This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will include some experiments.

Simultaneous text and image. One experiment will be the simultaneous transmission of text and an image. The text of the VOA News story about men overeating will be transmitted in MFSK32 at the usual center audio frequency of 1500 Hz. The MFSK32 image accompanying this story will be transmitted simultaneously at a center audio frequency of 2200 Hz. You will need two instances of Fldigi; that is, start Fldigi once, then start it again. If you cannot run two instances of Fldigi (some operating systems don’t allow it), you can decode the image at 2200 Hz later from a recording. (You could also run Fldigi and MultiPSK simultaneously.)

At 15 seconds after the text begins, a tuning signal will help you find the exact center frequency near 2200 Hz. The image itself will start 20 seconds after the tone begins.

I had to reduce the audio level of both the text and image by 3 dB so that the combined audio of the text and image would not overload the transmitter and your receiver. This simultaneous transmission will be followed by the image only, at 1500 Hz, and at full audio level.  

QR codes. The broadcast will include two QR codes.  You scan the QR code, usually with your mobile device, to obtain information.

The first QR code will follow the VOA News Story about Middle East hackers. It will provide the link to the full text of the story. The second QR code will be at the end of the show, with the VOA Radiogram transmission schedule.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 138, 21-22 November 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:32  Program preview
 2:44  Earth-like exoplanet may not be habitable*
 7:29  New tool to search for extraterrestrial life*
11:13  Analysts warn of Middle East hackers*
20:43  Men overeat to show off to women (simultaneous image)*
23:45  Closing announcements*
28:41  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com  .

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 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. This is part of the KBC broadcast to North America Saturday 2300  UTC to Sunday 0200 UTC on 7395 kHz. Reception reports for KBC reception and decoding to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will consist mostly of the usual MFSK32, but it will also include some Olivia 32-2000 in case we have anything near the poor shortwave propagation that we experienced last weekend.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 137, 14-15 November 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:31  Program preview
  2:43  Ice volcanoes on Pluto*
  9:03  New giant telescope in Chile*
15:26  Mealworms eat plastics* (followed by some music)
21:00  Olivia 32-2000: Bright light in California sky
25:59  MFSK32: Closing announcements*
28:30  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule under closing music

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5865 kHz         (4:30 am EST) (new frequency)
Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz       (11:00 am EST)
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz        (Saturday 9:30 pm EST)
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz      (2:30 pm EST)
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Mighty KBC transmitter site in Germany repeated (on shortwave, at least) The Giant Jukebox show from 1 November on 8 November. Because of this, the Olivia 64-2000 promised for last Sunday will be repeated this weekend, at 0130 UTC  Sunday (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7395 kHz. Reports to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

VOA Radiogram is now one hour earlier by local time in most parts of Europe and North America. This is because VOA Radiogram is at the same UTC times year round. See the schedule below.

If you have an Android phone or tablet, the TIVAR (Text and Images Via Analog Radio) app is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/AndFlmsg/TIVAR/  It’s the receive-only, decode-only version of AndFlmsg.

VOA Radiogram this weekend will be all MFSK32, except for the transmission schedule in Olivia 64-2000 at the end of the show. During the Chinese radio story, you will hear “actuality” in the form of a voice ID for radio station WCRW in Leesburg, Virginia, mentioned in this news item.  

Many of you noticed the waterfall video text ID just before the program preview last weekend. This is a feature of Fldigi that I finally tried.  I’ll do it again this weekend just before the program preview. The screen capture below is from Roger in Germany …

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 136, 7-8 November 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:34  Program preview
  2:46  Whisky byproducts as car fuel*
  8:28  Water with tiny bubbles is an effective cleaner*
14:04  Reuters report about Chinese radio in the USA*
22:24  Mysterious crack develops in Wyoming*
27:15  Closing announcements
28:16  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5910 kHz  (often audible in Asia-Pacific and maybe now in Europe)
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 digital transmission this weekend will be different. Instead of the usual image with some text in MFSK32, the minute will be text in Olivia 64-2000, mixed with music. This will be Sunday at 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. Last weekend’s KBC transmission was on 7350 kHz, but Eric tells me that was an error at the transmitter site.  This weekend, if you don’t hear the KBC broadcast to North America Saturday 2300 to Sunday 0200 on 7395, tune around the 41 meter band! Reports to themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Mark in England produced this YouTube video demonstrating the decoding of program 128, 13 September 2015, 1930-2000 UTC, on 15670 kHz. He writes: “Decoding VOA Radiogram doesn’t need a fancy radio. Even a cheap £8 radio from Tesco can deliver enough to decode text and images, with nearby TV and other QRM sources in full swing too.”  Decoding was done using an inexpensive Windows 10 tablet.

https://youtu.be/aoKofLfAKQQ

Ken in Oklahoma provided these images of reception and decoding of VOA Radiogram, program 128, 12 September 2105, 17870 kHz, using a Radio Shack portable and the AndFlmsg app on a small Android device.

It appears that “acoustic coupling” was used: audio out of the speaker into the built-in microphone of the Android device.

A receive-only version on AndFlmsg, called TIVAR (Text and Images Via Analog Radio), is now available.

Ken’s antenna is an outdoor dipole cut for 20 meters.

1) A reminder of our new frequencies starting this weekend: Saturday 0930-1000 UTC on 5910 kHz. And Saturday 1600-1630 UTC on 17580 kHz. The complete schedule is below.

2) It’s beginning to be that time of the year when the Saturday 0930-1000 UTC broadcast on 5910 kHz may be audible in Europe. I’ve already had a report from Italy for the old 5745 kHz frequency during that broadcast. Reception will improve as we approach the winter solstice.

3) If you have an Android device, the new receive-only, decode-only version of the AndFlmsg app, called TIVAR (Text and Images Via Analog Radio), is available here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/AndFlmsg/TIVAR/

AndFlmsg and Fldigi are available here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/

Music appropriate for Halloween will sneak up on you towards of the end of this weekend’s VOA Radiogram.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 135, 31 October and 1 November 2015,  all in MFSK32:

1:33  Program preview
2:43  New frequencies
3:08  Russia Internet update*

7:33  Freedom of the Net Report*
15:03  US military blimp breaks loose*
20:02  Pumpkins more popular in USA*
26:36  Closing announcements*

* with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):

Sat 0930-1000 5910 kHz (new frequency)

Sat 1600-1630 17580 kHz (new frequency)

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 (with a Halloween theme)  Sunday at 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. Reports for this 7395 kHz reception and decode to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Most shortwave broadcast stations change many of their frequencies twice a year to correspond with seasonal changes in propagation. The B15 frequency season begins Sunday, 25 October. Because the two frequency changes for VOA Radiogram occur during Saturday broadcasts, these will not be effective until 31 October. See the old and new frequencies below.

VOA Radiogram this weekend will mostly be in our usual MFSK32 mode, but if reception is difficult, there will be one item on Olivia 32-2000.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 134, 24-25 October 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:33  Program preview
  2:43  New VOA Radiogram and VOA English frequencies*
  6:43  Press freedom in Turkey*
  8:52  Cassini images of Saturn moon Enceladus*
14:52  Olivia 32-2000: Heavy rainfall favors grass**
19:17  MFSK32: Closing announcements*
28:13  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule

* with image

**  If your RxID is on (green), the RSID should automatically change the mode to Olivia 32-2000. If it does not, in Fldigi: Op Mode > Olivia > Custom > Bandwith:2000, Tones:32.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule  
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5745 kHz  (changing to 5910 kHz effective 31 October)
Sat 1600-1630 17870 kHz (changing to 17580 kHz effective 31 October)
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 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 7395 kHz, via Germany. This is part of KBC’s broadcast to North America, now Saturday 2300 to Sunday 0200 UTC on the new 7395 kHz. Please send reports for KBC reception and decoding to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

VOA Radiogram this weekend will be all MFSK32 except for the transmission schedule on Olivia 64-2000, mixed with the closing music.  

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 133, 17-18 October 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:36  Program preview
  2:48  Climate change and early springs*
  7:41  Toyota to eliminate most gasoline cars by 2050*
13:42  New maps of Jupiter reveal interesting features*
20:37  Video game use and school performance*
26:59  Closing announcements*
28:00  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule

*  With image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule  
(all days and times UTC):
Sat 0930-1000 5745 kHz  (changing to 5910 kHz effective 31 October)
Sat 1600-1630 17870 kHz (changing to 17580 kHz effective 31 October)
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 this new time: 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on the new frequency of 7395 kHz, via Germany. This weekend, the KBC broadcast to North America shifts to 2300-0200 UTC on the new 7395 kHz frequency. Eric would appreciate reports for this new frequency: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

The Saturday 0930-1000 UTC transmission of VOA Radiogram, on 5745 kHz,  was heard and decoded in Australia and New Zealand on 10 October 2015. This is especially notable given that the antenna is a dipole nominally directed to the Caribbean. 

Frank in Perth, 18000 km from the North Carolina transmitter, provided this screenshot of his decode of the MFSK32 … 

Gough in Sydney

Gough’s decode of the MFSK32 text included occasional errors, but the Olivia 32-2000 segment was 100% …

I also listened via a remote receiver in Sydney. While the MFSK32 text showed several errors, my decode of the Olivia 32-2000 segment was 99%

Finally, Chris in New Zealand was able to decode the MFSK32 image of the Russian corvette, although with a sync problem …

Easily fixed using MS Paint …

Chris’s decode of the Olivia 32-2000 text was much worse than the MFSK32.

VOA Radiogram this weekend will use our usual MFSK32 mode, but if reception is poor, one VOA News item is in the especially robust Olivia 32-2000 mode.  

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 132, 10-11 October 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:34  Program preview
  2:45  European court strikes down US data treaty*
  7:49  Russia complicates US pivot to Asia*
15:03  Texting may hamper girls’ high school academics*
22:22  Olivia 32-2000: Hamburgers for Russian cosmonauts?**
26:51  MFSK32: Closing announcements*
28:24  Olivia 64-2000: Transmission schedule

* with image

** the RSID should change the mode automatically to Olivia 32-2000, but if it doesn’t, in Fldigi: Op Mode > Olivia > Custom > see Bandwidth to 2000 (Hz) and Tones to 32. You can also create a Macro with this: <MODEM:OLIVIA:2000:32>

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 MFSK32 Sunday at 0230 UTC (EDT Sunday at 10:30 pm EDT) on 7375 kHz, via Germany. This is part of the KBC broadcast to North America at 0000-0300 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . Beginning 17-18 October, the KBC transmission for North America shifts to 2300-0200 UTC on the new frequency of 7395 kHz. The minute of MFSK will then be heard UTC Sundays at 0130 UTC.

The w1hkj.com site, the usual repository for the  Fldigi suite of software, is not working normally due to an apparent attack on the site. Fldigi and the Fldigi suite of software are still available here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/