Hi from Uruguay

[Alex KL-1]

Welcome, Gustavo!
Very good collection!
Great to know more fellows sharing our old electronic's hobby!

The AM radio question... too bad, in some countries, the AM stations are converting to FM, DAB, streaming or simply vanishing, like one in the city where I was born (I just read about; due to subject coincidence, I'm mentioning this) https://diariodamanhapelotas.com.br/...soes-no-620ma/ (only in Portuguese...)
Too bad, is a historically important station, and very old (for Brazilian radio timeline).

Ah, the Uruguay! Some time ago, I visited Punta del Diablo (Via Chuy/Chuí). Also I visited the Merín lake (the Uruguayan side) near Rio Branco/Jaguarão. Until my ~20 years age, I lived in the city in the aforementioned news (not soooo distant from Uruguay), and my spouse lived until her ~14 years of age in San Isidro, close to Buenos Aires, Argentina, before she moved to Paraguay.

When I lived in Pelotas, I received some AM stations from Uruguay (and Argentina), and FM stations before storms.. one day, I even received TV stations! For some reason, VHF propagates very good when cold fronts are approaching, at least in this region... (but only when storms are coming very strong).

[Gus1969]

[QUOTE=Alex KL-1;3253488]Welcome, Gustavo!
Very good collection!
Great to know more fellows sharing our old electronic's hobby!


Hi Alex KL1! Ah, the KL1, unfortunately, we never had tube color TV here. American televisions were so reliable that they worked until they were replaced by solid-state color TVs. I think the new TVs in the 70s were mostly portable models. I will soon ask the forum about that.

[Gus1969]

Originally Posted by Alex KL-1

Welcome, Gustavo!
Very good collection!
Great to know more fellows sharing our old electronic's hobby!

The AM radio question... too bad, in some countries, the AM stations are converting to FM, DAB, streaming or simply vanishing, like one in the city where I was born (I just read about; due to subject coincidence, I'm mentioning this) https://diariodamanhapelotas.com.br/...soes-no-620ma/ (only in Portuguese...)
Too bad, is a historically important station, and very old (for Brazilian radio timeline).

Ah, the Uruguay! Some time ago, I visited Punta del Diablo (Via Chuy/Chuí). Also I visited the Merín lake (the Uruguayan side) near Rio Branco/Jaguarão. Until my ~20 years age, I lived in the city in the aforementioned news (not soooo distant from Uruguay), and my spouse lived until her ~14 years of age in San Isidro, close to Buenos Aires, Argentina, before she moved to Paraguay.

When I lived in Pelotas, I received some AM stations from Uruguay (and Argentina), and FM stations before storms.. one day, I even received TV stations! For some reason, VHF propagates very good when cold fronts are approaching, at least in this region... (but only when storms are coming very strong).

In Brazil, only high-power regional AMs could remain, in order to cover the entire state. Low-power AMs should move to FM, and they are doing so, trying to position themselves in the best place on the dial. Brasilian cars are already being sold with the new extended FM band, from 76 to 108 MHz, as those TV frequencies become free and are assigned to FM.
Although I work in Montevideo, I live in a small town called Costa Azul. At night the number of AMs from all over South America that can be heard is impressive. In the past included Radio Transmundial (Bonaire) and 530 FIBS Falklnd Islands Broadcasting Service. I haven't heard them again.

Here in Montevideo, it was not strange in the summer to catch TV broadcasts on channels 2,3 and 4 in Brazil. Be amazed, Chilean channels were also captured, that is, through the Andes mountain range. Many days the Argentine channels were received as local channels, especially channel 2 in La Plata, channel 6, channel 8 in Mar del Plata. Nice moments of fun spinning antennas.

[Alex KL-1]

Originally Posted by Gus1969

In Brazil, only high-power regional AMs could remain, in order to cover the entire state. Low-power AMs should move to FM, and they are doing so, trying to position themselves in the best place on the dial. Brasilian cars are already being sold with the new extended FM band, from 76 to 108 MHz, as those TV frequencies become free and are assigned to FM.
Although I work in Montevideo, I live in a small town called Costa Azul. At night the number of AMs from all over South America that can be heard is impressive. In the past included Radio Transmundial (Bonaire) and 530 FIBS Falklnd Islands Broadcasting Service. I haven't heard them again.

Here in Montevideo, it was not strange in the summer to catch TV broadcasts on channels 2,3 and 4 in Brazil. Be amazed, Chilean channels were also captured, that is, through the Andes mountain range. Many days the Argentine channels were received as local channels, especially channel 2 in La Plata, channel 6, channel 8 in Mar del Plata. Nice moments of fun spinning antennas.

The radio/TV DX is very cool subject and guarantees a topic of this own!

Just this remembered me about a thing... I dunno if is a coincidence, or if last times I had only horrible radios, but I never saw the FM/VHF DX phenomenon in the cities that I lived that are far from the sea or great/large lakes, or the phenomenon is "weak". For the AM, I noticed minimum or no difference. The region I mentioned, have 3 large lakes and ocean. Your region are also full of large water portions nearby. I never researched about, but after this experiences, I'm with the impression that this depends to the geography of the place, to intensify this phenomenon.

Hard core DX'ers will be know about the truth in practice, if this is true or not, or to some point......

A note, where I live now, are almost 50(!!) FM stations, ~45 in the Paraguay. Is more difficult to trace DX (memorize all stations) and notice a new, those days I'm almost not listening. Perhaps time to take notes and play with this a little again.

Also, about extended FM in Brazil... TBH seems to be a excuse to sell radios, for 99,5% of the country. Except for the São Paulo city, the FM is not crowded in any State capital city... but well remebered about the subject, thanks! I live far from Capitals, but even so, I will try this 76MHz+ range with my DIY Pulse Counting FM receiver and see if some station is using it here. Preferably before a cold front arrives...

[Alex KL-1]

Originally Posted by Alex KL-1

.......I live far from Capitals, but even so, I will try this 76MHz+ range with my DIY Pulse Counting FM receiver and see if some station is using it here. Preferably before a cold front arrives...

Oh, never mind, sorry... here where I live, have some band I TV channels form Argentina and Paraguay, so no FM stations will be licensed here at these range here.

[jr_tech]

Do you guys consider the plots on the Hepburn Tropo Dx map?

https://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_sam.html.

jr

[Gus1969]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Do you guys consider the plots on the Hepburn Tropo Dx map?

https://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_sam.html.

jr

Oh, very interesting. Many times I look at the FM and TV bands, to see if something appears. Especially on humid and hot days.

[Alex KL-1]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Do you guys consider the plots on the Hepburn Tropo Dx map?

https://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_sam.html.

jr

Excellent, added to my favorites