I got busy writing the next TSM column, and missed posting the weekly VOA Radiogram notice when it had a lot of news in it. Mostly, this is that the German government has banned narrowband digital modes on AM analog transmitters. Huh? DRM is digital, and that's still legal. Also, I forgot to make the frequency change for the first broadcast, and got an SDR file of nothing. Sigh.
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From Kim Andrew Elliott:
Hello friends,
New this weekend is the elimination of the digital text modes from shortwave transmitters in Germany.
The German regulator Bundesnetzagentur has ruled that the digital
modes are not allowed in the broadcast bands. Because of this, there
will be no MFSK32 on
The Mighty KBC this weekend, because it uses a transmitter in Nauen, Germany. And, for the time being, there will be no
DigiDX MFSK broadcasts on Channel 292, 6070 kHz, and Radio 700, 3985 kHz.
Listeners in Germany might want to note these arguments
for the digital modes on the shortwave broadcast bands: 1) It is broadcasting,
not point-to-point communication. 2) It can be received on any
shortwave radio, even inexpensive portables with no SSB capability.
(Software is required to decode the
text and images, but this can be included in future shortwave radios.)
3) DRM is legal on the shortwave broadcast bands, and DRM can transmit
text and images. 4) Text and images via analog radio requires less
spectrum (bandwidth) than DRM. 5) Text and images
via analog radio are a useful new application for underutilized
shortwave transmitters and frequencies. 6) Text and images via analog
radio extend the range of a shortwave transmitter, resulting in accurate
content in conditions where voice transmissions may
be unintelligible. 7) Digital modes via shortwave can be a useful
alternative when the Internet is not available due to disasters or to
net censorship by dictators.
VOA Radiogram, program 157, 2-3 April 2016 is all MFSK32 except for the transmission schedule in Olivia 64-2000 under the closing music:
1:35 Program preview
2:48 Asia at risk for water shortages*
10:25 Seismic risk map now includes quakes caused by humans*
17:05 Latvia blocks Russia's Sputnik website*
22:20 View bald eagles in Washington via Nest Cam*
25:30 Closing announcements*
28:05 Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule
* with image
Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.
And visit voaradiogram.net.
Twitter: @VOARadiogram
VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5745 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.
Digital modes on The Mighty KBC (via Germany) and DigiDX
(via Channel 292, 6070 kHz, and Radio 700, 3985 kHz, both via
Germany) will not be available this weekend for reasons stated above.
DigiDX will be available via WRMI, Florida, Sunday at 2130-2200 UTC on 15770 kHz and 2330-2400 UTC on 11580 kHz.
Thank you for your reception reports to VOA Radiogram last weekend. I
am now compiling the gallery for program 136 (November 2015) and hope
to send it to listeners this weekend.
Kim
Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net
Twitter: @VOARadiogram.net