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DRM™ - Digital Radio Mondiale - Reception in New Zealand
This page documents some of the experimenting I have being doing
with reception of digital shortwave broadcasts from my home in
Wellington, New Zealand and my holiday cottage in Marahau, Tasman Bay, New Zealand. To date I have been able to receive
broadcasts from transmitters located in the
Netherlands Antilles, Canada, Portugal,
the UK, Luxembourg, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Thailand,
The Netherlands,
Germany, Russia, China, France, Sweden, Norway, Chile, Austria, Spain, New
Zealand, Australia, India, Ecuador, Bulgaria & Romania.
About DRM™
Digital
Radio Mondiale,
DRM™ for short, is a method of broadcasting on AM radio
using digital signals
rather than analogue - it's like listening to an audio stream on
the Internet, but broadcast on medium or shortwave radio rather
than via the net.
In addition to potentially crystal-clear reception, DRM™ signals
can also carry multimedia information in addition to the
audio signal, or to carry multiple program streams on one signal:
Screen capture of multi-media DRM broadcast
(courtesy
Michael Dressen,
Germany)
Screen capture of DRM broadcast from DW Sines using multiple streams to carry news in four different languages
DRM™ can also send web pages via shortwave:
VT Merlin test website broadcast images
(courtesy Richard Beales, UK)
Amateur radio operators are also using DRM™:
Screen capture of ham radio DRM test broadcast on
3605 kHz
(courtesy Carsten Knütter in Germany)
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Screen capture
of 1st HamDream intercontinental QSO
PY4BL - HB9TLK 14255 kHz
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More information about ham application of DRM visit the
HamDream
web site.
I have also experimented with transmitting DRM around my house using
the DReaM software, which includes a transmitter option, and a
Jackson Harbor LF to HF Converter
module which converts the sound card
IF output up to the HF range. This has a range of only a couple
of meters, but I have been able to transmit data and audio from
my own LPFM radio station, WorldFM
around the house. You can see some screen shots
of weather station data being broadcast here.
You can learn more about DRM™ at these web sites:
The DRM logo is a trade mark of Digital Radio Mondiale
Association and is used under license. DRM logo ©DRM Association
1998
My Receiving Setup
I am listening from Tawa, a suburb of Wellington, the capital
city of New Zealand. It's a residential area with houses filled
with TVs, computers and other noise-generating
electronics. My house is no exception!
The receiver I am using is a Yaesu FRG-100/DRM supplied by
SAT-Service Schneider
in Germany. You can see the range of DRM™ products that they
offer on this web page: SAT-Service
Schneider DRM page. The FRG-100/DRM is fitted with
a 12 kHz IF output and has bandwidth filter changes to
receive DRM™ broadcasts. In my receiver I've had the wide
AM filter bank used for DRM™ - this results in AM Wide
being *really* wide when used for normal AM transmissions.
In December 2004 I also purchased a
Digital World Traveller
receiver from Coding Technologies.
This is a small MW/SW/FM &
DRM receiver that is designed for connection to a laptop or
PC via USB.
In March 2007 I purchased a Morphy Richards DigitalRadio 27024, primarily
for monitoring DAB test transmissions, but it also receives DRM quite
well. I wrote a review of this radio for the April 2007 issue of the
New Zealand DX Times magazine.
Thanks to RNZI, I have also had the use of a loaned SAT-Service Schneider
DRT1 receiver, and a UniWave Di-Wave 100 receiver.
Additions to my DRM-capable receiver collection now include the CDNSE Newstar DR111 stand-alone
consumer-grade receiver and the Elad FDM-S1 SDR.
Recently (2010-2013+) most of my DRM monitoring has been done from my holiday cottage at Marahau, Tasman Bay,
using an un-modified AOR AR-7030, using the standard IF-out connector to feed into my computer.
Yaesu FRG-100/DRM
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UniWave Di-Wave 100
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 i
Morphy Richards 27024
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Digital World Traveller
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Elad FDM-S1
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DRT1
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My own DX setup
My antenna is a 30 metre wire in the garden. This feeds
my receiver through a JPS (now Timewave) ANC-4
noise
reduction unit to help cut down some of the local
noise from my PC (though it appears to make little,
if any, difference
to DRM reception quality).
I have also fitted
SAT-Service Schneider DRM IF modules to my AOR AR-7030
and McKay Dymek DR33C receivers. Both perform well, but
overall I find I use the Yaesu most.
SAT-Service Schneider DRM Mixer
I'm running the Dream and "DRM
Software Radio" programs on a quad-core
Intel i7 computer running 64-bit Windows 7
to decode and listen to the broadcasts.
"DRM Software Radio" Main Screen
Schedules
Current DRM Transmission Schedule
Recent Reception Results
| Here are some examples of what I have been able
to receive in Tawa, Wellington, and more recently in Marahau, Tasman Bay, New Zealand. |
Feed of latest logs:
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| DRM™ Reception at
Tawa, Wellington, and Marahau, Tasman Bay,
New
Zealand |
Date
(year/month/day) |
Time
UTC |
Frequency
kHz |
Broadcast Details |
Screen/Graph |
Audio
(ogg) |
Solar Indices
SF/SN/A/K |
Log File |
| 2013/05/15 |
08:58 |
15585 |
REE Spain, mixed reception. 17.46k EEP AAC+ stereo in Spanish.
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147/142/8/1 |
view
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| 2013/05/15 |
04:32 |
17715 |
All India Radio, Hindi Service to East Africa. 20.88k AAC+ mono, far too
weak for any decoding.
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147/142/8/1 |
view
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| 2013/05/15 |
04:00 |
21540 |
Radio Romania International, Tiganesti SNR E2 transmitter, Chinese service, too
poor for any decoding.
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147/142/8/1 |
view
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| 2013/05/12 |
04:04 |
17715 |
All India Radio, Hindi Service to East Africa. 20.88k AAC+ mono, far too
weak for any decoding.
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135/145/4/2 |
view
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| 2013/05/12 |
03:00 |
15340 |
Radio Romania International in English to Asia from Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
20.96k EEP AAC+ mono audio. Only fair reception today.
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135/145/4/2 |
view
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| 2013/05/11 |
03:00 |
15340 |
Radio Romania International in English to Asia from Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
20.96k EEP AAC+ mono audio. Very good reception.
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124/149/5/0 |
view
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| 2013/05/10 |
09:14 |
15585 |
REE Spain, good signal at first. 17.46k EEP AAC+ stereo in Spanish.
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128/154/5/1 |
view
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| 2013/05/10 |
03:00 |
15340 |
Radio Romania International in English to Asia from Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
20.96k EEP AAC+ mono audio. Mixed reception.
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128/112/5/1 |
view
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| 2013/05/07 |
09:00 |
15585 |
REE Spain, excellent signal for the first hour. 17.46k EEP AAC+ stereo in Spanish.
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130/122/8/3 |
view
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| 2013/05/04 |
03:35 |
15340 |
Radio Romania International in English to Asia from Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
20.96k EEP AAC+ mono audio.
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146/150/6/1 |
view
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| 2013/03/17 |
06:29 |
15896 |
bit eXpress - 100W German student station. Faint signal, but label decoded.
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view
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| 2013/03/16 |
09:19 |
5960 |
Bureau of Meteorology, Australia. Data-only DRM data transmission from
Broadmeadows in Victoria. 1kW transmitter, with NVIS antenna system makes
this nearly undetectable here, though pops up a bit some days. Appears
to carry two dataservices, a Journaline service plus a website broadcast.
Advice from across the Tasman says they are actually sending live seismic
reports and data.
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view
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| 2013/03/06 |
09:10 |
15240 |
KTWR, Agana, Guam. DRM test beamed to Asia. Second day of testing. Audio better,
but signal worse.
14.56k EEP AAC+ mono audio.
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view
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| 2013/03/05 |
09:10 |
15240 |
KTWR, Agana, Guam. DRM test beamed to Asia. Not expected to come in here, but was
received suprisingly well. 14.56k EEP AAC+ mono audio. Some problems with audio
levels apparent. I also was receiving this on my Newstar DR111 and there is a video of this on YouTube.
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view
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| 2013/02/24 |
06:56 |
15896 |
bit eXpress - 100W German student station. Faint signal, but label decoded.
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view
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| 2013/02/21 |
13:00 |
15050 |
All India Radio, Sinhala service, from Khampur transmitter site. 20.88k AAC+ mono audio.
Only fair signal today.
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view
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| 2013/02/21 |
11:06 |
12080 |
Radio Australia, Pacific Islands service from Brandon, Queensland. Only 4-5kW DRM
power, and high bit rate, so more typical non-reception here.
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view
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| 2013/02/09 |
13:28 |
15050 |
All India Radio, Sinhala service, from Khampur transmitter site. 20.88k AAC+ mono audio.
Good audio today, though the music always sounds better than the live announcers.
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view
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| 2013/02/09 |
12:45 |
5995 |
Radio Australia, Pacific Islands service from Brandon, Queensland. Only 4-5kW DRM
power, and high bit rate, so more typical non-reception here.
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view
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| 2013/02/09 |
11:31 |
12080 |
Radio Australia, Pacific Islands service from Brandon, Queensland. Only 4-5kW DRM
power, and high bit rate, so more typical non-reception here.
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view
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| 2013/02/05 |
13:05 |
15050 |
All India Radio, Sinhala service, from Khampur transmitter site. 20.88k AAC+ mono audio.
Badly over-modulated audio.
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view
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| 2013/02/04 |
06:28 |
11635 |
Voice of Russia World Service, RUVR 2A from Taldom site. 13.6k EEP AAC+ mono audio. Excellent signal.
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view
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| 2013/02/02 |
11:04 |
12080 |
Radio Australia, Pacific Islands service from Brandon, Queensland. Only 4-5kW DRM
power, and high bit rate, so more typical non-reception here.
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view
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| 2013/02/02 |
09:00 |
15585 |
REE Spain, excellent signal. 17.46k EEP AAC+ stereo in Spanish.
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view
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| 2013/01/31 |
09:22 |
15235 |
KTWR, Guam, with test transmission to India. 14.56k AAC+ mono audio allowed more decoding here today.
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view
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| 2013/01/30 |
09:22 |
15235 |
KTWR, Guam, with test transmission to India. 17.46k AAC+ mono audio, no real decoding possible.
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view
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| 2013/01/28 |
09:24 |
15585 |
REE Noblejas, Spain. 17.46 AAC+ stereo Spanish service. Fair reception.
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view
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| 2013/01/28 |
06:15 |
11635 |
RUVR 2A The Voice of Russia World Service, 13.6k AAC+ mono English. Good to
start with, but faded quickly.
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view
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| 2013/01/27 |
15:50 |
12115 |
The Disco Palace, via Issoudun, France. 21k EEP AAC+ stereo disco music. An
excellent signal and very good audio quality.
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view
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| 2013/01/27 |
15:30 |
15775 |
Vatican Radio, Asia service in English. 14.06k AAC+ mono audio.
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view
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| 2013/01/27 |
13:00 |
15050 |
All India Radio, Sinhala service. 20.88k AAC+ mono audio. Music sounds
nice, but speech has a bad hum.
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view
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| 2013/01/27 |
10:56 |
11885 |
RTM Malaysia (tentative), just faint traces of DRM.
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view
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| 2012/10/16 |
15:30 |
15775 |
The Disco Palace, via Issoudun, France. Just a few seconds decoded.
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view
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| 2012/08/25 |
05:40 |
11830 |
RUVR 1A The Voice of Russia World Service, 13.6k mono in English.
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view
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| 2012/08/25 |
05:00 |
11830 |
Radio Romania International, Galbeni EM2 transmitter, 21k French service.
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view
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| 2012/08/25 |
03:39 |
15340 |
Radio Romania International, Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
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view
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| 2012/08/23 |
06:00 |
11830 |
RUVR 1A The Voice of Russia World Service, 13.6k mono in English.
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view
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| 2012/08/23 |
05:30 |
11875 |
Radio Romania International, English service, Tiganesti E2 transmitter.
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view
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| 2012/08/23 |
05:00 |
11830 |
Radio Romania International, Galbeni EM2 transmitter.
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view
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| 2012/06/11 |
18:30 |
15120 |
Voice of Nigeria, 100kW, 9.1k AAC mono audio. Heard using my Digital World
Traveller receiver while on holiday in St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly.
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view
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| 2012/04/13 |
12:58 |
15050 |
All India Radio, Nepali Service. 20.88k EEP AAC+ mono audio. I cannot
find my audio recording of this one.
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view
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| 2012/03/22 |
06:14 |
15896 |
bit eXpress, 100W station from Germany. 23.56k EEP AAC+ p/s audio stream,
plus EPG and Journaline. Even some audio decoded this time!
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view
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| 2012/03/14 |
06:33 |
15896 |
bit eXpress, 100W station from Germany. 23.56k EEP AAC+ p/s audio stream,
plus EPG and Journaline. Too weak for any audio decoding.
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view
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| 2012/02/24 |
11:05 |
12080 |
Radio Australia from Brandon, Queensland. 20.46k UEP 12.1% AAC+ mono audio.
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view
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This is what a digital signal sounds like on an
ordinary radio in narrow AM mode. |
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Real |
mp3 |
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Earlier results can be found on these
pages:
Reception in Europe
The BBC has run a DRM trial on mediumwave 855 kHz from BBC Radio Devon
in Plymouth. Thanks go
to Frank G0GSR for providing this
recording of their test loop
Carsten Knütter from
Germany has kindly allowed me to host these recordings of early test
transmissions from RTL, Luxembourg, on 6095 kHz:
RTL_3_209.mp3
(1.220.023 Byte, 20,9kbps)
RTL_5_209.mp3
(862.041 Byte, 20,9kbps)
RTL_6_145.mp3
(991.818 Byte, 14,5kbps)
RTL_6_209.mp3
(1.005.609 Byte, 20,9kbps)
RTL_7_209.mp3
(1.704.020 Byte, 20,9kbps).
RTL_6_247.mp3
(998.713 Byte, 24,7kbps).
stereo_347.mp3
(2.383.621 Byte, 34,7kbps).
Chinese tests to Europe
These brief recordings are from CRI 27.4 kbps stereo tests to Europe, recorded by
listeners in Europe.
easyfm.mp3
cri_274stereo.mp3
If you have any comments about this page, or DRM™ reception,
please feel free to email me.
chris.www@owdjim.gen.nz (or chris@digitalradio.co.nz)
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