Tag Archives: Digital Radio Mondiale

PatronX Titus SDR receiver update

A number of SWLing Post readers have been asking about the status of the Titus II portable DRM/SDR radio. I’ve been checking the project website, but had not seen an update in a long time, so I contacted the company. Mike, with PantronX, kindly replied with the following update:

As you might be aware, we have joined up with Fraunhofer to include their MMPlayer app standard on Titus–what a difference a professional decoder, for both analog, DRM(+), and DAB(+), makes! MMPlayer is full featured even including reliable one way file downloads with DRM.

We are attempting also to license HD to include on the app for North America, making a truly worldwide receiver. Some deficiencies in our version of Android have caused issues as well as MMPlayer. All of which have caused delays leading to some serious business decisions – as you can imagine. You are correct that broadcasters have made large orders that will be fulfilled first. There are units in the field testing and such and continuing resolution of the software issues.

One of the issues that folks seem to have a hard time understanding is that we can not just build a few hundred or even thousands of units. Our minimum run is 10,000pcs! To do that everything has to be 100% – including the software. We simply will not ship units that are not 100%. Titus works, MMPlayer works – its that last 5% that takes the most time to resolve. These facts preclude any incremental production attempts. All that being said, we are very hopeful that the first production run is ready by last quarter of this year.

Thank you for the update, Mike!

BBC is “keen to exploit DRM” but manufacturers must develop a multi-standard receiver chip

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(Source: Radio World via Mike Hansgen)

LONDON — The BBC World Service, available on radio, TV and online, is part of one of the largest news organization in the world, the BBC.

The weekly reach of the World Service on all platforms accounted for 269 million (up from 246 million in 2015–16).

[…]Large numbers of the BBC’s audience still need international radio broadcasts.

[…]Right from its late ’90s inception, the development of Digital Radio Mondiale was fully supported and enhanced by the BBC World Service. DRM was seen as an efficient replacement for the analog AM transmissions. When we consider scarcity of spectrum for new uses and appreciate the characteristics of the radio broadcast bands, we recognize the tremendous properties these continue to offer broadcasters to deliver programs over sometimes very large distances and areas or in difficult terrain.

[…]The BBC is keen to exploit DRM in order to deliver, to key markets, BBC content free of gatekeepers in a form that can be accessed easily.

For that to be possible, the multi-standard receiver chip is required, and manufacturers must appreciate and act on this global market potential.

Click here to read the entire article at Radio World.

Special two hour DRM broadcast today at 12:00 UTC

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According to the DRM Consortium, there will be a special two hour DRM broadcast today (April 18) starting at 12:00 UTC:

Special DRM transmission tomorrow 18th April from Spaceline during DRM GA at 1200-1400UTC on 11600kHz. From Kostinbrod, Bulgaria with antenna directed at 260 degrees. The content will be from Mighty KBC.

Note that this broadcast starts less than two hours from time of posting. Please comment if you log this broadcast!

Kuwait updates shortwave transmitters

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(Source: Kuwait News Agency via Mike Hansgen)

KUWAIT, March 8 (KUNA) — Minister of Information Mohammad Al-Jabri on Thursday opened a project updating shortwave transmitters from analogue to digital radio mondiale (DRM) broadcasting systems, at Kabd radio station.

This is a new achievement for the ministry to be added to a series of vital projects that aim to keep pace with the rapid technical progress around the globe, Al-Jabri told KUNA and the Kuwait TV.

Kabd station, through the new DRM system, will allow “Kuwait’s voice” to reach the entire Middle East region, Europe and Asia, he noted.

Kuwaitis have planned and supervised the project, the minister said, noting that updating the infrastructure of radio stations aims to cope with latest digital broadcasting development, the minister said.

Al-Jabri praised officials, and all the personnel at the ministry’s Engineering Affairs Sector, for their hard sincere efforts.

Click here to read the full article at the KUNA website.

October DRM Consortium news

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who shares the following news from the DRM Consortium via their newsletter:

Digital Radio Mondiale: Audio Codec xHE-AAC at No Additional Cost
to Boost DRM Receiver Industry

Via Licensing Corporation, a global intellectual property solutions
provider, announced that the highly efficient MPEG xHE-AAC audio codec
(Extended High Efficiency AAC) will become a default feature of the
popular Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) patent pool. The move to include
the XHE-AAC audio codec into the current patent pool at no extra cost,
is a move that could boost DRM receiver manufacturing. Read more.

DRM Delivers at IBC 2017

Following a very successful appearance at IBC 2017 in Amsterdam, with
many delegates attending the four successful DRM events hosted by
Gospell, Thomson Broadcast, Nautel and Ampegon, we have compiled a
slideshow from IBC to share. Click here to view.

DRM Delivers at IBC 2017

Following a very successful appearance at IBC 2017 in Amsterdam, with
many delegates attending the four successful DRM events hosted by
Gospell, Thomson Broadcast, Nautel and Ampegon, we have compiled a
slideshow from IBC to share. Click here to view.

All India Radio (AIR) External Services to Provide more Broadcasts

The External Services Division of AIR is to launch several new
services aimed at new overseas target areas. Read more.

US Coast Guard DRM Tests Continue

U.S. Coast Guard testing in DRM with Journaline Service continues and
the latest schedules can be downloaded here.

You can follow discussions on the project on the DRMNA Group here.

Fraunhofer Software Defined Radio (SDR) Digital Receiver Introduced
at IBC 2017

The Fraunhofer IIS audio blog published an article summarising the
products launched at IBC and powered by the Fraunhofer
MultimediaPlayer Radio App. Read more.

Radio Taiwan Carries Out DRM Tests

Radio Taiwan International carried out tests in DRM in German on Oct 4
and 10 from 1800-1900 UTC on 9680 and 12030 kHz from Tamsui. Read
more.

International Day for Disaster Reduction 13th October

On Friday 13th October, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction, explores how communities around the world are reducing their
exposure to disasters. In a recent blog “When digital is more than
just radio”, the DRM Chair, Ruxandra Obreja, outlined the considerable
benefits to be realised if Governments and manufacturers were to fully
exploit the emergency warning feature embedded in DRM and digital
radio technology. Read more.

The GR-227: Gospell introduces a new SDR digital radio car adaptor

North Korea now broadcasting in DRM

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Fahey, who writes:

A message to contacts in North Asia (Japan / Korea etc)…

North Korea is currently (right now 1430UTC) broadcasting in DRM format on 3560KHz. Listening to remote receivers in Japan I can see the signal is very strong in the Tokyo and Yokohama areas – I assume it will be strong in other parts of Japan as well. I have NOT been able to decode the DRM successfully, I have tried piping the audio to me here in my Australian location and demodulating it with a software DRM decoder – I just can’t get a lock on the signal. Do you have a DRM receiver – could you please try? If you do manage to receive the signal please don’t forget to record it!

I’m particularly interested to know if the transmissions are relays of KCBS Pyongyang, Pyongyang Pangsong or some other service. If you get a demodulated signal could you check to see if the program is parallel to KCBS Pyongyang on 2850KHz or Pyongyang Pangsong on 6400KHz.

I have a WinRadio Excalibur with DRM here in Australia, but the signal is very weak here – far too weak to lock.

Later, Mark shared the following video by “2010DFS” on YouTube:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Mark also notes that DRMNA.info is following this story very closely and suspects that the content server and or transmitter may be Chinese in origin:

NOTE: Same frequency and bitrate as the 2012 broadcasts so this may represent “Chinese assistance”. Can anyone confirm DRM equipment in Kujang?

20170902 Update: I have received anonymous details that indicate that at least the content server is of Chinese origin. Still no word on actual transmit location. Several other Japanese (and Terje in Japan) have successfully decoded these transmissions.

Click here to read full details at DRMNA.info.

Being a North Korean propaganda specialist, Mark added:

At the Freeman’s Reach monitoring station the bandwidth and microwave paths in are really being tested this afternoon with the full on activity.

All plans for the afternoon and evening now cancelled! YTN (South Korea) via Intelsat, KCTV Pyongyang via Thaicom, CNN International via Foxtel, CNN USA Domestic via Sling, Korean Central Radio and Pyongyang Pansong via KiwiSDRs – Busy!

All spectrum being captured, tonight the servers will be working hard, it will keep this place warm!

Post readers: please comment if you’re able to decode any of these North Korean DRM transmissions, and/or if you have further information about these DRM broadcasts from North Korea.

UPDATE: Mark has at least confirmed that the DRM signal is a relay of the KCBS Pyongyang national service (domestic) broadcast.