Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following news release via the DRM Consortium:
DRM RNZ Shortwave Transmitter For Pacific Inaugurated
On August 1st the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister came to RNZ House in Wellington to mark the start of the use of the new analogue and DRM transmitter, replacing a 34-year-old transmitter at the Rangitaiki broadcast site.
In a $4.4-million-dollar project, the public broadcaster RNZ has installed a new Swiss-made Ampegon shortwave transmitter.
Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief Paul Thompson said it’s a significant infrastructure upgrade and secures the future of the RNZ shortwave service into the wider Pacific.
RNZ Pacific broadcasts into the wider Pacific on shortwave 24 hours a day, broadcasting in English and Pacific languages, in collaboration with 22 broadcasting partners across the region.
“The attraction of the shortwave service is that it delivers our unique voice and content to all parts of the Pacific via a signal which can carry over great distances, and achieve good audiences,” said Thompson.
“RNZ Pacific is an essential source of information, especially so during the cyclone season or during a crisis such as the Tonga eruptions,” he said.
RNZ’s Transmission Engineer Specialist Steve White said the project to replace the 34-year-old transmitter at the Rangitaiki broadcast site near Taupo had gone smoothly – being on budget and achieved without disruption to service. “We have appreciated the close working relationship with Ampegon for the new transmitter installation,” he said.
RNZ broadcasts into the wider Pacific on shortwave 24 hours a day, collaborating with 22 broadcasting partners across the region.
Click here to read the original article at DRM.org.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan, who shares the following context:
Receiving Radio New Zealand Pacific’s new transmitter.
Please look for this signal from the newest brand new high frequency (SW) transmitter.
It’s on air 00:00 – 04:48 UTC daily on 17675 kHz AM aimed at the Southern Pacific Ocean from 66 Matea Rd, Rangitaiki, Bay of Plenty, co-ordinates -38.8426 176.4297
https://www.drm.org/radio-new-zealand-uses-new-drm-shortwave-transmitter-for-wide-coverage/
There is a link in that article which goes to the RNZ Pacific website which has not been updated for the new transmitter.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/listen shows no changes to duration and times of transmissions at all with the exception of a new time slot for the new transmitter outlined above.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/qsl to make reception reports.
The RNZ Pacific have been heard in both AM and DRM on the West Coast of North America and occasionally in Europe.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/rebroadcasters
A DRM receiver including KiwiSDRs can receive the DRM signal anywhere in the coverage area not just in the communities.
Thanks for the article Thomas – I’ve been getting good reception of RNZ on 9700 AM in the mornings lately (~1000z slot) here on the east coast of FL. Will have to give the 17675 a shot as my winradio is DRM equipped. I’ve had success decoding Kuwait & Romania DRM streams in the past.
https://cmlmicro.com/Content/Downloads/EKDS_DE9180.pdf and https://mm.digikey.com/Volume0/opasdata/d220001/medias/docus/6209/DRM1000.pdf are both dated May this year. Why do you expect manufacturers to be making radios for mass production in 2 months for research and development , the mass ordering of parts, setting up distribution and retailers?
I’m not. Once again, I’m referring to the official CML’s website that you linked in one of the previous posts:
https://cmlmicro.com/news-media/news-archive/cml-micro-release-the-world-s-lowest-cost-digital-radio-mondiale-broadcast-receiver-module
The date is September 2023, which was 11 months ago. The article states:
“We are truly honored to collaborate with CML Micro in launching two groundbreaking DRM receivers based on the DRM1000 module, namely the GR-220 and GR-221.”
Even the DRM consortium confirms that the GR-221 receiver has been shown on IBC 2023 – the same date.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxPx9Q-MomH/
Since then, nothing has been heard about this receiver. If they display it publicly at the IBC, it means that R&D, ordering of parts (to some extent) has already been done (otherwise it would be just a publicity stunt, not a real product – which may also turn out to be true – why are there no photos of this radio actually operating?).
If the product is not available almost a year later, this could mean that they’ve been quietly waiting for any increase of interest in DRM after the introduction of the module, but that didn’t happen – no radio station has launched any new DRM broadcasts. With this in mind, perhaps they decided not to launch the production and just wait another few years?
The prices I quoted are in Australian Dollars and are for the sale of single items. If you are purchasing for manufacturing it will be a negotiated lower price.
I would also like to point out that the DRM1000 was only announced last year. AM is over 100 years old and FM if is 84 years old. It takes time to build up volume production.
You cannot release radios into a market unless you have sufficient numbers of radios available for immediate delivery and a capacity to supply the market. Remember the larger these numbers of radios are the lower the price so you need to produce more radios. It takes time and money to set up volume production. For example in India with a population of 1300 million people, Indonesia 275 million, or Pakistan 235 million and start advertising and extensive DRM coverage you had better be ready with radios after the advertising starts. Otherwise you waste your advertising budget and get a bad reputation for a lack of delivery.
I don’t find this explanation convincing. After all, the only companies with such distribution problems are the ones which are supposedly offering DRM receivers. We can look at another newcomer, Qodosen (which is also a startup) – they have succeeded in introducing their new 286 series receivers to the markets in much less than that. They’re widely available in different regions via Amazon and Aliexpress.
I don’t think that the populations of India, Pakistan or Indonesia (only one of those 3 countries having any DRM stations) are of any relevance here unless you predict that all their citizens are going to storm the stores as soon as a DRM receiver gets introduced there which I think is not a realistic scenario.
Furthermore, this explanation also doesn’t hold up because the lack of retail availability does not concern only the new models based on the DRM1100 IC. The older ones are also not available.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a game changer is ‘a person, an idea or an event that completely changes the way a situation develops’. In case of DRM receivers, any model that would actually be available in retail could be called a game changer – the bar is pretty low. So far we’re waiting for it to come up.
I listened to this 2 year trial over a path length of 195 km. Reception was good during the day, but was unreliable at night. This was because 7PB in Hobart on the same frequency as the DRM signal. The Dockers Creek 3RN, transmitter was in simulcast mode on a single transmitter.
Whilst the AM signal was 10 kW the DRM signal on the adjacent channel was 250 W. The program was Double J.
At the same time there was a trial of 10 kW from Mt Baranduda 623 Ewarts Rd LENEVA which is near Wodonga. I have not heard it.
It was also received in Adelaide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFtIiPKUKOc path length around 700 km
This scientific trial should has to report to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Neither them or the ABC will release it. A single FM transmitter mounted at TV/FM transmitter towers can transmit 18 programs which is the same number of ABC/SBS programs transmitted in capital cities using DAB+. This would replace 5 or 6 transmitters (AM or FM) on main radio transmitter sites. Each DRM site should have a second transmitter for backup.
The ABC thinks that the internet can replace broadcast just like the BBC CEO.
The Development DE9180-2 board is $322 and just the DRM1000 is $55 both from Mouser Australia. It is also available from the NZ branch and some of their customers have them already. The development system produces sound and text from an antenna. if you watched the video already posted on this site you will see the manufacturer wants to sell the DRM1000 to manufacturers in the countries which have broadcasts. It is in Chinese radios, https://cmlmicro.com/news-media/news-archive/cml-micro-release-the-world-s-lowest-cost-digital-radio-mondiale-broadcast-receiver-module.
https://www.drm.org/products/desktop-and-portable-radios/
“The ABC thinks that the internet can replace broadcast just like the BBC CEO.”
As far as I can see, their AM, FM and DAB+ broadcast is going fine (similarly to BBC’s). The only one system they rejected is DRM.
Coming back to the issue of DRM, The CML website claims the following: “We are truly honored to collaborate with CML Micro in launching two groundbreaking DRM receivers based on the DRM1000 module, namely the GR-220 and GR-221”. Why is the DRM consortium website posting unreliable data? For instance, they claim that the Starwaves W2401 receiver “is made available on Amazon”, but when you go to Amazon, you cannot order it – the website says it’s out of stock. There’s simply no way to buy it.
Similarly, the Gospell receivers are supposedly available via a website in Brazil, but it turns out that it lists only the old models (at horrendous prices) and does not ship abroad.
I cannot comprehend this company’s way of business operation. If they have such a breakthrough product, why is it being hidden from the general public? The two radios have been shown at IBC 2023 in September, almost a year has passed and they’re still not available from anywhere. How many more years do they need to list them on any accessible web store? This is just ridiculous!
BBC DG Tim Davie shares his thoughts on a future internet-only BBC. This is TV and radio.
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/12/bbc-dg-tim-davie-shares-his-thoughts-on-a-future-internet-only-bbc/
If you want a DRM receiver buy one from Mouser Electronics.
He can share his thoughts on any matter he deems appropriate, even such as switching the UK to right-hand drive, but he’s not a dictator – he’s a director-general of a company which is established under a royal charter and is overseen by its board. If broadcast radio was to be discontinued, a whole decision-making process would have to be started – this is not happening. As for the “DRM receiver from Mouser Electronic”, would you be so kind as to provide a link to the store?
After reading this article, I decided to try whether RNZ was audible when sunset was approaching here in Helsinki and sunrise in NZ (18 UTC). And the signal was there with fairly good signal strength — but there was a lot of noise too and I needed to use the SSB mode to get some clarity of what was being sayed. The frequency was 9700 kHz.
The antenna was a wire hung around the window frame at my 2nd floor home in a seven floor apartment in the densely populated region of Kallio in Helsinki (Maidenhead grid square KP20LE).
I tended to get much better reception of RNZ during last winter at their daytime frequency of 13755 kHz. In northern midwinter the greyline is less than 1000 km north of me at the noon, which in part explains the good reception.
Ku
Thanks. You might like to use the QSL link and tell the broadcaster what you heard, when and what the signal was like.
Please note that on October 27 the frequencies will change for the change of seasons. I don’t know what RNZ will do with the new transmitter after that date. We will have to wait and see. It would be good to check it out in your midwinter as we enjoy summer!
This is your challenge. https://youtu.be/kkD01FuXOsg. If you don’t have a DRM receiver try internet accessing one in your area. They can decode DRM and all of the other modulation types. There are 11 such receivers in Finland.
I am in Australia and have a friend, who’s son lives in Finland!
Does Finland have any high frequenncy (SW) broadcasters?
Mangosman
Yes, I am aware of the DRM feature of Kiwi SDR receivers and I have tried DRM reception with finnish Kiwi SDRs a few times. Have I heard RNZ that way? — I am not sure — hearing RNZ in shortwave isn’t so surprising to me.
RNZ on 11725 kHz was an everyday daytime encounter in the past. The reception at my home was similar as in the video you linked. Outdoors the reception was perfect (no noise at all). Similarly the reception of Radio Australia was perfect outdoors in the past. Once RNZ switched over to 13755 kHz the reception indoors improved considerably.
What comes to HF radio stations in Finland — yes there are some, but they are all low power stations max. 2.5 kW. Scandinavian Weekend Radio is the only one that has existed for a longer time. The RealMix Radio, Radio Piko and Radio Blacksmith Knoll are new ones and probably ephemeral.
Here is the list of all legal broadcasting radio stations in Finland (sort by frequency to find HF stations easily):
https://www.traficom.fi/en/communications/tv-and-radio/radio-stations-finland
This listing shows the permitted transmission times for each frequency, the actual transmission times are to be found elsewhere.
In Finland, short term radio permissions are common but usually they are all for the FM band. It is surprising that suddently there pops up three new shortwave stations this year and one DAB+ station.
Hello
It’s great to see a radio station/ government investing in shortwave when,for those who enjoy listening via shortwave or need it (or both) all you see or hear of is sw transmitter’s being turned off & other,often clearly fallible methods of reaching an audience being taken up in their stead. Having said with the number of radio broadcast’s on sw in english having been reduced to such a degree that at times I find myself having to listen to one of those religious stations if I want to listen to anything on sw at all,or even try and find a radio ham who isn’t just filling my brain up with technical jargon (although some of their more general conversations can be fun!) or even,if I’m really desperate,that ‘lady’ who gives out meteorological info for Shannon VOLMET! With that in mind,it is disappointing to admit that I have only ever heard RNZ very faintly and with just enough clarity to identify it,on two or three occasions at around 1am ust in the morning. Admittedly I only have a tecsun pl-680 with one of those wind up tecsun antenna attached to a hook in top of the attic so I suppose I shouldn’t expect much. That said I wonder what other uk sw listener’s experience of hearing RNZ in listenable audio is & what equipment,antenna they use & what kind location they live in? Living where I do,fairly low down & surrounded by neighbours whose homes are full of various gadgets & street lights (btalso have some kind of open reach equipment opposite & there is a small electricity substation opposite) obviously having an adverse impact on my reception of weaker signals here.
For those in Europe here is a challenge from 10 years ago
https://youtu.be/kkD01FuXOsg
Plenty to listen to on the utility bands and it can be quite exciting if one has patience and the right equipment. HF Aero, Military, Maritime, clandestine, and a lot more.
As for shortwave broadcasting, again the right equipment will bring in more weaker stations.
As for Hams – they have theiir habits and are not all technically minded.
It seems the NZ government understands the importance of shortwave broadcasting to the pacific region first and beyond. This is unlike the Australian government and the ABC who shut down Radio Australia for no good reason at all.
AM bob,
The ABC thinks that 13 Pacific and 6 low power satellite FM transmitters can do the job of 6 high power high frequency AM transmitters in Shepparton Victoria. I wonder how much the satellite costs are compared to the NZ use of DRM to feed some Pacific nation broadcasters. The advantage is that the DRM signal can be receeived anywhere in the South Pacific. The Emergency Warning Functionality can be used even by those in boats travelling between the many islands. The CML DRM1000 module receiver is a game changer.
On the same day that the ABC switched off Shepparton, they also switched off 3 transmitters in the NT carrying ABC NT. One of those transmitters installed in 2011 was DRM capable. They didn’t even try it.
The ABC indeed did not test DRM on shortwave, but there was a trial in Victoria on mediumwave two years ago. From what I can see, the transmitter is now operating in AM, so one can only wonder what were the results of these tests. As for the module, I don’t see any receivers with based on it on the market, so I don’t think a significant change in terms of DRM receivers availability had happened. They’re unobtanium, exactly as prior to its introduction.