and announces this through the transmit signal itself:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Mr86vo8UU
Another recording in the quality as transmit:http://www.hochstrasse.ch/forum/drm_langenberg_1593khz_2011-12-24.wav
This comes to no surprise, as already months ago the program audio was no longer Kiraka but this looped announcement that hammered the message into the non-existant listeners by saying "if you hear us please keep in touch with us":http://web.me.com/nils.schiffhauer/Website/Monitoring/Eintr%C3%A4ge/2011/12/3_Audio_Clips_-_Medium_Wave_(&_Longwave)_files/1593%20WDR_DRM%200630.mp3
Here is a photo of the Transradio TRAM transmitter system for 720 and 1593 kHz, installed in 2006:http://www.deutsches-drm-forum.de/Anlage-Langenberg.jpg
More pictures of the Langenberg site are here, the latter one page also featuring the former mediumwave gear and the analogue VHF TV transmitter that has in 2007 been shut down in the most possible shabby way (out of the ongoing program, they not even managed to bid a farewell in the simple way of putting their test card on air for a last time):http://www.verstaerkeramt.eu/html/sender_langenberg_2011.html
http://www.velberteransichten.de/sender.htm
The former gear, replaced by the TRAM system in 2006, consisted in the case of 720 kHz of a 200 kW transmitter, delivered by Siemens in 1978 to put this frequency on air at Langenberg for the first time. In the case of 1593 kHz it were two 600 kW Telefunken transmitters from 1966, used as a pair to produce an output of up to 800 kW. They had to be shut down at yearend 1993 because as of 1994 it was no longer permissible in Germany to continue the operation of equipment with condensers that contained more than one litre of PCB each, and upgrading the old beasts was out of question.
Back then WDR decided to keep 720 kHz because 1593 kHz provided a marvellous skywave service but a measly groundwave coverage of just 80 km when being run at 800 kW, just too little bang for too much money. WDR arranged with the USA to leave 1593 to the Holzkirchen transmitter, allowing WDR to use the former daytime-only frequency 720 around the clock. After this the Holzkirchen transmitter has been used on 1593 with a single ND mast for Balkans services, for which it was not so terribly good, resulting in its final closure in April 2001, freeing up 1593 for WDR again.
As a reminder, since it has been announced already a year ago: On New Year's Eve all analogue mediumwave transmitters of Südwestrundfunk will be shut down as well. Their DRM on 711 kHz ceased already in last July. What will be left as of New Year's Day in this regard in Germany are only the 855 kHz signal from Berlin-Britz plus the three hour token at night on 177 kHz, left there when the conversion of this frequency, made for IFA 2005 and loudmouthly announced there ("they received listeners calls that the transmitter would be broken, since it transmits only white noise anymore, hahaha, it's so funny") had been reversed after a few months. (Kai Ludwig via dxld ml)
Another recording in the quality as transmit:http://www.hochstrasse.ch/forum/drm_langenberg_1593khz_2011-12-24.wav
This comes to no surprise, as already months ago the program audio was no longer Kiraka but this looped announcement that hammered the message into the non-existant listeners by saying "if you hear us please keep in touch with us":http://web.me.com/nils.schiffhauer/Website/Monitoring/Eintr%C3%A4ge/2011/12/3_Audio_Clips_-_Medium_Wave_(&_Longwave)_files/1593%20WDR_DRM%200630.mp3
Here is a photo of the Transradio TRAM transmitter system for 720 and 1593 kHz, installed in 2006:http://www.deutsches-drm-forum.de/Anlage-Langenberg.jpg
More pictures of the Langenberg site are here, the latter one page also featuring the former mediumwave gear and the analogue VHF TV transmitter that has in 2007 been shut down in the most possible shabby way (out of the ongoing program, they not even managed to bid a farewell in the simple way of putting their test card on air for a last time):http://www.verstaerkeramt.eu/html/sender_langenberg_2011.html
http://www.velberteransichten.de/sender.htm
The former gear, replaced by the TRAM system in 2006, consisted in the case of 720 kHz of a 200 kW transmitter, delivered by Siemens in 1978 to put this frequency on air at Langenberg for the first time. In the case of 1593 kHz it were two 600 kW Telefunken transmitters from 1966, used as a pair to produce an output of up to 800 kW. They had to be shut down at yearend 1993 because as of 1994 it was no longer permissible in Germany to continue the operation of equipment with condensers that contained more than one litre of PCB each, and upgrading the old beasts was out of question.
Back then WDR decided to keep 720 kHz because 1593 kHz provided a marvellous skywave service but a measly groundwave coverage of just 80 km when being run at 800 kW, just too little bang for too much money. WDR arranged with the USA to leave 1593 to the Holzkirchen transmitter, allowing WDR to use the former daytime-only frequency 720 around the clock. After this the Holzkirchen transmitter has been used on 1593 with a single ND mast for Balkans services, for which it was not so terribly good, resulting in its final closure in April 2001, freeing up 1593 for WDR again.
As a reminder, since it has been announced already a year ago: On New Year's Eve all analogue mediumwave transmitters of Südwestrundfunk will be shut down as well. Their DRM on 711 kHz ceased already in last July. What will be left as of New Year's Day in this regard in Germany are only the 855 kHz signal from Berlin-Britz plus the three hour token at night on 177 kHz, left there when the conversion of this frequency, made for IFA 2005 and loudmouthly announced there ("they received listeners calls that the transmitter would be broken, since it transmits only white noise anymore, hahaha, it's so funny") had been reversed after a few months. (Kai Ludwig via dxld ml)