Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following:
The shortwave transmitter site NW of Brasilia, operated by the national public broadcaster Empresa Brasil de Comunicacao for the Radio Nacional de Amazonia service, has had to make a change to its SW operating schedule.
EBC’s Radio Engineering Manager Manoel Caetano tells me, “Due to technical problems and energy costs, the Radio Nacional de Amazonias service will have reduced operating hours through at least the end of the year”
11780kHz will operate weekdays from 0745UTC to 2000UTC and 6180kHz will operate weekdays from 2000 to 0300UTC.
On weekends, 11780kHz will operate from 0900UTC to 1800UTC, while the 6180kHz frequency will remain off-air.
https://ampegon.com/products/shortwave-transmitters/tube-shortwave-transmitters/
https://ampegon.com/shortwave-transmitter-contract-with-rnz/
https://ampegon.com/futureproofing-rnzs-pacific-broadcasting-ampegon-transmitter-shipped-to-new-zealand/
https://www.drm.org/drm-rnz-shortwave-transmitter-for-pacific-inaugurated/
your point? I think the Brazil folks are smart enough to know where to look for new gear
BT Transmitters 900 – Sarandi, Porto Alegre – RS, 91060-410, Brazil most powerful transmitter is https://btonline.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BT50000DEN_transmissor_OM_50kW.pdf.
The last high frequency DRM transmissions were in 2020.
Radio New Zealand Pacific transmits in DRM daily.
July last year the following was published https://www.blogdorg.com.br/post/brazil-already-has-the-am-band-ready-for-digital-drm-broadcasting
It’s kinda funny that he mentions the failure of HD Radio tests but conveniently omits the fact that DRM was also tested in Brazil and also failed. These DRM tests were conducted by the same station we’re discussing here – Radio National da Amazonia, which is now back to AM-only operation.
Obviously, none of the private stations owners is going to fall for this, because they will first ask “how big is the possible audience”, and the answer will be: it doesn’t exist, because there are no DRM-capable receivers. The campaigners will say that the transmissions should be launched first and then the market will respond, but that’s another lie: India has deployed nationwide DRM on MW a decade ago and even today there is not a single model of a DRM-capable portable receiver available. Apart from the government-owwned station, not a single one (of over 300) has expressed any interested in converting to DRM.
It’s clear it’s a government “white elephant” project and a cautionary tale for anyone who’s about to fall for DRM campaign talking points.
and hes posting links with no backstory, no little description.. no real point to the posts
A few comments:
In India, new cars are required to be equipped with a car radio capable of receiving DRM broadcasts!
Within the European Union, the same applies to DAB+… Car stereos in new cars must be able to receive DAB+ broadcasts.
But in France, home receivers are still too expensive, and listeners are buying only FM receivers.
RTS—Swiss National Radio and Television—stopped broadcasting on AM and then on FM! After losing 30% of its audience, it resumed FM broadcasts! It even had to reinstall antennas that had been taken down…
In France, the broadcaster TdF is conducting numerous DRM tests using RFI’s signal… I’m not sure if the long-term plan is to follow RNZI’s example—that is, to distribute programs to FM stations—or to develop DRMCast, a system that rebroadcasts shortwave DRM programs locally via Wi-Fi to smartphones and tablets in areas lacking communication infrastructure.
ok.. what is your point with postign these links?
So glad the 6180 will be off the air. Now I can finally listen to XEPPM with both sidebands on the weekends.
I would much rather hear Brazil.. XEPPM is often dead air or crap for modulation
Sadly, this is the increasing issue facing Shortwave Broadcasters. Tubes (valves) have skyrocketed in price. Parts are getting harder to obtain. The electric costs are rising and the engineers that know this gear are getting older and retiring.
The problem is I’m 42 and the shortwave transmitters mentioned in this post are older than me. They’ve had break downs other than tubes.
I’m in regular contact with the head of engineering when they have break downs, which have become more frequent on 11780, only once was it a tube problem
Their engineers are older but they have several.
i think this is one sw service that wil stay awhile longer.. it serves a legitimate purpose