RADIO NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 85, 1 December 1931, Page 7

RADIO NOTES

'Kathode."

By '

Broadcast reception during the past week has heen exceptionally erratic. On some occasions long distance reception has been partieularly good, while on other s . the New Zealand stations were the only ones heard. On one evening, during the j early part of the week, "Kathode heard most of the Japanese stations | and several American transmitters at more than average strength. 2YA : Wellington has been suffering from periods of bad fading and side-band distortion during the last few days. i Nominations for appointment to the New Zealand Radio Advisory Board close with the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department on December 10. Xf a memher is to be nominated from Rotorua it will be necessary for the local Radio Club to call a meeting hefore that date. In the early days of broadcasting a Dominion Advisory Board was appointed, but soon ceased to function. This was to be expected, as the Broadcasting Company was a private concern and the powers of the board were very limited. With broadcasting under the system about to be adopted, the Advisory Board will meet with no conflicting /interests and their sole " duty will be to develop broadcasting for the listeners' benefit. The mem- ■ bers of the board will be the listeners' ; representative, a,nd it will he well for ■ Rotorua to have a representative on that board.

The New Zealand stations will extend their hours for the Christmas holidays, commen'cing from December 14. From that day each station will go on the air from mid-day. The shielded lead-in mentioned by "Kathode" in last week's notes has been tried by two local experimenters with enconraging results. It must be understood, of course, that this type of aerial will only minimise interference due to direct aerial pickup. In cases where interference is fed to the receiver over the power lines, a filter is also necessary.

The day has arrived when the present system of broadcasting in New Zealand is no longer efficient. The coverage area of the existing stations ; is far too small to serve the country ■ listener and a chain of relay stations : of "B" class transmitters is essential. : Let. us picture the system as it exists at present. A listener in any of : the four main centres can tune in one ' of the YA stations and enjoy a programme free from static, fading and Interference. With a modern receiver the quality is almost perfect and a powerful set is not required. The same listener has within easy distance entertainment of all deseriptions — talkies, dance halls and theatres. Now let us change the scene to a country district. Radio becomes not only the main type of entertainment, but also the main channel through which weather reports, market reports and important happenings of the day are received, yet the rural listener is frequently unable to use his radio on account of bad static, fading or interference. He is obliged to pay the full license fee every year and yet, in many cases, is unable to listen in for more than 50 per cent. of the time. The true service range of transmitters has been' investigated and works out as follo'ws: — 5 watts 1 mile 500 watts 10 miles 50,000 watts 100 miles | The four main stations in New Zealand have the following powers: 1YA Auckland 500watts 2YA Wellington .... 5000watts 3YA Christchurch 500watts 4YA Dunedin 750 watts The true service areas, then, are: | 1YA Auckland, 10 miles radius. 2YA Wellington, 25 to 40 miles.

3YA Christchurch, 10 miles radius. 4YA Dunedin, 15 miles radius. As a matter of actual fact, it is possible that 2YA Wellington hegins to fade and distort at an average radius of 20 miles, this being aecounted for by the hilly country surrounding the transmitter. It' will he seen that the country listener is poorly served. Now that broadcasting is under Government control, there is little doubt that the country listener will he better served. Of course, a chain of relay stations will not give a service area all over New Zealand, as the power of the stations must be fairly low on account of expense, but with a transmitter placed in each of the main inlapd c.entres, something approaching a satisfactory system will have been established.