ARLA/CLUSTER: R.Nova Zelândia Intl., DRM.

[Carlos L.R. de A.Gonçalves]

A propósito da "maravilha" da DRM, talvez fosse curioso notar os
comentários ss. surgidos neste boletim DX do www.wwdxc.de, que
reproduzo parcialmente e apenas no que toca à Nª Zelândia e à
R.NZi em particular.

73.
Carlos Gonçalves.
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"BC-DX 78, 24 Nov 2006

NEW ZEALAND   9890 and 7145  RNZI in DRM. Today R NZi on 7145 kHz I
decoded for the first time not only the station ID on 5-6 dB SNR, but now
at 1320 UT at peaks up to 17 dB signal to noise ratio - also listen the
clear audio of their program. In 1100-1300 UT range noted Rangitaiki on
9890 kHz in DRM mode, but with lot of dropout breaks in between, today Nov
21. 9890 signals only decoded in 'above' 11-14 dB SNR range.
An OM in Innsbruck Austria, Keith Gruenberger told about RNZI DRM on 9890
kHz since 0930 UT with SNR 23 dB!
R NZi uses one day 9870, but 9890 on the other day. Strange.
(wb, wwdxc BC-DX Nov 21)

DRM R NZi 7145 / 9890 kHz.
I wonder if reception is actually about to crash. I often have noticed
extremely good reception one day followed by terrible reception the next.
I wonder if this is the case with your DRM reception?

Certainly strong signal strength is required to decode DRM. When I was in
Cairns, North Queensland a few months ago I listened to RNZI DRM there and
in spite of the generally strong signal being received, there were still
dropouts in the audio during fades. So I can't really see that DRM will be
the saviour of shortwave, because of that. At least with analogue there is
always something to be heard, even during fades.
I had a bit of trouble trying to hear RNZI in Western Australia a couple
of weeks ago. I guess that is to be expected given that most of the time
the RNZI transmission is beamed due north at 0 degrees and Western
Australia is something like 250 begrees in a line from N.Z. and is about
7,000 km away.

I couldn't hear anything at all during daylight on 15720 or 17675 kHz. At
night I could hear 9890, 13840 & 5950 kHz, but not very well. I aways like
to keep up with News from N.Z. via RNZI when I am overseas, but it was
hard to in W.A. Almost no N.Z. is ever reported in Australia, apart from a
gruesome murder, sport, or some kind of oddball happening!
(Barry Hartley-NZL, wwdxc BC-DX Nov 21)

RNZI DRM missing again, no trace of it on 7145 kHz Nov 18 at 1431 UT. Are
any Pacific relayers actually relying on this as their feed source? Both
DRM on 9890 and AM on 9870 were coming in well earlier around 0630 UT.
(Glenn Hauser-OK-USA, dxld Nov 18)

I'm bemused that RNZ is using DRM. From its own website the target
audience is our Pacific neighbours to the north. Even the most wealthy of
those, Fiji has a homeless population of 95,000. The question needs to be
asked - who in that potential audience has DRM reception capability? And
clearly the service, as you have indicated is unreliable.
(Adrian Verry-NZL, dxld Nov 21)

O, RNZI say that DRM is mainly for affiliates relaying their signal,
somehow an improvement over satellite links (dishes get jostled and blown
out of alignment, stations don't now how to get RNZI back, etc.), with
analog, while it lasts, still for the general public (gh).

Oh, I see. A pity they take up so much bandwidth to achieve that. As it is
almost a commercial operation perhaps they would be better using an out of
band frequency. Most of our BCB networks have no problems with satellites.
(Adrian Verry-NZL, ibid.)

Again Nov 20 at 1411 could not detect any DRM on 7145 kHz; indeed, there
was a very weak analog carrier from something on 7145 kHz, perhaps FEBA
Tashkent per HFCC, plus Arabic on 7140, probably BBC Cyprus. Meanwhile,
RNZI analog 5950 kHz was audible.
(Glenn Hauser-OK-USA, dxld Nov 20)

5950  R. NZi, Rangitaiki, at 1504-1545 UT on 16 Nov, English, Pacific Reg.
news, Dateline Pacific prgr; 23442, adjt. QRM.

9870  R. NZi, Rangitaiki, 1035-1058*, 11 Nov, 55433.

13840  R. NZi, Rangitaiki, at /1059-... UT on 11 Nov, IS, TS, English,
news, National R. prgrs; 55544.
(Carlos Goncalves-POR, wwdxc BC-DX Nov 23)"
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