On Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:21:01 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Apr 26, 10:34*pm, bpnjensen wrote:
I would really like to get a simple QSL or verie from R. Bulgaria.
After listening to that station for months and years, I *finally*
heard a transmission, intended for Europe, on which I could understand
*a little bit* of what they hosts were saying (their sound on English
transmissions is uniformly muffled and audio-challenged). *I wrote
down the scant details I could, and went to the RB website ~ and I
found this. *They must be kidding.

This, from the R. Bulgaria website:

"Reception report

Dear listener of Radio Bulgaria,

The good news is that in order to become a member of Radio Bulgaria’s
Monitoring Club and receive the 6 QSL cards in the series you have to
fulfill the following requirements:

For the FIRST QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception reports
for January and THREE for February.

For the SECOND QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception
reports for March and THREE for April.

For the THIRD QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception reports
for May and THREE for June.

For the FOURTH QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception
reports for July and THREE for August.

For the FIFTH QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception reports
for September and THREE for October.

For the SIXTH QSL CARD you will have to submit THREE reception reports
for November and THREE for December.

A valid reception report should cover at least 15 minutes of our
broadcasts on any frequency and at the time you prefer, and should
include details of the contents of the broadcast and SINPO rating.

Upon reception of the full set of 6 QSL cards, you will also get the
Monitoring Club Membership Certificate of Radio Bulgaria.

Letters and reception reports should be sent within the period
specified for each QSL card."

It takes years to understand a single word of what these people are
saying, and then for a single QSL they want SIX in two months? *Forget
THAT!

Bruce Jensen

On their website there is a listing of DRM transmission on 9400KHz at
1530 UTC. It is interesting if anyone hears that and if it is better
than the regular broadcast.

I would expect it to be similar to Radio Romania's DRM broadcast which
is intended for Europe. I can hear Romania in DRM here in the Midwest.
It is FM quality when it is locked in, but it drops out completely
about 10% of the time. The 25 meter analog broadcasts beamed to North
America are 100% copy with just a little fading and background noise.

I will listen to Bulgaria and see if it is any different. Eibi lists
DRM at 1730UT instead of 1530UT, but I will try both.

The only station I know of from Europe that does a DRM broadcast
beamed to America is Vatican Radio from 2300UT-2330UT on 9755kHz. It
is FM quality and stays locked in under good conditions with only a
few momentary distortions.

Jim

wrote in message
...
I would expect it to be similar to Radio Romania's DRM broadcast which
is intended for Europe. I can hear Romania in DRM here in the Midwest.
It is FM quality when it is locked in, but it drops out completely
about 10% of the time. The 25 meter analog broadcasts beamed to North
America are 100% copy with just a little fading and background noise.

I'm only just beginning to look into the possibility of getting set up to
receive DRM.

Does "FM Quality" have some special meaning with DRM?
As I understand it DRM30 isn't really capable of anything one could really
truthfully call "FM Quality", even on MF let alone HF. But maybe it's the
official name of one of the modes.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)

To email me remove the letter vee.

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:51:11 +0100, "Brian Gregory [UK]"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
I would expect it to be similar to Radio Romania's DRM broadcast which
is intended for Europe. I can hear Romania in DRM here in the Midwest.
It is FM quality when it is locked in, but it drops out completely
about 10% of the time. The 25 meter analog broadcasts beamed to North
America are 100% copy with just a little fading and background noise.

I'm only just beginning to look into the possibility of getting set up to
receive DRM.

Does "FM Quality" have some special meaning with DRM?
As I understand it DRM30 isn't really capable of anything one could really
truthfully call "FM Quality", even on MF let alone HF. But maybe it's the
official name of one of the modes.

OK. I should not say FM quality. Vatican is mono at something like
17kBits/sec. Very quiet and clear compared to an HF broadcast as long
as it stays locked in.

Disco Palace relayed by Bonaire is something like 24 kBits/sec in
Stereo. I think Radio Australia is 24kBits.sec / mono or stereo -
can't remember. However I have never got Australia to lock in, only
enough signal to get transmission information displayed. Also, these
numbers are from memory.

I am guessing these broadcasts are DRM30 since this is the mode
recommended for shortwave broadcast. All I can give you is the station
data encoded in the signal and dispalyed in the Dream software box.

From now on I will give the info dispayed by the software with any
reception reports. I have not listened for Bulgaria yet. That will be
the first report if I can receive it.

Jim

In article ,
wrote:

The only station I know of from Europe that does a DRM broadcast
beamed to America is Vatican Radio from 2300UT-2330UT on 9755kHz. It
is FM quality and stays locked in under good conditions with only a
few momentary distortions.

Is that from Europe? Or is it a relay from Radio Canada's site?

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:56:54 GMT, (Mark Zenier)
wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

The only station I know of from Europe that does a DRM broadcast
beamed to America is Vatican Radio from 2300UT-2330UT on 9755kHz. It
is FM quality and stays locked in under good conditions with only a
few momentary distortions.

Is that from Europe? Or is it a relay from Radio Canada's site?

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

There is a listed relay broadcast earlier on 9800 kHz at 1945-2030UT
from Vatican via Canada. This was not monitored.

Here is the signal and transmitted information from the DRM Vatican
broadcast on 9755 at 2300UT and the earlier DRM Radio Canada broadcast
on 9800kHz.

Radio Canada on 9800kHz @ 2100UT - DRM signal S9+25dB
Info: 17.16 kBits/sec / EEP AAC+ Mono / CA
Message box: From Sackville, NB Canada for your listening pleasure
Audio: No dropouts. A few quick intermittent distortions.

Vatican Radio on 9755kHz @ 2300UT - DRM signal s9+20dB
Info: 14.56 kBits/sec / EEP AAC+ Mono / VA
Message box: We are sending a DRM transmission on SW 9755kHz for North
America from Vatican Radio Santa Maria di Galeria-Vatican City
Audio: Periodic dropouts. Multiple intermittent distortions.

Appears the broadcast comes from Europe but can't guarantee it. Will
check the relay broadcast tomorrow if I can.

Jim

On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:25:21 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:56:54 GMT, (Mark Zenier)
wrote:

In article ,
wrote:

The only station I know of from Europe that does a DRM broadcast
beamed to America is Vatican Radio from 2300UT-2330UT on 9755kHz. It
is FM quality and stays locked in under good conditions with only a
few momentary distortions.

Is that from Europe? Or is it a relay from Radio Canada's site?

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

There is a listed relay broadcast earlier on 9800 kHz at 1945-2030UT
from Vatican via Canada. This was not monitored.

Here is the signal and transmitted information from the DRM Vatican
broadcast on 9755 at 2300UT and the earlier DRM Radio Canada broadcast
on 9800kHz.

Radio Canada on 9800kHz @ 2100UT - DRM signal S9+25dB
Info: 17.16 kBits/sec / EEP AAC+ Mono / CA
Message box: From Sackville, NB Canada for your listening pleasure
Audio: No dropouts. A few quick intermittent distortions.

Vatican Radio on 9755kHz @ 2300UT - DRM signal s9+20dB
Info: 14.56 kBits/sec / EEP AAC+ Mono / VA
Message box: We are sending a DRM transmission on SW 9755kHz for North
America from Vatican Radio Santa Maria di Galeria-Vatican City
Audio: Periodic dropouts. Multiple intermittent distortions.

Appears the broadcast comes from Europe but can't guarantee it. Will
check the relay broadcast tomorrow if I can.

Jim

Vatican relay broadcast from Canada
9800UT @2000UT DRM signal S9+15dB
Info: 17.40 kBits/sec / EEP AAC+ Mono / VA
Message box: blank
Audio: No dropouts. Very few intermittent distortions.

So, it appears there is no way to prove where a DRM signal comes from.
The info area shows the Vatican (VA) as the source but there is no
indication it is relayed by Sackville other than signal quality.

Jim

In article ,
wrote:
On Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:25:21 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:56:54 GMT, (Mark Zenier)
wrote:

Is that from Europe? Or is it a relay from Radio Canada's site?
....
So, it appears there is no way to prove where a DRM signal comes from.
The info area shows the Vatican (VA) as the source but there is no
indication it is relayed by Sackville other than signal quality.

The reason I asked orignally was that, a couple of years ago, I found
the Sackeville DRM schedule on a web page and vaguely remembered a some
transmissions not on 9800 kHz.

But then, of course, I can't find that printout in my file of random
shortwave schedules. (Since I can't get DRM, I probably recycled that
page as a grocery list).

(did, dig, dig) http://www.rcinet.ca/english/schedule/

It doesn't show up there now. The non-Canadian programs in the DRM
schedule now only have the Vatican one on 9800, and a couple of other
transmissions (from China and "Top of [something]").

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)