On 16 January 2016, 1600-1630, 17580 kHz, Frank in Germany experienced severe local noise. The MFSK32 text decoded well, better than 90%, but the robust Olivia 64-2000 decoded 100%. You can hear – and decode from – Frank’s recording of his reception …
TW in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, over 11000 km from the North Carolina transmitter site, produced a video of his reception and decoding of VOA Radiogram, 16 January 2016, 0930-1000 UTC, 5865 kHz (nominally directed to the Caribbean) …
Scroll down to the video labeled 5865 kHz VOA Radiogram Program 146.
The audio begins with noise from an over-the-horizon (OTH) radar system. At 1:42 into the video, the OTH radar stops, allowing mostly successful decoding of the Olivia 64-2000, despite the faint signal …
Some MFSK32 text towards the end of the broadcast also decodes, as well as a fuzzy MFSK32 image …
VOA Radiogram listeners who send reception reports receive a gallery of MFSK images (usually MFSK32, as in the example below) decoded by listeners all over the world.
The gallery below is from the 24-25 October 2015, but was just sent out because of a backlog of emails.
Some of the images are fuzzy. This is because listeners are testing the limits of shortwave, tuning in from places too far from, or too close to, the North Carolina transmitter, given the time and frequency. In most cases, even if the image is blurred or distorted, the text is received 100% because of the error correction incorporated into the MFSK32 mode.
A reminder that this weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be mostly Olivia
64-2000. If reception conditions are poor (as they were in Europe on
15670 kHz last weekend), this could be interesting, because the Olivia
64-2000 might be able to overcome the difficult reception. If reception
is good, it could be boring, because Olivia 64-2000 is very slow: about
25 words per minute.
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 will transmit a minute of MFSK32 Sunday at 0220
UTC (Saturday 9:20 pm EST) on 6040 kHz. This is part of the KBC
broadcast to North America at its new time of 0000 to 0300 UTC Sunday,
on the new frequency of 6040 kHz. Reports for KBC reception to Eric:
themightykbc@gmail.com .
A reminder that this weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be mostly Olivia
64-2000. If reception conditions are poor (as they were in Europe on
15670 kHz last weekend), this could be interesting, because the Olivia
64-2000 might be able to overcome the difficult reception. If reception
is good, it could be boring, because Olivia 64-2000 is very slow: about
25 words per minute.
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 will transmit a minute of MFSK32 Sunday at 0220
UTC (Saturday 9:20 pm EST) on 6040 kHz. This is part of the KBC
broadcast to North America at its new time of 0000 to 0300 UTC Sunday,
on the new frequency of 6040 kHz. Reports for KBC reception to Eric:
themightykbc (at) gmail.com .
VOA Radiogram, program 145, 9-10 January 2016, included greetings to the VI Encentro Diexista Colombo-Venezolano (sixth annual meeting of Colombian and Venezuelan shortwave DXers). Williams, one of the organizers of the event, sent these MFSK32 images from the Sunday 0230-0300 UTC program on 5745 kHz …
Rafael in Colombia received this image from the Saturday 0930-1000 UTC show on 5865 kHz …
Francisco in Chile received this from the 0230 UTC broadcast on 5745 kHz …
Rafael in Mexico decoded this image, also 0230 UTC on 5745 kHz …
A good example of the successful decoding of our standard MFSK32 mode is in this video produced by Tim in Colorado. Reception was 27 December 2015, 0230-0300 UTC, 5745 kHz. Despite heavy local noise, the text decodes nearly 100%. (The text begins at 1:43 into the video, after the nearly inaudible music and voice intro.) The images are, not surprisingly given the conditions, fuzzy.
Meanwhile, TW in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, 11000 km from the North Carolina transmitter, had this 100% decode of the VOA Radiogram transmission schedule in the slow but robust Olivia 64-2000 mode. Reception was 17 October 2015, 0930-1000 UTC, 5745 kHz. (VOA Radiogram frequencies have changed since then; see the updated schedule below.)
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.
Here are the lineups for VOA Radiogram during the first three weeks of
the new year. (Note that program 146 will be mostly Olivia 64-2000.)
Program 144, 2-3 January 2016 (all in MFSK32)
1:32 Program preview
2:45 Goats eliminate unwanted plants*
9:11 Russian space program faces budget cuts*
16:10 New photo of earth from lunar orbit*
22:54 Sailboat illuminated for the holidays*
26:33 Closing announcements
* with image
Program 145, 9-10 January 2016 (all in MFSK32)
1:33 Program preview
2:50 Greetings to Encuentro Diexista Colombo-Venezolano*
7:47 Abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly*
16:43 Traffic lights around the world*
26:19 Closing announcements*
* with images
Program 146, 16-17 January 2016 (modes as noted)
1:34 MFSK32: Program preview
2:51 Olivia 64-2000: Blog post from Antarctica
23:36 MFSK32: Image from Antarctica
26:32 Closing announcements
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 will change time and frequency on 10 January. A
minute of MFSK32 will be transmitted this Sunday, 10 January, 0158 UTC
(Saturday 8:59 pm EST) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. Effective 10 January,
the KBC schedule for North America changes to Sunday 0000 to 0300 UTC
(Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on 6040
kHz. On 10 and 17 January, a minute of MFSK32 will be transmitted at
the new time of 0220 UTC. (This gives you plenty of time to retune to
5745 kHz for VOA Radiogram at 0230 UTC.) Reports for KBC reception to
Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .
This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be another all MFSK32 show to get
us through the holidays. It includes some interesting news about
broadcasting.
Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 143, 26-27 December 2016, all in MFSK32:
1:30 Program preview
2:49 Russian cargo craft docks with ISS*
6:01 Castro urges end of Martí broadcasts*
11:41 Afghan journalist heard on IS radio
17:20 Tiny FM transmitters for Syria*
24:25 Closing announcements*
VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz **
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz (Europe reception is possible)
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.
** To the Americas, but Asia-Pacific and European reception is possible
***To the Americas, but European reception is possible
The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK32
Sunday at 0158 UTC (Saturday 8:58 pm EST) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. The
Radio Radio Romania International interval signal, ahead of its French
broadcast at 0200 UTC, will be co-channel. Reports for this KBC
reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .
As reports from last weekend indicate, mid-winter (in the northern hemisphere) reception can be challenging, especially in Europe during our Sunday 1930-2000 UTC broadcast on 15670. On the other hand, this time year provides an opportunity for some European listeners to receive and decode the Saturday 0930-1000 transmission on 5865 kHz.
This weekend will be another all-MFSK32 show, with plenty of images, the last one holiday related and from my neighborhood in northern Virginia.
Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 142, 19-20 December 2015, all in MFSK32:
1:31 Program preview 2:46 Gamma rays detected from across universe* 9:10 IS launches radio in eastern Afghanistan* 12:56 World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China* 20:44 SSTV from the International Space Station* 24:29 Closing announcements*
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 will broadcast a minute of MFSK32 Sunday at 0158 UTC (Saturday 8:58 pm EST) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. This new 0158 transmission time coincides with the beginning of the Radio Romania International interval signal for their French broadcast starting at 0200 UTC. This co-channel situation is a good test for the MFSK32. The entire KBC broadcast is Saturday 2300 to Sunday 0200 UTC on 7395 kHz. Reports for this KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .
