Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Mighty KBC tests 9,450 kHz and will send a digital message this weekend

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KBC Propagation Map (Source: The Mighty KBC)

This Sunday, from 00:00-02:00 UTC, The Mighty KBC will again broadcast 2 hours of music on the 31 meter band.  This time, they will be testing on 9,450 kHz to avoid adjacent signal interference heard on 9,500 kHz last week.

They will also broadcast a special digital message at 01:30 and then again prior to the end of their broadcast. They have sent full details about the broadcast in a press release (below). Note that though the mode is different, the procedure of decoding the digital message is similar to the one WBCQ broadcast this year. We published a short primer on decoding the WBCQ message in May.

Here are the details on Sunday’s broadcast and how to decode the QPSK125 message:

(Source: The Might KBC)

The Mighty KBC will test to the USA on Sunday 11 November 2012 00.00 – 02.00 UTC on 9450 kHz!

Please join the Mighty KBC for a test of a digital text sent via a shortwave broadcast transmitter. This will take place during the next transmission to North America, Sunday 0000-0200 UTC, at approximately 0130 and just before the end of the broadcast at 0200.

All you need is a basic shortwave receiver (no SSB mode is necessary), and a basic personal computer. Using a patch cord, you will feed the audio out of the earphone jack (or line out) of your radio into the microphone jack of your PC. If you don’t have a patch cord, you can try placing the speaker of your radio close to the built-in microphone of a laptop PC.

You will also need software. There are several freeware or shareware programs used by the amateur radio community that decode digital text modes. One is FLDIGI, available from http://www.w1hkj.com .

After installing FLDIGI, pull down the Configure menu, then click Sound Card, and select the soundcard your PC is using.

You might also have to adjust your audio settings. In Windows 7, left click twice on the speaker icon in the lower right of PC display, then click Options, then click Properties, then click Recording, then click the input that works. Other operating systems will have different procedures. A good way to test your audio settings is to try to decode the radio amateurs using the PSK31 mode on 14070 kHz.

For the test digital text transmissions on Sunday, The Mighty KBC will be using the QPSK125 mode. On your software, your cursor should be centered on 1500 Hertz, where you will see the “waterfall” of the QPSK125 signal. You can decode the transmission while you receive it, or record the transmission and decode from the recording. The latter will give you more opportunities to perfect the technique.

The test to be transmitted will be a formatted html file. Copy it from <html> to (and including) </html>, and paste it to a text editor (such as Notepad in Windows). Save the file, using any file name, with the suffix .htm or .html. Then open the file in any web browser. If all goes well, this might be the first time you receive a shortwave radio broadcast in color!

In the future, an app will be developed to make this process simpler!

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CRTC extends broadcast license for Sackville’s North Quebec Service until Dec 1

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View of the western cluster of curtain antennas from the roof of RCI Sackville’s transmissions building. (Photo: The SWLing Post) –Click to enlarge

According to this article (see clipping below) the CRTC “mistakenly” listed the end date of RCI Sackville’s (call sign CKCX-SW) shortwave service to North Quebec as November 1, 2012. The CRTC has now amended the decision with an end date of December 1st, 2012.

Thanks to Kim Elliott for bringing this to my attention.

(Source: All Access Music Group)

[T]he official revocation of the license of the CBC’s shortwave CKCX-SW/SACKVILLE, NB has been amended to DECEMBER 1st.  In an initial ruling on the requested revocation, the CRTC mistakenly listed the end date as NOVEMBER 1st.  The station is being shut down because of the grant of low-power repeaters for CBC RADIO ONE station CFFB/IQUALUIT, NUNAVUT at PURVIRNITUQ, KUUJJUARAPIK, INUKJUAK, SALLUIT, and KUUJJUAQ, NUNAVIT, all on 103.5 FM with 50 watts each.

Have you singed our petition to save Sackville from being dismantled? Now would be the perfect time:

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VOA adds shortwave frequencies for US election coverage

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(Photo source: VOA)

(Source: VOA via Kim Andrew Elliott)

Special election programming on the Voice of America

0200-0600 UTC, November 7:

Africa
0200-0300 UTC  909, 1530, 4930, 6080, 9885, 15580
0300-0600 UTC  Existing broadcasts

Middle East
0200-0400 UTC   9480, 12005, 15255
0400-0600 UTC   9480, 15255

Asia

a. South and Central Asia
0200-0400 UTC  13810, 15155, 15255, 15590
0400-0600 UTC   13570, 13810, 15155, 15255, 15590, 15640, 17525

b. East Asia
0200-0300 UTC  13810, 15230, 17525, 17615
0300-0400 UTC   13810, 15230, 17615
0400-0600 UTC   13810, 15230, 15405, 15640, 17615

c. Southeast Asia
0200-0300 UTC   11705, 15155, 17525
0300-0400 UTC   15155, 17525, 17615
0400-0600 UTC   15155, 15640, 17525, 17615

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Media Network Plus interviews RCI shortwave supporter, Senator Hugh Segal

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Senator Hugh Segal

PCJ’s Media Network Plus interviewed Senator Hugh Segal last week.  As we mentioned previously, Senator Segal made a motion that the CBC be made accountable for the unfair proportion of cuts imposed on Radio Canada International earlier this year.

I found Segal’s thoughts regarding the future of Radio Canada International articulate and accurate. If you’ve been following the RCI Sackville story, you will appreciate this interview as well.

You can listen to the interview on PCJ Media’s website, or by downloading the mp3 by clicking here.

Again, if you haven’t signed our petition to save Radio Canada International’s Sackville transmission site, please consider adding your voice and sharing this with your friends! Click here to sign the petition!

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: The Mighty KBC on 9,500 kHz

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Once again, The Mighty KBC broadcast a two hour mix of music to the world on 9,500 kHz. Fortunately, I was able to record the entire broadcast–you can listen below.

The KBC signal and audio out of their transmitter in Bulgaria were both excellent. There was very noticeable interference from the clandestine station, Radio Republica, who broadcasts at the same time (00:00-01:57 UTC) on 9,490 kHz.  According to my spectrum display, Republica’s signal had a bandwidth of 20 kHz!  At times, I had to narrow my receiver filter to about 6.6 kHz and use a USB sync mode  to keep KBC’s broadcast clear.  Still, you can certainly hear some of the noise from Radio Republica in the recording.

Though somewhat difficult to see since this is a snapshot, Radio Republica’s signal covered a 20 kHz wide swatch of the spectrum. The KBC broadcast is shaded and centered on 9.500 MHz.

Since Radio Republica is broadcast from the US, I’m curious if listeners in other parts of the world (or other parts of North America) had the same problem. If so, please comment!  I’ll pass this along to KBC.

You can download the entire broadcast as an mp3 by clicking here, or simply listen in the embedded player below:

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Guardian: BBC World Service asking for voluntary redundancies

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(Photo source: NY Times)

(Source: The Guardian)

Corporation’s global arm to close 73 editorial posts, but hopes to avoid compulsory layoffs as part of £42m budget cuts

The BBC World Service has urged all its network news journalists to consider voluntary redundancy as it aims to avoid compulsory layoffs as part of £42m budget cuts.

The BBC’s global arm is closing 73 editorial posts following its cut in funding by the government in 2010.

Post closures include 16 in network news, which includes domestic journalists based around the UK, 14 in World Service news, and two in newsgathering for world and business.

Stephen Mitchell, the BBC’s deputy director of news, urged staff to consider voluntary redundancy in an email on Thursday morning.

He said: “We are committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies where possible, and have previously been very successful in achieving this. We hope to continue our good record, and therefore are asking all network news staff once again whether they wish to be considered for voluntary redundancy.”

[…]Compulsory redundancies at the World Service led to two walkouts by staff last year.

[…]The National Union of Journalists has criticised the World Service cuts. General secretary Michelle Stanistreet said the job losses “fly in the face” of the corporation’s commitment to quality programming, and urged director general George Entwistle to push for a renegotiation of the licence fee settlement.

“The World Service is a source of information for people across the world, described by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan as ‘perhaps Britain’s greatest gift to the world’,” Stanistreet added.

[…]”These cuts will severely impair the BBC’s scope and services at a time when they are needed more than ever. The BBC needs to stop and rethink its approach to the World Service before it does irreparable damage.”

Read the full article at The Guardian website.

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North Korea updates transmitters and jamming ability

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(Source: Daily NK)

The North Korean authorities are in the process of replacing their existing shortwave radio transmitters, Daily NK has learned. The measure appears designed to both allow better broadcasts targeting South Korea and stop outside shortwave broadcasts entering.

According to the Northeast Asian Broadcasting Institute (NABI), the authorities made their first move in March this year, replacing the shortwave transmission equipment at Kanggye Transmission Station in Jagang Province with modern equipment made by Beijing BBEF Electronics Group Co. Kanggye Transmission Station is one of three high output shortwave transmission facilities in North Korea, with the other two being at Pyongyang and in Gujang County, North Pyongan Province. […]

North Korea has two shortwave broadcasters; Chosun Central 1st Broadcast and Pyongyang Broadcast. The first is for the domestic and international audience while the latter serves the international audience only, leading to the assumption that North Korea is replacing its existing transmitters in order to improve its broadcasts targeting South Korea. With the sort of modern equipment arriving from BBEF, North Korean broadcasts will be receivable anywhere in South Korea, no matter where in the North they are broadcast from.

According to NABI, North Korea’s shortwave broadcasting capacity was previously very weak due to worn out and broken equipment. Signal strength was particularly weak, meaning that listeners tended to receive a different channel even when tuned directly to the intended broadcast frequency. According to one defector from Pyongyang who arrived in South Korea in June 2011, the signal strength of Chosun Central 1st Broadcast was so weak at times that it was even unlistenable in most regions of North Korea.

However, the quality has recently improved dramatically, as Park Sung Moon of NABI explained to Daily NK, saying, “Recent analysis of North Korea’s shortwave Chosun Central 1st Broadcast and Pyongyang Broadcast reveal that they are being broadcast clearly and consistently, without interference or signal shifting.”[…]

The other side of the coin is that improved shortwave transmission strength stops incoming signals from reaching listeners.

According to one defector who used to be a part of the Party Propaganda and Agitation Department, “They know that when the Chosun Central 1st Broadcast signal strength is weak, it regularly arrives with outside broadcasts mixed in. I think they want to stop this happening.”

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