RADIO REVIEW

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 84, 31 January 1941, Page 47

RADIO REVIEW

Contributed by

N.Z. DX R.A. Inc.

Address all Communications: P.O, Box 437, DUNEDIN,

Magic Radio Eye In 1863, Anthony van Leuwenholk, Amsterdam, with his mticroscope, discovered the "small beasties" which were later branded the most dangerous enemies of man-the germs of disease. But there are micro-organisms too small for optical microscopes to detect. These instruments . operate by visible light, which cannot resolve objects much smaller than the wavelength of light, Bacteriologists have been able to see only the larger microbes. They have hoped for an instrument that would magnify not 1,500 but 20,000... 50,000 ,.. 100,000 diameters. Radio scientists, those unsung heroes in the radio world, have engineered such an instrument. By a study of electrons active in radio and television, whose length was but a fraction of a light wave, they proved these electrons could be used as "seeing" rays. Focused by powerful magnets upon photographic film, they would reveal what had hitherto been invisible. Thus we have the electron microscope, which will enable bacteriologists to study hitherto invisible filterable viruses ... and may discover causes of baffling ailments. The Helping Hand The Swiss stations are again performing an international service. Some months ago, HBL was relaying Finnish programmes by land wire from Helsinki to the United States for re-broadcasting. HBL is again rendering assistance, this time for Rumania. For this purpose the Swiss station is on the air from 11.30 a.m, to noon, on 9.345 mec. Reception of this transmission is rather difficult for New Zealand listeners. Russians-And More Russians Powerful Soviet transmitters are becoming altogether too nunierous, though it must be added that their musical programmes are usually worth listening to. RW96 Moscow, on 9.03 mc., and another transmitter on 9.565 mc. can be heard quite early in the evening, and later they are joined by further stations on 6.117, 6,063 and 6.03 me. By 2.30 a.m., yet another joins in on 5.995 mc., and still more can be easily tuned in on 5.35, 3.88 and 4.273 mc., the last being the well known RW15 at Khabarovsk. The others are believed to be located at Moscow, Khabarovsk or Irkutsk. Shortwave Flashes PLA, Bandoeng, Java, is broadcasting an English programme daily from 12.15 to 1.15 a.m. on 19,46 mc. News can be heard at 12.45 a.m. "Radio Portugal," located at Lisbon, is a new transmitter on 10.15 mc. A French programme is heard from 7 to 8 a.m, daily, CP43, "Radio -Tupiza," P.O. Box 13, Tupiza, Bolivia, is on 15,162 mc. daily from 11 a.m, to 1.30 p.m., and should be audible, , One of the best South Americans at for entertainment purposes is CB1170 at It is on 11.70 me. until 5.30 p.m.