Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who notes that the following update posted on the WRMI Facebook page:
“WRMI went back on the air around 1600 UTC Friday when our power came back on. All transmitters except #4 are now back on the air, and we hope to have #4 back on later today.”
I’m happy to hear WRMI made it through Hurricane Matthew relatively unscathed!
Keith, please help us: why are these and a few others terrible places (countries?) for HF relays?
Well Florida, Japan, Taiwan and Sri Lanka all have issues with hurricanes and typhoons. Japan and the ROC also have issues with earthquakes.
The BBC Far East Station in Singapore is in a perfect position. Because Singapore is located close the equator. typhoons never happen. And the biggest earthquake Singapore would ever get is a 1.5 or 2.0.
Broadcast Australia’s Shepparton site is located in a part of Australia that is dry 98% of the time. Both the BBCFES and Shepparton have never in their respective histories been off air, because of weather.
Trincomalee has to switch to generator power a number of times a year. NHK’s site is also expensive to maintain, because of maintenance costs from typhoons and earthquakes. Here in the ROC the MOC also has high costs because of this.
What is interesting. Florida, Japan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and a few others are terrible places for HF relays.
Two of the best places would be Broadcast Australia’s Shepparton site and the BBC Far East Station in Singapore. When I was last at the BBC relay in Singapore this August. They decided to test the back up generators during the relays downtime. The last time the generators were use to power the station was in 1983 and was for 2 hours..
Not hearing 11580 now 0155Z
I knew there was a disturbance in The Force when I only heard Brother Stair on 15 frequencies instead of his usual 30, lol.
Good news from one of the few shortwave broadcasters that can boast of having armadillos and alligators in the antenna field.
Ha ha! So true!