VOARadiogram on Thor25x4

Hello friends,

Last week's html transmission using Flwrap, or cut/paste as a Plan B, was successful among listeners in many parts of the world. One example was from New Zealand: https://twitter.com/VOARadiogram/status/761559631135141889 .  If you're interesting in more html pages via shortwave, please let me know.

This weekend's broadcast will not include an html segment. It will, however, include a VOA News story in Thor25x4. This mode is interesting because of its 2-second interleave. Thor25x4 might be able to resist fading, if it occurs this weekend. (We tried Thor25x4 in program 52, 29-30 March 2014, with good results.)

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 175, 6-7 August 2016, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:32  Program preview 
 2:52  Life in the deep Pacific*
12:49  Private US company plans moon shot*
17:18  Thor25x4: Io atmosphere collapses in Jupiter's shadow**
22:17  MFSK32: Io image
24:34  Special broadcasts by Club Diexistas de la Amistad
26:10  Closing announcements

* with image

** RSID will be followed by 10-second tone in case manual mode change is required

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 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 about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. This is part of its broadcast to North America, this UTC Sunday from 0000 to 0200 UTC. Reports for KBC reception to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

DigiDX will provide DX and media news in MFSK32 and possibly other modes.

Sunday 2130-2200 UTC, 15770 kHz, via WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC, 11580 kHz, via WRMI Florida
Monday 2000-2130 UTC, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

Daily 1830-1900 and 0530-0600 UTC, 6070 kHz, via Channel 292 Germany

Look for any additions or changes to the DigiDX schedule at http://www.digidx.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/digidx/ 

IBC (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) has a broadcast to Europe on 6070 kHz, Wednesdays, 2000-2200 UTC, with MFSK32 and Olivia 16-500 at 2030-2100 UTC. And IBC has added MFSK32 transmissions via WRMI in Florida: Friday 0125-0200 UTC on 9955 kHz (Thursday 9:25 pm EDT), part of its 0100-0130 broadcast. And Saturday at 0155-0200 UTC (Friday evening 9:55 pm EDT), on 11580 kHz, part of its 0130-0200 broadcast.  See http://ibcradio.webs.com/ for the complete schedule and contact information.

Thank you for your reports from last weekend. I'm still responding to reports from program 172, 16-17 July, but hope to finish those before the first sign-on Saturday morning.

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net
Twitter: @VOARadiogram

'73 de IK1XPK, Claudio

VOA Radiogram 2-3 May NEW FREQUENCY !

Hello friends,

This weekend the VOA Radiogram broadcast Saturday at 1600-1630 UTC moves to the new frequency of 17870 kHz. This replaces 17860 kHz, which was suffering interference from Radio Exterior de España on 17855 kHz. For those of you using low cost radios with less selectivity, please let me know in 17870 kHz provides enough separation from 17855 kHz.

VOA Radiogram begins this weekend with a rather lengthy but, I hope, interesting story about a new report on world press freedom. 

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 109, 2-3 May 2015, all in MFSK32 except where noted:

 1:32  Program preview
 2:45  Freedom House report on world press freedom*
14:12  BBC adds shortwave transmissions for Nepal
17:09  Mobile phone ownership increases in Africa
21:21  Computer servers heat homes in the Netherlands*
27:12  Closing announcements*
28:39  Thor 16: Bonus mode of the week

* 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 (new, replaces 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 will (I think) transmit a minute of MFSK64 3 May at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on new 9925 kHz (via Germany). Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

Thank you for your reception reports for last weekend's broadcast.  I have not yet finished answering all the reports from program 107, 18-19 April 2015, because of a busy week involving my audience research tasks for VOA and the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau. I hope to catch up with the correspondence this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net


'73 de IK1XPK, Claudio.

VOA RADIOGRAM - FlDigi - 3-4 January 2015

Hello friends,

Because of difficult mid-winter shortwave propagation, one of this weekend's VOA News items will be in MFSK16 (55 wpm), to see if it will provide a more successful text decode than our usual MFSK32 (120 wpm).

The printout of Fldigi,  under its default settings, displays the name of the previous mode rather than the mode that has just started. If you want the name of the just-started mode in your printout and log file, make the following adjustments to Fldigi:

1) Configure > Notifications  

2) Under Event, select RSID Reception

3) Click Add

4) Click the box to the right of "Append to RX text:"

5) This should appear in the box: RSID: $RX_MARKER

6) Click Update

7) Click Close

(Fldigi 3.22.04 is now available from http://www.w1hkj.com/download.html , although this particular update is not necessary for this weekend's VOA Radiogram.)

VOA Radiogram 3-4 January 2015

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 92, 3-4 January 2015 (in MFSK 32 except where noted):

 1:44  Program preview

 2:39  Iran expands Internet censorship*
 8:42  North Korea TV ends Russian, Chinese films*
16:40  MFSK16: Spray-on solar panels*
25:46  Closing announcements*
28:14  Bonus mode: Olivia 64-2000

*with image

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule​ ​(all days and times are UTC)
​Saturday	0930-1000 UTC	5910 kHz	Gray-line reception possible in Europe this time of year. Asia-Pacific reception also possible.
​Saturday	​1600-1630 UTC	​17860 kHz	​Usually provides the best reception in Europe this time of year.
​Sunday	​0230-0300 UTC	​5745 kHz	​Saturday night in North America. Usually audible in Europe, if you are awake.
​Sunday	​1930-2000 UTC	​15670 kHz	​Difficult into Europe this time of year, but should improve by February. Often audible in southern Asia and the Pacific.
​ All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina. ​ ​ ​

The Mighty KBC will transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday at about 1230 UTC on 6095 kHz and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 8:30 pm EST) on 7375 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. The content will be the same as last weekend. Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com .

Thank you for your reception reports to VOA Radiogram last weekend and throughout 2014. Because of travel, I will not be able to answer reports to program 91 until next week. 

Wishing you good listening, good decoding, and all the best in 2015.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net   

Good dx de IK1XPK, Claudio.

Radio Martí on MFSK16

Hello friends,

Starting tonight, Radio Martí will transmit a minute of MFSK16 centered on 2500 Hz, daily, according to the following schedule:

0558:40 UTC               1180  6030  7405 kHz

0758:40 UTC               1180  5980  6030 kHz

0858:40 UTC               1180  5980  6030 kHz

Each transmission is 57 seconds.  

The 1180 kHz is medium wave, from the Florida Keys. The shortwave frequencies (5980, 6030, and 7405 kHz) are all via North Carolina.

You will probably hear noise on the frequency.

Recordings of your reception would be appreciated.

The email address for reception reports is included in the text transmission, but if you are not able to decode it, just send the report to radiogram@voanews.com.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net

'73 de IK1XPK, Claudio.

The Radio Free Asia - Olivia 32-2000

Hello friends,
The Radio Free Asia Cantonese Service is transmitting Olivia 32-2000, centered on 1500 Hz, according to the schedule below.

This table corrects the frequencies at 1458-1500 UTC sent in my previous email:

​UTC Dates​                 1458-1500 UTC​       2258-2300 UTC

​Tuesday, 9 Sept           13595 kHz​               15270 kHz
​Wednesday, 10 Sept    13585​                      15280
​Thursday, 11 Sept       13595​                       15290
​Friday, 12 Sept            13585​                       15300
​Saturday, 13 Sept        13635​                       15380
​Sunday, 14 Sept          13700​                       15390
​Monday, 15 Sept         13585                       ​15260

 All frequencies are via Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands. Today’s transmission at 1458 UTC on 13595 kHz was successfully decoded in Japan, the Philippines, Finland, Greece, and California – and probably other places I haven’t hear from yet.

Kim.

By IK1XPK, Claudio

VOA Radiogram 30-31 August 2014 - Tibetan in Fldigi

Hello friends, VOA Radiogram during the weekend of 30-31 August will begin with the transmission of a straight vertical blue line. Some of us experience slant when we decode MFSK images, so this line will help us determine if we have a slant problem.  If your line is slanted, URLs for web pages that might help solve the problem will be provided.  Near the end of the program will be a brief sample of Tibetan language text. 

“Chicken tracks” like this will appear in the Fldigi receive pane…   

Copy this line and paste it to a word processor, and the Tibetan text might display correctly. 

Your PC will need the MS Himalayan font installed. Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 74, 30-31 August 2014: MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz 1:30  Program preview  2:31  Vertical line for sound card calibration4:18  Neuron loss and insomnia, with image9:36  Producing rubber from dandelions, with image14:47  North Korea inspecting TVs from China, with RFA logo22:39  Some Tibetan text24:05 

Closing announcements 

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 will transmit a minute of MFSK64 Saturday, 30 August 2014, at 1130 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday, 31 August, at 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz. 
Both frequencies are via Germany. 

Reports to themightykbc@gmail.com .  

I may still have a few reports still to answer from program 72 (weekend of 16-17 August), but will finish those soon and begin responding to your reports from program 73 (23-24 August). 

I hope you can tune in and write in this weekend. 

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram 
voaradiogram.net

Tibetan in Fldigi

Hello friends, 

For this weekend’s transmission of Tibetan text on VOA Radiogram, you might be able to see the Tibetan characters in the receive pane. No copy and paste to a word processor will be required. 

If all goes well. Dave, W1HKJ, lead developer of Flidigi, suggests an adjustment to RX Font: Configure > Colors & Fonts: The Rx/Tx Character set should be UTF-8, then (if you have a Microsoft OS) change Rx font to Microsoft Himalaya. 

Because this font is very small, increase the point size to 20. With Linux, the font is Tibetan Machine Uni. 

I’m not sure which point size is best in this OS. You can switch to the Himalaya font just before the Tibetan is transmitted 22:39 into the show.  

Or you can use the Himalaya font for the entire show, because it prints out adequately in English.  (I don’t know if Tibetan Machine Uni does English.) 

I look forward to seeing your results.  Please send reports to radiogram@voanews.com .

Kim

VOA Mandarin - UP-Date

Buongiorno,

in aggiornamento alla precedente e-mail sul MFSK32 su VOA Mandarin, Kim Elliott precisa che le trasmissioni saranno giornaliere per almeno le prossime due settimane con orari e frequenze come segue:

2258:15 UTC 6135 9845 kHz

0058:10 UTC 9880 15385 15565 17560 kHz

Le trasmissioni sono via ripetitori IBB in Asia.

La MFSK32 sarà caratteri cinesi. Sarà necessario il set di caratteri UTF-8. Se si utilizza Fldigi: Configurazione> Colori e font.

Se non si riesce a sentire queste frequenze dalla vostra posizione è possibile tramite l'Università di Twente ricevitore SDR: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ - o un ricevitore web istallato in Asia.

Kim chiede di inviare i rapporti di ricezione a radiogram@voanews.com  In caso che non sia possibile decodificare il segnale una registrazioni audio in MP3, comprensiva di un paio di minuti prima dell’inizio della trasmissione in MFSK32 , risulterebbe particolarmente utile.

La mail di KIM

Hello friends,

As a follow-up to my previous email about the MFSK32 on VOA Mandarin, I want to clarify that these transmissions will be daily for the next two weeks, at least.

2258:15 UTC        6135  9845 kHz

0058:10 UTC        9880 15385 15565 17560 kHz

The transmissions are via IBB relay stations in Asia.

The MFSK32 will be Chinese characters. You will need the UTF-8 character set. If using Fldigi: Configure > Colors & Fonts.

If you are unable to hear these frequencies from your location, perhaps you can via the University of Twente SDR receiver: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ -- or a web controlled receiver in Asia, if you have access to one.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com . Audio recordings, including a minute or two before the MFSK32 starts, would be especially helpful – even if you can’t decode the tones. Mp3 files are OK. 

The English VOA Radiogram broadcasts on weekends will continue.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott

Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

'73 de IK1XPK Claudio.

VOA Radiogram - VOA Mandarin

La VOA Radiogram inizia esperimenti di trasmissione in MFSK32 con la redazione di VOA Mandarin.

ecco la mail di Kim Elliott

Hello friends,


The VOA Radiogram experiment enters an interesting new phase with MFSK32 text included in the shortwave broadcasts of the VOA Mandarin Service.


Beginning UTC Sunday at 2258 UTC (Monday morning in China)...

There will be 1:10 (1 minute, 10 seconds) of MFSK32 in Chinese beginning at..

2258:15 UTC        6135  9845 kHz

and

0058:10 UTC        9880 15385 15565 17560 kHz



These transmissions will continue for two weeks. The transmissions are via VOA relays stations in Asia.



The MFSK32 will be Chinese characters.  You will need the UTF-8 character set.  In Fldigi: Configure > Colors & Fonts.



Usually there will be Chinese domestic radio jamming VOA on the same frequency. It will therefore be MFSK32 versus the Chinese jamming.



I know that most of you are outside of the target area for these VOA Mandarin broadcasts directed to China, but you might be able to hear these transmissions on at least one frequency.


If you can hear these broadcasts, it would be very helpful if you can send me recordings (mp3 is OK), including at least one minute before the MFSK32 begins.


The weekend English broadcasts of VOA Radiogram will continue.



Thanks!


Kim


Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter

VOA Radiogram



'73 de IK1XPK Claudio

VOA Radiogram 65° trasmissione * E-QSL

Hello Claudio,
Thank you for your report.
And thank you for the excellent photo of the radio beacon in the bottle.
If you would like to see what your photo looked like as decoded in various parts of the world, download this file... https://www.dropbox.com/..........................
In each file, the location is usually the ITU code for the country, or 2-letter postal abbreviations for states and provinces in North America.
Attached is the photo as decoded in Japan last Sunday at 1930 UTC. That's about 10000 km from the transmitter in North Carolina.

The QSL is below.

All the best,

Kim
KD9XB

KIM (KD6XB) con la solita gentilezza che lo contraddistingue ha inviato la E-QSL della trasmissione della settima scorsa. Oltre alla gradita conferma alla ricezione ha allegato le immagino delle varie "Radio in Bottiglia" ricevute in ogni parte del mondo il tutto scaricabile su www.dropbox.com

Good DX ! Claudio IK1XPK.

VOA Radiogram - A.I.R e la Radio in Bottiglia

               A.I.R.  
Associazione Italiana Radioascolto

                    
                    VOA Radiogram

La Radio in Bottiglia

28 giugno 2014 17860 KHz 16:00 16:30 GMT

SINPO 55555

29 giugno 2014 15670 KHz 19:30-20:00 GMT 

SINPO 54554

Il testo trasmesso con l'immagine:

VOA Radiogram has many listeners in Italy, and many of these

Italian listeners are members of A.I.R., Associazione Italiana

Radioascolto.

The A.I.R. held its 32nd annual meeting on 9-10 May in Turin

(Torino). One of the activities at the meeting was the launch, in

the River Po, of a bottle containing a 10-milliwatt beacon

transmitting on 28325 kHz...

RX: ICOM 756 pro

ANT: Verticale HF 10-40 Mt  (10Mt)

Intref.: SB2000

PC: laptop Pentiunm II

Soft: FLDigi V.3.21.83

'73 de IK1XPK, Claudio.

VOA Radiogram, 17860 KHz - 28 June 2014, Reception

Alcune immagini dell'ascolto della VOA Radiogram di oggi 28 giugno sulla frequenza di 17860 KHz AM - MFSK32 dalle 16:00 alle 16:30 UTC.

ricevitore un ICOM 756 pro,
antenna una vertivale HF da 40 a 10 mt alta circa 10 mt,
interfaccia USB SB-2000
PC Pentium II
Soft. FLDigi V 3.21.83.
SINPO 55555

'73 Claudio IK1XPK

VOA Radiogram, 28-29 June 2014, CQ FD

Ancora l'A.I.R. protagonista nelle trasmissioni digitali della VOA Radiogram; la "Radio in bottiglia" torna alla ribalta in un trasmissione digitale della VOA.

Al 23° minuto l'AIR.

23:08  Associazione Italiana Radioascolto 10M river beacon, with image.

Grazie a  Kim Elliot.

La mail di Kim.

Hello friends,

Some of our North American listeners may be busy this weekend because of the annual amateur radio Field Day event. If you are participating, you might want to take a break to tune in VOA Radiogram and demonstrate the concept to other radio amateurs. This weekend's program will include items that will be of interest to anyone involved in radio.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 65, 28-29 June 2014 (MFSK32):

  1:36  Program preview
 2:40  Field Day greetings to radio amateurs, with image
 5 03  VOA Cold War broadcasts from a Coast Guard cutter, with image
14:25  Scientists push for continued HAARP funding, with image
23:08  Associazione Italiana Radioascolto 10M river beacon, with image
26:30  Closing announcements

There will also be two surprise modes at the end of the show.

Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com.

Again this weekend, VOA Radiogram is recorded at a sample rate of 8000 Hz. This does not seem to have any negative effect on the decoding of the digital modes, but it does make the opening and closing music sound muddy and low-fi. Now that I've remembered the Fldigi Configure > Sound Card > Wav setting, things should be back to normal next week.

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.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram

voaradiogram.net

This weekend, The Mighty KBC will also transmit greetings to Field Day participants this weekend. A minute of MFSK64 will be transmitted Saturday at about 1130 UTC on 6095 kHz, and Sunday at about 0130 UTC (Saturday 9:30 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz. Both frequencies are via Germany. Reports to themightykbc@gmail.com . 

 I hope you can tune in and email in this weekend.

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
voaradiogram.net


'73 de IK1XPK, Claudio