Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 10, 23 September 1927, Page 12

Our Mail Bag

Eis REPLIES TO CORRESPONDENTS. H. Mather (Millerton).-It i$ qnite evident tiat your batteries are defective, and should be sent to the agents for examination, ‘The vendors would be the best people to get in touch with. C.V.B. (Waihopo, North Auckland).‘8XM is listed as the Princetown University Wireless Club, Princetown, New Jersey, U.S.A., but the call-sign may have been changed over to the Bell Telephone Company, U.S.A. W. N. McNabb (Marsden, Grey-mouth).-4ZB is listed as R. B. Brewin, 21 East 38th Street, Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A. "Perplexed" (Havelock).-The trouble is seemingly due to a power-line leakage. It is probable that the. music from 3YA submerged the noise, that station being louder than 1YA. It is not practicable to eliminate the noise from the dynamo without considerable expense. B.H.B. (Northland).-Evidently your crystal receiver and aerial tuned right on to a harmonic of 2YA. The fundametital wave-length of your aerial and | earth system being equal to the wavelength of the harmonic. K.E.P. (Mitrchison).-It would appear that you were receiving 2YA on a "harmonic." ‘The station you heard just above 800 metres was 2GB, Sydnéy, the Theosophical station. "Who’s the Stranger? F.J.R. (Taumarunui): For the past two or three evenings, whilst listening in to 2BL, Sydney, I have been annoyed with a whistling sound, caused by a station broadcasting-I presume, on the same wave-length. Last evening it was more pronounced than usual, and I was able to hear-whilst BI, was working-a woman singing, and then some orchestral music. This was during the children’s session. On my set, Christchurch, Auckland, and 9BL are close together, Melbourne, 8LO, and 4QG, Brisbane, coming next, all within twenty degrees on my dials In between Christchurch and Auck‘land a station works, but does trot in-

terfere with one much; but the station above referred to causes interruption with both Auckland and 2BL The approximate time the interruption occurs is about 7.380 p.m. Perhaps some of your readers could help me. I was pleased to read in last week’s "Record" that you are going to have an experimental evening next week. OVA is certainly the pick of «ll stations, except on my set it is somewhat noisy, and I have to go down on_ to first stage, and I get it louder than Auckland Christchurch is picked up better than Auckland, and that is a

thing I cannot understand. {The fact that all the stations come in within twenty degrees of your dials seems to indicate that your colidensets are of too large an electrical capacity. It would be worth while ascertaining whether the set was imported, or assembled in New Zealand. Sometimes correspondents allude to their sets as being of a certain make, whereas they were assembled in New Zealand, and they omitted to explain this. We cannot identify the interfering station at present.] Is the Powerhouse Too Powerful? A. Jardine (Hora Hora): My_ set works absolutely quietly at Mount Kden, Auckland, and yet at the power station here considerable hissing or rushing noise comes from the loudspeaker, but occasionally dies down quiet, then returns. Some nights are not as bad as others, giving clearer reception and a faint hiss. On Saturday, 10th, there were intermittent | scratchy noises in the loudspeaker; hissing or rushing very pronounced; constant fading. Fading on other. nights is frequent, but lasts for only a second or two, like the wave voltage dying to zero and returning to maximum, A’ peculiar thing is, the station announcement is always full and clear, but when a speech is made it is difficult to hear all, just as though the speech-maker had turned around instead of speaking into the microplione. Music comes through the best, particularly pianos, organs, orchestras, ani instruments; singime fairly good; difficult to hear the words, Christchurch

tunes in at good volume sumetimes; other times it is faint; but this station is fairly easy to pick up. Auckland, or 1YA, is the most difficult to get, and is subject to considerable fading. On Saturday night, September 10, 1YA could not be tuned in, yet 8YA came in strong. The weather was wet and misty. Of the Australian stations, 2FC comes in at good strength, and formerly 40G, Brisbane; but now only 2FC tunes in. Does the nearness of the power station with the HLT. lines cause interference? Have they any choking effect? Does a subantenna eliminate this by using filtered ground waves? My aerial is No. 14 §.W.G., solid phosphor brouze, 80 feet including lead-in to ground. Does a brass knife switch on the aerial to set (indoor), with good contacts, do as well as a copper switch, than connected direct from aerial to set? ‘The ground connection is of four galvanised iron pipes, 3 feet 6 inches deep, and a heavy gauge wire running to tlie water service pipe 12 feet away; the 4 g.i. pipes ate in gravel ground, but kept well saturated with water; earth leads ate bolted to brass clips ou pipes. {I'he proximity of the power station is likely to cause interference, such as a rushing sound, other noises, and even a choking effect. A subantenna means a greatly reduced range for your set, and, therefore, weaker sigtials. ‘The brass switch will be effective. Use either the galvanised iron pipes or the water pipe, but not both. By testing, ascertain which earth is the better and restrict yourself to it.-%id.] °

2YA Strong Enough in Picton, "Radio" (Picton).-What is worrying me is the number of listeners that complain that 2YA has no strength. I can’t uuderstand it, more so as we are in a very bad locality for long distance reception, and anything in the champion log line. BYA fades terribly with us at most times, but we don’t blame the station; we can’t very well when ‘other localities twice as far from SYA report excellent reception. I get sufficient volume from 2YA without an aerial to fill a house. Yct if I grasp the end of the lead-in in my hand, but not touching the set in any way, signals at once almost cease. Can you explain this? M:. George Scott, Oaonui, Taranaki, +sks about a_ station broadcasting a church service on ‘Thursday, August 95, 6.45 to 7.15 pm. I have had this station two or three times and wrote you some time back concerning the stranger. May I make one suggestion, Sir? When a breakdown occurs at any of the B.C.’s stations, could this be announced a couple of times from tlie other stations? ‘his would | satisfy the listeners, and also save a

lot of worry over the telephone. , The fading of 3YA, Christchurch, is due to uncontrollable causes in respect to your reception. ‘Ihe station broadcasting a church service on ‘Thursday catmot be identified by us. The grasping of your lead-in affords a passage to earth for the incoming signals. Apparently the aerial has an inductive effect on your set when the lead-in is free. The suggestion regarding a breakdown was applied recently (although belatedly) in connection with 2YA’s breakdown. ‘There would always, of course, be many listeners who would not pick up the announcements from the other stations.] Good Daylight Reception. I. McD. (Pahiatua).-2YA is particnlarly clear in the afternoon in this district. Personally, I have no fault to find with night reception of 2YA. ‘Mere is occasional fading and distortion, but not more than from other stations. I hear other things said by a few other listeners, but as far as I can gather 2YA is being well received throughout the district, and the programmes are good.

Study the "Mike.*’ B.T.W. (Christchurch), (an old experienced listener with a wealth of scientific engineering skill at his back), says: ‘Two things are wanted in radioall performers, both vocal and instrumental, want to study the ‘‘mike’’? and learn that it does not give off the sound in the same volume it receives it, but squares or magnifies it, with the result that» a singer who starts as if he or she were crooning a child to sleep (scarcely hearable) and finishes with a voice of full capacity (often on high totes) that would fill a hall containing 15,000 listeners, that could be heard a quarter of a mile off, must

learn that this won’t do for the imicrophone. All studio artist beginners want coeching with an expert. When I say all I bar such singers as the lady who sang at 2YA recently. I believe her name was Miss Marshall. She sang like a prima donna-splendid; so did the tenar, and the pianist was also perfect. Another thing listeners-in want. coaching, both through your paper and also through the studio. It wants drumming into them every night. SYA has been very unreliable for about a month now. . We had to cut it out time after time, Of course the station gets the blame, whereas if listeners would look nearer home they would stand a better chance of finding the culprity?, « .. eR ere ee tee oe enon we me OO,

This is Pleasant, HLF. (Whangarei): I have been a constant listener-in for the past two years, and during the: greater part of this time have been patiently waiting for New Zealand stations to reach a standard which would put them on the radio map. I congratulate the Broadcasting Co. oif having reached that standard-l1YA, 2YA and 8YA are splendid stations, and the variety of the programmes should suit everybody. Favourable Comment. S.W. (Newtown) : I wish to congratulate you on the steady improvement of your programmes. Could you give us more orchestral music and less vocal items? Sopranos especially do not broadcast well. Billy Hart’s jazz selections are much appreciated by all ‘the family. Waving listened-in to the B.B.C. stations while in Fingland, I can say that New Zealand compares very favourably. The B.B.C. does not have a silent night. I am sure there would be more crystal users in New Zealand if the silent night could be replaced by a relay. A nightly children’s session is urgently needed for the kiddies. |

Good Long Distance Reception, A. V. Pearce, principal keeper at Pencarrow Heads Lighthonse, writes that on the morning of September 7 at 5.20 a.m. he picked np the test from station PCJJ at good loudspeaker strength and heard a beautiful band piece under the conductorship of Mr. | S. Johnston. "This was 6.20 a.m., New Zealand time. Then I heard 8LO call out ‘Hullo, PCJJ,’ three times in succession, ’ ‘Broadcasting Company of Australia, 4 a.m., Wednesday morning.’ ‘Then came two tenor solos and then two piano solos by Mr. Williams. Static then interfered, but further calls from 81,0 were heard. On Saturday morning I tuned in WGY at good strength at 2 a.m. The first item, a duet; at 2.15 a.m. dance music; at 2.25 a.m., violin solos; at 2.30 a.m., band music, very loud and good; at 2.385 a.m., a duet, after which the station closed down. This was all received direct, as I heard the annouticer quite well."

Radio War in Taranaki. George Scott (Oaonni): My letter caused one ‘B.C.1y."? to write a chapter in the "Taranaki Daily News,’’? wherein he stated that he utters a prayer that ‘he does not live in Qaonui." If he were to live in Oaonui he might receive 2YA much better, and the fact. that I am a two-valve, three-coil user does not necessarily mean that my set howls. ‘B.C.I..’’ seems to have a set on anybody who gets 2YA successfully. I predict ‘a "radio war" yet if New Plymouth listeners do not ‘get a relay station, "B.C.L.’’ is constantly complaining!

The Dempsey-Tunney Fight. G.C.H.: I notice that my letter in your issue of September 2 has brought forth a volley of adverse criticism from "TW.C." In re the matter of filling in the gap between 7.45 and 8 p.m., I think that "J.W.C." has overlooked the fact that a station does not possess one announcer only! In any case, I do not think an extra fifteen minutes in the early part of the evening would be a very great strain even if there is only one announcer on duty. Llowever, my object in writing is not to commence a discussion per medium of your columns, but to ask if there is any truth in the whisper that 2YA may rebroadcast the Dempsey-Tunney fight being broadcast on short wave by station WLW, Cincinnati, on September 23. The Broadcasting Company startled the whole country, and incidentally made a name for itself, by the memorable broadcast of the Hawke’s Bay y. Wairarapa Ranfurly Shield match on July 9-a truly wonderful achievement for the initial transmission. There is no doubt of the interest taken in tadio by the whole country from this date onwards. Similarly, a ringside description of the Dempsey-Tun-ney fight heard throughout New Zealand would, I think, be a crowning achievement for the Broadcasting Compay, The feat would not by any means be impossible, and if not attended by complete success no one could possibly be so unreasonable as to make any adverse criticism on same. In regard to rebroadcasts, I hope the Broadcasting Company is not going to take up the same attitude as the British

Broadcasting Corporation has in regard to Empire Broadcasting! [The Broadcasting Company will do its best in connection with this fight, and its plans will, we trust, give satis-faction.-Ed.] Good Crystal Wort. A listener at Castlecliff, Wanganui, reports that he can regularly receive QYA with a small, roughly-made crystal set, using galena, the coil being wound ou a wooden former. The *phone strength is clear and distinct © enough to get every word of the news session, and fadiug is unnoticeable, ‘The air-line is about 100 miles, mostly. over water, . A Giant Loudspeaker. A. FE. Elliston (Reefton) :-All of us in this town appreciate the ‘‘Record" and in my opinion it completely fills the bill. As regards the programme, I am satisfied and realise the difficulty of getting up programmes. for every night in the week. If the artists realise the pleasure they give to us in the hackblocks, aud leave ont of their thoughts the cities, they will feel that ‘their efforts are not in vain. Your reply to a correspondent: ‘That criticism has weight in accordance with the calibre of the person making it,’ hit the tack on the head with a sledge hammer, and I fully agree with you. As regards reception, this town is nota good receiving centre, as agents de monstratiig various makes of sets have found out. I have uo trouble in, getting sufficient loudspeaker yolume from QYA. Swinging is bad at times, also mushiness. This I put down to. Wweather conditions and local disturbers with their sets. YA and 38YA are consistent; to-night 38YA was verv strong. 4YA is no good here. I will. briefly describe my layout. I have 2 aerials 125ft. and 512ft., the former No. 16 copper. the latter 7-20 copper. Pipe masts,

bOft. high, standing on bottles. All stay wires insulated; water pipe earth, aerials set out by compass bearing. The set is a home made 8 valve duo reflex, und has tuned, straight, and reflexed RE crystal detector, reflexed and straight andio; the set is made up with ull makes of instruments. Valves are 2/201A and PME6. Plate voltage 90. [ use a d-inch loudspeaker. I use my 125ft. aerial mostly, and on nights when signals are weak, I turn over to the 519ft., which brings up to loudspeaker volume. I have also a large horn, 6ft. Sin. long and 3ft. Gin. across the opening. This latter is made to fit in the neck of my speaker. I use

this horn on Swnday evelings ior choirs aiid bands, and it is clearly heard up to 14 miles air line distance. People all over this town leave their windows up, sit round the fire, or lay in bed listening to the music-not forgetting those who congregate outside on the road and grassy banks. Many expressions of thanks and praise have come volut-_ tarily to me from people who have derived pleasure from my tadio concerts. MIusic teachers have also sent their pupils up to get education on music. Mie volume given ows by the big hori is not distortion or noise, and no complaints have ever been voiced to me nr through others, when giving the entertainments.

Wanted, a Big Loudspeaker, 8.8. (Tauranga) :--I agree strongly with one writer to your paper who comnplains of the absence of music on the air between the hours of about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. If the four stations took turns it would require little more effort to provide music during such a sessiott, and would undoubtedly prove popular to those who are utiable to get distant stations. Conld not something be dotie in this respect? Having had a slight experience with experimenting, I am interested to know whether it is possible to construct a londspeaker of utiusual proportion that might cope with att extraordinary amount of volume. I have tried several large speakers, but when the set is turned on full they ate obviously overloaded. Perhaps other listeners have found the same difficultv and an article on the construction of an unusually large speaker in sone paper might enlighten us cousiderably. Is This Identity Right? KH. C. Sim (Tapanui) :-In regard to Mr. S. Mackay’s request, € may be able to enlighten him as to the locality of one of the stations he heard, in that, on Tuesday or Wednesday (Wednesday JT think) of this week I picked up a harmonie (presumably) of 31.0 Melbourne, transinitting on short wave to Iingland, and this came in practically right on KION’s setting on a five valve ueutrodyne which I nse. I listened to same froin about 6 a.m. to a.m.the music, speeches, etc., coming in very clear, barring static, at good londspeaker strength. I have also heard a station just a fraction below 31,0 Melbourne’s usual broadcast setting at 3.30 a.m., but could not pick up the call for static. (Continued on Page 13.)

Listeners Corner Continued

Do Listeners Get Too Much? "Listener" (Christchurch): I should like to make a few remarks on the kroadcasting service in New Zealand. First of all, let me congratulate you on the production of your splendid paper the ‘Radio Record," which I read with very much interest every week. I do tiot know how you can turn out such a paper, containing so much interesting and useful maiter, at the price. I should like also to congratulate the Broadcasting Company on the service’ they have built up and the fare they are giving us. I may say that I have recently come out: from England, where, of course, broadcasting is a very great institution, and while New Zealand cannot expect to compare with IngJand in this respect, I think what we are getting is splendid under the cir«ctmstances, and great credit is due to the promoters.‘ While saying this, however, it is just here that I want to find ‘some fault. I have read a number of letters in your paper, and especially in the morning newspapers, and the one idea of the writers seems to be that they want more. They . are regular ‘Oliver Twists; they "want more,’ and still more. One of these writers wauts a concert on Sunday afternoon, and he also’ wants the interval from 7.45 to 8 p.m. "filled up with something." As_ one of your more reasonable correspondents remarks, it is astonishing what ‘some people do want for their money. I sincerely hope, sir, that the company ‘will not accede to any such request. Sunday afternoon is a time either for rest and quiet or for out-door recreation, and a wireless programme would, in my opinion, be quite out ‘of place, and, in fact, objectionable. Now, my complaint is not that we get too little, but that we get too much, and to make my meaning clear I will take an instance. On a recent Sunday evening 1 listened with a party of friends to four hours’ continuous performance, without a single break, from SYA. First there was a children’s service starting at 5.435 and lasting right on to 6.30, at which time the regular church service begins. At the end of this, at 8 o’clock, the announcer gives us an educational talk for 15 minutes, and at 8.15 a secular concert is begun lasting till about 9.45. The whole Sunday evening, four hours, without a minute’s interval. Now, although I think wireless is a good thing, 1 think this is altogether "too much of a good thing," and simply has the effect of tiring people. lor my part, 1 should like to see Sunday evening given up to the church service alone, especially where we have a children’s service in addition. We have a secular concert cvery other evening, and

XI think this could very well be dis- | pensed with on Sunday. I recognise, however, that this would not suit many, and if the coticert must be given I would like to suggest that the evening be divided into three distinct sessions in something like the following man-wier:-The children’s service, start at 5.45, finish at 6.20 prompt; 10 minutes interval. ‘[he regular service start at 6.30, finish at 8. The talk, or reading, should be left out (not that it is uninteresting, for, indeed, 1 should like to hear a deal more of that sort of thing, Lut simply because there is no time for it). A quarter of an honr’s interval shonld be given, and*then the concert session could start and go on till the finish. I feel certain that to the great majority of listeners this would be a much better arrangement, and ] should think it would be better for the operators, too, for it would give them a spell. 1 should also like to haye a ten minutes’ | jnterval in the middle or tne evening concert. We nsed to get this, but I notice now the interval is generally left out, which I think is a mistake. There are other things I should like to mention, but I am afraid of making this letter too long. l*or instance, we have in Christchurch four children’s sessions per week of about an hour each, This

is too much, and the former arrange- | ment of two sessions per week was imnch better. In one of the early numbers of the ‘Radio Record" there was an article in which it was stated that the sessions in America were much shorter than in New Zealand, and that is just the point that I am driving at. You can guess that the Americans know a thing or two, and what they want, and what we watt, too, is quality rather than quantity. The thing to be aimed at, I suggest, is short, bright sessions on different topics of about an hour each, as many as you like, but divided from each other by not less than a quarter of an hour’s interval. In writing this, I may say that I am expressing not only my own views Dnt those of many others, for I have often jieard similar views expressed, and my anly desire is for the improvement of the broadcasting business in New Zeaand, | The Empire Broadcast, , N. R. Cunningham (amateur station | 2BD, Masterton) writes:-I was rather. surprised to note in the issue of the "Radio Record" just to hand that only poor reception was had from English 2NM last Sunday evening. Although in a very bad position in the middle of the town here, I received the Empire’ broadcast quite well, Certainly swinging was pronounced at times, but on the whole the reception was quite good. ‘As I did not take notes at the time, it is rather difficult for me to remember now just what did happen. I first picked up the station shortly after 5.80. From then on till 6 p.m. were various speeclies and orchestral items, these latter seeming like phonograph records, ‘he only piece which I knew was the old favourite "Always," which came through very well indeed, being at times unpleasantly loud in the headphones, When this piece ended at 5.58, the announcer said (from. memory) PE ET OI Ot, OED og et Shenk

‘hope it was very good. Just stand by." I then -waited for a tew minutes,. but there was nothing further, [ had to leave the set then, and did not get back | to it till 6.40. Just as I was tuning in, I heard a speaker, but he stopped al‘most immediately, and I heard nothing further. I did not bother to take aotes of the announcements, etc., as 1 expect-| ed that if I was receiving it in my poor location, others would be receiving it. much better, However, in any further Empire broadcasts I will take notes and | give you further particulars. |