Tag Archives: VOA Radiogram

Mike’s tips for decoding SW Radiogram broadcasts

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike (KA3JJZ), who writes:

Have you ever heard of the SW Radiogram digital broadcasts? These are produced by Dr. Kim Andrew Elliott and started way back when as the VoA Radiogram. They are now carried on 2 other stations (WRMI and WINB) on a schedule (check every week for a summary of images) that you can find on the SW Radiogram website;

https://swradiogram.net/

These tests consist of both text and images. Currently MFSK32 and 64 have been used, and an occasional ‘secret’ mode has been slipped in at the end of the transmission. The last time this was done, the mode was PSK125R.

You might ask how you can receive these broadcasts, and what you need to decode them. We have 2 wiki articles that go into great detail – one for PCs, and one for Android devices – here;

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Decoding_the_SW_Radiogram_Broadcasts

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Decoding_the_SW_Radiogram_Broadcasts_with_TIVAR

Yes, you can copy these broadcasts using an Android powered phone or tablet using an application called TIVAR. John VK2ETA has written a quick start guide which is available on the SourceForge website as well as the RadioReference wiki (the links are provided in the article)

These articles are written for folks who are just getting their feet wet, so the above articles touch on radios (no, you don’t need to use an expensive radio, though many do), antennas, propagation and more. The most popular software is FLDigi, but if you happen to have MultiPSK or DM780 (part of Ham Radio Deluxe), they can be used as well. Links are given for the software and any available support.

Along with Tumblr, SW Radiogram has both a Facebook and Twitter page (where members often post decoded images) here…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304/

https://twitter.com/swradiogram

Thank you, Mike! Yes, I’m a big fan of the SW Radiogram–the community that has formed around this particular shortwave program is quite amazing. Thanks for all of the tips!

Click here to view the SW Radiogram website.

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Shortwave Radiogram begins June 24-25, 2017

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(Source: Shortwave Radiogram via Tom Ally)

Shortwave Radiogram begins 24-25 June 2017

The Shortwave Radiogram transmission schedule:

Sunday 0600-0630 UTC 7730 kHz

Sunday 2030-2100 UTC 11580 kHz

Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 11580 kHz

All via WRMI in Florida

Great to see that Kim Elliott isn’t skipping a beat moving from the VOA Radiogram to the Shortwave Radiogram in his retirement!  Let’s support him by tuning in!

Click here to visit the new Shortwave Radiogram website.

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VOA Radiogram: one more show, details about future

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(Source: VOA RadioGram via Dennis Dura)

VOA Radiogram, 17-18 June 2017: One more show before I leave the building

The last VOA Radiogram is this weekend. The successor to VOA Radiogram is Shortwave Radiogram, which will be broadcast for the first time on 25 June on the WRMI times and frequencies in the schedule below.

To help us keep in touch after the migration from the old Radiogram to the new Radiogram, please note the following changes …

Email  address:

Website:

Twitter:

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be all MFSK32 and will include seven images, including one optical illusion.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 222, 17-18 June 2017, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz …

1:54  Program preview

2:59  Transition to Shortwave Radiogram*

7:48  Digitizing old reel-to-reel tapes*

10:57  Thanks to W1HKJ and the Murrow station*

20:48  Thanks to listeners*

23:10  Closing announcements*

* with image(s)

Please send reception reports to [email protected].

See and submit results on Twitter: @VOARadiogram

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: [email protected] . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,” per the schedule below:

WEDNESDAY

18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE

19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE

THURSDAY

02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE

FRIDAY

01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA

SATURDAY

01.55 UTC 11580 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA

20.25 UTC 1584 KHZ TO SOUTH EUROPE

SUNDAY

00.55 UTC 7730 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA

10.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE

Thank you for your support during the four-plus years of VOA Radiogram!

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VOA Radiogram to end (Viva La Radiogram!)

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(Source: VOA Radiogram/Kim Elliott)

VOA Radiogram, 20-21 May 2017: Special doomed edition

I will retire from the Voice of America on June 23, after 32 years as audience research analyst and broadcaster.

I was hoping to continue to produce VOA Radiogram as a contractor.  I approached various BBG and VOA offices. They all declined.

And, therefore, the last VOA Radiogram will be the weekend on June 17-18

Money is not the issue.  I am willing to work cheap.  My main interest is to be authorized to continue the show and maintain a VOA email address, so that I can keep in contact with the audience.

The irony is that, after retirement, I will finally have time to answer your emails – but I will no longer have access to the VOA email system to do that.

But, the show must go on.  In addition to the four weekly transmissions via the BBG North Carolina transmitting site, VOA Radiogram is also broadcast on WRMI in Florida twice on Sundays. I can hardly allow those half-hour slots to be filled by light recorded music. So, beginning the weekend of June 24-25, a program similar to VOA Radiogram, but with a new name and email address, will be broadcast by WRMI.

More about the demise of VOA Radiogram, and the emergence of its replacement, in the weeks to come.

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Nicholas uses Android phone and $18 receiver to decode VOA Radiogram

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voa-radiogram-decode-app

Many thanks to Nicholas Pospishil, who shares this photo and notes:

“VOA Radiogram on 5745 kHz. No fancy equipment needed.”

No kidding! Mobile phones and tablets now have more than enough horsepower to decode most VOA Radiograms.

Nicholas uses the free AndFlmsg app for Android to decode. Note that AndFlmsg is not available in the Google Play store, you must manually install it using these directions.

The Kaito WRX911 is an $18 US receiver and AndFlmsg is free. That’s a pretty inexpensive and accessible combo!

Nicholas originally posted this image on Gary J. Cohen’s Shortwave Listeners Global.

Thanks for sharing, Nicholas!

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WRMI to showcase digital modes via analog radio

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31-meter-Spectrum (Source: VOA Radiogram via Richard Langley)

WRMI, Radio Miami International, will showcase digital text and images via analog radio in a half-hour special broadcast to be transmitted nine times (at least), beginning Saturday, 13 August.

The broadcast will mostly be in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz. There will also be segments in MFSK64, MFSK32 centered on 2200 Hz, and Olivia 64-2000. The program will include MFSK images, examples of non-Latin alphabets, and an Flmsg transmission. You will also hear “co-channel” music.

To decode the modes on the WRMI broadcast, Fldigi software is recommended. Download it fromhttps://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/fldigi/ . The main Fldigi website is http://www.w1hkj.com.

And you will use the companion program Flmsg. Download it fromhttps://sourceforge.net/projects/fldigi/files/flmsg/ .

To make Flmsg work with Fldigi, in Fldigi: Configure > Misc > NBEMS > under Reception of flmsg files, select Open with flmsg and Open in browser, and below that indicate where your Flmsg.exe file is located – probably somewhere in Program Files(x86).

For correct decoding of the languages with diacritics, or using non-Latin alphabets, in Fldigi: Configure > Colors & Fonts > RxTx > in the Rx/Tx Character set menu, select UTF-8.

For Fldigi to automatically select the mode and the center audio frequency of the mode, select RxID (upper right of the interface) by left clicking. In newer versions of Fldigi, also right click on RxID and select Passband.

You can decode this WRMI special broadcast as it is broadcast, or from your recording.

TRANSMISSION SCHEDULE

Via WRMI’s transmitters at Okeechobee, Florida, except where noted:

Saturday 13 August 0030-0100 UTC on 7730 kHz (285 degrees azimuth)
Saturday 13 August 0730-0800 UTC on 5850 kHz (315 degrees)
Saturday 13 August 1330-1400 UTC on 11580 kHz (44 degrees)
Saturday 13 August 2200-2230 UTC on 5950 kHz (181 degrees)
Sunday 14 August 0230-0300 UTC on 11580 kHz (44 degrees)
Sunday 14 August 2130-2200 UTC on 15770 kHz (44 degrees)*
Sunday 14 August 2330-2330 UTC on 11580 kHz (44 degrees)*
Monday 15 August 2000-2030 UTC on 6070 kHz* **
Tuesday 16 August 2130-2200 UTC on 15770 kHz (44 degrees)

* Preempts DigiDX, usually heard at this time

** Via Channel 292, Germany

Many of these broadcasts will be heard outside their nominal target areas.

Reception reports to Jeff: info (at) wrmi.net

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Radio World: The evolution of shortwave radio

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Panasonic-RF-2200-1

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following article by James Careless in Radio World Magazine.

The article includes interviews with Andy Sennitt, Kim Andrew Elliott, Nigel Fry,  and even yours truly. The following is a short excerpt taken from the introduction of the article:

(Source: Radio World)

OTTAWA, Ontario — With the advent of radio in the 20th century, the shortwave band (1710–30,000 kHz) soon became a hotbed of long-distance radio broadcasting. Used primarily by state-run international broadcasters, plus ham radio operators and ship-to-shore radio communications, the shortwave band was prized due to its astoundingly broad reach.

That reach was — and is still — made possible by the tendency of ground-based shortwave radio transmissions to bounce off the ionosphere and back to earth; allowing shortwave broadcasts to “hop” repeatedly, increasing a broadcast’s range while minimizing its decay.

[…]At the height of the Cold War, the shortwave bands were packed with content as the Voice of America and West Germany’s Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) traded ideological punches with Radio Moscow and East Germany’s Radio Berlin International. This is because analog shortwave radio broadcasting was the only way for both sides to make their political cases cross international borders: There was no satellite TV, let alone any internet.

Read the full, in-depth article on the Radio World website…

This article is well worth reading and one of the more in-depth pieces I’ve seen in a trade publication or news site recently.

I should add that I completely agree with James Careless’ conclusion:

“[T]he research that went into this article suggests that the shortwave band is sufficiently alive to be still evolving.”

The fact is, the shortwave landscape is not what used to be in the Cold War. Many of those big voices have left the scene and, in the process, left the door open to others.

The shortwaves are a dynamic communications space that continues to evolve.

That’s why I keep listening.

Want to read more about the future of shortwave radio? Click here to read Does Shortwave Radio Have a Future?

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