ON ALL WAVELENGTHS

Evening Star, Issue 22454, 26 September 1936, Page 4

ON ALL WAVELENGTHS

FROM 4YA NEXT WEEK NEW COMEDIAN APPEARING Monday.—Between 8 and 9 p.m. there will be a relay of the first portion of the Dunedin Royal Male Choir’s concert to be given in the Town Hall, and this will necessitate an alteration in the time usually set apart for Mr J. T. Paul’s talk on ‘ World Affairs ’ This talk will be given at 9.5 instead of at 8.40 Mr Fred Baker, a visiting baritone, will appear later, and at 9.35 a further tale of the Secret Service under the title of ‘ The Pedlar,’ will be presented by K 7 and the Embassy Players. Tuesday.—Following a group of new recordings, Mr Arthur Hemsley, a character comedian and humorous entertainer, who is touring the national stations, will make his first local appearance. Mr Fred Baker will also contribute to the programme. Wednesday.—The comedian already mentioned will again be featured, while at 9.5 Elsie and Doris Waters will be heard in the BjB.C. light entertainment, ‘ Zoo ’Oliday.’ Thursday.—Symphonic works by modern European composers will predominate during the concert session, which will include a talk on ‘ The* King’s Bodyguard ’ by Major F. H. Dampen. Friday.—ln the early part of the concert programme more humour will be provided by Mr Hemsley, and the chamber music that will follow will be in recorded form. Saturday.—The orchestra under the direction of Gil Dech, Mr F. E. Woods (baritone), and Miss Jessie M'Millan (contralto) will provide the bulk of the concert entertainment. GERMAN TELEVISION TWO TRANSMITTERS ORDERED The German Post Office has ordered two new sight-and-sound ultra-short wave television transmitters (according to ‘ World Radio ’). One of these will be installed on the summit pf the Brocken, the highest mountain in Northern Germany. The second is on the summit of the Grosse Feldberg, in the Taunus Mountains, north-west of Frankfort-on-Main. It is hoped to complete the transmitters by next year. “ This announcement shows that the German Post Office is well on the way to the realisation of a television service which will cover the whole country,” the periodical comments. “It will be remembered that a mobile television unit, containing a lOkw ultra-short wave sight-and-sound transmitter was driven up to the Brocken last summer and kept up there for a considerable period of time. Tests proved that a permanent transmitter there would cover such important centres as Hanover, Madgeburg, and possibly Halle. The second series of tests was then arranged from the Grosse Feldberg, in the Taunus. ,

Empire announcers work more or less on the same basis as other announcers, but at a slower rate of

NEWS and COMMENTS by “HENRY”

BRITAIN STILL LEADS RADIO CENSUS TAKEN Britain still has the greatest number of radio listeners of any country except America. She is, however, being overhauled. by Germany. This is apparent from comparative license statistics collected by the International Broadcasting Union, showing the relative popularity of broadcasting. At the end of June the British total 'of licenses was 7,695,452 —one to every sis persons. Germany had 7,599,253 one to every eight persons. At the end of last year Britain had about 600,000 more licenses than Germany. In Germany, however, there are 579,153 free licenses. In Britain there were 44,772 free licenses, granted to blind listeners. As there is no licensing system in America, no exact figures are obtainable, but, according to the latest official estimate, there are 25,632,000 sets in use, the vast majority in the United States. Next in order, after America, Britain, and Germany, is France, where the total at the end of IVlav was 2.929,000. One of the lowest, in proportion- to population, is Italy, with only 579.870 licenses.

STRAY SPARKS Off to America. Madame Florence Austral and Mr John Amadio are travelling by the Niagara for Honolulu and United States. Under contract to the National Broadcasting Company, thej f will spend three months touring the United States and giving recitals. They will later proceed by the Queen Mary to London, .®! r ~o rn® to fulfil engagements with the Royal Chora] Society. * * * * World’s Largest Studio. What is said to be the world’s largest broadcasting studio was opened at the Great Lakes Exhibition in Cleveland, Ohio. This “ studio ” is- fitted with one hundred microphones and will hold an audience of 13,000 people. It will remain in use until October, when the exhibition closes. * * * * The Titahi Station. The erection of the new 60kw station at Titahi Bay is progressing, and the technical apparatus was expected to come to hand from Sydney this week. It is hoped to have the station operating before the end of the year, * * * * Sets for Invalids. . Radio on motor-driven invalid chairs is apparently the latest idea in America. One enterprising dealer has fitted a special radio receiver on an invalid chair of the hand-driven type belonging to a crippled newspaper seller. As a result of the publicity gained in this way ho has been inundated with orders not only for invalid chair sets, but also for car sets. In any case car radio is a good seller in the United States.

AID TO FLYING INDIAN AERODROMES' EQUIPMENT The use of wireless at Indian aerodromes is to be greatly extended. All main aerodromes in India are at present supplied with medium wave transmitters, the wave lengths being in the neighbourhood of 900 metres. These are used for communicating with aircraft and with other aerodromes. Owing to the increase of air traffic considerable wireless congestion has arisen, and short wave transmitters are, therefore, to bo established at certain selected aerodromes. Medium waves will still be used for communicating with aircraft, the short waves being employed for working between the more distant aerodromes. The staff is to be increased to enable a continuous night watch to be kept at all stations from Karachi to Calcutta. TWICE ACROSS THE OCEAN BROADCAST VOICE WELL RECEIVED To hear a message sent twice across the Atlantic by short wave and then received wdth sufficient loud speaker strength to be enjoyed was the unique experience of G. AV. Swann. Parkfield. England, in listening to Jesse Owens. American Olympic star, speaking from the stadium in Berlin. Owens’s voice, brought to America by short wave, was again relayed by General Electric’s station W2XAD, and it was to this station that Mr Swann tuned his set, according to a letter received by the General Electric Company. “ Listening to Owens aftei he had won the 100 metres race was just like being in the stadium with him,” Mr Swann declared in his letter.

One French paper says that the way French announcers speak French “would shame even an Englishman.” French radio advertisements are to be taxed, 13 per cent, on those in French, and 38 per cent, on those in a foreign language. France has also a 2 per cent, turnover tax.

SEARCHERS OF THE ETHER ITEMS FOR THE DX-ERS RESETTING THE CLOCKS. Once again the clocks are to be advanced half an hour, bringing to the followers of the OX hobby advantages and disadvantages. The Australian, American, and Eastern stations will be closing down half an hour later to-morrow, while the VKs and Europeans will be heard for the same length of time later. Although reception of overseas stations has been excellent, the atmospheric conditions, interspersed with a fair portion of background power interference, have not been of the best. The evening Americans have been providing excellent signals, especially last Sunday, when several were heard at good volume at 5 p.m., with the sun still high in the sky. Some of the best ones, besides the Mexican, XENT, were KVOO, Tulsa *(l,140ko); WON, Chicago (720 kc) ; KMOX, St. Louis (1.090 kc) ; KOA, Denver (830 kc) ; and WBBM, Chicago (770 kc); while many of the Pacific Coasters, which, of course, were not at the excellent volume they reached before closing at 7.30 p.m. By their splendid signals the Australian stations are providing the best field for DX. So far none of the proposed changes have taken place. A station which is thought to be a new one is heard operating on l,oßokc —a channel occupied by 2AD, Armidale, and 3SH, Swan Hill. It has been closing down at 0.30 a.m. (New Zealand time). This station provides a very weak signal, and so far no indication of the town or State has been given. It may be heard daily, except on Saturday and Sunday, after the last of the other two stations (3SH) closes at midnight. Excellent DX is being provided by the VKs operating on the broadcast band between 1,095 kc and 1,500 kc in the early hours of the morning. After j a short absence VK3HF has returned | to 1,400 kc, and SRI, operated by the | Victorian Railways Institute, has been heard on Sunday mornings on 1,287 kc clashing with 2QY, Paddington, three kilocycles higher. The best signal is provided bv VK2ACI (1,330 kc), with ‘aBQ, Bondi, appearing after a long silence on 1,225 kc, a good way behind.

The Eastern stations, too, are providing wonderful signals, and it is quite a common occurrence to bo able to tune in many low-powered ones regularly. The Japanese are providing the best singals, but Siam, China, and the other Eastern countries are not greatly inferior. Many of the 500-watt Japanese are being heard consistently, and after the best one—JOPK, on 780 k (GBokc), JOQK (920 k), JO AG (930 k), and JOHG (1,050) are _ next. The Manchukuo stations, which close at 2 a.m., are still well to the fore. The Europeans have been fairly good, and some of the lower-powered ones on the high frequencies are coming through well. Of these, Nurnberg, Germany, is tho best, the frequency used being l,2G7kc. Little difficulty should be experienced in logging many of these stations, especially the highpowered ones, so DX-ers are advised not to waste any time.

LOCAL BRANCH MEETING, A good attendance of members was at the meeting of the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand DX Radio Association, held in 4ZO’s studio on September 17. During the DX chat that followed the business members generally reported quite good reception, and the excellent array of verifications on display spoke of many long hours of “ dial-twirling.” Some of the best were from JOIG, WSJS, VVADC, KARK, KDON, KLUF, KERN, KSO, KIEM, WQBC, and XMHC. Members are advised that while the period of daylight saving is in force the meetings will be held at S p.m. The competitions resulted as follow : Senior.—Australia: ZJV, J. Anderson. VK; VK4LD, J. Anderson. North America: WSJS, A.. Stanton. East; XMHC, J. Anderson. Junior.—Australia: 3HS, J. Bulger. VK: VK2NM, J. Robertson. North I America: WHOM, A. Greenway. Europe; Nurnberg, A. Greenway, The best on broadcast was from WHOM, a 250-watt station on 1,450 kc, located in Jersey City, New Jersey, and observing Eastern standard time. SOUTH DUNEDIN MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the South Dunedin branch of the New' Zealand DX Radio Association was held on September 10, Mr Isaacs presiding over a j good attendance. One new member was welcomed. The Morse class was well attended. Verifications were very few, so far as broadcast reception was concerned. VK7BQ (using 25w) was one of the best put forward. Short wave verifications were very good, and a selection of the best included the Canadians VE’s, ICR, 3DF, 4FI, 4LX, SDK, and SKY, and GSJO and GSVL, both of which are in England; SMSSX, Sweden; CTIDV, HJIABP, HJ3ABD, XEIAI, PMY, and VK6HT, on 40m. | The branch log for short wave verifica- i tions now stands at 430. ’ _ j Progress in two of the competitions for broadcast verifications is as follows: —Sanderson VK CUP: H. Looker, 15 points; E. Gray, 11 Gray Kettle: H. Lawson, 33; W. Crooke, 25; J. Carr ruthers, 21; H. Looker, 20. Competition results for the evening were:—

Open.— New Zealand; J. Kroon, IZM. Australia A: J. Carruthers, 3GI. Australia B: ]). Graham. 3UZ. VK: H. Looker and E. Gray, VK7BQ.* Europe: C. P. Race, Nurenberg, Germany. SHORT WAVE WANDERINGS. How many listeners heard the DX programme broadcast on Sunday afternoon by station C 8960, Santiago, Chile? The session was dedicated to the Newark News Radio Club, and was heard until 5.30 p.m. on a frequency of 9,600 kc. Signals were R 5, QSA4. Yet another European country is represented on the short wave list by Czechoslovakia, Radio Podebrudy, Prague, being heard quite well during the afternoons on 15,240 kc, closing at 3.30 p.m. after an English nows session. At present the broadcasts are in the nature of tests to decide a frequency t

giving the best coverage, and the 12 and 6 meg. bands may also be used. Signals have varied between 114 and RB. I Here is a “ catch ” to try for on Saturdays. The Radio Club Occanism, Papeete, Tahiti, is operating POBAA on the 7.1 meg. band until 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, an<4 has been logged in Dunedin. I The call sign of the Siamese station heard on 10,950k0 is HSBPJ. It is I located at Bangkok. It uses 10,000 watts, and may be heard on Tuesday ‘mornings from 12.30 a.m. The giant Chinese broadcaster on 660 kc (XGOA) now has a short wave outlet in XGOX, Nanking (6,820 kc). The latest call book lists VK6ME’ Perth (9,590 kc). So far this new Australian does not appear to be in operation, but should be on the air very shortly. Listeners who heard the programmes of KZRM, Manila, being relayed on 9,990 kc last week, were tuned to KAZ. For some time past KZRM has been contemplating a short wave service, and tests are being made on various’ lire- ■ qucncies.