Summertime Issue

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 28, 27 January 1928, Page 14

Summertime Issue

COUNTRY OPINION CONDEMNATORY A further batch of letters is available this week on the question of summertime. While some write in support, the weight of correspondence from those affected by the working of summertime seems so far to be against it.

Blot it out Quickly. G. A. M. Johnstone (Eltrick): I notice you ask our opinion of ‘‘Daylight Saving.’’. In reply it is useless to the man on the land, bad for the children’s health through lack of sleep and it has practically ruined the reception of wireless during daylight, and spoiled distant reception except late at night. Blot it out quickly. Boiling Oil for Mr. Sidey, _A. D. McDonald (Kaihere): Your issue of 18th inst., contains a very good representation of what "Sidey’s" time means in the South Island. Here is a little from a farmer on the Hauraki Plains. We, like all dairy-farm-ers, rise with the sun and keep on till sundown which means 8 p.m. At p.m, the children’s session begins and therefore the majority of vountry chil-. dren are still doing their litle jobs or milking, it being well before sundown. At 7.15 comes the news and information, all of which is missed by the still-working farmer. It may be pointed out by our city cousins that we could milk earlier at night. In this case I should like to invite them to work in the heat and dust; not to mention flies, of the early afternoon. Besides missing the part already mentioned we have to wait till 9 p.m. before we can get 38YA or 2YA with any yolume. Your Otago correspondent is certainly right when he says that Dunedin made a mistake in producing Mr. Sidey. When it was frst proposed to raise a subscription for some cup or shield in honour of Mr, Sidey. "Once Stung" wrote to the editor of the "New Zealand Herald" saying that he was in Victoria when Daylight Saving | | was tried. He recommended that New Zealand should wait and see if Day‘light Saving was such a blessing and that intead of receiving honour he "may be boiled in oil. The oil is ready and boiling!! I hope that I have shown how Mr. Siley has taken the interest out of wireless, and that you may receive other letters of like nature from abler pens than mine. P.S.Church services are evidently not good for country folk. We do not hear them now. Convertel by Experience. J. B. Saunders (Hawera).--I am sorry to see the ‘Radio Record’’ lending itself to a campaign against ‘Sidey" time. Your Southland correspondent has my sympathy; but does he find the reception better at 10 p.m. thast at 8 p.m.? From my own experience the difference is practically nil-the New Zealand stations coming as good at 8 p.m. as at 10 p.m. ‘The Australian stations are, of course, toc late to listen to, but in any case they seldom come good enough to listen to in summer. was up till 2.30 listening to 2YA last week, and I tried Australia several times, and I did not find any improvement at the latest hour. In regard to Daylight Saving, I was quite indifferent to it before it was tried out; now I am a warm supporter. I have a large garden and keep bees as a side line, and the extra hour of daylight after I get home from work has made a wonderful difference. I may say I have been a radio listener for over three years, and know that I ama not losing much by not listening to Australia for three mouths and am quite content to wait for the other nine smontls to hear them, when it is not so profitable to be ont of doors. :

| Another Southland View. . A. Powell (Waikiwi)-As a subscriber to ‘Radio Record,’ I have read a number of letters from listeners-some of praise; some otherwise-and I would xe to criticise your article on Sidey’s Time. My advice is, give a service from 4YA equal to 8YA, and then count he monthly 2s. 6d. you will receive from this district. 4YA, as far as I am concerned, is a washout. Often at night it is hard to pick up at all. But let me add that, for a short-wave log, Dunedin {4YA) is the one. I have some six or seven readings there, and they are shorter than the 463 waye, and steadier. I qnite agree that "Sidey’s ‘lime’? and Radio are not as one, but I have often heard 8-o’clock chimes from 2Bl, since its adyent, and never heard 2YA before 8.45 to much advantage. I would like to add a few words of praise for the broadcast fare we have been receiving, especially from BVA, the "‘hest’’ of the issue, it can be picked up any night at 8 o’clock with case and is sadly missed on ‘Tuesdays, of course. ‘Lhe volume is all that can be desired, and if you want to hear sports results or any other item of interest, 8YA is there. We all like the annouucer from "Singing in" | until "Good-night,’"? his voice is splendid and greatly appreciated here. ‘To be fair, I must add that LYA and 2Y\ are splendid also, but are not as reliable as 3YA, not being available so early. The relay announcer describing the scenes in Auckland on New Year’s eve was yery good indeed, his description not having one dull moment. I always look forward for "Record’’ every week. It is a very nice paper for any radio fan, the constructional notes being very fine, Looking forward to the time when our big voice will be 4YA, and wishing the compaliw every success in the future. A Dunedin Supporter. "Good Sidey Proposition"? (Dunedin) : I do not often write, but am compelled to compare my experience with radio in "summertime" against that of "A.R."? in last week’s ‘Record." Like him, I live in the coantry (on the hills above Dunedin). At this minute the sun is still shining (8.35 p.m.), and I have beth Christchurch (240 miles) and Wellington (400 miles) coming in so strong that if I turn on more than + strengtli of four valyes I shall wake the baby in the next room. A lady is singing plainly in Auckland, audible at half strength on the four valves, and baby wakening at full strength. I didn’t spend £50 on my set, like "AR. and his 19 friends. Mine, a five-valve, was slightly Jess than that, so I can only think ‘‘A.R.’s" purchase was not good value, or else all those 20 sets of batteries must be run down badly. Does "AR." forget, when complaining of the small number of radio men in Otago and Southland, that the inhabitants of these two districts are mostly Scotchmen who look after their bawbees instead of spending them on luxuries as fast as they collect them Let ‘‘A.R." be patient, in time radio will be as essential as a piano in the house to he classed resnectalle. Now as to suminertime., The idea of it, I take it, was not to inconvenience 40,000 radio men, but to benefit a million New Zealanders, and I consider it is a benefit getting an extra hour of evening daylight for outdoor recreation (I don’t work on that extra hour, like most cockies are dving.) Although enthusiastic and appreciative of radio, it is not the only interest in my life, and besides, summer time does not affect my radio reception one iota when I want to turn it ou. Certainly I grant it affects

receptiosi from Australia, unless one sits up an-hour later, but that was not the idea of summertime to lose the hour’s sleep. But in winter time, when Aussie is available from 5 p.m. onwards with me, who wants to hear melodies from across the Tasman when as good, and often better, programmes are at hand in New Zealand. Aussie’s and Amierica’s use in radio, to my mind, is to be able to swank to assembled friends and to compile a big tog. I suggest you invite a p.c. referendum for and against summer-time of ‘Radio Record" subscribers, and I venture to predict a majority of replies will be in favour ‘of coutinuance.. The only fault I have to find with New Zealand radio, there is no music to luli me to sleep for my usual Sunday afternoon nap. Only this afternoon we were talking of that Sunday afternoon concert at Christchurch some months ago, when a friend wanted me to turn radio on. Old Conditions Preferred, W. P. Baker (Russell) : Regarding the article in this week’s ‘Radio Record" asking country listeners-in for their opinion regarding ‘‘Sidey’’ time-we certainly do not want a repetition of the present conditions. We miss a great deal in tlie way of news items and items of rea] interest to. country listeners that ore. broadcast during the seven to eight evening session, and will -pladly welcome the winter months for the return of the old conditions. Unless we stay up until about 11 o’clock we do not hear Australian stations, and for business people that is far too late to wait for a concert, no matter how good it may he. There are several cwners of sects in this town who are not in favour of the present conditions. We greatly anpreciate your ‘‘Radio Record,"’ and wish the Broadcasting Company every success during the coming year.