The AM Forum

Was just in the guest room going through some stuff, decided to turn on the GRR-5 and tune around a bit. Came across a loud CW signal calling CQ around 5.05 mHz. Shortly after, a voice chimed in saying it was the DXers Unlimited program for all SWLs and Amateurs, on Radio Havana. The host's name was Artie, CO2KK. The program was about 15 minutes or so long, discussion was about the recent sunspots, band openings above 15mHz, and some simple designs for 10m verticals. Now there's a listener's mailbag program on.

It was like stepping back in time 30+ years, when such programs were commonplace on European stations.

Todd:

Arnie has been doing this show for decades. He has even posted here on the board.

Dan

I think I worked him on AM once.

I worked him on 10m during Cycle 23.

I also think John W3JN visited him when he was assigned there^*.

^*update:  or maybe not. John did mention him in a posting as to how many AMers in Cuba.

Todd,

These are some photos I took when I visited Arnie in Habana around 10 years ago.  He was a great host and has many interesting stories.

WAY cool, Rodger, thanks for posting !

Paul,

You are welcome.

As a bonus, I got to meet some interesting security types at the airport when they became interested in the computer interface boards and hard drives packed in my suitcase.  I think the ARRL antenna book I brought as a gift was also suspicious (all this stuff was pre-cleared with our government by the way).  Fortunately a couple of email messages from Arnie I had printed and put with electronic stuff caused a rapid change in demeanor.  I did have a few very bad thoughts as I was being escorted into a conference room at the airport but moments later I was provided a car and driver to get me to Arnie's place.

I still have a bottle (partial) from the special liqueur Arnie gave me for mixing with coffee. 

I hope to go back soon (and take my wife and daughter this time).

Rodger

I had a nice time with Arnie when he came to Dayton in the late 80's.

Hi Todd..yah like some of the others said I also have been "catching" Arnies show on SW..not bad programing..does start with CW then Arnie comes on..usually 15mins or longer..NEVER heard it on 5.05..was always at around 6.0mhz..somewheres at 7:00 or 8:00pm EST..not sure if they use an alternate freq or not..did work him on 10mtrs USB a l-o-n-g time ago in the 80s.....by the way Todd Nearfest is just around the corner..Yahoo!         73 de DAVE

I didn't know we could go there? I want to go before I kick off to buy a cigar ;D ;D ;D

How do you get  a passport to go there? Do you have to be a government man?

^^ You CAN'T go there if you're a US citizen unless you have relatives or obtain an OFAC license to visit for educational or professional reasons, Terry.

I didn't meet Arnie when I was there, but I did get to visit the Cuban club station in Havana with Barry Wiseman and his brother (who are Canadian citizens and were able to travel legally to Cuba).  The writeup of that visit was in Electric Radio about 2002-2003.

It was truly an enjoyable day and political differences were set aside for the discussion of radio.  We went to visit an old buzzard a few blocks from the club station that had a bunch of boatanchors (the gent on the cover of said ER magazine) and the gentleman's busybody neighbor called the CDR as a "bunch of foreigners" were visiting.  Our hosts, some being bigwigs in the Party, handled that quickly and quietly, but it upset the old gentleman's wife quite a bit.

I remember that article, Johnny. Was an interesting read, will have to dig it out again.

Neat photos, Rodger. Arnie looks like an interesting fellow, you must've have a good visit. His program was completely devoid of any type of political rhetoric, not so much as a hint or reference. It was just a good old fashioned radio program from days of yore. I don't recall ever hearing it before, if so it was long ago.

It would be great if Arnie showed up on here. I wasn't aware he'd posted before, Dan.

Yes Dave, NEAR-Fest is coming. Working on the schedule now for guest speakers and workshops. One of these years you'll have to attend the AM Dinner on Friday night with the gang. I figure that'll happen around the time you actually get a 40m dipole up.  ;D

I acquired permission under an educational program (and I did do a few lectures at the university in Havana to fulfill my obligations).  I flew into the Bahamas and traveled via Cuban airliner (converted Russian bomber) into the country.  I couldn't get a passport stamp however because the Cuban official was afraid I would get into trouble with my government even though I produced the proper documents.

Canadians are frequent visitors but I also ran into a fair number of U.S. citizens who were there without permission.  It is a common port of call for yachting types.  I spent part of one evening at a coastal restaurant/bar that was originally the home of one of Batista's sons.  It was a beautiful three story house but I admit my attention was originally drawn to it because a French fashion designer was conducting a lingerie fashion show there :)  I was not the only U.S. citizen in attendance that night but perhaps the only one there legally.  Sorry I did NOT have my camera with me for the fashion show.

I visited one of the old line cigar factories one day and every time you turned a corner you would hear Psst, want to buy a cigar?  The workers were allowed a certain number of cigars per shift and many sold them for hard currency.  It was also common for them to sell just the empty container so it was wise to check to make sure you were not buying "blanks".  U.S. currency was the most common type used when I was there and I had to go to some difficulty to acquire Cuban money. 

Despite the embargo Coca Cola was available (imported from Mexico) as was Sherwin Williams paint from Canada along with many other U.S. brands.   If you have money you could buy whatever you want/need, unfortunately that doesn't apply to the average citizen.  There is an incredible amount of potential down there waiting to be tapped.

A few more pictures from Cuba:

The first is one of the rare pictures that I am in, it was taken at a cigar factory.

The second is outside of a museum.  Inside there was a replica of the transmitter that Che took to Bolivia but it (both the photo AND the revolution) did not turn out well at all.  The transmitter used what looked to be a 4-400 style tube in the final and looked to be far too large for use in an insurgency campaign.  Perhaps it was meant to be a local propaganda transmitter once a region was conquered.

The last is the university entrance.  

Thanks John & Roger for your incite into Cuba. Great stories. That cigar factory was very interesting. We have at a local shop a cigar maker. I forget what they are called  as trade name? He looks like he knows what he doing but unfortunately, his cigars are not that good in taste.

I think radio Cuba has a SW transmitter on 6 megs and they have an SWL show with signal reports and QSL cards. Cuba may be the last country sending out cards and having a show in English just for us dammed old Yankees ;D ;D  

Is that a P-51 Mustang in that center photo?

Carl,

If no one else chimes in with an answer I will check with my father-in-law later.  He was a crew chief during the Korean "conflict" and it remains his favorite plane.  He is 80 but still flies a couple of RC versions of it.

Looks like a Hawker Fury/Sea Fury. Britain sold a dozen or so of these to Cuba just before the revolution. Ironically, they didn't get reassembled until after Castro took over and were used at the Bay of Pigs.

I love the white walls on the tank!

I don't think so, the nose is too short, and the profile is wrong. Looks more like a BF-109 or maybe some Russian bird.

It is indeed a Hawker Sea Fury.

When I was at the Museo de la Revolicion the transmitter had a busted tube.   As I recall it was donated to the 26 de Julio movement by a doctor/ham.  You need a strong stomach to visit that museum.

Somewhere on the net there's a picture of Che or Fidel talking on a Collins 32V, the first Radio Rebelde.  Nowadays Radio Rebelde is on MW and just exists to try and jam Radio Marti out of Florida.  The jamming is easily defeated by judicious orientation of the AM radio, a trick all Cubans know.  And contrary to US media speculation, Radio Marti is very popular in truth-starved Cuba.

I echo John's sentiment about Radio Marti, it is an example of something that works very well.

It is interesting that we are now in the age where inexpensive but good performing shortwave receivers are readily available.  The performance of even the cheapest of the Chinese imports is much better on the shortwave broadcast stations than the fairly low cost (i.e. S-38 series) of yesterday.   Hopefully many of these are in use in the country of origin.

Information is the most difficult thing to keep out even in a closed society and can be very influential.  BUT it must be targeted to the audience to be effective and societal differences are key here.  A story that comes to mind occurred during one of the brief thaws in U.S./USSR relations during the 1950's.  Several U.S. companies were invited to display products at a fair/exposition and GE displayed a washer/dryer combo.  They wisely chose their lowest end models so as not to appear too advanced however most Soviet citizens treated it as pure propaganda because in their mind there was no way that an average American could afford such an advanced luxury product.  Of course most U.S. families turned their nose up at the low end offering.

I believe that was the same show where a Massey Ferguson farm tractor disappeared and a few years later a new Soviet tractor line emerged bearing an uncanny resemblance to the missing MF.  One friend who spent some time there in the 60's said that other than the obviously rough castings and different name one would think you were at a MF dealer. :)

 A few years later Pravda (the official newspaper) raved about a product one of their journalists saw at an American trade fair and openly wondered why this miracle device wasn't available in the USSR.  The miracle?  It could turn stale tough bread into a very tasty treat.  I am sure most of us have never looked upon the lowly toaster with such reverence.

His receiver looks very close to the Russian R- 250м receiver in this ebay ad.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-USSR-Military-Army-R-250-Receiver-Radio-/130429817218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5e391182 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Russian-USSR-Military-Army-R-250-Receiver-Radio-/130429817218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5e391182)

(http://i.ebayimg.com/24/!B2Vn+1!EWk~$(KGrHqUOKkEE)O)o4)lBBMiEQCwpt!~~_3.JPG)

Too bad the inscription on the statue at the Universidad de Habana portal doesn't read "Knowledge is Good"

And I bet Arnie would seriously consider selling his for $2,700 (the ebay price plus standard shipping)  :)

And that Ford pickup in the backround is right out of the 40's.

I wonder what the boat is for, pulling the tank out of the mud? ::)

Probably for evacuating the tank after it runs into a lake or river :)

Below is a better boat, Hemingway's; part of the original Bacardi distilling gear; and a rural classroom.  I imagine some of the solar calculators I brought down are still in use.

Is that boat coal fired?

Reminds me of the "African Queen"  8)