Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 44, 18 May 1928, Page 14

Our Mail Bag

Value of Good Announcing. . _ H.G.. (Avondale) ; I feel I must endorse. "Waihi’s" remarks and suggestions, particularly the paragraph concerning ,announcers. I am sure that the Auckland crystal set owners and n good few valve set owners would regjoice and thoroughly appreciate a rebroadcast on Saturday evening, especially. from the Sydney Stadium, just to break the 12 hours of jazz music that is put over regularly, Still, one must admit that Auckland’s programmes are improving wonderfully. Mr. J. IF. Montague’s effort of last Mriday is one of the finest things put over by 1YA for many many moons. 2YA is to be congratulated on their orchestra, whose versatility is greatly appreciated and is a vast stride in New Zealand broadcasting. The announcer of 8¥A is. undoubtedly the best in the Southern Hemisphere--not one of the 27 stations I log can compare with him, and is, I should say by the different correspondents’ remarks, a great asset to the New ZeajJand Broadeasting Company. 4YA is running pretty close, too, I lave noticed, and puts things over very nicely dressed up, distinctly and quite clear. 58 Stations on 3 Valves. W. I. Dance (Blenheim): In_ reference to Mr. S. R. Tellis’s letter an this week's "Radio Record" .as_ to whom is the champion five-valve Zistener of New Zealand. I haven'l a five-valve receiver, but have a three. alye, all wave (home-made). fo date I have received on loud speaker: MYA, 2YA, 8YA, 4YA, 2AQ, 82C, 221, 2IC, 2BL, 26GB, 3AR, 38L0, 40G, 20K, 8DB. On phones: 4ZL, 14B, 42M, 5CL, [Z2L, 2UW, 3UZ and KFON, Long Beach. On short waves in N.Z: 1At 2AQ, 38AT, 3AU, 38AV, 4406, +AM, BAL, BAG, 2AB, 2AP, TAR, 3AL, 1AN, 2A, 2B0, 3PM, 24M. Australia TOW, | 2RC, GAG, 2411, 8LO, 2BI oLt, 4NW, 2YG, 8UZ, 4BO. : 2XAP, | RVM, 2XG, PCIJ, ANE, JOBB. a Closing I may state that I am using nm very low aerial and a poor earth. This makes 23 on broadcast band and 85 on short-wave band. ‘otal 58. Personal Congratulations. ‘Aucklander: As a listener-in of con-. siderable experience, I really feel it: is my duty, through your paper, to. congratulate 2YA on its new orches: | tra. The selections played by it are | highly satisfactory, and willbe heartily approved of by the great majority of the listeners. ‘The execution of the orchestra is admitted by all to be superb and places 2YA an easy first among New Zealand stations. For | an orchestra of its size it has no superior among the Australian stations. It would please me much if you would, on my behalf, personally congratulate each member of the orchestra on his thorough mastery of his instrument. Orchestra Pleasing. c. J. Nordstrand (Onerahi): I wish to thank you for the beautiful music played by the "new orchestra." It is really a great treat to listen to it, and we receive it clear and loud, though this little township is many miles from Wellington. I take great pleasure in filling in the slip cut from the "Radio Record." I know so many who are so fond of those pieces of music. Many thanks for the hours of pleasure we get from the many and varied artists we nightly listen to from station 2YA, Wellington-one of the best.

., | "The Finest for 30 Years." , ., Ixtract from letter regarding 2YA: "May -I ask you to accept and, if convenient, convey to your orchestra, my appreciation of a very fine week’s programme. Specially would: I like to mention the Musical Switch number last night, a number distinguished by perfect tempo on the part of conductor and rendering by orchestra. Also the Gilbert and Sullivan: number which was, I think, the finest rendering I have heard probably since I heard the D’Oyley Carte Company render the opera over thirty years ago." Who is the Stranger? J. W. Ashford (Karori) : Re my letter of inquiry which you published in this week’s number, I am still puzzled as to who the foreign station operating just below 2BL’s wave-length happeus to be. Your correspondents, together with "Aerial" in his weckly notes in "Lhe Dominion," state that it is JOAK, Japan. The night after I wrote you last I logged JOAIK about 10 degrees above 2BL's reading-in fact, it is almost on 4QG, Brisbane's setting, as I have to wait till he closes down before I get him. I have now kept him company every night for a week, but to make sure of his identity I decided to lose further sleep last night, end at 2 a.m. he woke the svife up in her bedroom giving his home address with deliberate and unmistnkable delivery. The fellow close on 2B must be his brother by the sound of things, his. announcement I have not so far been able to get only partly, but it seems similar to the nin in Tokio and perhaps will turn out to be JOBK. Since these Japs have been around I have not been logging "IBED" till about 3 in the morning, but its all in the game, s0 why worry.-[It was recently announced that Japan was putting on six 10 kw. stations. Amongst these was listed JOGIS on 380 metres, which | is just below 4QG at 355 metres. This Jap. is located at Kumamoto. JOWVEK. ix on 890 metres at Sindai. JOBK is on 400 metres, A useful table of forcign stations receivable in New | Zealand is given in the "Radio Listen- | ers’ Guide," which will be published in ten days’ time.-KEd.]J | | Improvements at 1YA. | Handerson: As a consistent listener--in to 1¥A, I'll briefly give you my opinion of the station during the last six months. I refer especially to the transmission. It Nas improved out of recognition and the Auckland radiocorrespondents who suggested in the newspapers that the new operator (who replaced the gentleman who resigned) did not know his job should now make honourable amends. The transmission from 1YA has never been better. I hope that operator stuys at LY. As for the programmes, well, contrary to what the Auckland critics led the public to believe, they have kept pace with the improvement in the transmission. Good Reeord for One Vatve. J. Surman (Auckland: I have been a render of your paper since publication began and have so far never miss: ed a number, and do not intend to so long as they eontinue to be so interesting and so fully and efficiently mide up. I have a one-valve set, and am more than satisfied with the manner and reliability with which il works. Practically the first night I used it, about three weeks ago, 1

picked up 4¥A, Dunedin, and have since had the reception of a number of items confirmed. Besides Dunedin, I have logged 1Y.\, 2YA, 8YA, and 1ZB, and 1ZQ, Auckland, 2\Q, Taihape, 26, 236, 263, 2KY, and 2U5, Sydney, SLO and SAR, Melbourne, 4043, Brisbane, 5CL, Adelaide, and TZ, Wobart, not a bad little list for a one-valye. I would like to congralulate Wellington on the excellent orchestra which has just been added to the studio. I have listened to a number of items by the orchestra and especially enjoyed the two concluding numbers: of Friday evening's programme, namely: "In a Bird Store". and "Independence March," and would like to hear them play "he Watrblers Serenade" some evening; this number is something after the style of "In a Bird Store," and should be very much enjoyed by listeners. ! Like a number of other people, I have read the numerous letters in the *Reeord" complaining about the programmes, and can only treat with contempt such fool suggestions as some of these people write. If they were to take the trouble to look up some of the programmes of a_ couple of years ago they would see the splendid progress which has been made in bringing the concerts up to their present point. In my opinion there is. very little wanting with regard to artists and numbers and parts taken by them. When we think of the very small population of New Zealand com-_ pared with that of Australia we won-| der where the excellent talent for our programmes comes from. In conclusion, I would like to say that I have listened to programmes from all the main Australian stations and have still to hear one better than our own. ¥dentity Wanted. 8. Rt. Ellis (Okato): As I was tun-ing-in KION to-night I received a station on 235 metres, closing down at 6.15 p.m., as follows: "Now closing down. Good-bye everybody." I could not get the call sign-statie burst in the ’phones at the time. Could any listener give me the call sign of this station? I think it must be Yankee. JOAK came through at 1.15 a.m. on loudspeaker strength on 8538 metres on dth, and KIFON came through at good yolume. to-night. Saered Gramophone Music. Stewart Warner (Wanganui): I notice in this week's "Radio Record" that 2YA is to be on the air from 3 p.m. till 4.30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon during the winter months. This, Sir, is a good moye, for which the management: will have the thanks of thousands of listeners-in, Might I be permitted to make a suggestion that the afternoon service be in keeping with the Lord’s Day. I would suggest that sacred gramophone records be broadcast, There are many beautiful ones, If would give pleasure, I feel sure, Sir, to the majority of listeners-in, I trust to see the management give consideration to this. Surely no one will take exception to this, as on five days a week a very varied programme is given throughout the-Dominion, . ~~.

Our Mail Bag

(Continued.) | Christchurch View. J. R. Black (New Brighton) .-I take this opportunity of saying a few, words about the Broadcasting Come pany programmes, seeing ‘that there has been some comment in the papers in Christchurch. The programmes that have been put over the air by all four stationsin New Zealand are of @ -very high standard, and I don’t. know ‘what people are complaining about. I have had my valve set about eight months, and I am highly pleased at ~what the stations have put over the air, If the people who are complain‘ing about the programmes were to stop growling through the papers and assist the Broadcasting Company, it would’ give the company more heart. The new orchestra at 2YA is equal te any I have heard in my travels. There is no mistake, everybody ought to be pleased that 2YA is on the air on Sunday afternoon, and also that SYA has engaged the Woolston Band: In-reference to 3ZC Christchurch being cut out on Tuesday (May 1)' night by 3YA, the criticism levelled ‘against 3YA is very unfair, as 3YA was doing something out of the way for listeners-in by rebroadcasting -2YA’s new orchestra. My opinion is that 3¥A was quite justified, as it is very seldom crystal set owners get 2 treat from 2¥.A, and, furthermore, 3Z0 Christchurch is not there for the bene« fit of listeners-in, but to advertise theit own records in order to get If they were there for the benefit of listeners-in, they would put on local talent instead: of records. The Broadcasting Company has my support to the last, as there is no mistake they, are doing their best for listeners on the whole. Mr. Ellis’s Bit of Fun. L. Workman, Adelphi Hotel, Kaikoura: In the "Record" for this week your correspondent S. R. Ellis offers a little bit of fun in asking who is the chanmpion five-valve listener. Well, I don’t suppose I am it, but I can see him off with my little list. If somebody else licks it, good on him. In New, Zealand Vve caught 1YA, 1ZB, 1ZQ, 22, 2YA, 3XYA, 320, 4¥A, 428, 4Z1, Total, 10. In Aussie : 2KO, 2BL, 2GB, 2UW, 2KY, 2BE, 2UK, 3AR, 3LO, 3DB, 3UZ, 4QG, 5CL, 5KA, TZL. Total, 15. In U. S.A. : KFON, KGO, KYFI, KPO, KNRYV, KESD, KNX, wey, ‘WLW, WBBM, KDKA, KFVD, wowo, OXF, KSL-i7. Whale steamer C. A, Larsen-1. Grand total, 43. If Mr. Ellis will allow a shortwave radapter, I can add 22 more stations to the list, making the total 65. I’ll now, watch the "Record" to see my list go by the board to the fellow who ninety or more stations on a loop aerial and no ground. My set is a neutrodyne 5-valve, over two years old. In closing I may say that the 2YA orchestra is the last thing necessary to’ make the R:B.C. service perfect; thd programmes are getting better and better. Wishing the Broadcasting Oe every success.