On Short-wave

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 40, 20 April 1928, Page 5

On Short-wave

SPLENDID RECEPTIONS DIFFICULTY OF SECURING DATA | | Mr. F, W. Sellens, Northland, writes; Reception since last writing has been ,very good on the short wave from most stations heard, but on several evenings static was too bad for listening. Saturday, April 7, _@XAD came in at splendid volume and modulation. As is usual on Saturday afternoon the Palmolive people were responsible for the musical programme, the station closing down at 8.30 p.m. (our time). As an experiment, I took the speaker to the telephone and’ rang up 2YA, where it was eard strongly and clearly enough, so they said, to re-broadcast after being amplified. 8AR, a Canterbury amateur, was heard testing at good strength. _ JOAK was on the air again on about metres this time; the short-wave call sign was not heard. . 6AG, Perth, announced that he is on most evenings after 11 p.m., West Australian time, but sometimes from 6 p.m. or 6.30 p.m. till 7 p.m. REM put-on some very good music. . Sunday, April 8. 8A, and 8AR, both. of Ashburton; were testing early in the afternoon. When 2XAF was first tuned-in, organ music was being relayed, and later on dance music from Albany, New York, was enjoyed. ‘They signed off at 11.58 p.m., E.S,. Reception was very good épeaker strength, oy . Monday, April 9 On tuning-in for 3L0’s regular Monday morning transmission at 5.55 a.m.

it was announced that 3ME, the Amal-} gamated Wireless Company’s experimental station, was testing. The test sounded like driving nails; that was ali that could be heard. At 6 a.m, they "changed over’ to 3LO0, who put on a good gramophone programme lasting till just after 8 a.m. Reception was excellent, but fading was bad at times. Just prior to 81,0 starting, 2NM-all not heard, but on his wave-length was transmitting some sacred music; afterwards he was apparently re-broadcast-ing 8L0, Melbourne, as on tuning from one to the other the same items were on, but the English station got very weak as time went on. At 2 p.m. I ‘tuned-in 2XAD, who were then relaying the "Atwater Kent Radio Hour," Two songs, "Little Boy Blue" and "Love’s Old Sweet Song," followed by the Atwater Kent Orchestra were the concluding items of the "hour." After asking for comment on the programme and giving the names of the artists for next Sunday’s "hour," it was announced that the programme would be continued from New York, A sacred drama was heard from here, representing the Crucifixion and afterwards the Resurrection. ‘The title of next week’s play is ‘The L’cast of Belshazzar." ‘Ihe station closed down at 11.47 p.m., E.S.T. Tuesday, April 10. RFM in the evening had a lot of talk, as usual. | QHM, New South Wales, came in very strongly, talking to 4NW, Queensand, 2 | Wednesday, April 11. Just before 5 a.m. on about 47 metres "Achtung! Achtung ? was heard, followed by a few words, and then nothing else but morse. | PCJJ was at its best; reception was. quite good, speaker volume. } 5SW started with Big Ben, followed. by a talk by Mr. — Robertson. ‘They were not so loud as of late. During the evening static was too bad for listening. ‘ Thursday, April 12. 5SW started with their station annouucement: "This is 5SW, of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Chelmsford, England. You will now hear the clock from Tondon.’ After Big Ben struck 7 p.m., Lord -- spoke under the auspices of the League of Nations of Canada. Musical items followed, and Jater on a football talk was given with advice ahout practice, etc. At 7.15 a.m. the wireless orchestra commenced the evyening’s musical programme. | About 10.45 p.m. on about 67.5 metres | a station which I took to be RFM was heard. ‘The voice was similar to the tegular speaker, but as the wavelength was different than usual, and I did not hear the call, I could not be certain. Static was too had to listen more than a few moments,

Friday, April 13, PCJJ was again very good; they carried on till 6.35 a.m., when the Dutch National Anthem concluded the programme, . When first in [SW when they were testing with 2XAD, a musical item was on the air from the latter station, and heard quite well from 5SW. As 5SW and PC]J were both transmitting at the same time, I compared the volume, and fonnd that the Dutch station was at least three times as strong as SSW. The modulation of both was very good. ; The regular test from Chelmsford commenced at 6.80 a.m. with the clock, followed by a.talk on ‘Music and Theatre,’""? Musical items were heard later. Hard to Get Reliable Data. The following taken from the latest issue-April, 1928-of ‘Radio News" (U.S.A.), shows how hard it is to secure information in reference to short-wave stations :- "Radio stations in many parts of the world are now broadcastirig on shortwave lengths {i.e., below 200 metres), but because most of their transmissions are still only of experimental nature, ‘Radio News’ has found it difficult to obtain, even from the stations themselves, accurate information about their opetating frequencies, hours of broadcasting, etc. "Readers owning short-wave sets are therefore requested to report to ‘Radio News’ antly strange short-wave broadcast (not code) stations they may hear, giving the wave-lengths as closely as they can guess the figures from the dial settings, by comparing the latter with the settings for such consistent transniiiters as KDKA, WGY, and WLW. Thesé reports can be written conven ently on the backs of postcards. ** Radio News’ will publish the data it receives for the benefit of the many people who have built short-wave receivers and wish to he informed ahout everything they can expect to hear with them.’’ |