Thursday, May 23, 2013

VOA Radiogram slated for May 25-26



Thanks to everyone who sent reception reports, audio samples, screenshots, etc., from last weekend's VOA Radiogram. The SSTV modes have performed well but, according to most your reports, MFSK32 images provide better images.
On VOA Radiogram the weekend of May 25-26, we will continue our experiments with images via shortwave broadcast. The MFSK32 and SSTV modes are analog. Now we will try purely digital images using EasyPal software.
Download EasyPal from vk4aes.com. After EasyPal is installed, go to Setup > Setup c/s-soundcard-PTT > Soundcard and select the soundcard you use to receive VOA Radiogram.
In EasyPal, click the RX button to receive images. You should see a waterfall along the left side of the interface. The software will indicate how many segments have been received. Unlike SSTV and MFSK32 images, you will not see the picture slowly form on the software interface. Instead, when a sufficient number of segments has been received, the picture will appear instantaneously.
Will EasyPal work in a shortwave broadcast environment? I have no idea, but it's worth trying.
Here is the lineup for today's program:
MFSK16: Opening announcements (now)
MFSK32: VOA news story about the comet ISON (4:07)
MFSK32: NASA image of the comet ISON (1:03)
MFSK32: VOA news story about new train lines in South Korea
(3:22)
MFSK32: Image of the South Korean train (3:57)
MFSK16: Introduction to EasyPal (1:06)
EasyPal: Same image of the South Korean train (2:38)
EasyPal: Image of the cicada (large insect) transmitted last week
in SSTV and MFSK32 (2:44)
EasyPal: Text (:19)
MFSK16: Closing announcements (1:09)
Surprise mode of the week (:27)
Please send reception reports to radiogram@voanews.com   

I hope you can tune in and decode this weekend.
Kim Andrew Elliott
VOA Radiogram
radiogram@voanews.com 
Twitter: @voaradiogram