Re: [IRCA] TWR Bonaire "Power Up Project"

[Theo <theod@xxxxxxxxx>]

I don't recall the exact time line, but I seem to remember their appearance on 800 in '64 was somehow connected with the then NZBC moving 1YZ to 860 (now RNZ National on 819).

PJB at its initial power was easy pickings in New Zealand, though I notice their QSL folder is dated for reception on 12 Apr '66 so I took my time getting around to a report.  A DX buddy and myself were invited to a fundraising/pep rally in Hamilton which featured one of the bigwigs from Bonaire.

Yikes...  ~50 years ago...

Theo

"Stewart, Joseph R" <RandyStewart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I honestly can't recall seeing this anywhere but on TWR's own website (http://www.twr.org/powerup)... they're trying to raise $3.8 million to boost power on PJB Bonaire-800 kHz from the current 100kW up to 450kW (just short of the 500kW they used from sign-on in 1964 into, what, sometime in the 1990s?). No idea why they aren't going for the last 50,000 watts that would get it back up to the original 500kW level.  There's a video on the site that shows proposed directional patterns for the new tx--the "north" beam will be farther west than currently, basically beamed right at Cuba, the Yucatan peninsula, northern Mexico and up into the western U.S. The south pattern would blanket all of Venezuela and Guyana, the eastern half of Colombia, the western half of Surinam, and the extreme north of Brazil.  There will also be a ND "Caribbean" pattern at some time during their broadcast day (or rather, night).  Despite the tweaking of the DA pattern--and the large amount of competition
>  on the frequency--presumably the power increase will make it an easier target for North American DXers once again.  I don't think I've conclusively logged PJB here in Missouri since they cut power. Before that of course it was a nightly regular for many years. 
>Randy Stewart
>Battlefield MO
>_______________________________________________
>IRCA mailing list
>IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
>
>Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers
>
>For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org
>
>To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx