Because of deadlines associated with my audience research
work at VOA, I have not yet had a chance to respond to or even to read most of
your emails from the weekend of 13-14 July. But I will. As soon as
possible.
Last week during the broadcasts on 5745 and 6095 kHz, we
employed the Optimod audio processor that is typically used during VOA voice
broadcasts. The purpose of this experiment was not to determine if the Optimod
would improve the decoding of the modes, but if it would have any negative
effect. If future VOA voice broadcasts include short segments of digital text,
the audio processor would almost certainly be used.
I certainly noticed it was easier to hear what I was saying
during my voice introduction to the show. On 6095 kHz, however, even though the
signal was strong in northern Virginia, I noticed several errors with the MFSK32
when usually there are no errors. That may or may not be related to the use of
the Optimod. I look forward to analyzing your reports to find out if there were
similar results.
One anomaly from last weekend's show was that, for me at
least, in the plain-text Spanish-language greeting to a shortwave listeners
meeting in Mexico City, the accents displayed correctly, but in a VOA Spanish
news story later, the accents did not display correctly. The mystery is
discussed here: voaradiogram.net/post/55797046544/the-mystery-of-the-missing-accents
Some of you were impressed with the performance of last
weekend's surprise mode: MT63-1000 long interleave, especially as it was mixed
with music. For that reason, VOA Radiogram for the weekend of 20-21 July will
include a VOA News story in the MT63-2000L mode (200 wpm), followed by the same
story in the MFSK64 mode (240 wpm).
Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, 20-21 July
2013:
2:20 MFSK16: Program preview
4:31 MFSK16: VOA News about quartz glass for data
storage
2:04 MFSK32: Image of data stored in silica
glass
3:59 MFSK32: VOA News about end of India's telegram
service
2:42 MFSK32: Image of sign at telegram office
2:53 MT63-2000L: VOA News about new materials for solar
cells
2:32 MFSK64: Same VOA News about new materials for solar
cells
1:10 MFSK32: Image of molecularspace.org logo
1:08 MFSK16: Closing announcements
1:11 Surprise image
Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com
.
Especially helpful are...
1) Audio samples of poor reception nevertheless resulting in
a successful decode of text modes.
2) Reception on less expensive portable shortwave radios.
Please also share your advice on feeding the audio from your portable radio to
your PC and eventually to your decoding software. If use of the earphone jack
mutes the radio's speaker, how do you listen to the program? Do you use an
external sound card? Any other tips and tricks?
3) Of course, resume listening on and decoding from your
transceivers and high-end receivers if reception on portable radios proves
unsuccessful.
Thanks for listening and decoding.
Kim
Kim Andrew Elliott
Producer and Presenter
VOA Radiogram
radiogram@voanews.com
Twitter: @voaradiogram