R. Havana Cuba 5025khz - TWO carriers?

[k9rzz]

Okay, I know most here will say: So what / big deal, but none the less, I think Radio Havana Cuba is running TWO transmitters on 5025khz ! At least from around 2100 - 2200z when I could hear two carriers fading up and down with each other. Yes, it _might_ have been the African station in Benin, but all other African stations were MUCH weaker than Cuba at this time.

Proof:

I ran the audio from my receiver (Yaesu FT767gx) over to a computer that has various recording software on it and made a screen capture of "SR5" (a freeware audio filter for radio applications). With the radio in "CW" mode I listened to the carrier and compared the spectrum to several other stations.

WWV 5,000khz

Equatorial Guinea 5005khz

Radio Havana Cuba 5025khz

Placing the cursor over each spike gives the audio freq. and there is about 10 to 15 _hz_ separation
between them. Not much, but enough to hear.

I don't hear both right now. Maybe one transmitter is pointing south, one north. Or east/west. Maybe
one of you could take a listen now and again and see if I'm on to something or I just need
more sleep.

 

[ka3jjz]

To be more precise, it is not RHC on 5025, but rather R Rebelde, being relayed from one of their MW networks.

It's much more likely that there was a feeder mixing 2 stations at the same time, perhaps on different sidebands (VoA used to do this for many years before they went to satellites). Such gaffes are not so uncommon with Cuban transmitters. Stuff like this has been documented on World of Radio for years. First time I've seen Rebelde messed up like this, though. 73 Mike

 

[k9rzz]

Rebelde! Yes, see I do need sleep.

How do you get two carriers though. I'm not following.

 

[ka3jjz]

Hard to say - perhaps someone forgot to select the correct feed and mixed the 2 together? It's unlikely to be 2 separate transmitters, since they would cause a het, and your scans don't indicate that. Even if Benin were to be coming in, that would be the case. An engineering fault due to human error, no doubt.

Just curious - you didn't try listening in either sideband to see if each had a different program, did you? That would almost confirm it.

By the way, don't be deceived if you hear RHC programming on Rebelde - they do that from time to time as well, particularly during holidays. Another wonderful factor of the Rebelde engineering facade....

73 Mike

 

[Bill_White]

Reminds me of the story a friend told me…
While listening to RHC one night he heard a numbers station come on in the background of the station.
Then they went silent for a while and came back on as if nothing happened.
Looks like they are still working the bugs out. :roll: