My wife Kristine and I took off again on a trip that included Reno (11/5-12), Orlando (11/12-30) and then on a Caribbean cruise (11/30-12/10). The shipâs navigational program did not provide coordinates and I could only get them on my cell phone when we were in ports. We were accompanied by an ICF-2010, a DX-398, a Sony TCM 200DV cassette recorder, and most important of all, one of Gary DeBockâs marvelous FSL units which relentlessly peeled through layers of white noise and provided me with readable signals. Out of four trip air legs, TSA only inquired once.
We left from Ft. Lauderdale. Ports were: Princess Cays in the Bahamas on land leased by Princess Lines, St. Thomas, Martinique, Grenada, Bonaire, and CuraÃao. We also went by Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. I have not included the usual routine Cubans or the plethora of Venezuelans or Puerto Ricans which I could not specifically identify. All times are AST unless EST is indicated.
530 - neither Cuban had much oomph anywhere on the trip
630 - SS local-like nearing Bonaire 12/6 9am. Presumably Caracas. Not noteworthy anywhere else on the trip.
640 - Deportes, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela never terribly strong but the only one there once the Cuban was gone.
660 - R. Lumiere, Port-Au-Prince at good level, P/S, with a string of stations mentioned during the ID including Turks & Caicos-530, which I never detected.
690 - Thought I heard âW radioâ 12/3 2205 from south of PR but nothing matches.
710 - SS very loud in Bonaire & CuraÃao 12/6 & 12/7. Presumed YVKY Caracas.
720 - UNID 12/2 10am EST. Spanish. Probably Cuban Progresso but no ID at TOH
740 - WIAC San Juan. Never detected. Its pattern is shown as directional east.
750 - RCR Caracas. The most potent Caribbean signal. Readable days in St. Thomas and almost everywhere else until we neared Cuba. Heard with string of affiliated stations 4:50p 12/3 from S.
780 - ZBVI at fair level in St. Thomas. 12/3 8:30am
800 - PJB Bonaire. Not a great signal coming northward and relatively quiet modulation. We came around from the south and I was able to see their four giant towers. They are pretty thin in the distance but e-mail me if you want a copy of the picture. Our tour guide didnât know anything about the station.
810 - Cuban bubble-wobbler, 12/8 11am off southern Haiti. Exactly the same sound I heard 11/30 4 hours out of Ft. Lauderdale on 1000kHz. Only time heard.
860 - Z-86 Willemstad, CuraÃao. This and PJB-800 are the only AM stations left in the ABC islands.
860 - VON âVoice of Nevisâ fair level, w/religion in St. Thomas VI 12/3 8:30am.
870 - Reloj, Cuba, pretty potent but very distorted during the northern part of the trip but cleaner further south. I never heard an echo so assume it was the same XR hemorrhaging.
890 - UNID 12/2 10am EST between the Cay and PR. Seemed to give calls, HIâ (I missed the last two letters). Would appear to have been R. 8-90, La Consentida, Mao, DR
900 - CBC St. Michael, Barbados poor level 12/3 9am from St. Thomas. Signal level increased as we headed south but didnât hold up that well as we headed west from Grenada. A per ads, CBC has a monopoly in the communications business. Reggae Christmas carols were fun!
920 - SS local-like in Grenada. Presumed YVOX Porlamar. 12/5 9am.
940 - WINZ Miami - best FL signal at Princess Cay. No Cuban under/over it. Interesting because WINZ has an STA for 25kw night because of Cuban interference.
1000 - Cuban bubble wobbler. Only here one night (11/30, 4 hours out of Ft. Lauderdale). It was also noted here last year.
1030 - Port-au-Prince, R. Ginen. Taped 12/2 10am (heading to PR) but no ID heard.
1060 - WIXC Titusville is back on relaying WWBA-820 and yes, they do give an ID a minute or two before the WWBA ID. Heard in Orlando, St. Thomas 9am 12/3, Martinique (very weak 12/4 11a) and also off of north central Cuba 11am 12/9.
1090 - Deportes, Caracas, one of the earlier YVs to boom in as we approached Grenada. Apparently YVSZ Caracas.
1130 - My hearing must be grim because just as I did while in Boston in Sept., I heard this as âRadio Cinco" 12/3 10:15pm from south of PR.
1150 - âCMX R. Guaymasâ is what I heard 11/30 9pm 4 hrs. out of Ft. Laudedale but that doesnât hold up in deference to WRTHâs R. Bayamo, Entronque Bueycito.
1160 - Caribbean Radio Lighthouse, St. Johnâs, Antigua & Barbuda fairly good in Grenada but not memorable from anywhere else.
1200 - It sounded like R. Pinto to me but more than likely was R. Tiempo, Caracas, 12/6, 9a, 40 miles E of Bonaire.
1240 - Radio Maria, Santo Domingo, DR. No âde la alta graciaâ ever heard. Good level between PR & St. Thomas, 10pm EST 12/2 and 12/3 9am AST in St. Thomas. It was heard quite a ways as we headed south. It was also surprisingly strong as we left Grenada for Bonaire. The web site says (essentially) variety programming but all I ever heard was religious chanting and hymns.
1260 - WISO Ponce relaying WAPA 12/8 9am between Haiti/Cuba
1260 - SS w/Christmas music around 9a 12/6 nearing Bonaire. Presumably Caracas.
1340 - WSTA St. Thomas fair level in Grenada 12/5 around 8am
1350 - Radio Libertad, Puerto Padre, Cuba, good level at Princess Cay 9AM 11/1.
1380 - My ears heard âRadio Pintoâ but that apparently is not to be. Call letters given (YV..) but I canât dig the last two out. My guess is YVME Cd. Bolivar. Loud 12/7 4:40p in CuraÃao.
1400 - WFLL is shown as off the air so not sure who was there along with a Cuban with EZ music. Thought I heard a âRadio Carla.â At another time, I thought I heard âR. St. Paul de Alegreâ 11/1 11am EST from Princess Cay.
1400 - Harbor Light, Carriacou, Grenada seemed to be stronger in Martinique than it was at our stop in Grenada (12/4 around 9a) where it was only fair..
1450 - Another Radio Maria noted from Bonaire 12/6 6pm. This would be YVKJ Caracas.
1500 - YVRZ Cumana good level in Grenada 123/5 8am
1510 - WWBC Cocoa good level w/ID 12/9 11am off north coast of Cuba
1540 - ZNS Nassau. Predictable coverage. However, it throws out a lot of garbage between 1500-1570 including spurs on 1500 and 1570 and a curious 1 kHz tone on 1520 which during one nightâs reception, competed with the Saudiâs het. This same tone was heard a year ago and is quite loud in the Bahamas. Also very loud 12/9 11:30am impacting an UNID EE speaker.
1610 - Caribbean Beacon, The Valley, Anguilla noted 4 hours out of Grenada but not overwhelming here or anywhere else on the trip.
N.A. STATIONS: On 12/5 around 9pm, we were out of Grenada heading for Bonaire. The following English language N.A. stations were noted: WFAN-660, UNK-680, CFZM-740 (very loud, mentions their FM on 96.7), WABC-770, UNK-790, WCBS-880, WLS-890, WINS-1010, UNK-1080, KMOX-1120, WHKW-1220, WLAC-1510, WCKY-1530. WFAN and WCBS showed up a couple of other times but there was no other night like this. WGN was also heard somewhere during the trip.
FRENCH LANGUAGE: Radio Ginen, P-A-P, and 4VEH-840 were notable French language speakers. 640 and 1310 are obviously long gone and have been replaced in their home markets by a gaggle of low-power FM stations.
In Reno, the only surprise was hearing KHIT-1450 on 1650. There seemed to be a carrier. I canât see anything which it would bounce off of (like 1250).
Pete Taylor
Tacoma, WA
(trip equipment described above)