The image of the Cambodian bamboo
railway looked something like an impressionist painting after being received on
shortwave. Above, from left, 1) the original photo, 2) the MFSK32 image as
received by Franco in Italy, 14 January at 2046 UTC, 7780 kHz from WRMI
Florida, 3) the image as received by Lorne in New Zealand, 15 January at 0816
UTC, 7730 kHz from WRMI.
Thanks to Roger
and other listeners, I have learned that it is not as difficult to process Thor
images as I described in last week’s email. This weekend, Shortwave Radiogram
will include another brief segment in Thor 22, with an image, so that we can
try it again.
Here is the
procedure: When the Thor 22 image has been received, make any necessary
adjustments for phase and slant, using the left and right arrows. Then click
Save. This will create a png image that will be in your Fldigi \images\
folder. (See also the Fldigi manual Thor page.)
You can do
this later, after the broadcast. Set Fldigi for Op Mode Thor 22. Click View.
Then select THOR Raw Image. Choose the .raw file that you want, make any needed adjustments, then Save as a png file. These .raw files are about 8 Mb each, so
you might want to delete them to save disk space.
The Thor 22
segment will begin with the SWRG avatar. You can save that with a left click on
the avatar.
Here is the
lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 31, 20-21 January 2018, in MFSK32
except where noted:
1:31
Program preview
2:47
Iranian MPs want to prevent use of foreign apps*
9:14
Uganda might launch its own social media platforms*
16:17 Russian moves towards creation of independent
internet*
24:32 Thor 22: WSPR from Germany’s Antarctica
research station*
26:51 MFSK32: Closing announcements
* with image
Please send
reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net
The Mighty KBC
transmits
to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the
minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North
America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on new 6150 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130
UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete
IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of
MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,”
per the schedule below:
Get your official Shortwave Radiogram
white laboratory coats ready for a busy week of experiments, 9-10 December
2017.
There was no
consensus as to whether the MFSK16 or MFSK8 was more successful last weekend. (You
can listen to, and decode, the MFSK8 from 3 December as received – with difficulty
– in Tasmania. This was during the 2330-2400 UTC broadcast on 11580 kHz from
WRMI Florida.) The IFKP 1.0 did not decode for most listeners (including me),
but there were some successes, including the image. This IFKP 1.0 image was
decoded by Richard in New Brunswick …
This weekend, we will keep you busy for one more intensive round
of radio experiments, before settling down to some leisurely all-MFSK32 shows
during the holiday period.
Three Olivia modes on the 2330 UTC
broadcast. Let’s
hope that propagation cooperates by providing poor reception during the Sunday
2330-2400 broadcast on 11580 kHz. During this half hour, we will transmit
Olivia 64-2000, Olivia 32-1000, and Olivia 16-500, all centered on 1500 Hz.
These are all slow modes, between 20 and 30 wpm, so the entire broadcast will
consist of less than one AP news story. Be sure to turn the Fldigi squelch
(SQL) off.
UTC
23:30:00 Music/voice introduction
23:31:03 Olivia 64-2000
23:40:22 Olivia 32-1000
23:48:48 Olivia 16-500
Fun with Flamp. Meanwhile, the other three
broadcasts this weekend will be in the usual MFSK32. There will, however, be
one item in 8PSK-1000F,
the very fast mode (3386 wpm) we tried a few weeks ago. This time, the
8PSK-1000F will be used in conjunction with Flamp, one of the Fldigi
suite of programs. Please download Flamp from https://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/flamp/
.
Flamp will divide the news story into ten blocks of 480 bytes
each. Then it will transmit the story four times. Any blocks that do not have
the correct number of characters, due to fading or interference, can be
received during the second, third, or fourth passes. The news story that
requires seven minutes to transmit in MFSK32 will be transmitted four times in 8PSK-1000F in about one
minute.
Please activate Flamp before the switch to 8PSK-1000F at
about 19:30 into the show. Flamp will not turn on automatically (unless you have
configured Fldigi’s Autostart). Go to Flamp’s Receive window. Flamp will show
you which blocks were received correctly during the first through fourth
passes.
If the file is received 100%, click Save, then go to File
> Folders > rx > [date of reception] – then open the file SWRG25_Russia_media.txt.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave
Radiogram, program 25,
9-10 December 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:
1:34
Program preview
2:56
French engineer creates biodegradable plastic*
10:18 Russia Declares RFE/RL, VOA ‘Foreign Agents’*
19:30 8PSK-1000F with Flamp: same as preceding
story **
The Mighty KBC
transmits
to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the
minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North
America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 7-9 pm EST) on 5960 kHz, via Germany.
The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete
IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of
MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,”
per the schedule below:
MFSK32 images decoded
by Andrew in the UK, Sunday, 27 August, 1600-1630 UTC, 9400 kHz, via Bulgaria.
Also the Pan Am boxcar via The Mighty KBC, 1530 UTC, same date and frequency.
This
weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram returns to the usual mix of news and images. It
will be all MFSK32.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave
Radiogram, program 11,
2-3 September 2017, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz …
1:22 Program preview
2:28 VOA and RFA FM affiliates in Cambodia off the
air*
10:19 New MW transmitter
in Lithuania relays RFE/RL*
The Mighty KBC
transmits
to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the
minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North
America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via
Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete
IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of
MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,”
per the schedule below:
WEDNESDAY
18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE
19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
THURSDAY
02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
FRIDAY
01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH
AMERICA
Images received by Rawad in Saudi Arabia, 25 June, 2030-2100 UTC, 11580 kHz …
I am pleased to announce the addition of a fourth transmission of Shortwave Radiogram. It is Saturday at 1600-1630 UTC on 9400 kHz.
If the day and time seem familiar, they are the same as the the most
popular broadcast of VOA Radiogram. The, frequency, however is
different. And if the frequency seems familiar, it is the same 9400 kHz
via Space Line in Kostinbrod, Bulgaria, used by The Mighty KBC for its
Giant Jukebox show, Saturday 1500-1600 UTC.
This new broadcast probably won’t be heard in the Americas this time of
year. During the winter, possibly. If you are outside Europe, you can
tune in and decode from http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901 in the Netherlands, or from another SDR in Europe.
Thanks for the many reception reports for Shortwave Radiogram program 1!
SWRG2 includes the image of a vertical line. This might help detect and
correct slant in MFSK images. On the program, I forgot to mention that
it helps to record the program. Then you can save one or more segments
devoted to images. Play those images repeatedly until the proper Rx
adjustment of Fldigi, or of the speed of your recording, results in no
slant. The free Audacity software can be helpful for recording, editing,
and converting audio, and (using Audacity’s timer record feature),
recording while asleep, at work, or otherwise away from the radio.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 2, 1-2 July 2017, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz:
1:52 Program preview
3:05 Our new broadcast for Europe*
7:30 A test and remedies for slanted images*
11:00 Russia considers blocking foreign broadcasts*
14:03 Trump moves to withdraw US water protection*
21:15 Italian Broadcasting Corporation anniversary*
23:46 Closing announcements*
Twitter: @SWRadiogram (especially active just before, during, and after broadcasts)
The Mighty KBC
transmits
to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the
minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North
America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via
Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete
IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of
MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,”
per the schedule below:
WEDNESDAY 18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO
EUROPE
19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
THURSDAY
02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
FRIDAY 01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA
SATURDAY
01.55 UTC 11580 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA
20.25 UTC 1584 KHZ TO SOUTH EUROPE
SUNDAY
00.55 UTC 7730 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA
10.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE
The last VOA
Radiogram is this weekend. The successor to VOA Radiogram is Shortwave
Radiogram, which will be broadcast for the first time on 25 June on the WRMI
times and frequencies in the schedule below.
To help us
keep in touch after the migration from the old Radiogram to the new Radiogram,
please note the following changes …
The Mighty KBC
transmits
to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the
minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North America Sundays at
0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. The minute of
MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com
. See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/
and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian
Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/
Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language
“Shortwave Panorama,” per the schedule below:
WEDNESDAY
18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE
19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
THURSDAY
02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
FRIDAY
01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH
AMERICA
SATURDAY
01.55 UTC 11580 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA
20.25 UTC 1584 KHZ TO SOUTH EUROPE
SUNDAY
00.55 UTC 7730 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA
10.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE
Thank
you for your support during the four-plus years of VOA Radiogram!
Amharic text decoded by Juha in Finland, 4 June 2017, 1930-2000 UTC, 15670 kHz.
Shortwave Radiogram will be the name of the show that will replace
VOA Radiogram, starting 24 June. “Shortwave Radiogram” is not as
creative as most of the names suggested by VOA Radiogram listeners.
Thanks for those ideas!
The new website will be http://www.swradiogram.net (maybe active this weekend), the new email radiogram (at) verizon.net , and the new Twitter account @SWRadiogram .
Last weekend’s new transmission
via WRMI Florida, Sunday 0600-0630 on 7730 kHz, was, to my surprise,
audible in Europe, at least via http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901
in the Netherlands. Reception was marginal at my house in Virginia (and
I was only marginally awake at 2:00 am local time). I received a great
signal using an SDR in Hawaii and a good signal via Australia.
This weekend is the penultimate (always wanted to use that word in a
sentence) VOA Radiogram, so please tune in if you can. The entire
program will be in MFSK32. It will include some Arabic text, that prints
from right to left. You will need the UTF-8 character set for the
Arabic text to display correctly. There will also be two images of the
North Carolina transmitting site.
Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 219, 10-11 June 2017, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz:
The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/
). And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm
EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130
UTC. On 9400 kHz, Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.
Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,” per the schedule below:
WEDNESDAY 18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE
19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
THURSDAY 02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE
FRIDAY 01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA
