Category Archives: Broadcasters

VOA’s Radiogram adds digital content to AM broadcasts

VOA Radiogram is a new Voice of America program experimenting with digital text and images via AM shortwave broadcasting. One might say this is the crossover point between classic shortwave and current technology. It’s fun and fascinating stuff, and also has real utility.

If you’ve been an SWLing Post reader for very long, you’ll be familiar with the digital messages, otherwise known as radiograms, included in broadcasts from The Mighty KBC and, earlier, from WBCQ. We’ve also offered a small primer on decoding.

In the near future, Dr. Kim Elliott’s digital radiograms will be broadcast through VOA via the Edward R. Murrow Transmission Station in Greenville, NC.

The new VOA Radiogram website contains time and frequencies and all of the information you’ll need to decode VOA radiograms.

Incidentally, Kim Elliott and I will be presenting on the topic of VOA Radiograms and digital modes at the 2013 NASWA Winter SWL Fest. If you’re interested, it’s not too late to register! Meanwhile, stay tuned for more information about radiograms.

History of WWV and the NIST Time Stations

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WWV building in Fort Collins, Colorado (photo courtesy: NIST)

Many readers know that I’m a bit of a WWV geek, so you can imagine how happy I was when my buddy, Mike, and the Southgate ARC made me aware of this 152 page history of the NIST time station family. At first glance, this looks to be an authoritative and thorough history indeed.

I have already sent this to my Kindle Fire and look forward to reading it (at least, starting it) tonight. Click here to download the NIST time station history as a PDF.

Incidentally, if you have an affinity for the NIST time stations, be sure to check out my previous post on Myke’s audio history of WWV, “At The Tone.”

RNW radio equipment for sale

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mixing_board (Source: Andy Sennitt via Facebook)

From the Dutch website (my translation):

The disappearance of a number of tasks of Radio Netherlands Worldwide means some of the technical equipment is now available for sale. This includes a fully equipped Network Operations Centre with a network matrix of NTP, a complete Studer system with four presentation cells and and a master console, six Studer ‘WPM’s’, all of the type ‘On-Air’ 3000 or ‘On-Air’ 2500. In addition, many peripherals are offered, including Airtools voice processors.

Are you interested in these assets? Respond by March 15, 2013 by sending an e-mail to roland.hiltermann [a t] rnw.nl

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Australia, Jazz Notes

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This Jazz Notes starts with a performance of "evidence" by Thelonius Monk

This week’s Jazz Notes starts with the Thelonious Monk song”Evidence” interpreted by the Blaine Whitaker Group (Photo source: Ohio University)

This morning at 13:30 UTC, I enjoyed listening to 11,945 kHz, home of Radio Australia and their Wednesday music show, Jazz Notes. I recently posted a recording of Jazz Notes and described my fondness for this particular show. Moreover, I find that the sonic texture of the shortwave ether enhances the nostalgic character of one my very favorite music genres.

As on most mornings, the signal out of Shepparton, Australia, on 11,945 kHz was very strong; the audio fidelity was, in consequence, very impressive for a transmission emanating from some 9,800 miles away.

Click here to download the full recording of Jazz Notes as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Pirate Radio Recordings: WMPR

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“Mama, they’re playing your favorite dance music!”

For your listening pleasure: 32 minutes of pirate radio station, WMPR.

I recorded this broadcast of WMPR on 6.925MHz AM on February 17th, 2013 at 10:00 UTC. You’ll note that this recording sounds a little “brighter” than a typical shortwave radio recording. This is due to the fact that I widened the AM filter to match the bandwidth of WMPR’s signal (about 17 kHz!).

Click here to download the MP3 of the recording of WMPR, or simply listen below:

NASB & DRM USA Annual meetings, Birmingham, Alabama

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I attended and presented at the NASB meeting last year at Radio Free Asia’s headquarters in Washington DC. It was an amazing meeting and great opportunity to talk radio with industry leaders. You should consider attending an NASB meeting if your schedule allows. Here are the details:

(Source: NASB Newsletter)

The 2013 Meeting will take place May 15-17, 2013 at EWTN Television in Birmingham, Alabama.

Registration for the meeting is free of charge, and it is open to anyone with an interest in shortwave broadcasting or listening. To register, fill out our online registration form at www.shortwave.org/meeting/meeting.htm or send your name and e-mail address to Jeff White at radiomiami9 [ a t ] cs.com.

As usual, the NASB Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with the DRM-USA platform on May 15-17, 2013, at the headquarters of NASB member EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) in Birmingham, Alabama. NASB President Glen Tapley, Terry Borders and other EWTN staff members will welcome shortwave broadcasters, listeners and anyone with an interest in shortwave radio to the Birmingham venue.

Arrangements have been made for hotel accommodation at the nearby Holiday Inn Express for a price of $75.00 plus tax, including breakfast daily. The Holiday Inn Express Irondale (a suburb of Birmingham) is about a half-mile from the TV network, the location for Thursday’s meeting and tour of the TV studios. The hotel will provide a free shuttle service to and from EWTN and a continental breakfast. EWTN will provide lunch Thursday. On Friday, participants will take a 40-minute trip to the WEWN shortwave transmitter site high in the picturesque mountains surrounding Birmingham, and the radio staff will have a cookout on the hill for attendees. EWTN is looking forward to your visit!

TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR NASB 2013

WEDNESDAY EVENING
Reception at hotel with cocktails (including non-alcoholic) and hors d’oeuvres for all participants, sponsored by the Holiday Inn Express

THURSDAY
Meeting takes place at EWTN TV station 9:00 am-5:00 pm
The meeting will be opened by the EWTN President/CEO
Tour of TV plant
Lunch at TV plant
Afternoon presentations: DRM talks, AJ Janitschek of Radio Free Asia (on “Green Engineering”); Dr. Dowell Chow, President of Adventist World Radio; Mike Rosso, Vice President, and Dave Hultsman of Continental Electronics; Mark Allen of Rohn Tower Company; and Jerome Hirigoyen of Télédiffusion de France about TDF’s Issoudun transmitter site

FRIDAY
Tour of shortwave transmitter site – vans will pick up at the hotel. Remarks by Terry Borders.
Cookout on the mountain for lunch
Back to TV plant for business and board meetings (or on the mountain if agreeable)

HOTEL RESERVATION DETAILS

Room reservations need to be made at the Holiday Inn Express by April 16 to ensure the group rate. After that, reservations can still be made, but only based on availability. There is no cancellation fee if the reservation is canceled by 6 PM the date of arrival. Otherwise there is a one-day charge.

Attendees simply need to e-mail: [email protected] with the Subject: NASB Reservations

The hotel will send confirmation within 24 hours. The price is $75.00 per night plus tax.

Those who do not wish to use e-mail can phone the hotel at (205) 957-0555 and request to speak with Adrian or Margarita.

Information you need to provide in your e-mail or by phone:

Name of Guest(s):
Email/Phone Number:
Check in/out dates:
Estimated time of arrival:
Preference of room type (King or Two Queen Beds):
Number of People in Room:
Method of Payment: (Do not provide credit card number with e-mail. The Holiday Inn Express will contact you later for that information.)

If you have any questions about the 2013 NASB Annual Meeting, or would like to sponsor an event at the meeting, contact Jeff White at [email protected]

NASB Members:

Adventist World Radio
Assemblies of Yahweh
EWTN Shortwave Radio (WEWN)
Family Stations Inc.
Fundamental Broadcasting Network
Radio Miami International
Trans World Radio
World Christian Broadcasting
World Wide Christian Radio

NASB Associate Members:

Antenna Products Company
Babcock International Group
Continental Electronics Corporation
Far East Broadcasting Co.
Galcom International
George Jacobs & Associates
Hatfield and Dawson Consulting Engineers
International Broadcasting Bureau
Rohn Products, LLC
TCI International, Inc.
Telediffusion de France (TDF)
TDP (Belgium)
Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia

Shortwave Radio Recordings: The Mighty KBC

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This episode of The Giant Jukebox features one of my favorites from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

The Mighty KBC broadcast again early this morning (from 00:00-02:00 UTC) on 9,450 kHz. Their signal was quite strong into North America and there was very little interference of any sort. As we’ve come to expect, the KBC’s Giant Jukebox of music has a lot of rock-n-roll variety, spanning the decades.

And as I’ve mentioned before, perhaps what I love most about The Mighty KBC is their format; it harkens back to the day when my local radio stations had professional DJ’s behind the mic, people who loved music and loved their job. Thanks to Eric and The Mighty KBC for blasting the Giant Jukebox across the planet! I look forward to their broadcast every weekend.

You can listen to the full recording below in the embedded player, or simply right click this link and save the MP3 file to your computer:

You’ll notice that Kim Elliott has another installation of digital text modes in this broadcast. At about 01:30 UTC, Olivia 8-2000 will be centered on 1500 Hertz, and PSKR125 centered on 2800 Hertz. At just before 02:00 UTC, images in MFSK32 will be at 1000 and 2000 Hertz, with another image in MFSK16 at 2600 Hertz.

Decode these digital modes using Fldigi from www.w1hkj.com.