We had an excellent response to the VOA Radiogram of 15 and 16 June. Thanks for your reports and attachments. I am still analyzing the audio and screenshots you have sent. It's all fascinating.As I expected, many of you lost the ability to decode MFSK16 when it was reduced to -12 dB under the noise that was mixed with it. I was surprised, however, at the number of listeners who copied all of the MFSK16 at that level. Many of these listeners are in Europe.For the weekend of 21 and 22 June, the number of reports I receive might be reduced somewhat by the amateur radio Field Day exercise here in North America. I hope you can take a break from Field Day and tune in to one of the VOA Radiogram airplays.This weekend's main experiment will involve the EasyPal digital image system. We will use a more robust 4-QAM setting, rather than the 16-QAM setting of previous weeks. As a result, the EasyPal image transmission will occupy seven minutes of the next broadcast, rather than the usual 2:40. The reward for this long EasyPal transmission might be a successful decode of the EasyPal image if it has not succeeded before. Because it does require seven minutes of a 29-minute program, we will not transmit 4-QAM EasyPal images on a regular basis. Download EasyPal from vk4aes.com.Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 14, 22-23 June 2013:2:23 MFSK16: Program preview3:17 MFSK32: VOA News story about Google balloons2:13 MFSK32: Image of a Google balloon:22 MFSK32: Introduction to Flmsg3:41 MFSK32 in Flmsg* format: VOA News re Chinese computer:14 MFSK32: Intro to MFSK642:53 MFSK64: VOA News story about new astronauts1:07 MFSK32: Image of new astronauts:53 MFSK32: Introduction to EasyPal7:03 EasyPal image of the week1:08 MFSK16: Closing announcements:18 Surprise mode of the week*Use Flmsg with Fldigi, both available from w1hkj.com.During VOA Radiogram during the weekend of 8-9 June, our "interference" experiment involved the song "I Remember You" by Slim Whitman. We selected Mr. Whitman's song because his amazing vocal range provided a good test for the MFSK modes. This week came the sad news that Slim Whitman died Wednesday, age 90.KimKim Andrew ElliottProducer and PresenterVOA RadiogramVOA Radiogram transmission schedule(all days and times UTC):Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHzSun 0230-0300 5745 kHzSun 1300-1330 6095 kHzSun 1930-2000 15670 kHzAll via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.VOA Radiogramradiogram@voanews.comTwitter: @voaradiogram
Utility Planet is the official blog for the column of the same name in The Spectrum Monitor. It replaces Utility World in the discontinued Monitoring Times magazine. Utilities are all VLF/LF/MF/HF (and sometimes low-band VHF) radio communications except broadcasting, CB, and non-emergency amateur. If you understood the last sentence, you know enough to read this blog.