View Full Version : 17810 kHz DRM transmission from Montsinery to the USA (RNW programme)
:) Hi all!
Please look at 17810 kHz for RNW DRM test transmission from TDF Montsinery (French Guiana): 150 kW and 4/4 antenna between 1600 and 1730 UTC to the USA.
Reports much appreciated.
Regards.
Jacques Gruson
Brendan1
09-10-2006, 17:36
Very excellent reception - I only saw the request for logs 12 minutes before the transmission started. Dream crashed on me, good thing I run DRMSWR simultaneously! Very steady signal, came up to 17 dB SNR immediately. Only some fairly minor dropouts as you can see.
Hi Brendan!
Congratulations for this very first (good) report on this transmission to the USA.
73 / regards.
Jacques
Brendan1
09-10-2006, 18:16
Jacques - will this be a daily experiment for a short time, or a one time only test? I forgot to ask in my earlier posting. :rolleyes:
Hi Brendan (again: I am currently at home),
It will be a daily transmission except during week-end (so from Monday to Friday) in the following weeks.
Did you get some audio? In Paris, I managed to hear some noise on the frequency but too weak to receive anything in DRM.
73.
Jacques
Brendan1
09-10-2006, 23:35
Audio? Mais oui, Jacques! Very good audio, with only some fairly minor, short dropouts. Good enough for relay purposes to local re-broadcasters. It was much better than what I've lately been getting from Radio New Zealand International. The seasonal transition is playing havoc on their reliability into North America, and while I used to get hours of good quality audio from them, no more. I start a new job later this week, but I'll try to make as many logs as I can for you.
Brendan1
10-10-2006, 17:50
Excellent log today. I heard only 2 dropouts, at 1707z and 1728Z. The data shows perhaps 2 others, but I wasn't paying 100% attention at those times either. I listen to the audio output from DRMSWR: it shows only four dropouts, while Dream shows more. Overall, the audio was excellent, and showed at least 11 kHz of audio bandwidth. Distance from Montsinery to my location is approximately 6575 km/4197 miles. Reception was so steady, it would appear that I am at least within the first or second hop from Guyane. Some rapid changes in propagation were seen during the last 30 minutes or so, with the SNR fluctuating fast (but within a very small range).
All in all, a very good log.
JanPeterW
10-10-2006, 18:13
Hi Brendan,
Good to hear the transmission is received well over there in the US.
Attached is a plot of the expected coverage for October.
Look forward to hear more reports also from other parts in the target area.
Thanks to Jacques for organising this transmission.
Regards / 73!
Jan Peter
Tentative de réception ŕ Paris.
Daniel
Hi Brendan, Jan Peter and Daniel,
Good to get this report from Brendan and thanks Jan Peter for coverage simulation.
I can only monitor the start of our transmissionhere in Paris: more noise ; I got some bursts of audio during the last half hour. Merci Daniel pour le report de Paris!
Jan Peter, can you receive something overthere?
I got a good signal (spectrum and S-Meter reading) from Washington / IBB monitoring system.
A pity we don't have, for the moment, more listeners from the USA.
73 / Regards.
A pity we don't have, for the moment, more listeners from the USA.
That is because the transmission is in the middle of the work day for most listeners in the USA. :mad:
73,
-Zyg-
Ignore the frequency listed, this is the RNW feed. I had the wrong AGC setting and was using the vertical antenna. To echo AF4MP, this has to be unattend for me to as I'm at work. C'mon guys, lets get some more DRM on in the evenings for the working man!
<Flame On>
Post script: More people might listen, IF THERE WERE ANY DAMN DRM RADIOS IN THE STORES!!! It appears to me that these companies are just sitting on their hands. Not only that, but their beta test teams must all be non-radio folks. What the hell is that Morphy-Richards radio doing without an external antenna connection. ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
Somebody get through to these companies and get us a few demo units in the USA so we can try them out under the usual weak signal conditions we contend with. As anyone can see, the _few_ North American DRMRX reporters are dedicated monitors. What more can we do to help DRM succeed?!?!?
<Flame off>
Brendan1
11-10-2006, 13:53
To quote Chris: "Somebody get through to these companies and get us a few demo units in the USA so we can try them out under the usual weak signal conditions we contend with. As anyone can see, the _few_ North American DRMRX reporters are dedicated monitors. What more can we do to help DRM succeed?!?!?"
Well put, Chris. Lack of test units alone is bad; lack of higher field strength signals is another. The two of us live in the western US, which is a historically ignored HF area, even in analog. Poor frequency choices also hinder us, since if it can't hop into our listening area we're not going to hear it. It's nice to have a good strong DRM signal into NA, no matter what time it is.
I'll be going to auto-logging on Friday for the NA daytime broadcasts: new job, new hours. By the time I get home, virtually all of the DRM broadcasts for NA will be done. So, no "live" listening until the weekends... :(
Hi all,
a weak signal in Europe. See screenshot.
73, Klaus
Hi Zyg, Christopher, Brendan, Klauss and all,
Thanks for reports from the US. Good reception in Oregon and Arizona as I can see; sorry for bad time schedule for East Coast where Montsinery's signal must be very loud.
Klauss, here in Paris, I can receive modulation from time to time during a few seconds. Can you get modulation in Germany?
Regards.
Jacques
Salut Jacques,
got occasionally a few seconds of audio decoding, SNR about 7- 11 dB
Simone
... and here is my report.
Simone
Hi .
My report .Best signal from 1650-1700UTC.
Hi Jacques and all,
A weak signal here too, and completely drowned by AM at 1730 UTC onward. Very little decoded audio was recovered and uploaded as a ZIP file. The first 42 minutes of the log were logged with FR-101 and the 16 m Long Wire and the rest was FRG7700 and the Active Ferrite Antenna.
Terje
Brendan1
11-10-2006, 19:52
Sorry for being so late folks! Got the bcst logged, then forgot to upload and had to leave for a while. Here it is, lower SNR today, but very good copy and audio. Some dropouts occurred, I think propagation was more disturbed today.
Seems to improve with time today...
I may be able to log live tomorrow and/or Friday, so I'll play with antennas and AGC settings.
Today's (unattended) 17810 kHz reception report.
-Zyg-
Reception and not reception at Paris.
Daniel
Brendan1
12-10-2006, 17:40
There were dropouts today to the audio, propagation is noticeably worse than on Monday/Tuesday. Solar Flux is 74, and the K index is 2 at last report for North America. That is down 2 on the SFI, and up 2 on the K.
The log shows some SNR hits too, a couple of big ones. The SNR is right on the edge for good decoding.
Been using DRM Logger, so it shuts off at 1730Z exactly. However, Montsinery is still going at 1741Z.
Hi Jacques and all.
Her is my report from Sweden. Very good from start up to SNR 27db . but 1730 to 1745UTS transmitt UN Radion on 17810Khz . After this time signal
go down. I can not see on picture this 27db only in for Maxinum SNR !!!
:)
A weak signal, not much decoding possible, btw transmission lastet 50min longerthan scheduled.
Simone
Hi,
Sixten, not bad, Simone worse and then my meager contribution. :mad: :D
Terje
Telspace
12-10-2006, 20:07
Hi to all,
Nothing here in South Brazil.
:mad:
Denis
This afternoon's 17810 kHz reception report (unattended).
-Zyg-
I was a bit late, but great signal. Infact, 32.8 SNR is near to my record of 33!
Nearly 1 hour of 100% audio, another record! Great job Jacques, keep it up! The longer scedule was also very nice. I'll try again tomorrow.
Another interesting anecdote, I was able to copy Family Radio at 17795 using SDRadio software while simultaneously copying the RNW feed on DRM. One input from the IF of the FT-817 and I shipped the output to 2 different soundcards! Why don't you guys try a hybrid transmission, analogue next to DRM. Perhaps there is an ITU problem.
Brendan1
13-10-2006, 17:42
I forgot to check off enable radio control on DRM Logger, so I missed todays' broadcast entirely. Came home early at 1708Z and saw no signal (and no log) so I'm not all too happy with myself. Have to try and not be so rushed...
Hi Brendan,
I did a log today, but not being in the target area this does not really count ;)
Nothing after 17:12, maybe transmission stopped earlier today?
Simone
One dip from the wife's hairdryer then I was outside running an electric saw cutting firewood, so not sure if the tiny blips are my fault or not.
This afternoon's 17810 kHz (unattended) reception report.
-Zyg-
Hello all,
a little bit of audio in South Germany with my Ham Yagi pointing towards South America.
Bernd, DF9RB
Also a bit of audio here in Frankfurt. Sounded really good.
A weak signal here, anyway a few bits decoded audio.
Simone
Brendan1
17-10-2006, 01:07
Sorry to be late, but this will be my new posting time due to work. Logs from today on will be unattended with the exception of the weekend.
Not a bad log today, the graph looks pretty good. I see it didn't start on time, but hey, nobody's perfect.
Hi,
No luck at all.
Terje
Brendan1
18-10-2006, 01:38
Looks like TDF went off air, right in the middle. A very disturbed look to the SNR, this is about the worst I've seen it. Propagation must be way off. Unattended recording.
I had a fairly good day. SNR as high as 29.4!
Alan Johnson
18-10-2006, 16:33
I had a late start at work today, so I had a chance to catch part of this transmission.
Dear Alan and all,
Superb reception!
Thanks a lot to all of you.
Regards / 73.
Jacques Gruson
Brendan1
19-10-2006, 01:07
Well, I must have some local interference happening when I'm at work. For the second day, the signal is gone for roughly the same time period. Not all that good on my end if that is the case. It was not as long as yesterday, but I'd rather have a nice flat-line good quality graph showing.
Minus the one dip, things were great!
SNR of 34.1db, Yahooo! Nice job guys! It was fun watching all the changes going on today. The 14.56k bitrate was the best sounding (lower bitrate) I have ever heard. AMAZING! 10k audio bandwidth!
Brendan1
20-10-2006, 01:07
DRM Logger is just not working right. No log at all today. I set everything up, and nothing happens. I only have a log for the last event because I hand started it as soon as I got home this afternoon.
My regrets to Jacques and everyone wanting the data.
This afternoon's 17810 kHz (unattended) reception report.
Looks like there were several transmission breaks.:confused:
-Zyg-
I'm amazed at the great signal both Zyg and I had and how close our logs are. The Audio dips all corresponded to changes in settings and dropped carrier, so I figured they were experimenting. There is also some disruption on Zyg's log that shows as ripples on mine. Atmospheric issues?
Anyway, congratulations to the Montsinery staff. Looks like you are covering most of the USA with about the nicest signal (SNR and Audio decoded) I have ever seen on DRM!
Christopher, your receiver is a lot quieter and consequently you receive a lot better SNR. You are correct our logs remarkably do agree!
I can't complain; my Kenwood R-1000 is twenty five years old :eek: and really needs a tune up!
-Zyg-
Hi all,
No audio available from satellite for RNW DRM test; we will use another source.
Regards.
Jacques
Salut Jacques,
only silence as you already mentioned at the beginning, later when I got audio again there was French programming.
Only got the end with RFI audio then silence. Big signal again. Audio quality below yesterday's broadcast. Seemed as if it might have been a noisy/compressed feed.
This afternoon's 17,810 kHz reception report.
I was able to listen to about 10 minutes of the transmission at around 17:00. The program was in french, and the audio ID stated that it was "Radio France Internationale" rather than the scheduled RNW.
The audio quality at the time was decent for the
14.65 (I think) kb/s bit stream.
The receiver S-meter showed S9+20dB.
-Zyg-
Brendan1
21-10-2006, 01:10
Well, it looks like I get to accidentally scoop everyone. DRM Logger worked (somewhat) today, and somehow recorded nearly all day on 17810: I've got two separate broadcasts showing on my graph here! Don't know if this was intended, but it looks pretty good. :)
This afternoon's 17810 kHz reception (unattended).
-Zyg-
I'm quite impressed with RNW from Montsinery as it is the most reliable (at least for me in Oregon) DRM I have copied. I can just about bet on a daily basis at a better than 99.5% audio broadcast! Great!
Who owns this transmitter? How much power? Whta antenna? Any chance for regular transmissions? Any chance at more on-air time each day?
At any rate, congratulations to the folks down there. You may have one of the best locations to transmit to the continental USA. This is what we need to get DRM jumpstarted here in North America :D
Hi fibber,
in Montsinery TDF uses a 4/4/0.5 antenna at 323° to the USA and 150 kW (brand new transmitter from Thomson BM).
Technical details can be found at:
http://www.drm-dx.de
73, Klaus
I've noticed a propagation change in all of my DRM logs from this date.
Brendan1
27-10-2006, 01:42
Well, DRM Logger worked, but only partly. It sat on 17810 all day. Got an unscheduled DRM broadcast (again!) in the local afternoon. So, two broadcasts for the price of one! OR, there is a very big propagation gap during the mid-day period, and it just doesn't make it up this far.
It was my day off from work, raining outside, and I was able to listen for a big portion of the time.
Audio data speed 14.96 kbps, the receiver s-meter signal was showing S9+20 to 25dB.
The audio was off from about 16:43 to 16:47.
The four blips in the audio line are most probably the
fault of my computer. :o
-Zyg-
Brendan1
28-10-2006, 01:14
Okay, everyone ignore the second broadcast showing on this graph. This is a problem between DRM Logger and my computer not talking to each other very well. The second broadcast is Sackville on 9800: DRM Logger is somehow not restarting the DRMswr logging function and it is all running together. I'm working with Carsten to try and get this glitch figured out.
Otherwise, it's a good log for Montsinery, and the data is correct.
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