This Old stuff post is intended to wake up some memories of the past, when LA-DX on shortwaves comprised the gold mine for listeners.

In late May 1990 very good conditions towards especially Bolivia in the 90, 60 and 49 meter bands shortwave was observed here in Finland. An andinian station was unexpectedly heard on 4981.5v kHz, between Ecos del Torbes, Venezuela on 4980 and R Brasil Central, Brasil on 4985 kHz with rather good signal strength. I got the ID “Radiodifusoras Minería” on May 19, 1990 but, according to WRTH 1990 this station, officially listed on 4985, should have been inactive at that time. The first logging of this station in Finland was done one day earlier, on May 18, 1990 by Ilkka Suni (IS).

In order to confirm the logging, I called Henrik Klemetz (HK) in Umeå, Sweden and discussed the matter and I also sent him a recording of the logging. This was the first connection to HK since I started DXing in 1963 and since then we have, should I say, been in very close contact digging into the mysteries of Latin American DXing. Henrik has been instrumental in solving a huge number of so called unidentified loggings, not only for me, but for very many DXers all around the world due to his excellent knowledge of Latin American radio, his deep knowledge in  the Spanish language and being a DX-listener himself.

On May 24, 1990 HK called up Radiodifusoras Mineria in Oruro, Bolivia and had a chat with Sr. Wilfredo Navarro in the middle of a transmission so HK’s phone call was aired all over the Altiplanos. Please listen to the conversation on the below audio mp3:

Radio Difusoras Mineria_HK_24.5.1991

Resulting from HK’s call was a very nice QSL-letter from Dr. José Carlos G´mez Espinoza, Gerente y Director General de Radiodifusoras Mineria who also included a very nice pennant and other materials of this re-activated “new” bolivian.

NOTE from Henrik Klemetz: Radio Minería has been off the air for several years, both on SW and MW, says Angel Oquendo, who is from Oruro. Wilfredo Navarro Amurrio passed away in June 2001.


Posted by in 1990s, Audio, Bolivia, Older DX-stuff