Doug Smith W9WI wrote in message ...
Greg and Joan wrote:
1) Didn't PJB, 800 khz, Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire) run 500Kw? Do
they still do so today? I used to be able to pick them up in Massachusetts

Yes and no.

(the night before my brother's wedding in Traverse City, Michigan PJB
was BOMBING into my motel room. I mean, they were louder than the
Chicago clears less than 200 miles away. Things must have been auroral
that night.)

My understanding is PJB's power plant (they had their own...) burned
down. When they rebuilt they decided to settle for 100kw and a
directional antenna favoring northern South America. (Venezuela &
Colombia)

Trans World Radio (PJB) still operates from Bonaire with 100kw and
still on 800 khz MW. About 3 years ago (not in the late 80's as
someone else mentioned), TWR decided for reasons of cost to replace
the old faithful unit with a new solid state transmitter. Tubes for
the old 500 kw MW unit got increasingly more expensive to rebuild when
they failed, and the costs of fuel to run the deisel generators higher
and higher. With a reassessment of the need to "boom" into its former
coverage, TWR decided to focus on the Caribbean and northern parts of
S. America only as we are able to serve many of the areas further
south by program distribution to local Christian stations. We do get
occasional reports from US-based MW DXers and are grateful for them,
but don't consdier the US a target any longer. We're airing English
(though on a reduced schedule), Spanish, Portuguese and a couple of
smaller Indian languages.

The PJB power plant was sold to the local electric company on Bonaire
to help power the grid there. The fire mentioned above was not at TWR
(PJB's) site, but rather at the R. Netherlands facility also on
Bonaire.

Trust this will help clear things up.

Bill Damick
Trans World Radio Headquarters
Cary, NC
www.twr.org