Autumn VOA Radiogram October 1-2

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Hello friends,

Last week, some listeners heard and decoded MFSK32 transmissions just before and just after VOA Radiogram Saturday at 1600-1630 UTC on 17580 kHz. The source of these transmissions is unknown. This Saturday, please listen (and, if possible, record) on 17580 in the minutes before 1600 UTC and after 1630 UTC to see if the mystery MFSK32 returns.

Last Saturday at 0930 UTC, on 5745 kHz, using the University of Twente receiver in the Netherlands, I saw a faint carrier from the North Carolina transmitter. It’s probably too early in the season to decode from such a signal, but, if you are in Europe (especially northern Europe), check this broadcast as winter approaches. 

This weekend’s broadcast will be all MFSK32 except for one news item in Olivia 16-1000. If your reception condition results in errors with the MFSK32, the Olivia 16-1000 might have fewer errors.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 183, 1-2 October 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted …

 1:48  Program preview

 3:04  Lyman-alpha blobs in distant space*

 7:05  Email service delivers updates on asteroids*

 9:32  Geysers on Jupiter's moon Europa*

17:27  Olivia 16-1000: US states object to Internet move

23:03  VOA to Ethiopia jammed

24:35  Elliott Electronic Computer*

26:22  Closing announcements*

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

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.

The Mighty KBC will transmit to North America Sunday 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 will be at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will transmit MFSK32 and probably other modes:

Sunday 2130-2200 UTC, 15770 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Sunday 2330-2400 UTC, 11580 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Monday 2000-2130 UTC, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

For schedule updates, visit DigiDX at http://www.digidx.uk/  or https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) has a broadcast to Europe on 6070 kHz, Wednesdays, at the new time of 1800-2100 UTC.  The MFSK32 and Olivia 16-500 are still at 2030-2100 UTC. IBC has also added a medium wave transmission Saturday 2000-2030 UTC from Radio Studio X, 1584 kHz, in Terni, Italy, with MFSK32 at 2025-2030. IBC also has MFSK32 transmissions via WRMI in Florida: Friday 0125-0200 UTC on 9955 kHz (Thursday 9:25 pm EDT), part of its 0100-0130 broadcast. And Saturday at 0155-0200 UTC (Friday evening 9:55 pm EDT), on 11580 kHz, part of its 0130-0200 broadcast.  See http://ibcradio.webs.com/ for the complete schedule and contact information

Thank you for your reception reports for last weekend’s broadcast. I am now compiling the MFSK image gallery from program 181, and hope to begin sending it out later today.

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

Twitter: @VOARadiogram

First Autumn 2016 VOA Radiogram 24-25 September

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Hello friends,

VOA Radiogram will be all MFSK32 again this weekend. We have found that MFSK32 provides a good combination of speed and performance in typical shortwave conditions. And MFSK has the added advantage of being able to transmit images. However, if you would like more variety of modes on VOA Radiogram, even if it means the occasional need for a manual mode change, let me know.

This weekend’s program will include more ASCII art after the closing announcement.  Use a monospace mode such as Courier, and maximize Fldigi, for best results. 

And, at the very end of the show, after the closing music, Flmsg will trigger a video. If you don’t already have Flmsg installed, you can download it here. To make Flmsg work with Fldigi, in Fldigi: Configure > Misc > NBEMS > under Reception of flmsg files, select Open with flmsg and Open in browser, and below that indicate where your Flmsg.exe file is located – probably somewhere in Program Files(x86).

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 182, 24-25 September 2016, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz:

 1:47  Program preview

 2:56  Extraterrestrial biosignatures are complicated*

10:11  University moon mission would be propelled by water*

18:14  Receiving/decoding Outernet L-band satellite content* 

24:05  Closing announcements, ASCII art

28:33  Flmsg: VOA News video

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

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.

The Mighty KBC will transmit to North America Sunday 0000-0100 UTC (Saturday 8-9 pm EDT) only on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 will be at about 0030 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will transmit MFSK32 and probably other modes:

Sunday 2130-2200 UTC, 15770 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Sunday 2330-2400 UTC, 11580 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Monday 2000-2130 UTC, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

For schedule updates, visit DigiDX at http://www.digidx.uk/  or https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) has a broadcast to Europe on 6070 kHz, Wednesdays, at the new time of 1800-2100 UTC.  The MFSK32 and Olivia 16-500 are still at 2030-2100 UTC. IBC has also added a medium wave transmission Saturday 2000-2030 UTC from Radio Studio X, 1584 kHz, in Terni, Italy, with MFSK32 at 2025-2030. IBC also has MFSK32 transmissions via WRMI in Florida: Friday 0125-0200 UTC on 9955 kHz (Thursday 9:25 pm EDT), part of its 0100-0130 broadcast. And Saturday at 0155-0200 UTC (Friday evening 9:55 pm EDT), on 11580 kHz, part of its 0130-0200 broadcast.  See http://ibcradio.webs.com/ for the complete schedule and contact information

Thank you for your reception reports last weekend. I am compiling the gallery of MFSK32 images and hope to send it out soon.

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

Twitter: @VOARadiogram

VOA Radiogram for 17-18 September 2016

Last weekend's ASCII art decoded here.

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Hello friends,

VOA Radiogram this weekend will be all MFSK32, thus suitable for unattended reception. There will be ASCII art after the closing announcement. Use a monospace font such as Courier for best results.

You can see some results via Twitter even if you don't have a Twitter account. Point your browser to twitter.com/voaradiogram during the weekend.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 181, 17-18 September 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted ...

 1:39  Program preview
 2:49  Pluto "spray paints" its moon Charon*
 7:07  China launches space lab into orbit*
10:20  NASA mission hopes to collect asteroid samples*
19:05  Peptide polymers fight resistant infections*
23:08  Image and closing announcements*

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

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.

The Mighty KBC now broadcasts to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8 to 10 pm EDT) on 6145 kHz via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 is about about 0130 UTC. Send reception reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will transmit MFSK32 and probably other modes:

Sunday 2130-2200 UTC, 15770 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Sunday 2330-2400 UTC, 11580 kHz, via WRMI Florida

Monday 2000-2130 UTC, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

For schedule updates, visit DigiDX at http://www.digidx.uk/  or https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) has a broadcast to Europe on 6070 kHz, Wednesdays, at the new time of 1800-2100 UTC.  The MFSK32 and Olivia 16-500 are still at 2030-2100 UTC. IBC also has MFSK32 transmissions via WRMI in Florida: Friday 0125-0200 UTC on 9955 kHz (Thursday 9:25 pm EDT), part of its 0100-0130 broadcast. And Saturday at 0155-0200 UTC (Friday evening 9:55 pm EDT), on 11580 kHz, part of its 0130-0200 broadcast.  See http://ibcradio.webs.com/ for the complete schedule and contact information

Thanks for your reception reports from last weekend. Good to see that the images are again unslanted!  I am now sending the MFSK image gallery for program 179, and hope to have all of them sent before the first show Saturday at 0930 UTC. 


Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

Twitter: @VOARadiogram (active especially before, during, and after broadcasts)

Hurricane Watch Net Activating for Hermine, Hawaii Dodges Madeline, SKYWARN Eyeing Lester

I've never seen this many tropical features active all at once.  I believe there were seven in the Atlantic and central Pacific at one time a few days ago.

From ARRL Letter:

09/01/2016
 
The Hurricane Watch Net has (HWN) has announced plans to activate for Tropical Storm Hermine at 1400 UTC. The storm is expected to develop into a hurricane before making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The net typically operates on 14.325 MHz until nightfall, then moves 7.268 MHz for the remainder of the evening. Given current band conditions, however, the HWN will be active on both frequencies simultaneously. The net will remain in operation until further notice, HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said.

“It seems we’ve been tracking this system, which began as a tropical disturbance, for nearly 2 weeks,” Graves said. “Yesterday, this system finally became Tropical Storm Hermine. It is expected to make landfall late Thursday evening or early Friday morning as a Category 1 Hurricane somewhere between Panama City Beach and Cedar Key, Florida…of course, this could change.”

As of 1200 UTC, Hermine was reported strengthening. It’s located about 235 miles west-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 65 MPH, moving north-northeast at 12 MPH. A Hurricane Warning is in effect from the Suwannee River to Mexico Beach. The NWS said interests along the US East Coast should monitor the progress of this system.

Graves said the HWN would be available to provide back-up communication to entities such as emergency operations centers and Red Cross offices in the affected area. “We will also be interested to collect and report significant damage assessment data to FEMA officials stationed in the National Hurricane Center,” he added.

Florida's Emergency Operations Center is at full activation, and evacuation shelters are on standby.


SKYWARN Tracking Pacific Hurricane Lester

ARRL Pacific Section Emergency Coordinator Clement Jung, KH7HO, said the National Weather Service (NWS) will activate SKYWARN for Hurricane Lester at 1800 UTC on Saturday, September 3, continuing until midnight on Sunday, September 4. All four Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) districts on the Big Island of Hawaii remain in active status for Hurricane Lester, to support each other and served agencies. KH6SW remains on the air from the NWS Honolulu Forecast Office on HF, VHF, and UHF.

The NWS reports that a weakening Madeline, now a tropical storm, was passing “well south of the Big Island,” with maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH, but the storm was dumping a lot of rain on the Big Island, and a flood advisory was in effect for some areas. Predictions call for up to 10 inches of rain, and possibly more. A SKYWARN activation for Madeline has been discontinued.

Hurricane Lester, now a category 2 storm, continues its westward movement toward the Hawaiian Islands. As of 0900 UTC, Lester was some 800 miles east of Hilo and 1030 miles east of Honolulu, boasting maximum sustained winds of 110 MPH. The storm is moving at 14 MPH. Some weakening was forecast through late Friday. No watches or warnings are in effect.

ARES teams remain ready to initiate local repeater nets, holding 146.52 MHz simplex in reserve in case repeaters go down. Plans call for using HF (7.180 and 3.975 MHz) to relay traffic via Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) nets to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency Emergency Operations Center (EOC). SKYWARN traffic will use Fldigi MT63 1KL or voice on 7.080 MHz (USB), with 3.888 MHz (LSB) as an alternate frequency, and 7.095 MHz available to support informal and tactical traffic.

Public schools in Hawaii remained closed on September 1, and Hawaii Gov David Inge has urged residents of the Big Island to take steps to protect people and property. Some government offices and businesses also have closed. A dozen schools have been designated to serve as emergency evacuation shelters.