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POR LAS RUTAS DE QUISQUEYA #2

Radio Cima Cien

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The following item is taken from Relampago DX #113 (January 2000) by Takayuki Inoue Nozaki. It is placed here with permission.

It was in the middle of September 1992 that Radio Cima 100, a commercial station broadcasting on 100.5 MHz FM in Santo Domingo, made its first appearance on shortwave band. The shortwave outlet initially established on a drifting frequency in the vicinity of 4962.3 kHz, but subsequently it moved down to the official assigned frequency of 4960 kHz. The shortwave transmission of Radio Cima 100 was sporadically heard on the frequency range between 4959.8 kHz and 4960.1 kHz from the middle of September of 1992 to January of 1999. Afterward, HIAH Radio Villa "La Sencilla", another station of "Circuito Radial Roberto Vargas" which formerly broadcast on 1330 kHz, started to operate on the same shortwave frequency in the middle of September of 1999. According to the announcement, the station is on the air simultaneously on 1480 kHz medium wave and 4960 kHz shortwave. While I was in Santo Domingo in late December 1998, I noted that Radio Visión operated on 1330 kHz on which Radio Villa "La Sencilla" had been formerly on the air, and the newly assigned frequency could not be found.

On December 28, 1998, I visited the broadcasting facilities of Radio Cima 100, located at Avenida 27 de Febrero No. 265, a main thoroughfare in Santo Domingo. The station was in a third story building, contained a bank on the first floor and several offices on the second and third floors. There was no station's billboard outside, but the remarkable antenna towers on the top of the building made me easy to find the station. Upon entering into the reception room, the secretary immediately recognized me from a photograph of myself and of my DX shack which I had enclosed with my reception report. But I was informed by her that Roberto Vargas, the station owner and director, had just left but might return an other day. As for my limited time in Santo Domingo, I should visit other shortwave broadcasters, I could not come back to visit Radio Cima 100. While eagerly explaining why I could not have enough time to back again, a youngish man entered. The secretary briefly spoke him about the visit of a Japanese listener, and soon later cordially greeted me. I went around the broadcasting facilities and transmitting units under the guidance of him.

The facilities consisted simply of a small reception room, an owner/director's office, an operating studio, and a recording studio. The operating studio was equipped with a "LPB Signature III" brand console mixer (6 channel), two "Denon" brand DN-650 model MD decks, a computer which controlled the programming and time check for 24 hours a day, and no microphone. Daily programs are edited and scheduled by the computer system. Therefore the operators observe the scheduled programming and commercial advertisements with the computer and audio monitor, and if they notice errors, they take measures against problems and modify the programs.

The FM transmitters were installed in a strongly-built ferroconcrete house, located at the back of the building. Radio Cima 100 owns two transmitters of the "RCA" brand; BTF-20 model (20 kW) and BTF-10 model (10 kW). Generally the FM outlet runs with the transmitter of 20 kW. In case of power outage, the standby transmitter of 10 kW will be utilized with its own generator of an output of 20 kW. The 1 kW transmitter which had formerly been used by the FM outlet on 100.5 MHz, was transferred to La Roma Manacurita in the Province of Monseñor Nouel. It is currently used for the repeating station for the Region of Cibao, broadcasting on 88.7 MHz.

Hurricane Mitch caused serious damage to the Dominican Republic, and also some Caribbean and Central American countries. As Radio Cima 100 naturally suffered a great loss from the disaster, it discontinued operations for about two months. Behind the building, I saw that a couple of horribly snapped and broken iron antenna towers were left in ruins. These destroyed antenna towers described to me the horrifying damage of the hurricane.

The shortwave transmitter had been located in San Cristóbal, about 30 kilometers west from Santo Domingo, however, it was established in the same second floor of the building where the studio and office occupied. The transmitter site was also tremendously destroyed by Hurricane Mitch, and it was difficult reconstruct the transmitting house and the antenna at the same site. Therefore, the transmitting unit was transferred from San Cristóbal to Santo Domingo. The shortwave outlet was equipped with a 1 kW transmitter, designed and manufactured by a famous Dominican electrical engineer, Ing. Andrez Infante, and fed into a 1/2 wave dipole antenna (35 meters high above the ground). During my stay in Santo Domingo, the station was audible with fairly strong signal on the measured frequency of 4960.1 kHz from evening through early morning.

After a short tour in the station facilities, Sr. Gerardo Vargas, the eldest son of the station owner, and I swapped stories on many aspects of shortwave broadcasting and DXing. Radio Cima 100 was founded in 1978 by Roberto Vargas. Initially the station transmitted on 100.5 MHz with programming of 18 hours at 1000-0400. Afterward, it commenced the 24 hour broadcasting. In September of 1992 on the occasion of the year of the 500th anniversary celebrations honoring the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the New World, Radio Cima 100 commenced shortwave transmissions on 4960 kHz in the 60 meter band. Since then the station began to be logged in different countries in the world. As of December of 1998, Radio Cima 100 runs for 24 hours and has a staff of 15 persons. Radio Cima 100 broadcasts on 100.5 MHz from Santo Domingo and 88.7 MHz from La Roma Manacurita. The shortwave outlet operates on 4960 kHz at 2200-1000 daily, relaying the programs of the FM outlets, and covers the whole Hispaniola Island and neighboring Caribbean countries from the evening through the early morning. The programming is composed of a variety of music including: merengue, salsa, bachata, ranchera, adult contemporary and easy listening, with the exception of the micro news "Boletín de Noticias". The one minute news bulletin which is conduced by Orland Ortíz, is on the air every half hour.

Canned identification
"Cima Sabor Navideño transmitiendo desde Santo Domingo en los 100.5 MHz, cubriendo la región sur, este y noreste del país; en cadena con los 88.7 MHz desde La Roma Manacurita en la Provincia de Monseñor Nouel, cubriendo to el Cibao. Cima Sabor Navideño, su aguinaldo radial nacional."

QSLs
Radio Cima 100 is undoubtedly a good verifier. They gratefully wish for reception reports on the shortwave transmission. If the reports are correct in the details as to programming and the quality of reception, the station will verify with a hand made QSL card and an attractive pennant which shows station mascot and the Alcazar palace of Christopher Columbus. Send your reports in Spanish to the following mail address: Apartado postal No. 804, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana.

Technical Information

HIVR 4960 kHz: is equipped with a transmitter (1 kW) manufactured by Ing. Andrez Infante in 1992, and a 1/2 wave dipole antenna (35 meters high above the ground). The nominal frequency officially assigned to the shortwave outlet is 4960 kHz, but it was actually heard on 4960.1 kHz during my stay in Santo Domingo.
HIVR 100.5 MHz: is equipped with two "RCA" transmitters: BTF-20 model (20 kW) and BTF-10 model (10 kW), and a 5 elements omni directional antenna (70 meters high above the ground). The transmitter of 10 kW power is occasionally utilized in emergencies.

Transmitter site: Avenida 27 de Febrero No. 265, segundo piso, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana.
Studio: Avenida 27 de Febrero No. 265, oficina 201, Ensanche Piantini, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana.

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DXer of the Year for 1995
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