WSM

[ALRocker]

I know this was discussed earlier, but last night our friends from south of the border were covering the big 650 for the first time here, 140 miles south of Nashville. They've got to be having problems.

 

[OldGringo]

I know this was discussed earlier, but last night our friends from south of the border were covering the big 650 for the first time here, 140 miles south of Nashville. They've got to be having problems.

This is not a WSM problem, but a phenomenon that happens in spring and fall. I can recall years ago hearing a 10 kw Venezuelan over WKYC in Cleveland (now WTAM) which was only 20 miles from me. There are freaky conditions that happen form sunset well into the evening, usually gone by 10 or 11 PM local time.

There are high ñpower Venezuelans and Colombians that could be producing this effect, which usually duct northern South America into the Eastern USA.

 

[K4WRF]

Yes, Bogotá Columbia comes in quite well in the southern US when conditions are right. Notified WARC back in the middle 1970’s of their intentions and no one bothered to file a complaint, so now it is there for good. This is a common complaint and several US stations suffer from this same condition WSM and WLS as well.

Thanks for the report.

w/

 

[OldGringo]

Yes, Bogotá Columbia comes in quite well in the southern US when conditions are right. Notified WARC back in the middle 1970’s of their intentions and no one bothered to file a complaint, so now it is there for good. This is a common complaint and several US stations suffer from this same condition WSM and WLS as well.

Bogotá has been high power (30 kw or more) on 650 since the late 50's, in fact. There is no regulation between the US and Colombia. There is also a big Venezuelan on 650, as well as a NARBA-compliant 10 KW Dominican, all there for decades.

All Colombian stations from 540 t0 1000 have minimum power of 10 kw and maximum of 100 kw if the channel is not duplicated in all Colombia, 50 kw if duplicated.

 

[K4WRF]

I am in error, it is HIBL in Haiti that is NARBA notified 10kw signal, Columbia not part of agreements but is problem in southern states some nights. They are reported as 10kw in FCC database. I have heard them very clear when WSM is off sometimes. I have never heard HIBL here but have in Florida. I did hear a faint signal from Honolulu during WSM silent period about 20 years ago, but had a good receiving antenna 190.3 degrees at 650 kHz. I was told about five years back that HIBL had been off the air for a time, but I have no confirmation of this. I have heard the faint 2 kHz beat early in the evening mentioned by a few. Feel this must be coming from across the pond.

The fun continues,

w/

 

[OldGringo]

I am in error, it is HIBL in Haiti that is NARBA notified 10kw signal,

Haiti was never a NARBA signatory... the Dominican Republic was. We still protect and exchange assignments with them. Haiti has never notified, and during the most stringent NARBA years of the 40's through the 70's, even allowed many stations on non-standard Western Hemisphere frequencies, like 4VEH on 1035 and the smaller commercial staitons on 1335 and 1385.

Columbia not part of agreements but is problem in southern states some nights. They are reported as 10kw in FCC database. I have heard them very clear when WSM is off sometimes.

The Colombian has been running 50 kw for several decades. Even back in the 60's, they were 30 kw, and I could hear them in downtown Quito right next to my Ecos de la Montaña on 660 many nights on a car radio.

I have never heard HIBL here but have in Florida. I did hear a faint signal from Honolulu during WSM silent period about 20 years ago, but had a good receiving antenna 190.3 degrees at 650 kHz. I was told about five years back that HIBL had been off the air for a time, but I have no confirmation of this. I have heard the faint 2 kHz beat early in the evening mentioned by a few. Feel this must be coming from across the pond.

It is on the air, both AM and FM. The AM is 20 kw now.

"En la actualidad Radio Universal es una sólida institución en la industria de la radiodifusión Dominicana, operando en las frecuencias 650 Khz AM con 20,000 vatios de potencia producidos por un moderno transmisor de estado sólido y 98.1 Mhz FM también con 20,000 vatios de potencia. "

That is from http://www.radiouniversalfm.com/main.html

In the 60's, Hawai'i was heard easily on 650, 830, 870 and often on 1270 on Monday mornings,.. with 690, 760, 1040 being occasionally heard. A nice clear channel with all mainland staitons off the air helped.

 

[radiojay1]

Seems like they are back on track because I have heard them as early as 6pm (EST) here in Rhode Island. Great station. Funny thing is the signal is strongest in the evening between 6pm and 10pm and after that they tend to fade out more often. They often sound better at 6pm than they do at 2am. This is Eastern Standard Time however when it is completely dark at 6pm.