From Kim Andrew Elliott:
Hello friends,
This weekend's VOA Radiogram (number 27, 21-22 September 2013) is produced using Fldigi
3.21.76AB. For best results, use this version, available from
www.w1hkj.com/alpha/fldigi/v3.21/
One improvement in 3.21.76AB is that it can send
images in MFSK64 and MFSK128. Previously, MFSK32 was the fastest MFSK
mode for sending images without the pictures appearing skewed (off
center). Images do not transmit more quickly in MFSK64
and MFSK128, but they do have higher resolution.
If your decoded MFSK64 and MFSK128 images are still
slanted or skewed, calibration of the receive codec might be helpful.
One such method for doing this is described here:
www.w1hkj.com/FldigiHelp-3.21/DigiWWV.html.
Our non-Latin alphabet of the week is Greek. You
will need the UTF-8 character set for the Greek and for some of the
punctuation in the English items. I forgot to change some of the
typographic apostrophes ’ to typewriter apostrophes '
, so they will not display correctly if you do not have the UTF-8
character set. In Fldigi, that adjustment is made in Configure >
Colors & Fonts.
This weekend's program includes an English VOA News
item in Flmsg format. When all the text is received, the story will
render, or pop up, as a new web page on your browser, suitable for
saving or forwarding. To make Flmsg work with Fldigi
(both can be downloaded from w1hkj.com), in Fldigi: Configure > Misc
> NBEMS -- Under Reception of flmsg files, check both boxes, and
under that indicate where your Flmsg.exe file is located.
Much of the show this weekend is in the MFSK64
mode, which might be a bit optimistic if reception conditions are less
than ideal.
Here is the lineup of modes for VOA Radiogram, 21-22 September 2013:
2:53 MFSK16: Program preview
2:40 MFSK32: Sample of Greek text
:49 MFSK32 image: VOA Greek Service logo
3:01 MFSK32: "Need to Protect the Internet"
1:45 MFSK64: Radio Free Sarawak/Discovery Channel
2:23 MFSK64 image: "Duck Commander"
:27 MFSK128: CNBC Saracens deal
:48 MFSK128 image: CNBC logo
:45 MFSK32: E-mail address
4:40 MFSK64: BBC Worldwide, Giglio TV, Voice of Greece, All India Radio
2:55 MFSK64/Flmsg: VOA News re Voyager Golden Record
2:17 MFSK32 image: Voyager Golden Record
:33 MFSK32: Closing announcements
VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC)
Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1300-1330 6095 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.
Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com
Screenshots and audio samples are appreciated,
especially audio of difficult reception that nevertheless results in a
successful decode of the text modes.
Reception on inexpensive shortwave portable radios
is helpful, but so is reception on more sophisticated communications
receivers, amateur transceivers, and SDR receivers.
I am now studying your reports from the weekend of 14-15 September and will be responding in the next couple of days.
Kim
Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
radiogram@voanews.com
Twitter: @voaradiogram
