Cuba: Radio Havana Cuba on the 60 meters Tropical Band

 Figure 2-10                             Graphic taken from: http://bit.ly/bLuE0r

Dear amigos 
At 23 hours UTC, March 22 , Radio Havana Cuba started its national service for the Cuban archipelago on the ITU Registered Frequency of 5040 kiloHertz.

The first program that went on the air was our English language service, and the ¨menu¨ continued with a program in French.
March 23 UTC day ( Tuesday UTC day ) the 5040 kiloHertz frequency will continue to be on the air until 1100 UTC, with programming in Spanish too.

The new national service is designed to provide coverage of the most famous Cuban tourist resorts , like Varadero Beach, Cayo Largo , Jardines del Rey, Guardalavaca, and others where last year some two million three hundred thousand foreign tourists visited to enjoy their holidays.

Reports of the new transmissions began to come in immediately from the Jardines del Rey tourist resort located in the keys north of Ciego de Avila province, where signals of S9 +40 dB were picked up.

The antenna used on 5040 kiloHertz is an NVIS system... Near Vertical Incidence Skywave radiating system , also known as a "Cloud Warmer "because it sends the signals at very high angles above the horizon, so I am not expecting many reports outside the primary target area of the broadcast.

Anyway, reports will be , as always most appreciated , from anywhere the 5040 kiloHertz transmission is picked up .
Send mail to : inforhc at enet dot cu

73 and DX

Arnie Coro
Host of Dxers Unlimited radio hobby program

Source:http://bit.ly/acNHbq

More about the NVIS System antenna.

Military antenna, 

"Near vertical incidence sky wave (NVIS). NVIS antenna AS-2259/GR is a lightweight sloping dipole, omnidirectional antenna used with AM radios (AN/GRC-106) and improved high frequency radios (IHFR)(AN/PRC-104A and AN/GRC-213/193A) that operate in the HF range of 2 to 30 MHz. Like the doublet antenna, the NVIS is used when the tactical situation allows stationary operations. The NVIS extends radio range up to 300 miles by using sky wave propagation. Polarized horizontally and vertically at the same time, it can be erected by two soldiers in about five minuets. Figure 2-10 shows an operator using an NVIS antenna wit an AN/PRC-104A portable radio".

Source: http://bit.ly/bLuE0r

Previous report about  Trasmitirá Radio Habana Cuba en Banda Tropical.

from 19th March 2010 at  http://bit.ly/dsPiud

Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia