsville, Tn., but couldn't get a ID on it.
> >
>
> When and how did you catch KFI? I'm presuming that was
> right at sunrise?
> It was at night. Just heard it for a few minutes. They were doing traffic. I got a ID on it, I was in shock. Just heard it that one time.
 
> > > > > Does anyone know how much power they run? They come
>
> > in
> > > > > better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm
> surprised
> > I
> > > > > can't get them during the day!
> > > > >
> > > > 200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the
> day
> >
> > > in
> > > > AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it
> > makes
> > > > KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.
> > > >
> > > > Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
> > > >
> > > Thanks. I've been able to log KFI, WGST, and WCRV. I
> may
> > > have got Blountsville, Tn., but couldn't get a ID on it.
>
> > >
> >
> > When and how did you catch KFI? I'm presuming that was
> > right at sunrise?
> > It was at night. Just heard it for a few minutes. They
> were doing traffic. I got a ID on it, I was in shock. Just
> heard it that one time.
>

I don't get much of a signal on 640 due to WSM blowing it out of the water. WSM comes in like a local and blows WFAN out of the water too.
 
> > > > > > Does anyone know how much power they run? They
> come
> >
> > > in
> > > > > > better than the locals here in Alabama, I'm
> > surprised
> > > I
> > > > > > can't get them during the day!
> > > > > >
> > > > > 200Kw, I believe. And I have gotten them during the
>
> > day
> > >
> > > > in
> > > > > AL (once). Unfortunately for us Southern DXers, it
> > > makes
> > > > > KFI and WOI well-nigh impossible to catch.
> > > > >
> > > > > Only US 640 I've ever caught here was KTIB.
> > > > >
> > > > Thanks. I've been able to log KFI, WGST, and WCRV. I
> > may
> > > > have got Blountsville, Tn., but couldn't get a ID on
> it.
> >
> > > >
> > >
> > > When and how did you catch KFI? I'm presuming that was
> > > right at sunrise?
> > > It was at night. Just heard it for a few minutes. They
>
> > were doing traffic. I got a ID on it, I was in shock.
> Just
> > heard it that one time.
> >
>
> I don't get much of a signal on 640 due to WSM blowing it
> out of the water. WSM comes in like a local and blows WFAN
> out of the water too.
>


It's not cool to be in Memphis with WCRV. Can't even listen to WSM!! Well, you can, but there's soooo much splatter....
 
I remember hearing this station evenings in Buffalo NY when I was a young DX'er in the 60's. It was known as CMQ back then (still?) I was using a tiny 6 transistor radio, and I have a clear memory of that ID en espanol "say emmay koo."

I remember telling my 8th grade Spanish teacher about it, and she absolutely would not belive that it was possible to hear Cuba in Buffalo. But she wasn't a geek like me.

Sometimes 800 from the Netherlands Antilles would come in easily over CKLW, too.

Nick Gerard
 
> I remember hearing this station evenings in Buffalo NY when
> I was a young DX'er in the 60's. It was known as CMQ back
> then (still?) I was using a tiny 6 transistor radio, and I
> have a clear memory of that ID en espanol "say emmay koo."
>
> I remember telling my 8th grade Spanish teacher about it,
> and she absolutely would not belive that it was possible to
> hear Cuba in Buffalo. But she wasn't a geek like me.
>
> Sometimes 800 from the Netherlands Antilles would come in
> easily over CKLW, too.
>
> Nick Gerard
>
According to TVRadioWorld, it's CMBC now. . . I've never heard it (or any Cuban station) ID w/ calls, only the network name.

And I stand corrected, it's only 50kw.
 
> >
> According to TVRadioWorld, it's CMBC now. . . I've never
> heard it (or any Cuban station) ID w/ calls, only the
> network name.
>
> And I stand corrected, it's only 50kw.
>

The best I can tell, it is using one of the late-60's Czech transmitters which were 120 kw using bog ole' Svetlana tubes. I am assuming it is coasting at under 100 kw, as these typiically Soviet bloc rigs did not like to modulate well at full power. I think they were designed to keep Svetlana in business, too.
 
> Has Hurricane Dennis knocked the station off the air?
>

Only a couple of Cuban stations went off due to Dennis. Towers in the Caribbean are buit fo at least Force 4 gales, and I have seen towers in Puerto Rico withstand 210 MPH gusts and still stand.
 
> Only a couple of Cuban stations went off due to Dennis.
> Towers in the Caribbean are buit fo at least Force 4 gales,
> and I have seen towers in Puerto Rico withstand 210 MPH
> gusts and still stand.

One of the hurricanes last year (Ivan?) knocked Radio Habana Cuba off shortwave for a brief period when it knocked their antennas down. It took a few weeks to restore all of their frequencies. Of course, nothing in Cuba these days operates with the same technical standards as found in the Caribbean or States.
 
>
> I remember telling my 8th grade Spanish teacher about it,
> and she absolutely would not belive that it was possible to
> hear Cuba in Buffalo. But she wasn't a geek like me.
>
You should have persuaded her to go out to her car at night and give it a listen (or, if you had a recorder...); a great way to build a relationship with the teacher...let her know you were interested in spanish. Did you ever hear CMCA on 830 in English, back then?

It has always been my feeling that Castro would have much more success by transmitting attractive music and entertainment programs in English to an American audience rather than distorted jammers. Radio Moscow had some persuasive personalities who spoke with apparent sincerity about what they believed in (and it kept them from getting shot).<P ID="signature">______________
_____________________________________________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology</P>
 
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