Interesting VOA Radiogram for March 14-15
From Kim Andrew Elliott:
Hello friends,
Last weekend's tests with audio levels and the "wandering RSIDs" were not especially conclusive. I will study your reports in more detail as I read and answer your emails in the next few days.
[I can't get a handle on that one either. It happened to me once, but I couldn't find a reason despite having the SDR's I/Q recording. -Hugh]
The VOA news item in Flmsg generally worked well.
A few listeners, including me, tried the new AndFlmsg Android app to decode VOA Radiogram. That was also successful. See more here:
http://voaradiogram.net/post/113349398627/decoding-voa-radiogram-on-android-devices
I bought a US$80 Android tablet. I never before owned a tablet or played with Android, but I was able to download the app and make it work. (I still have much to learn about tablets, Android, and the app.)
If you have an Android device, you can download the beta version of AndFlmsg from:
http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/
[I grabbed this app after Kim mentioned it last week. It works on my ASUS tablet here. Screen shot:
]
It has been the custom on VOA Radiogram to insert line breaks at 65 characters. This seems to provide the best looking print-out of text on most personal computers. On this weekend's program, there will be no line breaks on the second news story: It will be pure "wrap." Let me know how it looks on your display. This will be especially interesting if you are trying the AndFlmsg app on an Android app.
This weekend's VOA Radiogram will include a brief Flmsg item (using plaintext form), just before the closing announcements and using the plaintext form. It will be interesting to see how this renders on personal computers using Fldigi and on Android devices using And Flmsg.
Yes, last weekend's transmission UTC 8 March at 0230-0300 had technical difficulties. The transmitter stayed on the air, but the audio input was interrupted in the beginning, so the first MFSK32 image could not be decoded.
Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 102, 14-15 March 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:
1:58 Program preview
3:02 Iran's "Halal" Internet*
10:37 Islamic state's Facebook alternative goes offline*
17:12 North Koreans import smartphones to store videos*
24:51 Flmsg about AndFlmsg
25:47 Closing announcements
28:19 Olivia 32-1000: Bonus mode of the week
* with image
Please send reception report 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 will transmit a minute of MFSK (an image showing the central railway station in Ede, the Netherlands, home of KBC) on Saturday at 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at 0130 UTC (Saturday evening 9:30 pm EDT) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Reports to Eric at themightykbc@gmail.com .
Thanks for your very interesting reception reports from last weekend. I'll compile a gallery of MFSK images and respond as soon as possible.
Kim
Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net
