Itati DXpedition
August 18-19, 2002
by Arnaldo Slaen
On August 17th 2002 I traveled
to the small community of Itati, located about 1200
kilometers northeast of the city of Buenos Aires.
Itati is in the province of Corrientes, bordering
the Paraná river. From its coast the green
Paraguayan subtropical forest can be seen without
problems. Itati is where thousands of believers
arrive from all parts of the country to bring their
prayers to the Virgin of Itati. Although Itati only
has a few houses, there is a majestic basilica that
can be seen from the route already many kilometers
before arriving to the community.
Thanks to good reading and a small portable radio
to check the local stations of each passing town,
the 16-hour journey went quickly. When arriving
at Itati, I was astonished to see how the cold winter
of Buenos Aires had turned into a warm, almost summery
climate, with extremely high humidity. Immediately
after my arrival, I checked in to a simple but comfortable
hotel called El Promesero.
First
I installed the most important, my shack of radio
equipment, and afterwards headed for lunch. Exquisite
fried surubi (for those who do not know it,
surubi is a fish that can be found on all the tributaries
of the Paraná river and it can be prepared
in diverse ways), salad and good white wine comforted
me after so many hours without having anything to
eat. Then I walked around in the town and returned
to the shade and comfort of my hotel room for the
scorching afternoon hours.
It was pleasant to listen to the many Paraguayan
transmitters on mediumwave, just like some Argentine
stations of the northeast region. After sunset,
I took another walk in the town, took some pictures
and returned to the hotel to begin listening. The
shortwave panorama I am not particularly interested
in. The vast experience in the matter of DX camps
allows me to deduce that the further north I travel
in the vast country of Argentina, the worse are
the conditions for listening to shortwave. This
was a celebration of mediumwave. Tens and tens of
Paraguayan and Brazilian transmitters and even one
Bolivian station were the most interesting catches
filling my notebook.
Also I dedicated a few hours to the FM band. Although
the conditions of reception for the FM band were
not the best ones I could tune into many transmitters
of different cities and towns of the province of
Corrientes, some from the province of Chaco and
two stations of the city of Pilar, in the Ñeembucu
departmento, in Paraguay.
I ended the night of Sunday 18th of August somewhat
before midnight, with a long walk to the small wharf
of Itati, from where the lights of the small houses
from the Paraguayan side can be seen. Monday was
dedicated to walking around the small town and to
recording Paraguayan mediumwave and FM stations,
and also to do a little of FM DXing. In the afternoon
I took a bus that after 16 hours brought me back
to Buenos Aires.
BOLIVIA:
4649 Radio Santa Ana, Santa Ana de Yacuma, 2307+,
August 18. Romantic music in spanish. 24432 (Arnaldo
Slaen, Argentine)
4681,6 Radio Paititi, Guayaramirim,
2258+, August 18. International music. Complete
ID as: "..Radio Paititi....la mejor estacion".
After, religious programme. Cristian music. 24342
(Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
6036,8 Radiodif. Tropico, Trinidad,
2312-2330, August 18, spanish transmission. Many
messages read by female in spanish. Cheek time:
"Son las 19 con 14 minutos, las 7 de la tarde
con 14 minutos". Ann.: "A continuacion,
la segunda lectura de estos mensajes". After,
the speaker
read the messages again. 24332 Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
6537,4 La Voz del Campesino,
Sipe Sipe, 2315+, August 18. Very interesting commentary
in spanish!!! about the local music difussion by
the bolivian stations. 24432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
BRAZIL:
3375 Radio Educadora, Guajara Mirim, 1000-1012,
August 19. Portuguese transmission. Complete ID:
"Radio Educadora....ondas medias....baixa tropical
da.....". Commentary about the Pope visit at
Poland past week. 33422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
9695 Radio Rio Mar, Manaus, 2105-2125, August 18.
Portuguese transmission. Commentary about the local
futbol championish. After, short commentary about
the Corinthians Club. Programme: "Jornal da....(¿?)..",
cheek time, local advs read by male and female.
Ann. &ID as: "seguimos com un show da goles
pela Rio Mar". 24432.- At 2230 UTC I head the
station with 44444, with a commentary about the
F1 Hungary Grand Prix (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
PERU:
4747 Radio Huanta 2000, Huanta, 2240+, August 18,
advs. read in quechua by male and female: "....Sombreros
Apolo...". Huaynos. 25342
(Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
4855,9 Radio La Hora, Cusco,
2245+, August 18. Programme: "La Hora
deportiva". The speaker talk about the Peru
futbol championish. 24332
(Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
4955 Radio Cultural Amauta, Huanta,
2249+, August 18. Long commentary read in quechua.
After, cristian music in spanish. 24332
(Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
4995,7 Radio Andina, Huancayo,
2253+, August 18, andean tropical music. Local advs.
read by male and female. 25342 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
6193,8 Radio Cusco, Cusco, 0952-0958.
August 19. Very nice huaynos. ID. Strong QRM from
BBC at 0958 UTC. After, 34443
(Arnaldo Slaen, Argentine)
Posted on August
31, 2002
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