Category Archives: What’s On Shortwave

VOA Radiogram “soft launch” this weekend

VOARadioGramKudos 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.

  1. BPSK31 on 2000 Hz*
  2. QPSK31 on 1000Hz, BPSK31* on 2000 Hz
  3. QPSK31 on 1000Hz*, PSK63F on 1500Hz, BPSK31 on 2000 Hz
  4. QPSK63 on 1000 Hz, PSKR125 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK63 on 2000 Hz
  5. QPSK125 on 1000Hz, PSKR250 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK63 on 2000 Hz
  6. QPSK250 on 800 Hz, PSKR500 on 1500Hz*, BPSK250 on 2200Hz
  7. QPSK500 on 800 Hz, PSKR1000 on 1500 Hz*, BPSK500 on 2200 Hz
  8. 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.)
  9. 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.

Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Ronin Shortwave

Alvin Lee (19 December 1944 – 6 March 2013) (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Alvin Lee (19 December 1944 – 6 March 2013) (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

This past weekend, Radio Ronin Shortwave broadcast a tribute to guitarist Alvin Lee, who passed away on March 6th.

As always, Ronin’s AM signal came in loud and clear on 6.925 MHz, starting around 00:15 UTC (March 11th, 2013).

Listen for yourself by downloading the audio as an MP3, or simply listening via the embedded player below. Of course, I included Ronin’s (most excellent) interval signal in this recording:

David Goren’s numbers station installation audio

DG-Performance-ShortwaveTwo months ago, I posted that David Goren, talented radio producer and shortwave radio artist, created a Numbers Station installation in the Secret Wars exhibition at the Proteus Gowanus gallery in Brooklyn, NY.

David has recently published the audio that accompanies his installation.

Take note that this is not a radio documentary–rather, it’s an expansion of his original piece, and part of his sound installation at Proteus Gowanus.  Enjoy:

The Mighty KBC testing Monday & Tuesday morning

MightyKBCTruckThe Mighty KBC will be testing Monday and Tuesday mornings (March 11th & 12th) from 09.00 -11.00 UTC.

They will be on the following frequencies (simultaneously):

  • 5,955 kHz from Nauen with The Giant Jukebox
  • 6,095 kHz from Wertachtal with Transport Radio

The Mighty KBC asks that you kindly email your listener reports for both shows.

Pirate Radio Recordings: Boombox Radio

RadioListeningThis morning, around 11:15 UTC, I caught a pirate that I had never heard on air before: Boombox Radio.

Though rather weak, over the course of their 31 minute broadcast on 6,925 kHz AM, the signal did increase significantly (possibly as propagation improved).

I was very surprised to hear a North American pirate on at this time of the morning.

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

Boombox, great to hear you on the air! 

Listen to The Giant Jukebox this weekend on 7,375 kHz

Nauen Transmitter Station (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Nauen Transmitter Station (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Mighty KBC will be broadcasting the Giant Jukebox this weekend, Sunday (00:00 to 02:00 UTC) on their new 7,375 kHz frequency.

For those of us in North America, this broadcast will be Saturday evening (tonight!) from 19:00-21:00 EST. Last Sunday, March 3rd, 2013, was the KBC’s first broadcast from Nauen, Germany, packing 125 kW.

More of Kim Elliott’s digital text in this broadcast, too–faster modes this time. At about 0130 UTC, MFSK64 will be centered on 1000 Hertz, and PSKR250 on 2000 hertz. At just before 0200 UTC, MFSK32 images will be centered on 800, 1500 and 2300 Hz.

Decode using Fldigi from www.w1hkj.com.

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Jazz Notes

Jazz Notes presenter, Ivan Lloyd (Photo: Radio Australia)

Jazz Notes presenter, Ivan Lloyd (Photo: Radio Australia)

For your listening pleasure: thirty minutes of Radio Australia’s Jazz Notes.

This broadcast was recorded yesterday at 1:30 UTC on 11,945 kHz.  You will note a little noise that bleeds over from jamming of Radio Marti on an adjacent frequency.

You can download this recording of Jazz Notes by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below: