Please find below, Brother Zyg's VOACAP work related to WINB DRM testing (updated with information from Hans about their Rhombic being terminated).
- DRMNA Admin
WINB reports :
"We are testing in DRM 15670 kHz M-F
try between 1100-1700 UTC"
Here is a preliminary view of the WINB 15670 kHz DRM coverage at
1600z for June 2018. The coverage is for a receiver using only a
6 foot whip antenna. Higher gain antennas may produce better
results.
The WINB Rhombic antenna parameters are taken from the HFCC
files. Although the transmitter has been stated as "being rated
for 15 kW", I'm using a conservative estimate of 10 kW DRM power
for the plot. From SWL reports the transmitted bit rate has been monitored as
being 8.28 kbps, which should help it to be decoded at lower
signal levels.
A report in the DRM RX forum indicated that the signal was
relatively strong in Newfoundland at this time but with deep
fading and then disappeared some minutes later. This agrees with
the plot which shows the listeners location just on the edge of
stronger signal coverage. The propagation does move the stronger
signal area eastwards as time progresses. There were also reports
from the UK and France at a little earlier time when the signal
would have been at a somewhat higher level in those areas before
moving eastwards.
On Friday, I monitored the KiwiSDR web network of receivers at
1600z and found 15670 kHz DRM "waterfall" signals in Houston,
Miami (stronger), and Iceland (weak). I did not encounter any DRM
signals in Europe at that time, but Radio France International has
a 500 kW broadcast from Issoudun, France, beaming south to Africa
on the same frequency and at the same time! There was also a much
weaker, but still noticeable, signal in the Atlanta area (as
received on my Kenwood R-1000 receiver and a long wire antenna).
The plot only shows signals that are stronger than S6 (on an
S-meter).
Finally this coverage is for "normal" propagation conditions
which just happen to have a zero solar sunspot number as we are in
the bottom of the 11 year solar cycle. Conditions have been less
than normal in the past few days.
73,
-Zyg
