VOA Radiogram for October 15-16

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Last weekend's Hawaii lava as received by Anatoly in Russia, Saturday 1600-1630 UTC, 17580 kHz.






Hello friends,


The "unadvertised" MFSK32 signal made another appearance last weekend. Chris in England  heard and decoded MFSK32 from the unknown station at 1555 UTC. Reception was difficult partly because the VOA carrier from North Carolina starts at about 1545 UTC, and it was strong into Europe last weekend. Please listen for, decode, and record if possible any strange MFSK32 signals just before or after the VOA Radiogram broadcast Saturday at 1600-1630 on 17580 kHz.


This weekend's VOA Radiogram will be all MFSK32. An image after the closing announcement shows the effects of flooding in North Carolina, near the transmitter site, following Hurricane Matthew. That will be followed by ASCII art (use monospace font such as Courier or Consolas). A small logo image and the waterfall ID will be seen after the closing music (I had an extra minute to fill). 

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 185, 15-16 October 2016, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz:

   1:51  Program preview
 3:02  Will electric cars dominate in wealthy cities by 2030?*
 8:26  Turkey questions historical treaty defining borders*
15:54  ARRL comments on FCC amateur radio digital mode rules*  
23:34  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

VOA shortwave to Haiti. The VOA Creole (Kreyòl) Service for Haiti is (as I write this) transmitting on shortwave in support of Hurricane Matthew relief efforts.  The schedule is daily 2000-2030 UTC on 11720 and 15220 kHz, via the North Carolina transmitting station.


Thanks for your reports from last weekend, during which reception conditions were unusually good.  I'm still responding to program 181 reception reports.


I hope you can tune and write in this weekend.


Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

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

VOA Radiogram for 8-9 October

Hello friends,


Hurricane Matthew will probably not affect our North Carolina transmitting site, so VOA Radiogram should be on the air as scheduled.  Most models show the storm turning east into the Atlantic, then maybe south and back west into Florida again. We hope that our listeners in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina stay safe and experience minimal disruptions.


This weekend, VOA Radiogram will include a new story in Olivia 64-2000. Let's hope for poor reception to provide a good test for this mode. For a correct decode of the Olivia 64-2000, the squelch (SQL) in the bottom right of the Fldigi interface  should be turned off. 



Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 184, 8-9 October 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:51  Program preview
 3:01  Another Saturn moon may have subsurface ocean*
 7:28  Video captures detail of Hawaii volcano lava*
14:34  Olivia 64-2000: Pacific garbage patch
23:25  MFSK32: Hurricane Matthew*
26:04  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

VOA to Ethiopia. During last week's VOA Radiogram, I included the transmission schedule for VOA broadcasts to Ethiopia, which are now jammed in Ethiopia, at least on some frequencies. Two of the frequencies have been changed: 12040 and 12080 kHz have been replaced by 11720 and 15785 kHz. The new schedule is ...

Afan Oromo              

1730-1800 UTC* 11720 12110 12140 13860 15630 15700 15785

Amharic                 

1600-1630 UTC*  1431

1630-1700 UTC*  6040 15580

1800-1900 UTC  11720 12110 12140 13860 15630 15700 15785

Tigrigna                

1900-1930 UTC* 11720  12110 13860 15630 15700 15785

* Monday through Friday


Thank you for your reports. I'm still sending out galleries from program 181, and hope to respond to more reports for more recent broadcasts during the weekend.


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

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

 

Twitter: @VOARadiogram

KPH Returns to Bolinas/Pt. Reyes 8 October

That's right! As promised a few weeks back, the historic KPH call sign is coming home.

From MRHS:


> Basic Details:

Date: Saturday 8 October 2016
Time: 1200 Pacific time/1900gmt (doors open at receive site at 1100 Pacific time)
Location: RCA receive site, 17400 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Point Reyes National Seashore

> Preparations:

The crack MRHS Transmitter Department has shifted all the KSM transmitters back to their original KPH frequencies, re-tuned the antennas, tested the keying and advise that all will be in order for the resumption of KPH service on Saturday 8 October

> KPH Operations:

No KPH operations will take place until 1200 Pacific time/1900gmt.  At that time a commemorative message will be sent - we hope by Ray Smith, the operator who signed KPH Bolinas/Point Reyes off the air on 30 June 1997.  KPH will then pick up the thread and resume operations operations just as it did for so many decades.

> KPH CW Frequencies:

426
500

4247.0
6477.5
8642.0
12808.5
17016.8
22477.5

KPH (and K6KPH) will be on the air every Saturday and Sunday so be sure listen for us.

> KPH Hours of Operation:

To give as many listeners as possible a chance to hear KPH we will extend our operating hours for this event to at least 2100 Pacific time/0400gmt 9 October.

> Receive frequencies:

KPH will monitor 500kc and ITU HF channel 3 for calls from ships -

4184.0
6276.0
8368.0
12552.0
16736.0
22280.5

If you want to hear both sides of our contacts with ships, listen on these frequencies for the ship's transmission. 

 

> KPH NBDP (RTTY) Frequencies:

6324.5   

12585.5

NBDP transmissions are available on Saturdays only.

> KSM Operations:

KSM will cease cease normal operation after 8 October 2016.  However on 8 October 2016 several KSM transmitters will remain on the air giving information about the switch over to KPH. 

> KSM CW Frequencies for 8 October 2016 (and possibly some following Saturdays):

6474.0
12993.0
22445.8

Note: The KSM transmitters on these frequencies will all be vintage heavy iron: 1950s vintage RCA K and L sets and the 1942 Press Wireless PW15.

> K6KPH Operations:

Amateur station K6KPH will be in operation as usual, listening for calls on these frequencies:

3550.0
7050.0
14050.0
18097.5
21050.0

> Station Telephone:

The receive site can be contacted directly by telephone on +1 415-669-9646 for general information, or to set up schedules.  But PLEASE NOTE that the phone will be answered only when the receive site is staffed.

> Public Event!:

Join us on the air or in person at the receive site to participate in this historic event - the return of KPH to its ancestral home at Bolinas and Point Reyes.  When we began our project we would never have believed this day would come.  You can be there with us when the famous call KPH is heard once again.

Doors open at the receive site at 1100 Pacific time.