An interesting digital development here in the Washington DC area is the decision by WWFD in Frederick, Maryland, 820 kHz medium wave, to switch to an all-digital version of the US HD digital radio system. This means its entire channel from 810 to 830 kHz is used for digital audio, and not shared with an analog signal. (You can see the signal on an SDR in the attachment.)
I tuned my car radio to 820 kHz to hear what an HD signal sounds like on an analog radio. For a second, I heard the expected digital hash, then a few seconds of silence, then music filling the cockpit. I discovered that the radio in my car (a 2017 model) receives AM HD!
When it works, it sounds great, similar to FM, with song and artist names on the display. But here in Arlington, Virginia, about 65 km from Frederick, Maryland, the signal drops out about 60% of the time as I drive around the city. I was able to hear the signal, with much lower fidelity, about 95% of the time when it was analog.
I can also hear WWFD 100% on the HD3 subchannel of WTOP, 103.5 MHz, here in Washington. But 820 kHz is more interesting.
Anyway, back to Shortwave Radiogram. Videos of last weekend’s show (program 56) are provided by Ralf in Germany and Scott in Ontario. Mark in the UK has the audio archive. And Roger in Germany prepared this analysis.
This weekend we repeat our pattern of MFSK32 and MFSK64, with some interesting stories, and seven images.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 57, 20-23 July 2018, in MFSK modes as noted:
1:29 MFSK32: Program preview
2:46 RFE/RL to launch news services in Romania, Bulgaria*
7:45 MFSK64: Trump suggests Montenegrins could start WWIII*
11:48 Astronomers have found 12 new moons around Jupiter*
16:33 Scotland chosen for new UK spaceport*
21:21 Images of the week*
29:34 MFSK32: Closing announcements
* with image(s)
Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net and visit http://swradiogram.net
Twitter: @SWRadiogram -- or https://twitter.com/swradiogram (visit to see past results)
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304
Shortwave Radiogram Program 57
(20-23 July 2018)
Friday 2030-2100 UTC 7780 kHz
5950 kHz MFSK32
MFSK64 WRMI Florida
Saturday 1600-1630 UTC 9400 kHz Space Line, Bulgaria
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 7780 kHz WRMI Florida
Monday 0800-0830 UTC 7730 kHz
5850 kHz WRMI Florida
The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1600 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK64 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 MFSK64 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) Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama. For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/
Broad Spectrum Radio is transmitted by WRMI Florida Mondays at 0700-0800 UTC on 5850 and 7730 kHz. MFSK32 is broadcast during the second half hour of the show. Reports to broadspectrumradio@gmail.com.
Thanks for your reception reports!
Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Shortwave Radiogram
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom
