Stormy VOA Radiogram for 26-27 November

The coronal holes just keep on coming.

Hope all our readers in the USA had a nice Thanksgiving.

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From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Hello friends,

Apologies to those of you who tried to listen to last weekend's Sunday 0230 UTC transmission on 5745 kHz, only to hear nothing. The transmitter normally used for VOA Radiogram was quickly needed to replace another transmitter. Regularly scheduled broadcasts from the North Carolina station have priority over VOA Radiogram, which is an experimental broadcast. 

If you are in Europe and tried to listen to the Sunday 1930 UTC broadcast on 15670 kHz, you probably also heard nothing. In this case, it was bad propagation, for the third week in a row. On the other hand, this transmission was heard in western North America and even in Australia (see the images and text decoded by Frank in Perth at the bottom of this email).

The Saturday 0930-1000 UTC broadcast on 5865 kHz is starting to be heard in Europe via the gray line. If you are not in Europe but want to see how this works, try the University of Twente receiver in the Netherlands:
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901. Reception will, of course, vary from week to week.

Because of the challenging propagation that we encounter this time of year, one of the news items in this weekend's broadcast will again be in Olivia 64-2000. This mode may provide a 100% decode even if MFSK32 struggles. For best Olivia 64-2000 performance, turn off the Fldigi squelch (SQL, bottom right). 

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 191, 26-27 November 2016, all in MFSk32 except where noted ...

 1:48  Program preview 
 2:59  GOES-R weather satellite launched*
 9:40  Olivia 64-2000: Chinese lunar-orbiting satellite
17:05  MFSK32: 56-year-old radio amateur joins ISS crew*
21:33  Trump promise to rename Mt. Denali Mt. McKinley*
27:14  Closing announcements

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 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 has an expanded schedule this weekend.  KBC's broadcast to North America will be Sunday at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 will be transmitted at about 0130 UTC. KBC will also broadcast to Europe on Sunday at 1200-1300 UTC on 6095 kHz. A minute of MFSK32 will be at about 1230 UTC. This won't be audible in North America, but you can listen via the University of Twente receiver in the Netherlands: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/ .  

 

DigiDX has a new transmission schedule, both via WRMI Florida:

Sunday 2030-2100 UTC on  11580Khz (Targeted at Europe)
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC on 11580kHz (For North and South America)

See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

 

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) has digital modes as follows:

EVERY WEDNESDAY ON 3975 KHZ 20.30-21.00 UTC in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500

EVERY FRIDAY ON 9955 KHZ 02.25-02.30 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SATURDAY ON 1584 KHZ 21.25-21.30 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SUNDAY ON 7730 KHZ 00.55-01.00 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SUNDAY ON 6070 KHZ 11.30-12.00 UTC  in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500 (VIA RADIO BCLNEWS)

For the complete IBC transmission schedule, including voice broadcasts, visit  http://ibcradio.webs.com/

Thank you for your reception reports from last weekend (or reports of attempted reception).

Galleries from program 187 (29-30 October) have finally been sent out.

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

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

Twitter: @VOARadiogram

Very experimental VOA Radiogram for 19-20 November

This one ought to be interesting.

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Happy to report that our listeners Chris and Lorne in New Zealand are OK after Monday's earthquake. Here is Chris's decode of the oil made from sludge, transmitted Saturday, 12 November (before the quake), 0930-1000 UTC, 5865 kHz.

Hello friends,

I forgot to mention last week that for listeners in most of North America, VOA Radiogram is now on one hour earlier by local time, now that Daylight time has reverted to Standard time. The UTC times are the same.

Last week’s broadcast Sunday at 1930-2000 UTC on 15670 kHz was again inaudible in Europe. But, again, it provided good text and images to the western USA.

Possible solutions to the poor 15670 kHz would be a change to a 13 or maybe 11 MHz frequency at the same 1930 UTC time.

Or a change of broadcast time to dawn in Europe, around 0500 or 0600 UTC, probably on a frequency near 6 MHz.

I am also considering a change the Sunday 0230-0300 UTC frequency to dusk in North Carolina, around 2300 UTC, for maximum night-time propagation to the east.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts about changing VOA Radiogram times and frequencies.

This weekend, we will try an experiment suggested by Roger in Germany.

As you know, the transmitter hum, most pronounced at 360 Hz, has mixed with the RSID, resulting in the Fldigi RxID flipping the audio frequency to ~1140 Hz rather than the correct ~1500 Hz.

Roger suggested transmitting “nonsense data” at 360 Hz, in addition to the primary data at 1500 Hz, to see if it prevents the intermodulation that causes the incorrect audio frequency. Or maybe it will make it worse. In any case, this should be fun.

Please follow this procedure for this weekend’s VOA Radiogram:

1.     Configure > IDs > ID > RsID > select Searches passband

2.     At 1:45 into the show, observe if RxID changes center frequency to 1140 Hz rather than the correct 1500 Hz. Change it back to 1500 Hz if necessary

3.     At 2:30, during the program preview, BPSK63F (PSK63F) at 360 Hz, reduced by 15 dB, no RSID, with the VOA Radiogram transmission schedule, will begin.

4.     At 2:56, the mode changes to Olivia 64-2000, with RSID. Observe if the audio frequency stays at the correct 1500 Hz or changes to 1140 Hz.  Change the frequency back to 1500 Hz if necessary.

5.     At 10:03, the mode changes back to MFSK32, with RSID.  Observe if the audio frequency stays at the correct 1500 Hz or changes to 1140 Hz. Change the frequency back to 1500 Hz if necessary.

6.     At 13:02, the BPSK63F at 360 Hz will end.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 190, 19-20 November 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:45  Program preview

 2:56  Olivia 64-2000: FUNcube enters amateur service

10:03  MFSK32: China increases Internet control*

17:29  Freedom House global Internet freedom report*

26:34  Closing announcements*

* With image

Please send reception reports to

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 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.

Radio Pushka (Радио Пушка) will broadcast via Channel 292, Germany, 6070 kHz, Sunday, 20 November, at 2000-2100 UTC. MFSK32 will start at 2052 UTC, followed by one experiment with Feld Hell, then SSTV Scottie 1 mode (2 pictures). See http://radiopushka.blogspot.ru/2016/11/the-hell-digi-schedule-20112016.html .

The Mighty KBC will broadcast to North America Sunday at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 will be transmitted at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/ .  

DigiDX has a new transmission schedule, both via WRMI Florida:

Sunday 2030-2100 UTC on  11580Khz (Targeted at Europe)
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC on 11580kHz (For North and South America)

See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) has digital modes as follows:

EVERY WEDNESDAY ON 3975 KHZ 20.30-21.00 UTC in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500

EVERY FRIDAY ON 9955 KHZ 02.25-02.30 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SATURDAY ON 1584 KHZ 21.25-21.30 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SUNDAY ON 7730 KHZ 00.55-01.00 UTC in MFSK32

EVERY SUNDAY ON 6070 KHZ 11.30-12.00 UTC  in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500 (VIA RADIO BCLNEWS)

For the complete IBC transmission schedule, including voice broadcasts, visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/

Thank you for your reception reports (or reports of attempted reception) from last 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  (especially active before, during, and after broadcasts)

VOA Radiogram bravely surfs the solar wind, 12-13 November

Hello friends,

The most interesting phenomenon during last weekend was the almost complete failure of the Sunday 1930 UTC broadcast on 15670 kHz to reach listeners in Europe. Propagation was worthless over the north Atlantic. At the same time, that broadcast was received well in western North America. Willy in Denmark was the only European listener to decode an image on 15670 (left). Compare it to the same image, same time, same frequency, decoded by Mike in Washington state … 

During some VOA Radiogram transmissions, the transmitter hum at 360 Hz mixes with the RSID, spoofing Fldigi to set the center audio frequency around 1140 Hz instead of the correct ~1500 Hz. One way to prevent that is: Configure > IDs > ID > RsID > unselect Searches passband.  With this unselected, Fldigi will adjust itself no more than 200 Hz than the audio frequency it is set to (1500 Hz in our case).

If we have bad conditions this weekend, one of the VOA New items will be in Olivia 64-2000.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 189, 12-13 November 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:31  Program preview
 2:44  Turning human waste into oil*
 7:21  Color images from electron microscopes*
12:33  Olivia 64-2000: Worry about good health
20:07  MFSK32: 2011-15 hottest period on record
22:43  "Supermoons" in November and December*
27:18  Closing announcements

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

The Mighty KBC will broadcast to North America Sunday, 13 November, 0000-0200 UTC (7-9 pm EST) on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 (repeated from the previous weekend because of the poor propagation) will be at about 0130 UTC. Reception reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will transmit MFSK32 and probably other modes :

Sunday 0630-0700, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany
Sunday 2130-2200 UTC, 15770 kHz, via WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC, 11580 kHz, via WRMI Florida
Schedule subject to changes: 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 and new 3975 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 2100-2130 UTC from Radio Studio X, 1584 kHz, in Terni, Italy, with MFSK32 at 2125-2030.

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 0055-0100 UTC (Friday evening 9:55 pm EDT), on 11580 kHz, part of its 0030-0100 broadcast.

See http://ibcradio.webs.com/ for the complete schedule and contact information.

Also, here is the latest information from Saverio at Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) about their digital mode transmissions …

EVERY WEDNESDAY ON 3975 KHZ 20.30-21.00 UTC in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500
EVERY FRIDAY ON 9955* KHZ 02.25-02.30 UTC in MFSK32
EVERY SATURDAY ON 1584 KHZ 21.25-21.30 UTC in MFSK32
EVERY SUNDAY ON 7730* KHZ 00.55-01.00 UTC in MFSK32
EVERY SUNDAY ON 6070* KHZ 11.30-12.00 UTC  in MFSK32 and OLIVIA 16-500

As usual our email is ibc@europe.com and site www.ibcradio.webs.com

* via WRMI, Florida

Note changed frequency for VOA Radiogram 5-6 November

From Kim Andrew Elliott:

Last weekend's photo of Alderney, Channel Islands, by VOA Radiogram listener Neil Howard, received and decoded on Alderney by Neil Howard.

Hello friends,

The B16 HF broadcasting season began on 30 October. Many shortwave broadcast frequencies were changed on that date. The only change for VOA Radiogram is the Saturday 0930-1000 UTC broadcast which will be on new 5865 kHz as of Saturday, 5 November. This transmission is usually heard in Australia and New Zealand and sometimes in parts of Asia. And listeners in Europe should be on the lookout for this 5865 kHz as the hours of darkness increase in the northern hemisphere. All other VOA Radiogram frequencies are the same: see the transmission schedule below.

Reception of VOA Radiogram last weekend was affected by the geomagnetic storm that started 27 October. For the Saturday 1600 UTC broadcast on 17580 kHz, there was a definite line in Europe south of which reception was good, and north of which reception was bad-to-nonexistent. There were even marked differences in reception between the south and north of England.

Shortwave propagation should have recovered by this weekend, but just in case, one VOA News story will be in the Olivia 32-2000 mode. The RSID should automatically change your mode, but if not, Olivia 32-2000 requires a custom setting, i.e.: Op Mode > Olivia > Custom > Bandwidth: 2000, Tones: 32. A quick way to do this is to use one the Fldigi macro buttons below the transmit pane, with this code: <MODEM:OLIVIA:2000:32>.  I will provide 15 seconds after the Olivia 32-2000 RSID in case a manual change is required. Also, for successful decode of the Olivia 32-2000, turn the Fldigi squelch (SQL) off.

No one heard the “mystery transmission” last weekend before and after the 1600-1630 broadcast last weekend. You might try again this weekend, even as early at 1540 UTC, before the North Carolina transmitter turns on its carrier on 17580 kHz.   

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 188, 5-6 November 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:48  Program preview

 2:58  Canary Islands may be site of new telescope*

 9:13  Olivia 32-2000: New instrument for Mars**

16:33  Assortment of media news*

27:21  Closing announcements

* with image

** Op Mode > Olivia > Custom > Bandwidth: 2000, Tones: 32

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz  (new frequency)
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz (with switch to standard time, one hour earlier by local time in most of North America)
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC will broadcast to North America Sunday, 6 November, 0000-0100 UTC only (8-9 pm EDT) on 6145 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 (repeated from the previous weekend because of the poor propagation) will be at about 0030 UTC. Reception reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will transmit MFSK32 and probably other modes:

Saturday 2030-2100, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

Sunday 0530-0600, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

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

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

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 and new 3975 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.

Thanks for your reception reports from last weekend, even if only to let me know that you heard no signal due to the poor propagation. I’m now compiling a gallery of the Alderney images and hope to begin sending them out this weekend.

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

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

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

VOA Radiogram logo decoded by Michael in England, last Sunday 1930-2000 UTC, 15670 kHz, showing effects of the difficult propagation: