NASB NEWSLETTER
May 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
NASB/DRM USA Annual Meetings
News from NASB Membership
DRM Consortium News
Miscellaneous Shortwave News
NASB/DRM USA ANNUAL MEETINGS
NASB/DRM USA ANNUAL MEETING REPORT
by David Creel, Far East Broadcasting Company
DRM USA ANNUAL MEETING – MAY 7
John Stanley reported on the conversion of three Continental transmitters on Saipan to DRM. They used an exciter designed and built by HCJB with help from Tim Mason. They had to make numerous adjustments in order for everything to work properly. After making these adjustments, they were able to achieve a signal to noise ratio of 40 dB. They moved the screen power supplies out of unit 2 (utility cabinet) into unit 4 (the power enclosure) as recommended by Continental Electronics. All three screen supplies were moved, but only 2 transmitters were completely modified to operate in DRM mode. They also modified the low-pass filters. Modification of the audio cards was required. They couldn’t quite meet the required spectral mask. They broadcast only 20 kw on air; 50 kw into the dummy load. The broadcasts occurred just prior to regular hours; replies were heard from listeners in Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Russia. They operated in both 5 kHz mode (met required spectral mask) and 10 kHz mode (did not meet required spectral mask). The 5 kHz mode was done primarily to avoid interference. The transmitters were reliable and stable; the exciter worked well and was reliable. Listeners were limited in number, but were excited. Reception was good, especially in Japan. The Saipan station is now ready for special event broadcasts.
Adil Mina, VP of Continental Electronics, gave a DRM report. His PowerPoint presentation is available upon request. In general, transmitter manufacturers are ready for DRM transmissions and have been for 10 years. The problem is in getting receivers to market. We are now seeing a breakthrough: India and Russia have both decided to go with DRM as their mandated digital standard. India will use DRM for both AM medium-wave broadcasts and for high frequency shortwave broadcasts. They will replace all analog transmission equipment within a couple of years. China is still interested in DRM, but India and Russia will be the countries which will actively pursue/push DRM. As a result, it is hoped that many companies will produce inexpensive receivers for that market. DRM+ is being tested. This is an enhanced system which will allow simulcasting on frequencies above 30 MHz (such as the FM broadcast band). This will provide an alternative to the proprietary and expensive Ibiquity HD Radio (IBOC) system which has been adopted by the United States. Adil next reported on DRM receivers. He expressed the need for inexpensive, simple radios. He wants to see a simple receiver with on/off/tuning only – very basic and inexpensive. Adil wants to propose an NASB recommendation for industry to come up with a basic affordable receiver. He guesses that only 5,000 receivers have been bought thus far because they are too expensive. He brought a UniWave receiver with him for display, but in his opinion, it is too complex and will probably be too expensive. (The radio has not yet received FCC approval and has not yet been officially released for sale, so the price is unknown.) Ibiquity’s HD/IBOC system has not “locked up” areas outside of North America, so DRM and DRM+ may become the standard in other parts of the world. Simulcasting is possible, but is not usually done on shortwave due to transmitter and bandwidth limitations. (The shortwave broadcast spectrum is quite limited with lots of stations, so regulatory bodies such as the ITU have mandated fairly narrow bandwidth allocations.)
Mel Whitten gave a report entitled “WinDRM: Amateur Radio’s DRM Evolution.” His amateur radio call sign is K0PFX, and he can be reached at . He reported on three versions of DRM which have been successfully used by ham radio operators: HamDream, WinDRM, and DRMDV.
Gary Barbour of Ten-Tec next gave a presentation. Ten-Tec was founded by Al Kahn (K4FW 1906-2005) and is located in Sevierville, Tennessee. The company is now over 40 years old. They manufacture communications products such as transceivers, receivers, amplifiers, tuners, accessories, enclosures, transmitter kits, etc. They are also involved in tool & die casting – primarily plastics for their own use, for the automotive industry, etc. Each year, they sponsor a “Homecoming Hamfest” with a large flea market at the end of September. Plant tours are also available.
John Wineman of the HCJB Global Technology Center gave an update on the DRM diversity receiver which they are developing for use as an STL. They are working with Le Tourneau University students on this project. The timeline for the project: 2007 – 2008 Project Definition & Sub-system Development and Testing, 2008-2009 Receiver Integration, 2009-2010 Diversity Implementation. The RF Range will be from 0.2 – 26.5 MHz. Typical use would be for tropical distribution (3-6 MHz) of programming to local FM stations. See for further details on this project.
A Q&A session was held with NASB Attorney Edward Bailey. Presently, the NASB board of directors consists of 3 – 6 members. However, the bylaws can be changed with a simple majority vote. There has been some discussion about adding a seventh member. Voting members elect the board, and the board elects the officers. NASB is a non-profit corporation, but would not qualify as a 5013c which can receive charitable contributions. It is a trade organization (and thus tax exempt), but it is not able to receive tax exempt contributions. Typically, expenses like travel to the meetings can be deducted as a business expense.
Hanson Professional Services, Inc. next gave a presentation. They are an engineering and architectural firm which specializes in the design and construction of radio and television facilities. They have a contract with the US International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) for design, maintenance, and repair of broadcast facilities. They have also been involved in the following broadcast projects: IBB Kuwait; IBB Tinian (with power plant); Sao Tome; Adventist World Radio (AWR) in Argenta, Italy (never built); Djibouti MW; IBB Bangkok, Thailand; Greece; Algeria; IBB MW and TV in Afghanistan; KGTF DTV (Channel 12 PBS) Guam; Univision in NY; and a TV tower for NYC (shelved). They are now planning a mast for the top of the new World Trade Center building which will be owned and operated by the Metropolitan Television Alliance. But, this project will probably not be completed until the middle of the next decade.
After lunch, we had a tour of downtown Nashville, a tour of WWCR, and a tour of World Christian Broadcasting’s studio site which provides programming for KNLS in Alaska and for the soon-to-open station in Madagascar.
NASB ANNUAL MEETING – MAY 8
“The State of SW Listening and Broadcasting in Europe” was presented by Michael Murray, former Secretary General of the European DX Council. First, a historical perspective was given. Originally, shortwave radio was the only source of news in Europe. There were no 24 hour news channels. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Union, BBC and others began to cut back on SW in favor of using the Internet. Shortwave is still needed when travelling since it is more convenient to carry a small shortwave set than it is to carry a laptop computer. There are still a number of stations broadcasting in English from around the world, but not from Europe. There are now more choices of what to see and hear. DX Clubs in Europe are slowly decreasing in numbers.
Adrian Peterson, a representative from AWR, next spoke. They have formed a partnership with Radio Miami International for their “Wavescan” DX program. Radio New Zealand International and Radio Australia are now using DRM as a STL to dedicated receivers for re-broadcasting live on FM in many South Pacific islands. AWR gets reception reports in their Indianapolis office from many countries in Europe. They have recently seen an increase in listener responses from South America. BBC closed out its English services to North America. Radio Deutsche Welle from Germany has reduced services. Broadcasters in Europe seem to be favoring the newer services such as the Internet, iPods, cable TV, etc. His opinion is that these decisions are based more on economic limitations rather than listener preferences. There is still a lot of analog shortwave broadcasting being done – especially from the US. There are two major areas where shortwave broadcasts are still making a significant impact: troubled areas (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) and countries which are developing and using shortwave to reach their own people (Burma, Africa, Latin America, etc.). Listeners are typically young professionals, married, financially viable, and living in country (rural) areas. Shortwave is still viable for a long period of time. Europe’s use of shortwave is diminishing (some prematurely), but these decisions have been primarily based on economics. Some of the European stations are now being used as relay stations for others including gospel broadcasters. BBC, AWR, and others are doing shortwave surveys. There is still quite a potential audience in China. Listenership is harder to determine in Africa, etc.
“Sports on Shortwave” was presented by Bruce Baskin who produces the program “World Baseball Today” on WRMI. He observed that many listeners find it exotic and exciting to hear sports from far-away locations. Many listeners enjoy hearing broadcasts of baseball, cricket, etc.
Don Messer gave a report on “Tests of Digital Radio Broadcasting (DRM) to Cover Alaska.” The goal is to see if all of Alaska can receive DRM shortwave broadcasts throughout the state at anytime and any day. They had to get an FCC experimental license to conduct these tests. Some of the questions that had to be addressed included: What frequency bands should be used? How much power will be needed? The tests are being done in central Alaska. They are using 10 to 20 kHz channels with various error correction and constellation options. They are putting in place a receiver network of around 18 sites. Then, they will conduct field tests. They plan to report the results to the FCC after a 2 year interval. Three 100kW transmitters are being used. The technical specifications: DRM at 10 or 20 kHz wide; 4, 16 & 64 QAM; Coding rate of 0.5 & 0.6 (50% voice or 60% voice), 3 crossed half-wave length dipole antennas (5, 7, and 9 MHz). The key is using ionospheric propagation. DRM for long range has been effectively tested and is working well. Here, however, using high latitude (near vertical incidence) “bounce back” propagation will require careful experimentation. Modeling shows success up to 10 MHz, but it will require “real world” testing. Power levels of 10 kW to 100 kW will be used in the tests. They can probably use 3 antennas below 10 MHz. Testing should begin by the end of the year. Up to 4 speech programs can be used in a 20 kHz channel, full stereo in a 20 kHz channel, or quasi-stereo in a 10 kHz channel. The FCC does not permit broadcasting via shortwave from the US to the US. In order to conduct regular broadcasts, this policy would have to be modified, or an exception would have to be granted.
Allan McGuirl, Jr. of Galcom International made a presentation on solar powered pre-tuned receivers with emphasis on the shortwave model. He also discussed Galcom’s soon-to-be released Cornerstone FM transmitter and Galcom’s involvement in radio station installations around the world. He also discussed Galcom’s development of a new generation of receivers which will include an MP3 player and possibly DRM capability.
Charlie Jacobson discussed the status of HCJB’s operations in Ecuador. Due to the construction of a new airport and due to financial considerations, HCJB’s shortwave ministry has been downsizing. This process is now in its final phase. By April 1, 2010, all transmitters at the Pifo transmission site will be shut down. They will maintain 49 meter broadcasts to reach the Andean area and the headwaters of the Amazon River Basin. This would be done from their high-power AM site. The number of antennas at Pifo has declined from a total of 31 to 8 at the present time. The site will eventually be closed entirely. At its peak, it had 12 transmitters and 31 antennas. Items for sale (mostly vacuum capacitors) can be viewed at They have 3 – 100 kW HC-100 transmitters. One will stay in Ecuador for regional coverage as previously mentioned, but the other two will be refurbished and moved to other locations. All other transmitters will be dismantled and scrapped. One of these is a 50 kW unit. One 500 kW transmitter could be updated with a solid state modulator and used as a 250 kW transmitter. Other equipment currently available includes an antenna switch matrix rated at 500 kW (4 inputs/10 outputs). An antenna matrix rated at 100 kW (8 inputs/20 outputs) will be available at a later date.
Recent events surrounding Madagascar World Voice (the African shortwave project of World Christian Broadcasting) were next discussed by Charles Caudill. Madagascar had a rather violent coup d'etat recently. WCB was good friends with the former president. WCB began hearing of problems in December 2008 through the ambassador. On January 27th, they found that the rioting had escalated and that their warehouse was attacked at random and destroyed. The loss is estimated to be between $50,000 and $100,000. They got a roadblock to protect the actual building site. The US Embassy advised that their staff leave the country. They hid equipment and then evacuated the American staff. They left an 11 man security force in-place. An army commander then offered to provide protection as long as WCB would provide food. Work continues at the site; great progress is being made. They had to reschedule some of the work – especially the electrical work due to the theft of wire. What about the state of the country? The new president is in power and is being supported by the communists who were formerly in power. Things are in a mess. Tax and customs revenues are down. Education is in a mess. Government funds will probably start running empty by the end of this month. The former president is planning to return with support from other countries. Everyone is hoping for a peaceful return rather than a civil war. WCB is trying to keep a low profile and keep doing its business in the meantime. The population in Madagascar is 50% Christian, 45% tribal, and 5% Muslim. The new president has no religious affiliation; the old president was Presbyterian.
Tom King of Kintronic Labs in Bristol, Tennessee made a presentation about his company which has been in business since 1949. They are an AM/MW antenna system supplier. Their products include antennas, transmitter combiners, test loads, tuning units, transmission lines, matching networks, tuning stubs, multiplexers, etc. They manufacture half-wave & full-wave dipoles, rhombic antennas, baluns, tunable baluns, open wire transmission lines, etc. They are responsible for the WRMI Corner Cube Reflector design, the ED Media Rhombic Antenna, and the Kinstar low-profile AM antenna. They also installed the antenna system for KICY-AM in Nome, Alaska. This is a three tower 50 kW directional array operating on 850 kHz with a special ground system designed for permafrost conditions. The ground system is installed on the surface rather than “below ground” as would be installed elsewhere. They also designed the antenna system for HLAZ, FEBC high-power AM medium-wave station in Cheju, Korea. It is a 6 tower directional array operating at 250 kW on 1566 kHz. There are three workable patterns.
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Sports on Shortwave
Text of presentation by Bruce Baskin at the 2009 NASB Annual Meeting
My name is Bruce Baskin, and I produce a weekly 15-minute program called “World Baseball Today,”which is heard three times a week on Radio Miami International. “World Baseball Today” covers not only the Major Leagues, but also baseball in Latin America, Asia and Europe…wherever the game is played. I’ve covered the World Series, the World Cup, the Caribbean Series, the World Baseball Classic, the Asia Series, the Japan Series, the Korea Series, the Taiwan Series, the European Cup, and just about any kind of international baseball tournament there is. I’m considering covering the College World Series in Omaha this month, although I usually try to keep the program’s focus within professional baseball.
Sports have been a part of world band radio broadcasting for decades. Whether it’s been a cricket match broadcast on a shortwave station in India, American sporting event carried on the Armed Forces Radio Network or a sports update during a national newscast from Australia, sports and world band radio have been connected for decades. I am not aware that there is any current sports presence on shortwave radio in the United States, which in part motivated my decision to fill some of that void.
I started in radio on a 10-watt high school station as a 16-year-old in 1976, and have been a disc jockey, a newscaster, a commercial writer and producer, and a sportscaster over the three decades since. As someone who had wanted to be a radio announcer since early in grade school, I’ve been fortunate to earn a paycheck at a job I’ve always dreamed of having, although radio has been a lot different than I’d imagined it would be.