The wonderful world of listening to the radio
A QSL email from Radio Maria Colombia, broadcasting from Manizales on 1500 kHz. I sent my report to info.col@radiomaria.org . The reply came from programas.radiomaria@gmail.com which looks like a more generic email address, but it carried the Radio Maria Colombia logo.
I got a confirmation from Radio Santa Fe for a reception from Curacao some time ago, but it is so much nicer to get a QSL for a reception from my home QTH. It is also my first MW QSL from Columbia at my home QTH!
Bianca Bernal confirmed my report and she is most likely family of Hernando Bernal who founded one of the first commercial radio stations in Colombia. She enclosed a nice picutre of the Radio Santa Fe office and their web app:
This year I switched from HDSDR to SDR console. I have to admit that I wasn’t immediately a big fan of it as SDR console is definitely a bit more complex interface. But HDSDR didn’t support my Elad FDM S3 which forced me to adapt.
A few months down the road I don’t want anything else than SDR Console for my medium-wave DX activities. The three biggest advantages of SDR Console over HDSDR are:
Are there some disadvantages? Yes there are. There are more options, more functionality, but that also adds a bit of complexity. Scheduling a recording with HDSDR is a bit easier when you want to set both your center and tuning frequency: for example when you want to run an overnight DSC watch on 2187.5 while recording the entire medium-wave band. Starting an audio recording is a bit easier in HDSDR as well. But all in all, SDR console did help me to improve my medium-wave DX.
As an example, attached is a recording of Radio Santa Fé, Bogotá. I heard this station while staying on Curacao last year and even got a QSL. But I never expected to be able to pick up their ID in my noisy suburb location: “Eschucha Radio Santa Fe, 10-70..”. And of course I sent a report and applied for a confirmation.
I have heard AWR stations from many countries. While staying on Curacao I heard them on 1470 kHz from Medellin, Colombia. It is possible to hear this station with 5/1 kiloWatts in Europe…. My reception report to contacto@esperanzaradio.co was confirmed after 5 weeks with a brief email:
An email to QSL La Voz de Bogotá on 930 kHz. Another Colombian station I received during my stay at Curacao. I struggled to find an email address, but Arild was so kind to help me out. V/s is Mr. John Rodrigues
La Voz de Bogotá started in 1931 as one of the first radio stations in Colombia. Today it is the flagship station of the Todelar Network. They also operate a number of FM stations like La X, of which you can see the logo on the confirmation mail.
I heard Radio Santa Fe during my stay on Curacao, and Ms. Blanca Bernal was so kind to QSL Radio Santa Fe 1070 AM.
Radio Santa Fe was founded in 1938 by Hernando Bernal Andrade and his wife Luisa Mahe. Bernal purchased a communications system from a crashed airplane, repaired it and with his wife bought a house in Centenario, a neighbourhood in southern Bogotá, where the first broadcasts of Radio Santa Fe started.
I wouldn’t be suprised if Ms. Bernal is family of the founder. And while I am very grateful for the response of Ms. Bernal I regret that they don’t do something like an e QSL….Years ago they sent a QSL like this:
I received a QSL for my reception of RCN Cartagena on 1000 kHz. I heard this station, and the RCN stations from Medellin (990 kHz) as well as Cali (980 kHz) while staying on Curacao. Unfortunately the response was a poorly detailed answer via facebook messenger only.
The structure of the Radio Cadena Nacional organisation in Colombia is quite complicated with national and regional production centers and various network programs. On medium wave RCN as I heard it on 1000 kHz is their main program.
Antena 2 is their second network broadcasting sports. Antena 2 has dedicated frequencies in Bogotá, Cali and Medellin, but in other cities it shares the frequency with La Cariñosa. The latter is a network program started in 2000, focusing on popular music.
I came also across RCN owned Radio Red network (for example Bogotá, 970 kHz). Until 2013 these frequencies belonged to Cadena Super. The station I heard from Medellin (710 kHz) is referred to as Cristal Radio Red, but is in fact part of the same network.
Finally I received a “stand alone” RCN station called Años Maravillosos from Bogotá on 1340 AM. This seems a “left over” of the Amor Radio network which had several stations on FM. The FM stations have all been transitioned to other “FM only” networks of RCN: La Mega, La Uno and La FM.
A QSL for my reception of BBN Radio from Bogotá, Colombia on 1100 kHz. BBN stands for Bible Broadcasting Network. I have to admit that, unlike TWR and AWR, I was not familiar with this station. That is most likely because they do not operate on Shortwave. The organisation runs quite a few FM stations in the United States, in addition to 4 low power AM stations. But they are also active in 14 countries in South America, with medium wave presence in Chile, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela.
During my stay in Curaçao I received the station “Red de Radiodifusión Bíblica” from Bogotá, Colombia. I heard a program with a Bible Class and a lecture from the apostle Matthew. I sent my report to red@bbnradio.org .
I had the privilege of being able to spend 2 weeks on Curaçao in the Caribbean. And I decided to bring my small Grundig G6 Aviator portable with me. In the past I often took my portable with me while travelling for work. But confined to a hotel environment my experience was not always positive. I found that noise levels were often so high that reception was often very poor or non-existent.
On this trip I had the opportunity to move away from our apartment. Around 7.30 PM it was dark, and most evenings I enjoyed one or two hours listening to Latin American stations on medium wave under a tropical night sky . In total I logged 53 stations. Not all of them qualify as “DX” but it was fun nevertheless!
| 540 | Radio ABC, Santo Domingo | DOM |
| 550 | Radio Munidal, Caracas | VEN |
| 590 | Radio Santa Maria, La Vega | DOM |
| 610 | La Cariñosa, Bogotá | CLM |
| 650 | Antena 2, Bogotá | CLM |
| 670 | Radio Rumbos, Caracas | VEN |
| 680 | Radio Nacional Colombia, Bogotá | CLM |
| 680 | WBQN Borinquen Radio, San Juan | PTR |
| 710 | Cristal Radio Red, Medellín | CLM |
| 770 | RCN Bogotá, Bogotá | CLM |
| 780 | La Voz de Dios, Cali | CLM |
| 780 | ZBVI, Tortola | VRG |
| 800 | TWR Bonaire, Kralendijk | BES |
| 810 | Radio Caracol, Bogotá | CLM |
| 810 | Radio Paz, San Juan | PTR |
| 830 | Radio Sensación, San Antonio | VEN |
| 840 | Radio HJ Doble K, Neiva | CLM |
| 840 | Nacional FM, Howard | PNR |
| 850 | Candela 850, Bogotá | CLM |
| 860 | La Voz del Caneguate, Valledupar | CLM |
| 860 | Radio Mundial 860, San Cristóbal | VEN |
| 880 | Caracol, Bucaramanga | CLM |
| 910 | La Voz del Rio Grande, Medellin | CLM |
| 930 | La Voz de Bogotá, Bogotá | CLM |
| 940 | WINZ Fox Sports, Miami | USA |
| 970 | Radio Red, Bogotá | CLM |
| 980 | RCN Radio, Cali | CLM |
| 990 | RCN Radio, Medellín | CLM |
| 1000 | RCN Radio, Cartagena | CLM |
| 1020 | Emisora Claridad, Medellín | CLM |
| 1070 | Radio Santa Fe, Bogotá | CLM |
| 1080 | La Voz de Antioquia, Medellín | CLM |
| 1090 | Unión Radio Cultural, Caracas | VEN |
| 1090 | Caracal Radio, Cúcuta | CLM |
| 1100 | BBN – Red de Radiodifusión Biblica | CLM |
| 1100 | Caracol Radio, Barranquilla | CLM |
| 1130 | Radio ideal, Maiquetia | VEN |
| 1140 | Radio Paisa, Medellín | CLM |
| 1160 | Su Presencia Radio, Bogotá | CLM |
| 1160 | Caribbean Radio Lighthouse | ATG |
| 1200 | Radio Tiempo, Caracas | VEN |
| 1210 | La Cariñosa, Cúcuta | CLM |
| 1220 | Radio Maria Colombia, Bogotá | CLM |
| 1260 | BBN – Red de Radiodiffusión Biblica | VEN |
| 1270 | La Cariñosa. Cartagena | CLM |
| 1340 | Amor Años Maravillosos, Bogotá | CLM |
| 1400 | Harbour Light of the Windwards | GRD |
| 1420 | Radio Sintonia, Caracas | VEN |
| 1450 | Radio Maria Venezuela, Catia La Mar | VEN |
| 1470 | Esperanza Adventura, Medellín | CLM |
| 1490 | Emisora Punto Cinco, Bogotá | CLM |
| 1510 | La Voz de la Unión, La Unión | CLM |
| 1540 | ZNS1 National Voice, Nassau | BAH |
The most distant distation was WINZ Fox Sports, Miami with 1913 km. I also heard ZNS1 Nassau/Bahamas at 1679 km, Cali/Colombia at 1275 km, and Howard/Panama at 1212 km. I tried to log the American Virgin Islands, but no trace of any of the 4 stations, most likely because they switch to low night power? The Voice of Nevis, another target, was blocked by a very strong LV de Caneguata.
No doubt I could have heard many more stations, as the band was crowded. Fading was a significant problem though, hampering station identification. Sometimes a Colombian station was audible for only 10 minutes or so, dropping in signal strength only to be replaced by another Colombian. And on some frequencies, close to 800 kHz in particular, I had the feeling my little radio was overloading with a strange oscillator howl. Maybe due to the presence of the strong TWR transmitter? Funny detail: pressing the back light button or changing the frequency by 1 kHz seemed to suppress it for a few seconds. I seriously consider bringing my little RSPdx SDR receiver next time I visit.
One of the highlights for me this year was the reception of Alcaravan Radio from Colombia on 5910 kHz. After many years I could finally add another Colombian QSL to my collection. An equally nice surprise was this Christmas card that I received from them yesterday. Thank you Rafael and a Feliz Navidad!
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