That;s also my best guess. Perhaps as some sort of test. But it's just a guess.
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The Return of "The Wobbler???"
- Thread starter cyberdad
- Start date
They jam Spanish language Miami stations (and Marti). They did run high power transmitters in the Soviet era on a number of frequencies which did cause interference to US stations, but it was kind of an "fu". There's an 80s interview with Arnie Coro complaining that US stations weren't all directional away from Cuba. and that even came up when Obama was trying to normalize relations.
The Czech transmitters of the later 60's and 70's, mostly 60 and 120 kw (which is what they tried to sell all over Latin America, too) were placed on nearly all of the lower frequencies, and then they left a few for channels with Spanish anti-Castro programming or for the US 1-A clear channels where the US rented overnight hours to broadcast for Cuba.
Of course, the US and Cuba were part of NARBA before Castro, and all US stations respected the assignments and station classes established in that agreement.
In theory, today they jam every nearby US station as practically every frequency in Cuba has something on it... except for a couple of high band channels.
Traditionally, they only jammed WQBA and WAQI plus Martí. They did not jam 1550 even when it was the #1 station in Miami with Salvador Lew's totally anti-Castro operation. 670 got some additional relay transmitters when they signed on with former WQBA staffers. All the rest of the Miami Spanish language AMs were pretty much ignored or had, perhaps, one or two lower power stations that came nowhere near covering 800 mile long Cuba.
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Reportedly, all the old sites as well as the Czech transmitters are long gone. The Svetlana tubes for those rigs are no longer made anyway. Nearly all the AMs in Cuba use diplexed or triplexed or beyond shared towers built by their new commie friends, the Chinese.
Update:
I tuned 870 this morning a little after 3:30am CDT. Conditions were poor, and there were thunderstorms in the area, but sure enough, I heard the wobbler nois mixing with WWL. Much weaker than last week, and with WWL (also weaker) getting the best of it. The mixing went on for about ten minutes, after which the wobbler faded (or simply "wobbled off"), and didn't return during the twenty or so additional minutes I stayed on the channel.
I tuned 870 this morning a little after 3:30am CDT. Conditions were poor, and there were thunderstorms in the area, but sure enough, I heard the wobbler nois mixing with WWL. Much weaker than last week, and with WWL (also weaker) getting the best of it. The mixing went on for about ten minutes, after which the wobbler faded (or simply "wobbled off"), and didn't return during the twenty or so additional minutes I stayed on the channel.
I actually tuned 870 at 7:58AM EDT this morning and heard a weird sound. It sounded like a flourescent light fixture when you get your antenna too close but also out of phase. Like a pulsating buzz. Is that the sound you are talking about?
I'm not familiar with the flourescent light out of phase sound, but my guess is we're talking about the same thing.
I checked 870 tonight on various SDR, and heard the noise on the ones in Key West, Miami, Atlanta, and Peoria. It was very weak under WWL on the Peoria SDR. Micxing with WWL on the Miami and Atlanta radios. And on top of a very weak WWL on the Key West rig. (WWL is nulled im the direction of Key West, for those who may be unfamilliar). R. Reloj was actually stronger than WWL on the Key West receiver, but I heard it....at least intermittentlly....on all of the others.
I heard it tonight too on the Key West SDR. It's definitely there.
Update: I checked 870 this morning at about 3:30 and stayed on it for about a half hour. No trace of "the wobbler", after having heard it on multiple times earlier during the nighttime hours on multiple SDRs.
I don't know if the noisemaker was off, or if it just wasn't making the hop to my location. Conditions were just plain weird. WWL and most everything else from points south were weak. While signals from the north were strong...and plentiful. Sort of like auroral conditions in reverse. For example I had a "full house" of five signals from Manitoba. In addition to CBW, a nightly regular here, CJOB, CKLQ, CFRY, and CFAM were all in. (The latter two are sister stations, BTW).
I don't know if the noisemaker was off, or if it just wasn't making the hop to my location. Conditions were just plain weird. WWL and most everything else from points south were weak. While signals from the north were strong...and plentiful. Sort of like auroral conditions in reverse. For example I had a "full house" of five signals from Manitoba. In addition to CBW, a nightly regular here, CJOB, CKLQ, CFRY, and CFAM were all in. (The latter two are sister stations, BTW).
Update: I checked 870 yesterday and today about an hour or so before local sunrise. No "wobbler", There was something else under WWL, that caused some "fluttering". But whatever it was never broke through in audible form. A minor surprise was today when the first thing I heard on 870 was R. Reloj. I definitely did not expect THAT, but it was simply a WWL fade. Yet even with WWL back with a relatively good signal, I was still able to hear the R. Reloj "time pips" underneath.
In other news.... I was on 900 this morning, and heard something that sounded vaguely like the wobbler. No "hand saw blade" sound, but this sounded something like a defective wheel or tire....."thump, thump, thump". I'll keep checking 900 to see if I can get a handle on what this might be. If all of this turns out to be the comrades in Cuba trying out new jamming equipment, I'd think they could find better frequency targets than 870 and 900.
In other news.... I was on 900 this morning, and heard something that sounded vaguely like the wobbler. No "hand saw blade" sound, but this sounded something like a defective wheel or tire....."thump, thump, thump". I'll keep checking 900 to see if I can get a handle on what this might be. If all of this turns out to be the comrades in Cuba trying out new jamming equipment, I'd think they could find better frequency targets than 870 and 900.
Another Update: "Wobbling" on 870 tonight on the Key West and Miami SDRs. Lower pitch than previously. WWL totally in the clear and all alone on the Peoria and Northwest Indiana SDRs. Speaking of Indiana.....I have not been able to log into the Edinburgh, Indiana SDR for the last few days.
You might need the new URL to go directly there. http://sdr1.bob-on-the-job.com/. That link will always be good even when the system changes the link. There is a Facebook group for users too: Facebook Groups. Just checked and no warbler there
Neither have I.
See above.
I just did--thanks!
Last night WGN and WBBM were coming in pretty well on the Key West receiver especially considering it's summer.
I didn't check out 870, but I'll try soon.
I didn't check out 870, but I'll try soon.
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