An updated version (1.2) of the AndFlmsg Android app is now available at http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/

This new version has support for the UTF-8 character set.  To give the AndFlmsg update a workout, this weekend’s VOA Radiogram will include news items in Russian and Spanish.  The Spanish involves only a few letters with accents. Russian is more complicated, with its Cyrillic alphabet. 

Of course, you can also decode the Russian, Spanish, and English, using Fldigi (set to UTF-8) on your desktop or laptop PC.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 127,  5-6 September 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:34  Program preview
  2:44  New Russian Internet data law*
  9:46  Same subject, in Russian*
13:45  Chinese Navy ships in Bering Sea*
21:59  Cuba mobile video, in Spanish*
26:21  Closing announcements*
28:03  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
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 about 0230 UTC (Saturday 10:32 pm EDT) on its new frequency of 7375 kHz, via Germany. Reports for this KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com.

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will include an experiment suggested by Mark in the UK.  Mark notices that interference to MFSK images comes from RF noise that is concentrated in the lower audio frequencies. He wants to know if images might be clearer if they are transmitted at a higher audio frequency.

Because of a few extra minutes in this weekend’s program, the third image will be transmitted a second time, at a center frequency of 2000 Hz.  

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 126, 29-30 August 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:30  Program preview
  2:45  Strife reduces pollution in parts of Middle East*
  9:03  Diminished marine biodiversity*
16:10  Plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean*
24:18  MFSK32 at 2000 Hz: Same image*
26:37  MFSK32 at 1500 Hz: Closing announcements*
28:23  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
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 the KBC transmission to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Greg, OH2FFY, in Finland (yes, the name doesn’t seem Finnish; he’s from Australia) produced this video about VOA Radiogram back on December 31, 2014, but I just discovered it today. Greg does an excellent job of explaining the VOA Radiogram concept, in words and pictures…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEXbQ8W-gqc

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be all-MFSK32 (except for the Olivia 64-2000 bonus mode) and will include some interesting science news.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 124, 15-16 August 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:  

  1:31  Program preview
  2:39  Genome of octopus species*
  9:50  New sunspot index shows no climate link*
19:23  Economic growth threatens Asian biodiversity*
26:05  Closing announcements*
28:20  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
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. Please send reports about this KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc (at) gmail.com .

Mark Hirst prepared this YouTube video of  shortwave broadcasts – including VOA Radiogram – received during the July VHF field day held near Basingstoke, Hampshire in the UK …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itkZRP7ADo8

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 …