AERIALISMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 663, 15 May 1929, Page 14

AERIALISMS

If telephones get burnt out or become demagnetised, they can be reconditioned quite successfully by firms specialising in that class of work. * • * The new Japanese station at j Yasomi, with a power rating of 1,000 kilowatts, is now undergoing tests, and has already been in communication with European centres. The tests have been highly successful. The : official opening of the station is sched- ; uled for some time this month. It will be the most powerful radio trans- j mitting station in the world. A not uncommon fault in valve sets j employing English-type sockets is bad i connection between the valve pins ; and the socket. Where the valve pins ; are split, see that they are opened out sufficiently to make a good contact with the socket. When the valve is plugged into the holder the pins should be kept bright and clean like any other contact. A bad contact between valve and sockets will always cause trouble. w * * Large numbers of letters are received by the Broadcasting Company notifying it of the reception of items from 2YA station in various parts of the American continent, even as far away as Saskatchewan. One correspondent in Texas, in seeking verification of his reception recently, states by way of proof that he heard the announcer at 2YA say at 4.25 a.m. (American time), “Good night, everybody, G-o-o-d night.” The keen wireless amateur who enthusiastically takes up short-wave operating is apt to be somewhat disappointed at the early results of his efforts to pick up far distant stations. He must not expect to tune in PCJJ, Holland, straight away, as it takes quite a while to get used to a shortwave set, and when a station is tuned in the operator will be surprised to see how fine the tuning must be. Frequently several stations can be heard on one degree of the tuning dial; in fact, some sets make use of a small magnifying glass in order to get more accurate readings on the dial. Shortwave technique has not yet reached perfection, though it is

Station KSTP, St. Paul, Minneapolis, is sending out programmes for the benefit of the Byrd Antarctic expedition in a similar way to station WGY. Schenectady, and KDKA, Pittsburg. The St. Paul station has been picked up by at least one listener in the North Island. The director of KSTP has expressed a hope that the programmes will be enjoyed in New Zealand as well as in the Antarctic, and states that he would appreciate reports from any listener who picks up their transmissions. This station operates on 220.4 metres with a power of 10,000 watts, and with a comparatively low wave lengthy and a power 20 times that of IYA its signals should reach New Zealand under favourable conditions.