Wintry VOA Radiogram for 13-14 December 2014

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Hello friends,

Many of us experience noise on our radios when audio from the radio is patched to a computer – especially a computer using an AC converter. VOA Radiogram listener Al Holt has provided these plans to build a ground isolator that might reduce some of that noise. [I used this type of transformer with a scanner once, and it works, if the problem is indeed grounding. -Hugh]

Noise from your computer cannot be blamed if you were unable to receive VOA Radiogram last weekend Sunday at 1930 UTC on 15670 kHz. Mid-winter propagation is the real cause. The 15670 kHz transmission was generally not heard  in Europe, but it was received fairly well in North America. And Chris in New Zealand received 15670 well enough for this MFSK32 image decode …

Let’s hope that 15670 is usable in Europe this weekend.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 89, 13-14 December 2014, all in MFSK32 except where noted …

1:34  Program preview (now)
2:43  News about amateur radio and shortwave
5:20  Citizen scientists track coastal ecosystem*
12:45  Controversy about South China Sea boundaries*
20:18  Russian television channel may be shut down*
27:39  Closing announcements
28:32  Bonus mode of the week: Olivia 32-1000

*with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5910 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC resumes its minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

The ARRL 10-Meter Contest is this weekend, Saturday 0000 to Sunday 2359 UTC.  Modes are CW and phone (no digital modes). An ARRL 100th anniversary station will operate during the contest from the Voice of America Amateur Radio Club, K3VOA, using the call W1AW/3. I may be operating phone from the station on Sunday, especially around 14 to 16 UTC.  The 10-meter band is 28-29.7 MHz, where propagation can be very good, or very bad.

The International Space Station is planning to transmit slow scan television (SSTV) on 18 and 20 November. Details here. The SSTV mode will be PD180, which can be received with MultiPSK.

Thanks for all your reports from last weekend, the inaudible 15670 kHz notwithstanding. I will prepare a gallery of the images that were decoded, then answer your emails.

Thanks also to all who reported on the sound of the new audio processor being tested from the North Carolina transmitter.


Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott  

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net