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The USCGC Courier
On April 18, 1952, the Voice of America floating station aboard the 338-foot USCGC Courier commenced broadcasting during a brief cruise to the Panama Canal Zone. With 80 men and 10 officers aboard, plus three VOA engineers, the Courier was to be the first of a proposed fleet of "Truth Ships" designed to defeat Soviet jamming by operating close to VOA target areas. But it was the only such ship that made it to air. One of the novel features of the early Courier installation was a 35 by 69 foot barrage balloon that held the medium wave antenna aloft. (The balloon had a tendency to break loose and was eventually replaced by a permanent antenna.) After Panama, the Courier headed to its permanent assignment in Rhodes. From there it identified as the Courier until 1959, when the ship's name was dropped from the ID and the Courier became the VOA transmitter "at Rhodes." A land-based station was installed at Rhodes in 1964, whereupon the Courier was retired from VOA service. |
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"[La Voz de los] Estados Unidos de América transmitiendo a través del Courier con la estación flotante KU2XAJ en aguas del Canal de Panamá. Esta emisora flotante de La Voz de los Estados Unidos de América está probando su equipo electrónico con programas en castellano que pueden escucharse desde las 5 hasta las 11 de la noche, hora de Panamá, en las frecuencias de 1.510 kilociclos onda larga y 9.690 y 6.110 kilociclos onda corta. Estos programas podrán escucharse hasta el domingo 27. Los técnicos de La Voz de los Estados Unidos de América agradecerán los informes que se reciban de los oyentes relativos a la claridad y fuerza de nuestra señal. Nuestra dirección, mientras dure este período de prueba, es Courier, Apartado 2016, Balboa, Zona del Canal. Y ahora, amigos, son las 7 de la noche y hora de presentar a Tito Arriagada con el Noticiero Courier." English translation: "[Voice of] America transmitting from the Courier, seaborne station KU2XAJ in the waters of the Panama Canal. This seaborne broadcasting station of the Voice of America is testing its electronic equipment with programs in Spanish that can be heard from 5 to 11 p.m., Panama time, on the frequencies of 1510 kc. mediumwave and 9690 and 6110 kc. shortwave. These programs will be available until Sunday the 27th. The engineers of the Voice of America would appreciate listener reports regarding the clarity and strength of our signal. Our address during this testing period is Courier, P.O. Box 2016, Balboa, Canal Zone. Now, friends, it is 7 p.m. and time to present Tito Arriagada with the Courier News." This recording was made in 1952 by Sweden Calling DXers host Arne Skoog. Thanks to the Sveriges DX Forbund, to Henrik Klemetz, who identified and edited the clips, and to Erik Koie, who digitized the original phonograph record. |
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