Category Archives: Broadcasters

VOA Radiogram features EasyPal digital images this weekend

During the past weekend, EasyPal digital images were received successfully throughout Europe and North America. You can see a gallery of some of the received images here:

voaradiogram.net/post/51385444401/voa-radiogram-easypal-images-received-100-or-0

Reviewing the advantages of EasyPal versus MFSK32:

EasyPal:

1) When received successfully, the picture is perfect.

2) Takes less time to transmit than MFSK32 and most SSTV images of the same size.

3) No problems with slant if soundcards are not calibrated.

MFSK32:

1) If the signal drops below a certain level, or if interference exceeds a certain level, no EasyPal image will be received at all. Under similar reception conditions, MFSK32, which uses an analog frequency shift keying system for images, will allow the an image to be seen, even if the quality is not perfect.

2) MFSK32 images allows images of different heights and widths, including small images which can be transmitted quickly. The gray tone MFSK32 image option allows even faster transmission.

3) MFSK32 images can be decoded by more than one software program under more than one operating system. There is only one EasyPal program, and it works only under the Windows operating system.

I welcome your comments and suggestions about the transmission of images via shortwave broadcast. Weighing all of the above factors, I am inclined to adopt MFSK32 as the primary image mode for VOA Radiogram. However, the EasyPal images are so impressive that I will continue to include some in future programs.

On VOA Radiogram for the weekend of 1 and 2 June 2013, we will continue to compare MFSK32 and EasyPal images. Here is the lineup for the program:

3:44    MFSK16: Program preview
3:17    MFSK32: VOA News story about Olympics wrestling
3:16    MFSK32: VOA News story about 2013 hurricane season
1:10    MFSK32: File image of Atlantic hurricane
2:53    MFSK32: VOA News story about colliding galaxies
1:04    MFSK32: Image of the colliding galaxies
1:21    MFSK32: Introduction to MFSK64 and EasyPal
1:30    MFSK64: Same VOA News story about colliding galaxies
:39     EasyPal text: Same VOA News story about galaxies
2:38    EasyPal image: Colliding galaxies
2:38    EasyPal image: Soyuz capsule being moved to launch site
1:09    MFSK16 closing announcements
:29     Surprise mode of the week

To decode EasyPal text and images, download the 4-May-2013 version of the program from vk4aes.com.

To decode the MFSK modes, use Fldigi from w1hkj.com or another digital decoding program.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC)

Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1300-1330 6095 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz

All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

Please send reception reports to [email protected]

And visit voaradiogram.net (where any schedule or frequency changes will be posted)

Twitter: @VOARadiogram

Kim

Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Australia’s Jazz Notes

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If Radio Australia ever stops broadcasting on the shortwaves, one program I will certainly miss is Jazz Notes.

Jazz Notes showcases the best in Australian jazz, often featuring new and original recordings made in ABC’s studios. The show is hosted by Ivan Lloyd and has been offered on Radio Australia for several years. I listen to the show Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am EDT.

Click here to download the full recording of Jazz Notes as an MP3, recorded yesterday (May 29, 2013) or simply listen via the embedded player below:

WRTH 2013 Summer (A) season available for download

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WRTH2013 I just received the following message from Sean Gilbert with WRTH:

The WRTH editorial team are pleased to announce that the Summer (A) Season broadcast schedules file is now available to download for free from http://www.wrth.com/ just follow the link on the front page (updates).

Included in this file are: Broadcast schedules for international and clandestine/target broadcasters, international broadcasts in DRM, International frequency listing, and selected language broadcasts. Also included is a decode table for site and target area codes.

The 80 page file is just over 2MB in size and in PDF format (with bookmarks to assist in navigating between sections) and unique section page numbering to assist with printing. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat reader in order to open this file. The Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/

We hope you find this file a useful accompaniment to the printed WRTH.

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Greece

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For your listening pleasure: almost three hours of music–ranging from modern to folk–and a little Greek commentary, from the Voice of Greece.

Recorded today, May 13, 2013 on 9.42 MHz starting around 01:52 UTC.

Click here to download the full recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Capture images on the VOA Radiogram this weekend

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(Source: VOA Radiogram)

VOA Radiogram for the weekend of May 11 and 12 will feature long stretches of VOA News in plain text, using the MFSK 32 and 64 modes. No Flmsg or Flamp this time. This weekend’s program will also include our first test of slow scan television (SSTV).

Here is the lineup:

MFSK16 (2:28)     Preview

MFSK32 (12:08)     VOA News stories

The first of the three stories will be in Spanish. This is to determine how letters with accent marks appear on your display. The second VOA news story will be followed by an accompanying MFSK32 image

MFSK16     Intro to the next mode

MFSK64 (3:34)    VOA News story

MFSK16     Intro to the next mode

SSTV Scottie DX (4:31)

There are several software programs that decode SSTV, including Digital Master 780 (DM780) andMMSSTV. A free receive-only SSTV decoder is RX-SSTV from users.belgacom.net/hamradio/rxsstv.htm

MFSK16 (1:11)     Closing announcements

Closing music, accompanied by the surprise mode of the week

Please send reception reports to [email protected]

Screenshots and audio samples are welcome, especially audio of less than perfect reception conditions.

VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC)
Sat 1600-1630 17860 kHz
Sun 0230-0300 5745 kHz
Sun 1300-1330 6095 kHz
Sun 1930-2000 15670 kHz
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.

The Age National Times: Radio Australia may cut broadcasts to China/Indonesia

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Thanks to Richard Cuff for bringing this item to my attention:

(Source: The Age – National Times)

The ABC could soon abandon international shortwave radio broadcasts to China and Indonesia, ending more than 70 years of beaming news and current affairs on high frequency into Asia.

But the public broadcaster’s management insist it will not flick the switch on shortwave services of Radio Australia to Papua New Guinea and tiny Pacific nations for now.

ABC international chief Lynley Marshall said the older shortwave technology was still relevant in the Pacific, despite a drive to make mobile and internet devices the ”primary” way of delivering news.

Staff had grown increasingly alarmed in recent months that the shortwave service to the Pacific would be canned – including a popular Tok Pisin [a service we recently mentioned] to PNG – raising fears expats and locals would be vulnerable to dangerous news blackouts during natural disasters or regional strife.

Radio is the cheapest and most widespread source of news in poorer Pacific provinces. Most nations run only a 2G mobile network with little coverage outside capitals. When Prime Minister Julia Gillard visits Port Moresby on Thursday almost twice as many locals will hear news of the trip on radio than see it on television or read it in newspapers.[…]

Richard also posted this relevant comment in the SW Programs discussion list:

[…]I believe this would be the service more audible in Western Europe.

However the Pacific service – which is the service we’re more likely to hear in North America – appears to be safe for now, as mobile/Internet technologies aren’t adequate enough in that region.

Radio Australia has become my staple, reliable shortwave radio news and entertainment source. I certainly hope RA does not cut services in the same manner as RNW or RCI.

Radio Free Sarawak takes a break

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The clandestine station Radio Free Sarawak—who we most recently mentioned in connection with the Malaysian elections–has announced that they are going off the air. There is a note of finality in their announcement (below), yet they do leave some ambiguity by declaring, “We will be taking a break until further notice.”

[UPDATE: Radio Free Sarawak back on the air 12 August 2013]

Listen to their final broadcast (studio copy) embedded below:

(Source: Radio Free Sarawak)

While most PR supporters are still reeling from the results of the GE13 amidst widespread rigging that are essentially acts of treason, activists and ordinary people alike are not giving up on booting out the BN government The have set their sights on the 11th state election that will have to be conducted latest by early 2016.

Meanwhile, take a listen to the analysis of Dr Mohd Faisal Syam Abdol Hazis from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak of the results in the state.

Last but not least, we hear the sadness, anger, frustration and nevertheless, determination of RFS and PR supporters to realise the dream of changing the government in the near future.

p/s Today’s show will be our last. We will be taking a break until further notice. Thank you for your support. It will be a memorable 18 months! We hope you had enjoyed the experience as much as we did.