Hello friends,
A reminder that the Winter SWL Fest will be 28 February-2 March at Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia). Information at swlfest.com. I will be there to demonstrate Shortwave Radiogram.
SSTV will be transmitted this weekend from the International Space Station, from 1400 UTC today (Friday) through Sunday, 10 February, at 1830 UTC. The frequency is 145.8 MHz (FM). The SSTV mode will be PD120. Use MMSSTV or the receive-only RXSSTV or similar software to decode. You can track the location of the ISS here. During these events, I keep a radio tuned to 145.8 MHz FM and MMSSTV running, and periodically check for any results.
Last weekend's experiment with multiple modes, some very fast, via WINB's DRM transmitter was complicated by generally poor conditions. We will transmit the same content today (Friday) at 1500-1530 UTC on 13690 kHz from WINB in Pennsylvania. For details about the program and information about receiving and decoding the WINB DRM broadcast, see this post at swradiogram.net. (Expect the PSK-1000R to fail!)
Also at swradiogram.net is this audio of reception in Alberta of the MFSK32 text, Saturday 1400-1430 UTC, 9400 kHz from Bulgaria.You can decode from this example showing how MFSK32 can communicate even in very difficult conditions.
Videos of last weekend's Shortwave Radiogram (program ) are provided by youngalientype (not sure of his location) with the first ten minutes of the DRM transmission Friday at 1500 UTC, Scott in Ontario (Friday 2030 UTC), Ralf in Germany (Saturday 1400 UTC), and a first effort by Adrian in Ireland (Sunday 2330 UTC), battling some heavy noise interference. The audio archive is maintained by Mark in the UK. Analysis is prepared by Roger in Germany.
Shortwave Radiogram this weekend will include a brief segment of Olivia 64-2000. This robust mode might provide a good decode even in very poor conditions, where the MFSK modes are unsuccessful. Examples would include Bulgaria on 9400 kHz direct to North America, and WINB on 9265 in the eastern USA, within the skip zone. Even if you are not hearing or decoding anything else, manually set the mode to Olivia 64-2000 and, at seven minutes into the broadcast, see if there are any results. For best performance, turn the squelch (SQL) off.
Here is the lineup for Shortwave Radiogram, program 86, 8-10 February 2019
1:40 MFSK32: Program preview
2:48 Manual vs. automatic transmissions in Switzerland
7:04 Olivia 64-2000: SWL Fest and ISS SSTV
9:39 MFSK64: Mars cubesats have gone silent*
13:53 Images of the week*
28:24 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 during the weekend to see listeners' results)
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/567099476753304
Shortwave Radiogram Transmission Schedule
UTC Day UTC Time Frequency Transmitter
Friday 1500-1530 UTC 13690 kHz DRM
special content WINB Pennsylvania
Friday 2030-2100 UTC 7780 kHz WRMI Florida
Saturday 0330-0400 UTC 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania
Saturday 1400-1430 UTC 9400 kHz Space Line Bulgaria
Saturday 1830-1900 UTC 9265 kHz WINB Pennsylvania
Sunday 0800-0830 UTC 5850 kHz 7730 kHz WRMI Florida
Sunday 2330-2400 UTC 7780 kHz WRMI Florida
Slow Scan Radio transmits SSTV images and text modes Saturdays at 1300-1330 UTC on 6070 kHz and 7440 kHz via Channel 292 in Germany -- according to the latest schedule information I have. The website is http://www.slowscanradio.com. Reception reports to x@xdv.me.
The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1300-1400 UTC on 11600 kHz from Bulgaria, with the minute of MFSK at about 1330 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/.
New York and Pennsylvania NBEMS nets. Most weekends, as KD9XB, I check in to the New York NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging Software) net Saturday at 1300 UTC on 3584 kHz USB, and the Pennsylvania NBEMS net Sunday at 1300 UTC on 3583 kHz USB. Check-ins are in Thor 22, and messages are in MFSK32. Messages usually use the Flmsg add-on to Fldigi. If you are a radio amateur in eastern North America, feel free to check in. Outside the region, use an SDR in the eastern USA to tune in and decode. You do not need Flmsg to check in, and most of the messages can be read without Flmsg. If you can decode the net, send me an email to radiogram@verizon.net , or tweet to @SWRadiogram , and I will let them know you are tuned in.
Thanks for your reception reports!
Kim
Kim Andrew Elliott, KD9XB
Producer and Presenter
Shortwave Radiogram
Reporting on international broadcasting at https://twitter.com/kaedotcom