Although it has improved in recent months, carriers are plagued with noise. Sometimes M8a tapes are played on V2a schedules and vice versa. Radio Havana has been noted mixing with numbers broadcasts. Carriers often come up for a scheduled broadcast, but no audio ever appears. Audio quality is regularly terrible with the numbers sounding distorted or completely unreadable.
False starts are common.
Tapes frequently skip or break. Also, the sound of a telephone being placed back into the cradle is often heard when broadcasts conclude. At 03.06, operator noticed the error and placed the V2a tape on the air, but neglected to cut out the M8 tape which played through the remainder of the transmission. The 04.00 transmission on 4479 of V2a started without the benefit of a call-up. Several minutes into the broadcast the operator re wound the tape and the transmission resumed with the correct Atencion call-up.