VOA Radiogram program 123, 1-2 August 2015, we transmitted images in the MFSK16, MFSK32, MFSK64, and SSTV Scottie DX modes. Each required about 4 and a half minutes to transmit and resulted in images  about 320x356 pixels in size. 

Roger in Germany,  from his reception 1 August at 1600 UTC in 17870 kHz (transmitter in North Carolina), provided images comparing the four modes …

For more details about Roger’s reception, see …

http://www.rhci-online.net/radiogram/VoA_Radiogram_2015-08-01.htm#VOA

This post contains the previews for programs 121 and 122.

VOA Radiogram, program 121, 25-26 July 2015

Here is the lineup, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:29  Program preview

  2:41  Philae comet lander may have shifted position*
  6:07  Replicating earth’s magnetic field*
13:08  Weak solar activity puzzles scientists*
19:04  Olivia 32-2000: Puddles as origin of life
24:02  MFSK32: Closing announcements*
28:29  Olivia 32-2000: Transmission schedule

* with image

VOA Radiogram, program 122, 1-2 August 2015

On this program, the same photo will be transmitted in MFSK16, MFSK32, MFSK64, and Scottie DX SSTV. The duration of each photo transmission will be between 4 minutes 15 seconds and 4 minutes 32 seconds.

In the three MFSK modes, the caption of the photo will be transmitted before each image to provide a comparison of the text performance of each mode.

Each MFSK mode will begin with an RSID, followed by ten seconds of silence to allow for a manual change of mode if necessary.

MFSK32:        Program preview

MFSK16:        Text and image

MFSK32:        Text and image

MFSK64:        Text and image

MFSK32:        Introduction to Scottie DX SSTV

Scottie DX:    Image

MFSK32:        Closing announcements and VOA Radiogram logo

Olivia 64-2000:VOA Radiogram transmission schedule

In the Windows environment, RXSSTV and MMSSTV, among other programs, can be used to decode the Scottie DX. For Linux, Slowrx is available, among others.

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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sundays at 0230 UTC (Saturdays 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany – part of the transmission to North America Sundays 0000-0300 UTC. Eric enjoys receiving reports for these KBC MFSK64 transmissions: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

If you enjoy decoding images, this weekend’s VOA Radiogram will include six MFSK32 images, five in color and one gray-scale.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 120, 18-19 July 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:28  Program preview
  2:38  Solar airplane grounded until 2016*
  7:07  Cubans yearn for Internet access*
12:59  The New Horizons Pluto mission*
17:23  NOAA weather photography contest*
24:13  Closing announcements*
26:44  Olivia 64-2000: Bonus mode

*with image(s)

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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. The picture is sunrise over Harlingen harbor, where the KBC radio ship is docked. Reports for KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

VOA Radiogram, program 119, 11-12 July 2015, included some Korean-language text.

It displayed correctly for listeners with Korean language support in their computers.  

TW in Japan, over 11000 km from the North Carlina transmitter, received and decoded the entire program, including the Korean text, during the 1600-1630 UTC broadcast on 17870 kHz: http://youtu.be/bNyDfqXpPP0

Carlo in Italy decoded the Korean characters, same time, same frequency …

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be all-MFSK32 except for the bonus mode. We will try another non-Latin alphabet, this time Korean. You will need the UTF-8 character set. In Fldigi: Configure > Colors & Fonts > Rx/Tx Character set. (NB: If the Korean characters do not display correctly in Fldigi, copy the “boxes” to a word process, and then they should display correctly.)

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 119, 11-12 July 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:31  Program preview
  2:43  Student Dust Counter aboard Pluto probe*
10:03  Tajiks want “bear man” statue*
16:57  VOA launches mobile audio app*
21:34  Excerpt of VOA story in Korean text**
25:32  Closing announcements
28:42  Bonus mode: Olivia 16-500

* with image

** requires UTF-8 character set, Configure > Colors & Fonts >
Rx/Tx Character set: UTF-8

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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz via Germany. Reports for KBC to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com.

This weekend’s program includes two gray-scale/grey-scale (black and white) images, because they take less time to transmit. That allowed me more time for the four text news stories, one of them in the rather slow  Olivia 32-2000 mode.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 118, 4-5 July 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted …

  1:32  Program preview
  2:48  Christchurch NZ rebuilds after earthquake*
10:39  Rosetta spacecraft finds sinkholes on comet**
16:56  One-person flying vehicles**
22:34  Olivia 32-2000: World’s first 3D-printed office building
28:12  MFSK32: Closing announcements
29:08  BPSK63F: Bonus mode of the week.

* with color image

** with gray-scale 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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. Reports for KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com.

 I’m almost hoping for poor reception this weekend, because we will transmit another news items in Olivia 32-2000, and this mode can work very well in adverse conditions.

If the RSID does not change your mode to Olivia 32-2000, you can manually make the change in Fldigi:

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

Or you can make a macro in Flidigi for a quick change to Olivia 32-2000. Insert this under Macro Text: <MODEM:OLIVIA:2000:32>

On the other hand, I’m also hoping for good reception this weekend, because that would bring good conditions for the amateur radio Field Day exercise. The program will include greetings to radio amateurs participating in Field Day.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 117, 27-28 June 2015., all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:31  Program preview

  2:38  Triassic Reptile Was ‘Grandfather’ of All Turtles*

  9:06  Explosive Growth May Exhaust Web Space*
18:16  Olivia 32-2000: Consumer rights website blocked In Russia
22:36  Amateur Radio Field Day 2015*
27:13  Closing announcements*
29:08  CW: Bonus mode of the week

* 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 17870 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 its usual minute of MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. If you decode this, please retune quickly to VOA Radiogram, which also starts at 0230 UTC, on 5745 kHz. Reports for KBC to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Based on reports, reception was generally good last weekend. That’s somewhat unfortunate, because we included a news item in Olivia 32-2000, a mode that can be successfully decoded even in very bad reception conditions. I tested this twice: First was during the Saturday 1600-1630 UTC broadcast on 17870 kHz. I usually don’t listen to this transmission because, in northern Virginia, I’m in the skip zone. Last weekend, the MFSK32 had many errors, but in Olivia 32-2000, 1111 of the 1115 characters decoded correctly. I had similar results Sunday 0230-0300 UTC on 5745 kHz using a receiver in Slovakia.

This weekend will be another all-MFSK32 show, except for MFSK16 as the bonus mode, first at 16 dB under the closing music, and later at full level.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 116, 20-21 June 2105, all in MFSK32 except where noted:  

  1:32  Program preview
  2:51  Amateur Radio Field Day at former VOA transmitting site*
  9:38  630M medium wave transmissions on Field Day
12:52  Watermills in Pakistan generate electricity*
20:26  Myanmar intensifies media restrictions*
26:42  Closing announcements
27:43  MFSK16: Bonus mode 16 dB under closing music
28:40  MFSK16: At full level

* 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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. This is part of the KBC transmission to North America Sunday at 0000-0300 UTC (Saturday 8-11 pm EDT). If you decode this, quickly retune to 5745 kHz for VOA Radiogram. Reports for KBC to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

In last weekend’s experiment comparing Scottie DX SSTV and MFSK32 images, the MFSK32 images generally were clearer, but the Scottie DX images usually had less slant, probably because of the slant-correction capabilities of the decoding software. I will, eventually, compile a gallery showing several comparisons.

There will be no SSTV in this weekend’s program, but SSTV can resume in future shows if there is interest.

This weekend’s program will include one item in Olivia 32-2000.  This will be interesting if you experience poor reception conditions because of propagation, local noise, or a less-than-top-quality radio. In Fldigi, Olivia 32-2000 requires a custom mode selection: Op Mode > Olivia > Custom: Tones: 32, Bandwidth: 2000. I provide 20 seconds for you to make this change. However, Olivia 32-2000 does have an RSID, so it will probably do all the work for you.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 115, 13-14 June 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:36  Program preview
  2:47  New NASA photos of dwarf planet*
  7:22  Mars landing device parachute test fails*
14:14  Olivia 32-2000: Glitch causes ISS to change orbit
18:46  VOA covers the Turkish election*
25:13  Closing announcements*
28:30  Hell 80: Bonus mode of the week

*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 17870 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 MFSK64 Sunday at 0230 UTC (EDT Saturday 10:30 pm) on 9925 kHz, via Germany.  (Decode this, then retune quickly to VOA Radiogram on 5745 kHz.) Reports for KBC to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .