VOA Radiogram, program 51, 22 March 2014, 0930 UTC on 5745 kHz, was received and  decoded by TW in Japan. Because of the distant signal (all the way from North Carolina) and over-the-horizon (OTH) radar causing, not much is heard until 1:08 into the video, when the sound of MFSK32 breaks through, and the text begins to display.The images are fuzzy, as befits the distant signal:

youtu.be/gnhU6Rq6-tk

Tim in Colorado produced this video of his reception the same day at 1600 UTC on 17860 kHz:

youtu.be/JanJR6z1dCw

Magdiel Cruz in Mexico provided this video of reception 23 March at 1930 UTC on 15670 kHz:

entre-ondas.blogspot.mx/2014/03/voa-radiogram-edicion-51-modo-mfsk32.html

Magdiel also made this helpful tutorial, in Spanish, on how to install Fldigi:

youtu.be/BTzl_IDpx54

And Nicolas in Colombia recorded this excerpt of reception Sunday at 0230 UTC on 5745 kHz:

youtu.be/X6oDuQkEstI

Last weekend’s all-MFSK32 “set it and forget it” broadcast of VOA Radiogram worked well for most listeners, so we will do another one this weekend. This time, however, the program includes six MFSK32 images.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 51, 22-23 March 2014 (all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz):

  1:33  Program preview

  2:33  Russia Internet, with image

  7:36  Greenland ice sheet, with image

13:45  Power from ocean waves, with image

19:26  Winter’s slow retreat, with 2 images

25:30  Closing announcements and VOA Radiogram logo

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 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 (transmitter in Germany) will broadcast a minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 7375 kHz. Reception reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

VOA Radiogram, program 49, during the weekend of 8-9 March 2014, asked listeners to manually set the center audio frequency to 1500 Hz. This was to determine if an MFSK32 receive-only app requires an RxID.

YouTube videos of the program included the amazing reception and mostly successful decoding of T.W. in Japan (remember that the transmitter is in North Carolina), 8 March at 1600 UTC in 17860 kHz:

youtu.be/Hb-bSeb5wjY

T.W. also experimented with the RxID in this segment:

youtu.be/GfwXLqd4CM0

Tim in Colorado provides this video of the same broadcast:

youtu.be/nQunu59nOCU

Tarek in Egypt recorded this segment of the broadcast Sunday at 1930 UTC on 15670 kHz:

youtu.be/GkR5mRUOpSE

All the text and images of VOA Radiogram are included in this html document provided by Roger in Germany.

Last weekend’s experiment with center audio frequencies was very useful. We learned that most of you were able to decode MFSK32 using a fixed audio frequency of 1500 Hz, even if the the actual received audio frequency was anywhere from about 10 Hz above or below 1500 Hz. This means that a simple MFSK32 decoding app would not require an RxID.

VOA Radiogram 50, during the weekend of 15-16 March 2014, will be an all-MFSK32 “set it and forget it” show. All of the text and images will be in MFSK32, centered on 1500 Hz. No need to change modes during the show. Here is the lineup:

  1:38  Program preview (now)
  2:33  Internet future
  9:36  Beet juice against ice on highways, with image
17:24  American art at the Phillips Collection, with image
27:42  Closing announcements

This weekend, use your RxID. The RSID for MFSK32 at 1500 Hz will be transmitted at the beginning and about half way through the program. Let me know what your actual received center audio frequency is.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC)
Sat 0930-1000 5745 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

The Mighty KBC, via Germany, will again transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday, 15 March, at about 1230 UTC, on 6095 kHz, and Sunday, 16 March, at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 7375 kHz. This will include The Mighty KBC weekend schedule as an Flmsg table. To make Flmsg work with Fldigi, in Fldigi: Configure > Misc > NBEMS – Under Reception of flmsg files, check both boxes, and under that indicate where your Flmsg.exe file is located. At the end of the digital text transmission, you will see the small Flmsg box pop up, followed by the schedule as a new window in your default web browser. Please send reception reports to Eric at themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Winter SWL Fest

I will be at the Winter SWL Fest, March 14-15, in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia suburb) to demonstrate the decoding of VOA Radiogram. Information at swlfest.com. Registrations at the door are welcome.

VOA Radiogram during the weekend of 1-2 March 2013 included transmissions in Olivia 64-2000, 32-2000, 16-2000, and 8-2000. Each mode is 2000 Hz wide, but they have 64, 32, 16, and 8 tones, respectively, and is faster as the number of tones decreases.

You can hear and see examples in YouTubes provided by Lorenzo in Italy and Tim in Colorado, both for the same broadcast, 1 March, 1600-1630 UTC, on 17860 kHz.

From Lorenzo in Italy:
http://youtu.be/lQ7xaZJdks0

From Time in Colorado:
http://youtu.be/mgHbeh_EzpY

Here’s the QSL for the weekend of 1-2 March 2014:

On VOA Radiogram, program 49, 8-9 March 2014, the experiment will involve the audio frequency of a received MFSK32 transmission.

We hope that simple, receive-only applications (apps) are developed to decode MFSK32 on PCs and mobile devices. One requirement of MFSK is that the receiver and software be tuned to the precise frequency.

VOA Radiogram is typically transmitted on an audio frequency of 1500 Hz. The audio frequency as received tends to be a few Hz above or below 1500 Hz.

Would an MFSK32 app require an RxID to ensure that the received audio frequency is exactly correct? Or is there enough tolerance in MFSK32 that an RxID is not necessary?

VOA Radiogram, program 49, will begin with MFSK32 on a center audio frequency of 1600 Hz, with an RSID.

Just before 4:51 into the program, I will ask VOA Radiogram listeners to turn the RxID off and manually tune to an audio frequency of 1500 Hz.

Please let us know if you are able to decode the subsequent VOA News story without the assistance of the RxID.

During that VOA News story, you can turn the RxID back on.

For unattended reception, turn RxID off and set the audio frequency to 1500 Hz. You should decode everything after 4:51 into the show.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 49, 8-9 March 2014, all in MFSK32:

  1:37  1600 Hz: Program preview
  3:14  1600 Hz: Introduction to MFSK32 experiment
  4:51  1500 Hz: Cyber attacks on mobile devices, with image
10:33  1500 Hz: Ukraine telecommunications under attack
17:44  1500 Hz: Request for comments about shortwave, with image
20:11  1500 Hz: BBG FY 2015 budget request, with Flmsg* table
27:00  1500 Hz: Closing announcements

*Use Flmsg with Fldigi, both available from w1hkj.com.
 
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 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

Winter SWL Fest

See you at the Winter SWL Fest, 14-15 March 2014, near Philadelphia. I’ll be there to demonstrate to decoding of text and images on VOA Radiogram. Attend one or both days. Registration at the door is welcome. Information at swlfest.com.

The Mighty KBC

The Mighty KBC, with studios in the Netherlands and transmitters in Germany, will transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (8:30 pm EST) on 7475 kHz. Eric enjoys receiving reception reports at themightykbc (at)  gmail.com