Home of 3YA Christchurch

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 2, 29 July 1927, Page 2

Home of 3YA Christchurch

High Standard of Efficiency and Comfort

Towering Masts Dominate City of.the Plains

In this issue, by word and picture, we feature the Christchurch station, 3YA. In regard to both equipment and studio appointments, everything is of the best. Compared with 2YA there is a contrast in power and style, but not in quality. A glance at our illustrations will show the type of building in which 3YA is located. The headquarters of the company is also in Christchurch. The Broadcasting Company’s business occupies the whole of the top floor, most of the third, and part of the second. The equipment throughout has won high praise from visitors, one of whom, with British experience, recently averred that there were no better features in overseas stations.

hough not as: powerful as 2YAwhich is the second most powerful in the British Empire-Canterbury has a Nery up to date station in SYA. It is only five months since the opening eereniony took place, so the station equipment is still the Jast word in efficiency, and visitors from overseas, who have seen the station of 2L0 (Qondon) and others, declare that they have seen nothing better that the apointments of the studio in Christehurch. It is a station of which Christehurch is proud. Not only does the station serve Canterbury and other parts of the South Island admirably, -but it is also heard particularly well in the North Island, notably along the ‘Bast Coast, Bay of Plenty district, etc. A SELF-CONTAINED STATION. There is one striking difference between 2YA and 3YA. The Christchurch station may be described as selfcontained, for the studios and transmitting plant are under the one, roof, whereas in Wellington the studio is in the city and the transmitting station is on Mount Victoria, That, of course, is necessary in the case of Wellington because that city is surrounded by high hills and the power of the station would be largely discounted were it transmitting from the city level. Christchurch, however, is entirely différent. It lies on a plain, the nearest hills being miles away. So, right in the heart of the city, Christchurch has two lofty iron lattice-work towers which are a landmark for miles around. WELL FURNISHED STUDIO, There is nothing awe-inspiring in a visit to a broadcasting studio. It is like waiking into a comfortably furnished drawing room, with grand piano, gramophone, artistically shaded _ standard lamps, easy chairs and chesterfields. There seems to be no mechanical apparatus such as one would associate with wireless broadcasting. The only things of such a ature are the microphones, and these are very inconspicuous. The necessary mechanism and machinery are just out of sight and sound on the floor above. The studio, lounge, and smoking voom are furnished with taste. The studio is on the fourth floor. Entrance is gained through sound-proof doors. The studio calls for special mention. It is furnished throuchont in Jacobean style and is draped to a heicht of fifteen feet with rose pink chenille hangings, with skirtings of silver frieze, the pur‘pose being to secnre the best aconstic conditions for broadcasting. The furniture is of rosewood and harmonises heantifully with the colouring of the draping and of the carpet. Both ceiling and floor are padded. In this respect, 3YA studio contrasts with 2YA, where padded nanels on the walls take the place of the curtains in SYA, and the roof of 2YA, being pitched, is not padded.

THE LOUNGES. Adjoining the studio on one side is the ladies’ lounge and the control room. In the walls of both are’ large plate-| glass, sound-proof, windows, which permit of complete observation of the working of the studio. ‘This observaton makes the evening more interest- | : ing for the artists who are waiting their "call" and it is essential to the an/nouncer in the control room. The whole operation of the station is controliéd from this room, which is in direct | communication with the operator in the = }

— transmitting room on the floor above. In front of the announcer is a switchboard which enables him to control the microphones in the studio and to connect up with any of the telephone lines to theatres, churches, football grounds, and elsewhere for relay purposes. From this room the news of the day, market reports and other items are given ont. COMFORT OF ARTISTS, The comfort of artists has been given. special attention. Adjacent to the

studio are the ladies’ lounge and the gentlemen’s smoking room. -Both are most artistically and’ comfortably furnished. A loud-speaker is provided, so that the artists, as they wait their call, can see, through the plate-glass window, and hear, by means of the londspeaker, all that transpires in the studio. As in 2YA, plate-glass partitions are a feature of SYA By their means everyone can see from one end of the building to the other. Plate glass windows between rooms are a distinguishing feature of New Zealand stations.

THE MECHANISM. On the fourth floor is the Western Electric 500-watt transmitter, the heart ot the broadcasting mechanism, It delivers 500 watts of radio frequency energy to the antenna system. The plant consists of what is known as the speech input apparatus, which includes microphones and amplifiers, etc., the traysmitter, a «motor generator, and the power panel. Four 250-watt valves are employed, two being used as modulators and two as oscillators. A 50-ivatt valve seryes as a speech amplifier. The microphones are so constructed that they will operate satisfactorily at a distance of several feet from the source of sound. They transmit faithfully every gradation in tone of speech and music. ‘These ‘‘mikes’? are so suspended by springs that mechanical vibration which would otherwise affect the clarity of the sounds:-iransimitted, is reduced to a minimum, The aerial is at a height of 150 feet. It_is of the flat top, inverted L, type, with four wires, having a multi-wire counterpoise beneath. One tower stands on the roof of the four-story ferroconcrete offices of Messrs. A. R. Harris and Company, and the other tower has firm foundations in the earth.

COMPARED WITH THE B.B.C. One of the most recent visitors to the studio of 3YA was a lady who had been on the staff of the B.B.C. for three years. Save that the London station was larger-there being some nine studios-the appointments were not as good as she saw at 3¥A. She saw at SYA, too, for the first time in a broadcasting station, the large . plateglass witidows in the dividing walls of the various rooms, She heartily approved of the innovation. In fact, she approved of everything that she saw at SYA, for everything exceeded her expectations. Incidentally, she condemned the present Government control of broadcasting in Britain, contending

that the cost of running the system had greatly increased but that there had been no. commensurate benefit to listeners. It had not silenced criticism, there being as much as ever.

DETAILS OF THE ROOMS

Although not so large as the splen- | did rooms which accommodate 2YA in Wellington, the Christchurch studio is in every way extremely snitable for its purpose, the whole building having been very carefully designed to secure the maximum efficiency in transmis-

yi) sion and comfort of the rerforming artists, As compared with 2YA, it has the advantage of contiguity between the studio and the transmission, the lines being on top of the building specially built as the home of Chiristchurch broadcasting THE STUDIO. The studio is a handsome room of approxunately 40 feet in length by 30 feet in width, It is draped with

rose chenille, with a silver frieze round the top, The floor is covered with an attractive fawn carpet, slightly tinged with rose colour; and the furniture strikes a distinctive note, being fashioned of rosewood and upholstered in black and silver damask. A full Chesterfield suite graces the studio, which also contains a grand piano and gramophone. Standard lamps, with rose-pink shade, and a few graceful silver vases, complete the equipment of the studio. A large plate-glass window. in three sections, and moveable, separates the control room from the studio. Full vision of the studio is thus given the operator, and the moveable sections permit of direct instruction being given. A complete glass window is also placed between the ladies’ lounge and the studio, so that the waiting artists can see the progress of the programme, ° LADIES’ LOUNGE. The Jadies’ lounge is a beantifully decorated and cosy room of 16 ‘feet x 15 feet It is upholstered in blue and grey, the same colour scheme being carried out in the carpet, while the furniture is in grey reed-loom, with attractive covering of blue and grey silk shadow tissue. Cushions in silken texture of blue and grey, with curtains of fawn repp, complete the veposeful effect of charm and comfort, while a few pieces of Dutch pottery in dull blue add a decorative note of colour The French polished tables ‘and chairs, in the prevailing tone of grey, are quite in the picture; and great plate-glass windows give a view of both studio and main smoking lounge. This latter is slightly larger than the ladies’ room, being 18 feet * «#18 feet. | _All the rooms are separated by steet partitions, painted white, topped with plate-glass, giving a wide range of vision throughout the suite of rooms. The smoking-room is in Jacobean style, with multi-coloured carpet. ‘The Tacobean furniture includes a monk’s table and: fawn velvet chenille suite, with cushions of bine and fawn velvet, a delightful ensemble being completed by a Jacobean standard lamp shaded in rose, and fawn repp curtains The walls are decorated with a Royal deer, and some coloured pictures of New Zealand scenery.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

(By

J. M.

Bingham

Assoc, HI. R F)

Although 3YA, Christchurch, «was not the first of the Broadcasting Company’s stations to be erected, it seems a fit and proper thing that, as Christchurch is the home of the head office of the R.B.C., that a description of 8¥A should follow that of the big station 2XYA. Before proceeding further it may be as well to explain what all this "YA" business is abont. Many listeners-in, particularly the newly fledged ones, are unfamiliar with the Government regulations, which came into being some years back. These

revelations are still in foree, and mautr different phases of radio comfication, However, it should be sufficient to state that all licensed transmitting stations shall have calls consisting of. a numeral followed by two letters, and, in the case of broadcasting stations, the first of these letters shall be a "Y.’? The numeral art denotes the district. Thus, Auckand is the first district, Wellington the second, Canterbury the third, and Otago the fourth "BVA." therefore. denotes the broadedsting station in the third, or Canterbury, district THE TEMPORARY STATION. Before the present station came into being there was in Christchurch a small 50 watt station, designed and coustructed by the R.B.C., but which was run as an amateur station by the Radio Society of Christchurch, under the call sign of 8AC. ‘This station, though only of low power, gave 4 reasonable service to Christchurch listeners, and served in’ some measure to keep the ball rolling till the present 8YA took the air in September last. Immediately after the opening of 1YA the writer rushed -post haste to Christchurch tocommence the installation of the 500-watt transmitter which’ was waiting there in cases, having been ordered and delivered at the same time as the Auckland station. It was decided that the first location of the station and studio should be only of a more or less temporary wature, in view of the fact that the A. R Harris Company’s premises, which were eventually to house the station, were only in course of construction A large hall in Hereford Street, which had previously done duty as a dance hall, was converted into a temporary studio and connected by land line with tlre trausmitter, which was erected in 4 galvanised iron shed at the rear of the A, R. Harris Company’s property in Gloucester Street. This temporary arrangement worked exceptionally ‘well, and was used right up to the time of tlic change over to the new building. While the building was in progress the opportunity was seized for making every provision for the future installation of the station, All the necessary conduits were fixed in_position, wires were drawn in, lugged, and labelled, and everything got in readiness for the change over. At last the time arrived for putting in. the permanent installation. All the equipment -was lifted up to the. room built to receive it, and placed in position. The work of connecting up occupied only a few days, and the station was thei ready for the official opening. THE STUDIO EQUIPMENT. The studio is located on the third floor of the A. R. Harris Company’s building, and was specially designed for the purpose, having walls approximately 15 feet high. Adjoining the studio are the various lounges and the control room. ‘The lounges are described elsewhere, but the control room is worthy of explanation here. Xt consists of a long, narrow room approximately .14 feet by 5 feet, and looks into the studio through a large plate-glass window. Along one side is a bench, which holds the various control equipment for connecting to relay lines, microphone switching, and signalling to the transmitting room on the roof. ‘The studio is wired to take duplicate microphones, and by suitable adjustment of controls it is possible to use éither one of two microphones, or to bring both microphones into service, in order to obtain any desired degree of balance. Whe control room also has a microphone for the announcer, and a loudspeaker for checking up on the trans- mission. ‘This loudspeaker is so arranged that when annouricements are being made the speaker is automatically cut out to prevent "howling back’ | into the microphone. |

MICROPHONES. On account of the rugged nature of the carbon microphone, this type is used almost exclusively. There is, however, a condenser microphone in the studio, but this is used only on special occasions, as it is a very touchy, thongh high-grade, piece of apparatus. . THE TRANSMITTER. ‘he transmitter is located in a specially built room on the roof of the building, and consists essentially of four pieces of apparatus. The motor generator, power plant, transmitter, and speech input equipment, The motor generator set consists of three units: a S-hp. three-phase motor, directly coupled to a 1600-volt generator for plate supply, and a 16-volt generator for filament lighting. The whole geterator unit is fixed to a concrete bed, set on rubber, which very effectively prevents any noises being communicated to the rooms underneath. The motor generator set is contained in a partitioned off portion of the transmitter room, this portion also containing the battery charging apparatus and the Kdison A and B battery sets, which are used for the amplifier equipment.

SPEECH INPUT SYSTEM. In the larger portion of the transiitting room are the other three units. On the right is the speech input equipment, which consists of a rack on which ate mounted the various meters, amplifiers and switches for keeping check on and controlling the music which is picked up by the microphones in the studio. ‘fhis equipment is of a hiehlv important nature, as it is here that the minute currents delivered bv tle microphonies are amplified to an extent sufficient to modulate the transmitter, On the main or "8B" amplifier is mounted a "pain control, by means of which the operator reculates the volume level of the amplified signal. Immediatelv above this amplifier is also another amplifier, but this one is used merelv to operate a loud-speaker for keeping an accurate check on the quality of the transmission. By means of a small key switch it is possible to conmect the

loud-speaker directly into the radio, transmitter or on to this amplifier, and by changing alternately from one to the other, comparisons can be made _ between the signal going in to the transmitter and the signal going out of the transmitter, and observations made to see if there is any distortion actually occurring in the transmitter itself. THE TRANSMITTER. Immediately alongside the speech’ equipment is the transmitter proper, consisting of the filter system, orcillating, and modulating circuits, and aerial tuning system. ‘The valyes employed consist of two oscillators, and two modulators, each of nominal rating of 250 watts capacity, together with a speech amplifier valve of 60-watt capacity. The oscillating circuit consists of a modified three-coil . Meissner capacitively coupled to the aerial

through circuits designed for the suppression of harmonics, The output from the speech equipment is first applied to the 60-watt amplifier valve, and the output from this is passed to the two modulators, which are coupled to the two oscillators by the Heising system. On the front of the transmitter panel are meters for observing the functioning of the various cirenit and dials for the tuning controls, Immediately to the left of the transniitter is the power panel, for controlling the power applied to the different circuits, On the front are meters, rheostats, and pusli-button switches, The whole of tlie operation of starting up is ‘perforined by push-buttons, the application of power to the various circuits being automatically controlled in their proper

sequence by relays within the power panel THE AERIAL. ‘The aerial system is swung between two steel towers, one of 104 fect height, erected on the corner of thie building, and the other of 154 -feet height, erected on the ground at the reat of the building. The aerial is of a four-wire flat top, "Ty’’ type, directional north-north-cast, ‘faking all things into consideration, 8YA is, perhaps, the most conveniently equipped station of all the R.B.C.’s stations, as it is the only one where both studio and transmitting room are located adjacent to each other, and the company is justly proud of this station,