90's Throwback Caribbean DX

[fmdxer1]

These clips are from around '92 to '95. I was still in school then, oblivious to FM DX. I would frequently listen to the AM band at night before I went to bed. Throughout the 2000's I have tried to log the two stations you will hear in the attatched clips but have not succeeded. (Haven't tried all that hard- but tried nonetheless.)

First clip is AM 800 PJB Bonaire, Netherland Antilles. (Trans World Radio)

Second clip is 1020 Caribbean Christian Radio, Grand Turk.

Enjoy listening to the way AM was meant to be heard! IBOC-Free!

[cd637299]

Cannot really listen well here at work, but I'll say---

800's power has gone down considerably, and I understand that their antenna is more directional now. I can still hear it if I try hard from south FL, but it is not the major player it once was. Keep in mind also, that 800 has been opened up in the US for night operation, even in FL (WPLK).

1020 I believe is gone for good. I vaguely remember that one. Also there was the Atlantic Beacon on 1570 (?---not 2b confused with Caribbean Beacon on 1610).

Even the tower of the powerful AM 530 in Turks was the victim of a hurricane a year or so ago, leaving 530 mainly to R Enciclopedia. (I myself prefer to hear Encic. on 94.1 on stereo----a reason to travel to the Keys....)

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[Danny]

Chris, what was PJB's power back when they were so strong? They certainly were a powerhouse, but I don't recall the old power.

[cd637299]

PJB was 500k. Heard it up in Massachusetts fighting CKLW. As a teen, it took me about 10 months to ID something other than PJB on 800. XEROK came first, then my first Canadian, CKLW. It's a miracle that I graduated high school, with so little sleep back then.

Not one of the brighter things I've done in my life, foregoing sleep to do AM DXing. Heaven forbid that I take up SW.

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[Mike-CT]

Up here in New England you'd hear two stations at night. With a box loop...e-w would be CKLW and n-s would be PJB. You could hear PJB on a crystal set.

It got into Europe and North Africa very well. It was easy to hear in Iceland and Morocco.

[cd637299]

I still have the NRC AM Log from 1996 with the nighttime coverage maps. 800 in the NE of Canada is quite a work of art! (all the pattern drawings). I camped near Montreal (right after Toronto, mentioned in another thread) in Aug 1980, put my JVC radio on 800, expecting a jumble underneath CJAD, but nothing else heard but CJAD. That with another QC w/ 50k at 800 (CHRC)....

There's another 800 in ON, CJBQ. if you have those coverage maps, all those other lobes barely miss Belleville, where CJBQ is....

Of course, with all the AMs in Canada moving to FM, in the future, that won't be a problem....Wonder what will happen with CFTR 680's 13 towers?? :P

cd