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Friday, December 15, 2017

Shortwave Radiogram programming


Hello friends,
Sorry about the rerun during last weekend’s broadcast Saturday at 1600-1630 UTC broadcast on 9400 kHz. Listeners who did not receive the promised Flamp transmission can decode from audio provided by Roger in Germany and video provided by Scott in Ontario. Another Flamp item will be broadcast this weekend.

Most of this weekend’s Shortwave Radiogram will be in our usual MFSK32, with four images. But we will also include three 8PSK modes: 8PSK-125FL, 8PSK-250FL, and 8PSK-500F. The RSIDs should switch Fldigi to the correct modes. If you must change modes manually, note that the first two are 8PSK-125FL (not -125F) and 8PSK-250FL (not -250F). You can read about the 8PSK modes here. (Sorry, these 8PSK modes are not yet available on TIVAR or AndFlmsg.)

 The 8PSK-500F news item uses Flamp. Download Flamp from here and read the manual here. Under the Flamp Configure menu, select “Auto sync flamp to fldigi mode selector.” This will force Flamp to use whatever mode Fldigi is using. Make sure Flamp is running before the 8PSK-500L transmission begins.

This time we will use smaller blocks with Flamp, to improve the chances that the file is received 100%. There will be 25 blocks of 240 bytes each, transmitted four times. If the file is received 100%, click Flamp’s File > Folders > rx, and the file China_internet_conference.txt should be found in the folder for the date of reception.

 If possible, record your reception. You can try to decode the 8PSK items, including the one in Flamp, several times. Experiment with different audio players (Windows versus VLC, etc) and different equalizer settings, compressors, and other audio tricks.

The Slow Show. This weekend, the broadcast Sunday at 2330-2400 UTC, providing poor reception in most parts of the world as we approach the winter solstice, will entirely be in the Olivia 128-2000 mode. This is a very slow mode, only 17 wpm, but it might be able to overcome difficult conditions. Even if you cannot hear the tones or see a trace on your waterfall, you might still be able to decode the text. Make sure that Fldigi’s squelch (SQL) is off. If your reception is bad, this could be interesting. If it is good, this will be as much fun as watching paint dry.

There is no RSID for Olivia 128-2000, so you need to set it manually. Under the Fldigi Op Mod menu, select Olivia > Custom: then dial up a bandwidth of 2000 Hz, with 128 Tones. Again, record your reception if possible. You can then experiment with the integration period in that same menu. If you increase the number of FEC blocks, your decode might improve. It will also increase the delay time between hearing the tones and seeing the text print out, but this is less of a problem in receiving a broadcast than in an amateur radio QSO. Read about Olivia, including the integration period, here. Also try different audio players and settings. (Sorry again: TIVAR and AndFlmsg do not include Olivia 128-2000.)

Here are the lineups for Shortwave Radiogram, programs 26 and 26-S, 16-17 December 2017:

Program 23

  1:29  Program preview

 2:52  Books for international radio listeners*

 9:34  8PSK-125FL: Electronic waste

11:13  8PSK-250FL: Journalist errors

12:46  8PSK-500F (Flamp): China internet conference**

15:46  MFSK32: Radio telescope in Western Australia*

21:46  Most distant supermassive black hole*

25:35  Closing announcements*
* with image

** Flamp should be activated before this story in transmitted

 Program 23-S
UTC
23:30:00         Music and voice introduction
23:31:27         60-second tuning signal at 1500 Hz (+/- on your Fldigi)
23:32:28         Olivia 128-2000

 Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net
And visit http://swradiogram.net
Twitter: @SWRadiogram
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304


Shortwave Radiogram Program 26/26S Transmission Schedule
(16-17 December 2017)

26
Saturday
1600-1630 UTC
9400 kHz
MFSK32, 8PSK-125FL, 8PSK-250FL, 8PSK-500F (with Flamp)
Space Line, Bulgaria
26
Sunday
0600-0630 UTC
7730 kHz
WRMI Florida
26
Sunday
2030-2100 UTC
11580 kHz
WRMI Florida
26S
Sunday
2330-2400 UTC
11580 kHz
Olivia 128-2000
WRMI Florida

 The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 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 7-9 pm EST) on 5960 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC.  Reports to Eric: themightykbc@gmail.com . 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:

To Europe
Wednesday
2025-2030 UTC
1584 kHz (MW)
Thursday
0325-0330 UTC
1584 kHz
Saturday
2125-2130 UTC
1584 kHz
Sunday
1155-1200 UTC
6070 kHz

To the Americas
Tuesday
0125-0130 UTC
11580 kHz

Friday
0225-0230 UTC
9955 kHz
Saturday
0155-0200 UTC
11580 kHz

Sunday
0055-0100 UTC
7730 kHz


 Thanks for your reception reports! 
Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Shortwave Radiogram