Category Archives: Digital Modes

VOA Radiograms Today (17 March 2013)

The third airplay of VOA Radiogram is coming soon, at 1300 UTC, on 6095 kHz. Another, directed to Europe, will be at 1930 UTC on 15670 kHz.

Thanks to the many listeners throughout Europe, North America, and even in Asia, who have sent reports, audio, screenshots, spectrum displays, etc. After the last transmission today, I will summarize the results in this website.

WRMI, Radio Miami International, 9955 kHz, is transmitting IDs in the Olivia 8-1000 mode until 0400 UTC Monday (midnight EDT). These are centered on 1300 and 2500 Hz. Don’t be discouraged by the low signal level of WRMI, or by the Cuban jamming on the frequency. You might get a good decode of Olivia 8-1000 anyway.

VOA Radiogram “soft launch” this weekend

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VOARadioGram Kudos to VOA research analyst Dr. Kim Andrew Elliott for his remarkable innovation: VOA Radiograms (i.e., digital text messages sent over shortwave broadcast radio), and for promoting this concept through the Voice of America. His persistance, with support from forward-thinking shortwave broadcasters like WBCQ, WRMI and The Mighty KBC, who have all broadcasted his digital messages, has paid off. Classic technology meets current in this new communication mode which makes internet disruption absolutely irrelevant, and which is even impervious, to a great degree, to interference.

This weekend, the VOA Radiogram will become a reality:

(Source: VOA Radiogram)

VOA Radiogram will “soft launch” this weekend. Here is the transmission schedule (all days and times are UTC):

Saturday 1600-1630 17860 kHz

Sunday 0230-0300 5745 kHz (Saturday evening in North America)

Sunday 1300-1330 6095 kHz

Sunday 1930-2000 15670 kHz

All via the IBB Edward R Murrow Transmitting Station in North Carolina.

The digital text modes to be transmitted this weekend on VOA Radiogram are as follows. Each text transmission will be one minute, unless otherwise specified. Asterisk * denotes RSID: if your RxID is on, Fldigi will automatically switch to this mode and audio frequency. The other modes you can decode from your recording.

BPSK31 on 2000 Hz*

QPSK31 on 1000Hz, BPSK31* on 2000 Hz

QPSK31 on 1000Hz*, PSK63F on 1500Hz, BPSK31 on 2000 Hz

QPSK63 on 1000 Hz, PSKR125 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK63 on 2000 Hz

QPSK125 on 1000Hz, PSKR250 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK63 on 2000 Hz

QPSK250 on 800 Hz, PSKR500 on 1500Hz*, BPSK250 on 2200Hz

QPSK500 on 800 Hz, PSKR1000 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK500 on 2200 Hz

PSKR500 on 1000 Hz, PSK63F on 1500 Hz, PSKR125 on 2000 Hz, and PSKR250 on 2500 Hz* (5 min 40 secs). The latter portions of the PSKR250 and 500 transmissions are formatted for Flmsg. (In Fldigi, Configure > Misc > NBEMS > under Reception of flmsg files, click Open with flmsg and Open in browser, and below that state the location of the flmsg.exe file.)

MFSK32 image on 1500 Hz (54 seconds)

In future weeks, after the “hard launch” of VOA Radiogram, only one mode will be transmitted at one time. This will ensure the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio and the best possible chances for a successful decode.

See also how to decode the modes.

Send reports to radiogram(at)voanews.com

Follow @voaradiogram

Keep up-to-date with all future broadcasts, digital modes and methods for decoding on the VOA Radiogram website, and by following them on Twitter: @voaradiogram.

VOA’s Radiogram adds digital content to AM broadcasts

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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.

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.

The Mighty KBC testing fast digital modes this weekend

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KBC Propagation Map (Source: The Mighty KBC)

The Mighty KBC will broadcast this Sunday (January 20) on 9,450 kHz between 00:00-02:00 UTC (that’s Saturday night in North America from 19:00-21:00 EST). Details below:

(Source: The Mighty KBC)

We will try some fast text modes this weekend on The Mighty KBC, to see if they can survive the rigours of shortwave.

This will be during the North America broadcast at 0000-0200 UTC 20 January on 9450 khz. At about 0130 UTC, 4XPSK63R will be centered on 1000 Hz and MFSK64 centered on 2000 Hz. (For 4XPSK63R, use Fldigi 3.21.65 or newer: OpMode > PSKR > MultiCarrier > 4XPSK63R.) At just before 0200 UTC, MT63-2000 (long interleave) will be centered on 1500 Hz, and PSKR250 on 2800 Hz. This will be an Flmsg formatted transmission, with html. Fldigi and Flmsg can be downloaded from www.w1hkj.com.

The Mighty KBC’s holiday broadcasts include DRM

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MightyKBC In this series of special holiday broadcasts, The Mighty KBC is targeting different regions of the world. See how many you can hear:

The following broadcast times and frequencies are valid for December 22, 23, 25 and 26

Targeting Europe
9835 kHz, 1500 – 1600 UTC, Non Directional, 125 kW

Targeting USA
21600 kHz, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 300°, 250 kW

Targeting Asia/Australia
15470 kHz, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 75°, 250 kW

The KBC will also broadcast in DRM on December 22, 23, 25 and 26
9755 khz 16.00 – 17.00 UTC from Bulgaria with 100 kW and we are using a curtain antenna.

The Mighty KBC repeating digital tests this weekend

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Caution: Don’t try this test if you’re driving an 18-wheeler!

The Mighty KBC is repeating the digital test they broadcast last weekend.

If you tune in (9,450 kHz, from 00:00-02:00 UTC) you should try decoding their digital message. If you configure FLDIGI according to their instructions, below, their broadcast should automatically launch your web browser with a message:

Because shortwave reception conditions were poor in many parts of the world last weekend, we will repeat the same digital text transmissions this weekend on The Mighty KBC.

These will be during the broadcast Sunday at 0000 to 0200 UTC (Saturday 7 to 9 pm Eastern Time in North America) on 9450 kHz. At about 0130 UTC, MT63-1000 will be centered at 1000 Hz, and PSKR125 will be centered at 2200 Hz. At just before 0200, MT63-2000 will be centered at 1500 Hz. Both MT63 modes will use long interleave.

Install both Fldigi and Flmsg from www.w1hkj.com.

In Fldigi, go to Configure > Modems > MT-63 > check 64-bit (long) interleave, 8-bit extended characters, and Allow manual tuning. Also, go to Configure > Misc > NBEMS > check Open with flmsg and Open in browser and, below that, indicate where your flmsg.exe file is located. If everything works, a shortwave transmitter in Bulgaria will open a new window of your web browser.