A SHORT-WAVE ENTHUSIAST

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 9, 16 September 1927, Page 5

A SHORT-WAVE ENTHUSIAST

i Mr. FE. W. Sellens, of. Northland, Welliugton, is a good illustration of the enthusiasm that is permeating the tanks of amateurs in relation to shortwave work, As a listener of some four years’ standing he determined, when the possibility .of London was first mooted seriously some six months | Of so ago, to "get in on this," and after making a number of: judicious inquiries, ser to work to build his own Bet. He completed this on May 1 this year, and the very first afteroon he went searching was successful in getting 6GC Adelaide on 31 metres. As a matter of fact, Mr. Selfens at the moment was trying for

UTXAF.on 82 metres. He did not get that station, but picked up the amateur in Adelaide, which, having regard to the transmission, was really a greater feat Since that time Mr. Sellens has compiled quite a respectable fittle list of short-wave stations on his log, and this’ is given for the sake of others who may be interested in the wave-lengths used by the stations, ‘ Europe. Metres. PCJJ (Eindhoven, Hol"an ssesseseceeeeeseseeee 50.2 44C (Belgium) .......0. 80 (about) QONM (Gerald Marcuse) .. 33 ; Asia. REN i... 0... 50 & 60 . America. WLW (Cincinatti, Ohio) 52.2 UXAF (Schenectady, New : York) -- cecccasceeccerees . 982.79

UTXAD (Schenegtady, New York) ..... Samoese OL KDKA (Kast Pittsburg) . 63 (Also heard on about 26 metres.) Australia. SGC (Adelaide) .....00. SL 8L0 (Melbourne) ......... 209.8 QAJ (Rangiora) cesses rh (approx.) QAU (Rangiora) secccsmseee 2XD sverscnchpeosepesencceccocs OF — (unidentified) ........06- 60 (Songs and instrumental items heard in a foreign langage.) | Mr. Sellens has been particularly interested in the broadcasting work of station PCJJ, and has made the practice of forwarding full reports of the quality of the reception to that station. This has meant a good deal of early rising for Mr. Sellens, as Holland works at the equivalent of approximately 5.30 a.m. to 7, New Zealand time. The reception is sometimes very good, giving fair loudspeaker strength;-at other times only weak ’phone strength. . , A word of advic? to enthusiasts now taking up short-wave work was given by Mr. Sellens. ‘his was that they must .not expect too much at first. To secure distant stations on short wave required the operator to have a pretty full knowledge cf his sct and the best means of handling it. The conditions varied so much that the results secured on one occasion could not always be repeated, and this might lead those who had entered the field to lose heart and blame their sets or the makers thereof. Short-wave reception was opening up a tremendous field, in which, of course, a_ great deal remained to be learned, and those exploring this field had to realise that patience, and knowledge was demanded of them