The Polish Eagle Show

Sophie and Victor Zembruski

All my grandparents were born in Poland. As a result, the Polish language was the first language in my parent's homes and when they married, they continued speaking Polish in their newlywed home.

When I came along two years later, they were still speaking Polish and as a result, Polish was my first language. English became my second language when television entered our home.

Just as the Polish language was spoken in my home, Polish music was heard on the radio in my home.

We often listened to Andy Szuberla on Saturdays broadcasting from WACE (730 kc) in Chicopee, Massachusetts and Stan Ozmak on WRYM (840 kc) in New Britain, Connecticut, who did his show live from the Polish National Home in Hartford on Sundays. But we religiously listened to the Victor and Sophie Zembruski's "The Polish Eagle Show" every Sunday morning broadcast from WATR (1320 kc) located two blocks from my home in Waterbury.

We were loyal to the Zembruski's radio show. Victor and Sophie Zembruski were distant relatives --- Victor's sister was married to my mother's brother, my Uncle Ray. Also, Victor and his Polka band played at my parent's wedding reception.

Victor started "The Polish Eagle Show" in 1934. Sophie joined Victor on the air soon after.

Nathan Zembruski

Victor had a stroke in the early 1960s, so Sophie did the show solo until her 90th birthday in 2008.

Victor and Sophie's daughter, Loretta Hoxie, took over and continued spinning polkas from 8 to 10 AM every Sunday until September 1, 2013.

Nathaniel Zembruski took over the hosting duties for the next seven years until he decided to end the show as his junior year of high school concluded. The last show aired this morning, May 31, 2020, after an amazing 86-year run!

Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower – Canadian Analog TV

By Mike Schaffer, KA3JAW, Guest Columnist

The eta Aquariids started on Sunday, April 19 and will be active until Thursday, May 28 with the peak occurring Monday and Tuesday, May 4-5.

I been busy today, Thursday, April 30 detecting Canadian analog TV via meteor scatter with the SDRuno coupled with a six meter dipole antenna strung between the house wall and the clothesline pole in the backyard.

Yes, Canada still has full-powered analog transmitters operational from rural places that run up to 180kW effective radiated power. There are only several active stations on each low-band VHF channel (2-6) in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario.

It is easy to identify the station in question without the need of video and/or audio of a TV set, as each station broadcast on either one of three video carrier offset frequencies.

Example:

Analog TV-2

   Offset (-) 55.240 MHz

   Offset (z) 55.250 MHz 

   Offset (+) -55.260 MHz

Figure 1 is a map to give you an idea what can be done with a software defined radio that a standard analog cathode-ray picture tube television set with a blue screen feature (video squelch circuit) cannot do when the incoming signal is faint.

On the top center is a GACTVDX logo, the orange triangles are the stations received, the blue triangle is my QTH. The map shows eight Canadian NTSC analog stations that were detected via meteor scatter (Ms).

Channel Callsign Location                  ERP    Distance

                                                  (miles/km)

1. 6- CJOH-TV-6  CTV Deseronto, Ontario    100 kW 256/411

2. 2+ CIII-TV-2  Global Bancroft, Ontario  100 kW 331/532

3. 5+ CHRO CTV2  Pembroke, Ontario         100 kW 369/593

4. 5Z CICI CTV   Sudbury, Ontario          100 kW 496/798

5. 6+ CJCH-TV-6  Caledonia, Nova Scotia    100 kW 573/922

6. 2- CHBX CTV   Sault Ste Marie, Ontario  100 kW 610/981

7. 3+ CITO CTV   Timmons, Ontario          100 kW 613/986

8. 4Z CJCB CTV   Sydney, Nova Scotia       180 kW 843/1356

ERP= Effective radiated Power

Figure 2. SDRuno – Spectrum + Waterfall Displays

Date: April 30, 2020

Onset Time (local): 8:10:52 PM

Duration: 8 seconds

Channel: TV-3

Frequency: 61.260 MHz

Offset: +

Effective Radiated Power: 72.4 kW Average, 100 kW Peak

Callsign: CITO

Network: CTV

Location: Timmons, Ontario, Canada

Distance: 613 miles

Azimuth: 333 degrees (north-northwest)

Figure 3. CTV Network Logo

Figure 4. CTV2 Network Logo

Figure 5. Global Network Logo