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Author Topic: XERF - Ciudad Acuņa, Coahuila, Mexico heard in Wisconsin, 0625-0636 UTC, 07/11  (Read 2345 times)

Offline Chanter

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  • Madison, WI, U.S.
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Multiple UNID's and battles with fading and static later, I've finally succeeded in catching a Mexican station up here!  I'm delighted!  Here's the log:  

1570, XERF La Poderosa Ciudad Acuņa, Coahuila, Mexico, 0625-0636.  Tuned in to Spanish-language conversation between two women, talking and laughing.  Definitely heard 'la musica Azteca', and what sounded like watanga.  Calls from listeners followed, something about 'working' and 'for many years here'.  Signal fair but intermittently fluttery, good at peaks, mixing with multiple other unknown 1570's.  

I'm all warm and fuzzy over this one!  This is the first Mexican station I've been able to positively ID.  I had to match it with the associated webstream to do so, which isn't always easy... but this time the first attempted match was the right one!  

Do many Mexican MW stations QSL, does anyone know?  Seriously considering making the attempt, but as this one's essentially a public radio station, I wonder...  

Madison, WI, U.S.A. 
Tecsun PL-660, Yaesu FT60R handheld, and Realistic DX-398 (back up and running!) 
QSL's appreciated 

There's a geeklady turning that dial!
SWLer, MWLer, LW and HF beaconeer, technician class ham, DXer of all bands and program listener. 
RNW forever.

Offline BoomboxDX

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Nice catch, Chanter.  I don't hear them very often here in the NW US, but they will sometimes overpower KCVR Lodi Calif., esp. during auroral conditions.  Both stations are Spanish speaking, but they have quite different formats.

One thing to listen for around 1150-1200 utc (if you ever DX that early in the a.m. your time) is XERF's "servicio social", which appears to be a series of free advertisements they do, and a man's voice mentions that phrase often.  It's one way to ID their signal out west, and it may also help if there are other stations competing with their signal where you live.

Re: QSL: it might be worth a try.  They seem to have a decent web presence.
An AM radio Boombox DXer.
+ GE SRIII, PR-D5 & TRF on MW.
The usual Realistic culprits on SW (and a Panasonic).