DigiDX not allowed to broadcast digital modes from Germany (Nauen) anymore.

[flexoman61]

DigiDX will continue to broadcast from WRMI.

Received this email from Kim Elliot of VOA Radiogram:

Hello friends,


New this weekend is the elimination of the digital text modes from shortwave transmitters in Germany.

The German regulator Bundesnetzagentur has ruled that the digital modes are not allowed in the broadcast bands. Because of this, there will be no MFSK32 on The Mighty KBC this weekend, because it uses a transmitter in Nauen, Germany.  And, for the time being, there will be no DigiDX MFSK broadcasts on Channel 292, 6070 kHz, and Radio 700, 3985 kHz.


Listeners in Germany might want to note these arguments for the digital modes on the shortwave broadcast bands: 1) It is broadcasting, not point-to-point communication. 2) It can be received on any shortwave radio, even inexpensive portables with no SSB capability. (Software is required to decode the text and images, but this can be included in future shortwave radios.) 3) DRM is legal on the shortwave broadcast bands, and DRM can transmit text and images.  4) Text and images via analog radio requires less spectrum (bandwidth) than DRM. 5) Text and images via analog radio are a useful new application for underutilized shortwave transmitters and frequencies. 6) Text and images via analog radio extend the range of a shortwave transmitter, resulting in accurate content in conditions where voice transmissions may be unintelligible. 7) Digital modes via shortwave can be a useful alternative when the Internet is not available due to disasters or to net censorship by dictators.

Also from DigiDX on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/digidx/

[flexoman61]

DigiDX is back on Nauen, Germany transmitter.

From Stephen Cooper at DigiDX:
The good news is that Germany has allowed transmissions again as long as they are "Analogue MFSK32 via AM/A3" which they were anyway so DigiDX will be back on 6070 tonight at 2000UTC.