DRM / DAB

Czech Republic

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Czech transmission services company České Radiokomunikace (CRA) is testing the DRM medium-wave digital radio system on 954 kHz.

According to a tweet from Marcel Prochazka, director of legal and regulatory affairs for CRA, the transmissions are originating from České Budějovice in South Bohemia and operating at a power of 3.16 kW from a 107-meter HAAT antenna.

CRA stated in a Czech-language press release that the test is designed to verify the possibility of using its existing analog transmitters for digital radio broadcasting. It hopes to verify various modulation parameters along with day and night coverage, usable network capacity and immunity to interference.

CRA Spokesperson Anna Tůmová said the primary goal of the test is “to verify the compatibility of our existing AM mid-wave transmitters with DRM. We will evaluate the test results in 2023.”

Although the DRM Consortium is not involved in the Czech trial, Ruxandra Obreja, chair of the consortium, welcomed it. “We are very pleased to see this new digital medium-wave test in the Czech Republic and its thoroughness … We are confident that this test will confirm the good DRM performance as recorded daily in India on their 35 plus transmitters and elsewhere.”

Obreja also noted the potential value of upgrading CRA’s analog equipment to support digital radio. “The fact that the analog transmitter used in České Budějovice can be upgraded to DRM is a bonus and will give confidence to those who want to go digital for wider coverage without replacing everything and investing vast sums of money, especially in the current climate. … We are looking forward to the Czech test results due out in 2023.”

Public-service broadcaster Český Rozhlas is cooperating with CRA in the tests, which are broadcasting ČRo’s news station Radiožurnál. ČRo has steadily decreased its use of AM broadcasting in recent years in favor of FM and DAB+.

Although CRA does not have current plans for ongoing DRM transmissions, Tůmová said “We are discussing further use of DRM with potential customers.”
Radio World, by T Carter Ross, July 20, 2022
https://www.radioworld.com/global/cra-runs-drm-digital-am-trial-in-czechia

Mike Terry to mwcircle iog (2022-07-25)

Czech Republic

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Czech TV and radio transmission operator CRA announced plans to test digital radio broadcasting in the DRM standard. The experimental DRM digital radio broadcast will serve to verify the possibility of using existing analog transmitters for digital broadcasting. The pilot broadcast will start in the next few days from the medium wave transmitter in the city of Ceske Budejovice.

The radio station CRo Radiozurnal will be broadcast via digital broadcasting over the DRM standard.
The pilot broadcast will start in the next few days from the medium wave transmitter in the city of Ceske Budejovice. [954 kHz / Ed]
https://www.telecompaper.com/news/cra-to-test-drm-radio-broadcasting–1430964 (July 13rd)

Ydun Ritz (2022-07-14)

Australia

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On Wednesday 29 June 2022 the ABC and the Australian network operator BAI hosted a demonstration of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) on both AM and FM in Wangaratta, a location in the state of Victoria.

The demonstration was the culmination of almost two years of COVID impacted work to assess the performance of the DRM services on VHF and MF bands.

Senior representatives from the public, commercial and community stations, the regulator and interested parties including the ABC, SBS, CBAA, ARN, ACMA, TAB and ACE Radio, travelled to the regional sites to see the facility and more importantly to experience the audio quality available through the DRM signals on both the MF (AM) band from Wangaratta MF and the VHF (FM) band from Mt Baranduda.

The attendees visited the MF site at Wangaratta where a simulcast of the AM and DRM services was operating and were able to see the transmission equipment.

At the local Rovers Football club carpark, two vehicles were set up with receivers for stationary listening and demonstrations of the emergency warning capabilities to “wake-up” the radios.

The third part of the demonstration was drive tests for the attendees to demonstrate the audio quality on the move and the ability to switch between AM, FM and the two DRM signals.

Feedback from the attendees was universally positive.

Read more at: https://radioinfo.com.au/news/australia-successfully-tests-drm-in-am-fm/ © RadioInfo Australia

Radioinfo.com 13 July 2022 via Mike Terry to WOR iog (2022-07-13)

DRM test

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DRM Test 954 kHz.
ELSYSCOM is the transmitter manufacturer, so obviously they use the factory settings of the transmitter. The DRM test is coming from Ceske Budejovice, the transmitted programme is Cesky Rozhlas Radiozurnal.

Patrick Robic (2022-07-10)

DRM test

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Re. DRM test on 954 (https://mediumwave.info/2022/07/06/drm-test/)

I logged the DRM test on 954 yesterday evening. Screen shot enclosed. Due to local interference and the presence of an AM carrier on the frequency no sound was decoded. However ID was given.
There is an ID No. at the bottom right corner. Also the operator Elsyscom is given with large letters.

Slovakia starts with the digit 5. I didn’t receive any audio as AM and DRM doesn’t work well on the same band. An AM carrier and local noise prevented me from hearing any audio.

Karl-Erik Stridh (2022-07-09)


Czech Republic

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DRM noise could be heard this morning on 954kHz.
Transmitter: Ceske Budejovice / Husova Kolonie, Czechia.
Power: 3kW
Jun22, 2022 – 0810 UTC
Testing, off at 0825 ………
Planned since February 2022

Karel Honzik, CZE to mwcircle iog (2022-06-22)