Let Dr. Elliott take control of your PC again

UPDATE: 20121207

9450kHz on Sunday 9 December @ 00:00 UTC -
The Giant Jukebox with Eric van Willegen.

Expect even more from Dr. Elliot this weekend on The Mighty KBC! Look forward to trying PSKR125 and two flavors of MT63! Check their website site for more details. Have FLMSG ready for receiving a webpage via shortwave.

I must say. these digital text tests are some fun! The music played by Eric is great too. I bet he plays something cool that you have never heard before! I'm looking forward to their upcoming holiday specials, especially in DRM! The Mighty KBC is a true friend of radio fans and DRM enthusiasts. Be sure to drop them a message and tell them how much you appreciate their fun and innovative take on shortwave broadcasting!

PREVIOUS DETAILS:
Scoot on over to Kim Andrew Elliott's blog to take a look at what is coming for digital enthusiasts this weekend from The Mighty KBC. In brief... CORRECTION: This UTC Sunday, 2 December,

"Sunday, 25 November, more digital text during the broadcast of The Mighty KBC at 0000 to 0200 on 9450 kHz. At about 0130 UTC, PSK125 will be centered at 1300 Hz on the waterfall, MFSK32 at 2200 Hz"

Use of DRM as a utility mode

I don't know if you have been following the digital tests going on over The Mighty KBC, but they have gotten me to thinking of other uses for DRM. I've always felt that some transmissions on HF such as NAVTEX, SITOR, WEFAX and VOLMET could be incorporated into robust DRM transmissions instead.

Although there have been some tests (TDF sending photos and BBC's use of Journaline) I have never seen or heard true utility broadcasts being tried or tested.

Moreover, it seems that many of these traditional services are showing their age. Recently USCG threatened to eliminate some of their weather related HF services to which they received significant hate mail. The need is still there!

I recently read that the German military (their equivalent to AFN) were considering DRM for ships at sea and remote military installations. Why not and perhaps AFN might consider the same thing, as they seem to be phasing out the SSB feeders they have used for so long.

So once again, DRM offers the technology for service replacement, yet it is being largely ignored. OK, there is only one stand-alone receiver on the market. That could change if manufacturers thought they'd have a market. Any ideas how we can encourage these entities to investigate some of these options?

Non-DRM digital test on The Mighty KBC 18 November

Experimenting with digital text modes on 9450 kHz

"At The Mighty KBC, we have been experimenting with digital text modes during our Sunday 0000-0200 UTC broadcast on 9450 kHz. Text via shortwave can be a useful substitute if the Internet is disrupted or blocked. To decode the digital text transmissions, we suggest that you download FLDIGI from www.w1hkj.com. Please also download FLMSG, because we will use it on our 25 November broadcast.

 On 18 November, the first text transmission at about 0130 UTC will be in three modes simultaneously. On the "waterfall," PSKR125 will be centered at 1000 Hz, DominoEX 16 at 1500 Hz, and MFSK32 at 2000 Hz. Decode one of the modes from your radio, then decode the others from your recording. Just before 0200 UTC, The Mighty KBC program schedule will be sent as a web page. Two modes will be available: PSKR250 on the left, and MFSK64 on the right. Decode one from the radio, and the other from your recording."

Digital but not DRM - KBC test on 11 November

"The Mighty KBC will test to the USA on Sunday 11 November 2012 00.00 - 02.00 UTC on 9450 kHz!

Please join the Mighty KBC for a test of a digital text sent via a shortwave broadcast transmitter. This will take place during the next transmission to North America, Sunday 0000-0200 UTC, at approximately 0130 and just before the end of the broadcast at 0200.

DX-Antwerp Special Broadcast for North America

2000-2100 UTC on 17875 kHz 20120512

Some fun! Three stalwart DRMNAers got themselves "announced" during the broadcast. Nice work to everyone involved in this fun transmission! Where are the mid and East continent DRMNAers? We got the West covered. Let us hope that Ludo and the TDP crew allow this sort of "special event" to occur again soon!