On this weekend’s VOA Radiogram, we will again transmit the MFSK32 RSID once, followed by a 30-second tuning signal.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 97, 7-8 February 2015:

  1:49 Tuning signal and program preview
  3:36 Media restrictions in Azerbaijan
  5:29 Media restrictions in Kyrgyzstan
  6:37 Website of English-language Moscow Times disrupted*
10:46 BBC considers adding a Korean service*
15:46 China blocks VPNs and may step up net censorship*
24:14 New material promises faster computer chips*
27:29 Closing announcements
28:52 Contestia 32-1000: Bonus mode of the week

* with image

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5910 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com   .

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Send reports to Eric at themightykbc (at) gmail.com.

VOA Radiogram listener Mark Hirst, 2E0ECN, in England, compiled an excellent presentation explaining VOA Radiogram to his local amateur radio club.

The 33-page pdf file can be downloaded from here:

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F24C5799D08FDF1E%21507

Last weekend’s experiment with the thirty-second tuning signal seems to have succeeded, so we will do it again this weekend. After the voice introduction, the MFSK32 RSID will be transmitted once. If Fldigi is not tuned to an audio frequency near 1500 Hz, use the tuning signal to center the tuner to the correct frequency.

  2:11 Program preview
  3:16 Greece reconsiders sale of port to Chinese company*
  7:09 US firms concerned about Chinese cyber regulation*
13:11 Fake products on Chinese online sales sites*
19:15 Freedom in the World 2015 report*
27:04 Closing announcements
28:27 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 5910 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17860 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 (image of a great looking radio dial in the dark) Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Send reports to Eric at themightykbc(at)gmail.com .

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 95, 24-25 January 2015 – all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:39  Thirty-second tuning signal at 1500 Hz.
  2:07  Program preview
  3:10  Early release of State of the Union text*
  9:29  Russian reaction to State of the Union comments*
18:22  US-Philippine alliance in the South China Sea*
25:38  Closing announcements*
28:16  MT63-2000L: 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 5910 kHz         (might no longer be audible in Europe)
Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz        (audible in Europe, if you are awake)
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz      (reception should be improving in Europe)
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

Wandering RxID. Many listeners have recently had problems with the Fldigi RxID. It correctly identifies the MFSK32 mode, but sets the audio frequency to somewhere between 1100 and 1200 Hz rather than the actual 1500 Hz center frequency.

If you are receiving a strong signal from the North Carolina transmitter, there is often a “halo” above and below the 500-Hz-wide trace of the MFSK32 signal. You can see this in a screenshot sent by Jonathan in Ontario …

I think the Fldigi RxID latches on to the first thing it encounters that looks like an RSID, which would be the halo to the left (lower in frequency) of the actual MFSK32 signal. That halo is enough to activate the RxID, but not enough to receive actual text.

One solution might be to use an attenuator. Another solution is, in Fldigi: Configure > ID > turn off “Searches passband,” then manually set the center frequency to 1500 Hz.

On this weekend’s VOA Radiogram, after my voice introduction, I will transmit the MFSK32 RSID. That will be followed by a 30-second tuning signal. If the RxID set Fldigi to the wrong audio frequency, this will give you time to retune to the correct frequency.

After the first MFSK32 RSID, I will transmit no further RSID’s until the RSID for the bonus mode of the week: MT63-2000L.    

Olivia 16-2000: Last weekend’s Olivia 16-2000 did not perform as well as the slower Olivia 32-2000 of the weekend before. In fact, the Olivia 16-2000 may not have been an improvement over MFSK32. This still needs more analysis: I will look through the text files attached to the program 94 reception reports.

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Reception reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

Last week’s news item in Olivia 32-2000 provided successful text decodes in some difficult reception conditions. This weekend, we will try a VOA News item in Olivia 16-2000. It’s faster, about 76 wpm, but with only 16 tones, it might not be as robust. The Olivia 16-2000 mode requires a custom setting in Fldigi.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 94, 17-18 January 2015 – all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:42  Program preview

  2:50  WikiHouse simplifies home construction*

  7:22  Taiwan protests new Chinese air routes*

13:53  Facebook app provides Internet to Colombia*

20:18  Olivia 16-2000: Proposed cuts in methane emissions

25:07  Closing announcements*

28:09  Thor16: 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 5910 kHz
Sat 1600-1630 17860 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 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Reports to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com . 

Klaus in Germany has been receiving and decoding VOA Radiogram on this great looking homebrew receiver using a Russian manufactured 2SH27L tubes (valves) …

On the VOA Radiogram broadcast of 21 December 2014, 0230-0300 UTC, on 5745 kHz, the decode of the text was 100%.  The images were somewhat fuzzy …