Images received by Tarmo in Estonia, 27 May 2017, 1600-1630 UTC, 17580 kHz.

This weekend, VOA Radiogram will add a new transmission this weekend, Sunday, 0600-0630 UTC, 7730 kHz via WRMI Florida. See the schedule below. In that schedule, the three WRMI broadcasts will be the schedule for the successor to VOA Radiogram starting the weekend of June 24-25.

I have yet to decide on a name for  the successor to VOA Radiogram.  Your ideas and suggestions are welcome!

See the voaradiogram.net website for this news about Roger in Germany decoding text from the fourth(!) audio harmonic.

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram is, as usual, mostly in MFSK32, with some MFSK16. There is also some text in Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia. You will need the UTF-8 character set for the Amharic to display correctly. In Fldigi, UTF-8 is the default character set, but you can check to make sure via Configure  > Colors & Fonts. In TIVAR, UTF-8 is the only available character set.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 218, 3-4 June 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

1:49  Program preview

3:03  Hypersonic space plane*

7:30  India opens longest bridge in its northeast*

14:37  Ethiopia cuts off internet during exams * **

20:24  MFSK16: WSPR from Canadian C3 voyage

24:40  MFSK32: Image* and closing announcements

* with image

** use UTF-8 character set for Amharic

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

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

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

Merkouris in Greece experimented with the decoding of an image from the second audio harmonic of a VOA Radiogram transmission.

Roger in Germany followed up by decoding from the third audio harmonic of The Mighty KBC’s transmission on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria.)

At that point, I wrote, “And I think that is a far as we will be able to go with harmonic image decoding!”

I was wrong.

Roger, taking advantage of a strong KBC signal on 9400 kHz, was able to decode MFSK16 text from the fourth audio harmonic …

http://www.rhci-online.net/radiogram/VoA_Radiogram_2017-05-27.htm#decoding_4th_harmonic

But perhaps now we have reached our limit.  Roger wrote, “I also tried the 5th harmonic, but the result was not usable.”

https://twitter.com/VOARadiogram/status/86992230571936563

https://youtu.be/TQMNHNfRrGo

https://youtu.be/RHnfU5MdEXY

https://youtu.be/_oZmEcWK8yo

Russian text received in Ukraine, 21 May 2017, 0230-0300 UTC, 5745 kHz (via dipole directed to the Caribbean)

Only four more editions of VOA Radiogram remain, with the last show during the weekend of June 17-18. I retire from VOA on June 23. A radio program similar to VOA Radiogram will begin June 24 on WRMI. Details will be announced as that date approaches.

The voaradiogram.net website and @VOARadiogram Twitter account will remain “live” for at least a few months after VOA Radiogram ends, so check those sources for links to the new website and Twitter account.

VOA Radiogram listeners have been conducting some interesting experiments. Recent examples are by Merkouris in Greece, who decoded an MFSK32 image from the second audio harmonic of a VOA Radiogram broadcast …

http://voaradiogram.net/post/160838081557/decoding-mfsk-images-from-audio-harmonics-just

Then Roger in Germany decoded from the third audio harmonic of a KBC transmission …

http://voaradiogram.net/post/161092313997/fooling-mother-nature-decoding-mfsk32-images-from

And I think that is a far as we will be able to go with harmonic image decoding!

VOA Radiogram this weekend will include some Spanish, so please use the UTF-8 character set again to make sure all the accent marks display correctly.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 217, 27-28 May 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:49  Program preview

 3:03  Britain irritated by US intel leaks*

 6:57  Trump budget includes cut for broadcasting*

13:49  Russia accuses RFE/RL, VOA of election interference*

19:54  MFSK16: Same subject in Spanish **

24:09  MFSK32: Image* and closing announcements

* with image

** use UTF-8 character set

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

The Mighty KBC digital modes this weekend will include have no image, but will include text in MFSK64, MFSK32, and MFSK16. Make sure your RxID is on. KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC. 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. And there will be a special transmission on 28 May at 0800-1500 UTC on 6095 kHz via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 1440 UTC. On 9400 and 6095 kHz, if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/. 

DigiDX has not resumed, hence the VOA Radiogram transmissions via WRMI. See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

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

Russian text received in Ukraine, 21 May 2017, 0230-0300 UTC, 5745 kHz (via dipole directed to the Caribbean)

See the schedule information below for a special transmission of The Mighty KBC on 28 May. The KBC digital modes will be a combination of text in MFSK64, 32, and 16.

Only four more editions of VOA Radiogram remain, with the last show during the weekend of June 17-18. I retire from VOA on June 23. A radio program similar to VOA Radiogram will begin June 24 on WRMI. Details will be announced as that date approaches.

The voaradiogram.net website and @VOARadiogram Twitter account will remain “live” for at least a few months after VOA Radiogram ends, so check those sources for links to the new website and Twitter account.

VOA Radiogram listeners have been conducting some interesting experiments. Recent examples are by Merkouris in Greece, who decoded an MFSK32 image from the second audio harmonic of a VOA Radiogram broadcast …

http://voaradiogram.net/post/160838081557/decoding-mfsk-images-from-audio-harmonics-just

Then Roger in Germany decoded from the third audio harmonic of a KBC transmission …

http://voaradiogram.net/post/161092313997/fooling-mother-nature-decoding-mfsk32-images-from

And I think that is a far as we will be able to go with harmonic image decoding!

VOA Radiogram this weekend will include some Spanish, so please use the UTF-8 character set again to make sure all the accent marks display correctly.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 217, 27-28 May 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:49  Program preview

  3:03  Britain irritated by US intel leaks*

  6:57  Trump budget includes cut for broadcasting*

13:49  Russia accuses RFE/RL, VOA of election interference*

19:54  MFSK16: Same subject in Spanish **

24:09  MFSK32: Image* and closing announcements

* with image

** use UTF-8 character set

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

The Mighty KBC digital modes this weekend will include have no image, but will include text in MFSK64, MFSK32, and MFSK16. Make sure your RxID is on. KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC. 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. And there will be a special transmission on 28 May at 0800-1500 UTC on 6095 kHz via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 1440 UTC. On 9400 and 6095 kHz, if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/. 

DigiDX has not resumed, hence the VOA Radiogram transmissions via WRMI. See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

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

In a previous post, Merkouris in Greece showed us how he decoded an MFSK32 image from the second audio harmonic …

http://voaradiogram.net/post/160838081557/decoding-mfsk-images-from-audio-harmonics-just

Now Roger in Germany has fooled Mother Nature to an even greater extent by decoding from the third audio harmonic of The Mighty KBC’s signal on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria)…

http://www.rhci-online.net/radiogram/VoA_Radiogram_2017-05-20.htm#KBC

Zděnek in the Czech Republic received these images Sunday, May 14, 1930-2000 UTC, 15670 kHz

I will retire from the Voice of America on June 23, after 32 years as audience research analyst and broadcaster.

I was hoping to continue to produce VOA Radiogram as a contractor.  I approached various BBG and VOA offices. They all declined. 

And, therefore, the last VOA Radiogram will be the weekend on June 17-18

Money is not the issue.  I am willing to work cheap.  My main interest is to be authorized to continue the show and maintain a VOA email address, so that I can keep in contact with the audience.

The irony is that, after retirement, I will finally have time to answer your emails – but I will no longer have access to the VOA email system to do that.

But, the show must go on.  In addition to the four weekly transmissions via the BBG North Carolina transmitting site, VOA Radiogram is also broadcast on WRMI in Florida twice on Sundays. I can hardly allow those half-hour slots to be filled by light recorded music. So, beginning the weekend of June 24-25, a program similar to VOA Radiogram, but with a new name and email address, will be broadcast by WRMI.  

More about the demise of VOA Radiogram, and the emergence of its replacement, in the weeks to come.

VOA Radiogram this weekend includes some text in Russian. You will need to use the UTF-8 character set. IF you use Fldigi, it probably is already set for UTF-8, but you might want to check under the Colors & Fonts menu. All of the show is in MFSK32 except for one item in MFSK16, in case reception is challenging.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 216, May 20-21, 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:46  Program preview

 3:00  Distance supernova can doom earth has doubled*

10:16  Plan to clean plastic patch in the Pacific*

15:55  Plastic-eating moths (Russian) * **

22:01  MFSK16: Ukraine blocks Russian websites

26:10  MFSK32: Closing announcements*

* with image

** Mostly Cyrillic text: use UTF-8 character set

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with a minute of MFSK32 at about 1530 UTC. And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.

DigiDX has not resumed, hence the VOA Radiogram transmissions via WRMI. See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

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

VOA Radiogram listeners often see something like this on their Fldigi software display ….

The actual MFSK32 audio is the trace above and below 1500 Hz. The trace to the right, which actually extends to 3500 Hz, is the second audio harmonic.

I think these harmonics also exist with voice and music programming, but because the audio is so diffused, they are usually not noticed. With MFSK32 and other digital modes, however, the audio is so precisely defined that the harmonic is more noticeable.

VOA Radiogram listener Merkouris in Greece tried an experiment with the second audio harmonic.  He wrote:

Last weekend I tuned on the VOA radiogram frequency in AM mode, although I usually set my receiver in SSB mode. As the 2nd harmonic was clearly visible on the fldigi waterfall, I decided to give it a try to decode it.

Using Audacity, I changed the pitch of the recorded audio to -50%, then I cropped the audio frequencies below 1200 Hz. The results of the decode were about 50% copy of the text in MFSK32 and 99% copy of the text in MFSK16. Regarding the images, only two out of the transmitted five were decoded with quite interesting outputs.

Here follow the pictures, compared to the images that were decoded from the 1st harmonic.

The picture is of Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, broadcast on VOA Radiogram the weekend of  13-14 May 2017.

Among the highlights from last weekend, reception by Capt. Jawahar in India (Goa), Saturday 1600-1630 UTC, 17580 kHz (top), and by Richard in Hawaii, Sunday, 1930-2000 UTC, 15670 kHz. Text was near-100% for each.

We had an amazing response to last weekend’s program, thanks in part to mostly favorable propagation. Two example are above.

There was one glitch: Music was heard instead of VOA Radiogram Sunday at 2330-2400 UTC via WRMI Florida, 11580 kHz. This was due to an error in the automation system.

This weekend is the usual mix of MFSK32 and MFSK16, with five MFSK32 images.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 215, 13-14 May 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

  1:32  Program preview

  2:39  Senators support U.S. human rights role*

  8:50  China strengthens Internet controls*

14:07  FCC website attacked*

19:01  MFSK16: NSS call letters reactivated this weekend

23:45  MFSK32: Image* and closing announcements*

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com 

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with a minute of MFSK32 at about 1530 UTC. And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. A minute of MFSK32 is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.  

DigiDX has not resumed, hence the VOA Radiogram transmissions via WRMI. See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

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:

Willy in Denmark celebrated his 74th birthday last Saturday and decoded these images and ASCII art, 1600-1630 UTC, 17580 kHz.

Last weekend, propagation was better than week before, resulting in many good reports.  

This weekend’s  VOA Radiogram will include interesting stories, including one in MFSK16 in case conditions are difficult.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 214, 6-7 May 2017, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

1:49  Program preview

2:55  Nearby star system similar to ours*

7:30  IS radio still on air in Afghanistan despite bomb*

15:57  DW award to White House Correspondents’ Association*

20:41  MFSK16: Application for DRM HF station in New Jersey

23:05  MFSK32: Closing announcements*

* with image

dddd

The Mighty KBC this weekend changes to its North America summer frequency of 9925 kHz, via Germany, and returns to its usual time: 0000-0200 UTC. A minute of MFSK32 will be at about 0130 UTC. And the new KBC broadcast to Europe is Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz, via Kostinbrod (near Sofia), Bulgaria. A minute of MFSK32 will be at about 1530 UTC. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.  

DigiDX is taking a few weeks off, hence the VOA Radiogram transmissions via WRMI. See http://www.digidx.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC)  For the complete IBC transmission schedule, including changes after 27 March, visit  http://ibcradio.webs.com/  The new English version of IBC’s “Shortwave Panorama” begins  31 March, via WRMI Florida, Friday 01.00-01.30 UTC on 9955 kHz, Saturday 01.30-02.00 UTC 11580 kHz, and Sunday 00.30-01.00 UTC on 7730 kHz. The last five minutes of these shows will be in MFSK32.

“IBC DIGITAL” - 5 MINUTES IN MFSK32:

WEDNESDAY   18.55 UTC  6070 / 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 EUROPE

SUNDAY          00.55 UTC  7730 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA

                       10.55 UTC  6070 KHZ TO EUROPE