Our Short Wave Corner

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 22 June 1928, Page 16

Our Short Wave Corner

Me BE. W. SELLENS writes:- f here is not much variety in shortware stations heard just now. Two old friends were heard again this week, who, as far as I am concerned, have been silent for some time-Au Japanese and RSR (Germany). The early morning is not so good now for distant (European) reception. SSW is seldom loud enough to clearly understand up to 7.380 a.m., when I close down. POJJ also is much weaker than usual, and is seldom strong enough for the speaker much before 7.30 a.m, . Saturday, June 9. 5SW was fair phone when tuned in, but too unsteady to follow a talk which was on. I went home for a short time to hear the arrival of the Pacifie flyers at Brisbane. Reception was spoilt by a faulty land line from Brisbane which caused a. loud roaring noise all the time. Volume was all that could be desired, and when talk or music came from the studio, it was very good. Although reception from | Brisbane was so bad, most of the talk, was intelligible enough to follow what: was said. 2XAF on, 314 metres was audible at 12.45 p.m., but the last half an hour it was possible to hear all that was said three or four feet from the loudspeaker. A Morse station was interfering most of the time. PCJJ on 314 metres commenced their weekly special transmission for reception in Australia and New Zealand with the National Anthem. They then enlled various towns and States in Australia, announcing that this was a special transmission, etc., from 4 to 6, Greenwich mean time, asking fer reports to be sent to their Sydney office. ¥rom 3.30 p.m. fill 4.50 p.m. reception was good loud-speaker, the loudest yet received. After this streng!h gradually decreased. After about 6 p.m, it was too weak to bother about. As soon as the volume went off a little, oscillating valves spoilt reception. Sunday, June 19. "2XAL was spoilt by a howler who stuck on him all the time till 3 p.m., when he probably decided that short waves were not worth while and left in favour of 2YA. Directly this interference ceased, music. was good speaker strength till 3.30 p.m. when they closed down. . Piano solos and orchestral items by the Hotel Orchestra were heard from the Wentworth Hotel, Albany, New York. The programme was broadcast: by WGY, Sechnectady and WMAK. |! Buffalo. | "At 9.40 p.m. I tuned in REM, when | , a@ banjo solo was coming through very" good, but they went on to their fasourite stuff-talk-directly after. Monday, June il, | -2ME on 32 metres were testing just sefore 6 a.m. and "went over" to 3L0 bn the hour. | . During the news session the speaker stated that through the A.W.A. the result of the Derby was in the "Guardlan" office 1-10th of a second after jhe winner had passed the post per keam wireless. Reception was good speaker with intense fading, Tuesday, June 22. Phe carrier of SSW was audible at 3.30 a.m. and a voice too weak to unlerstand. At 7 a.m. an orchestra was just audible on the speaker, and at 1.30 am. a pianoforte item was fair peaker strength. On about 24.5 metres (just above jSW) our old friend "Au Japanese" yas talking with at’ short intervals, ‘Allo, Allo, Au Japanese." Strength was very good phone. Wednesday, June 13, ‘PCIJT was fair phone at 5.30 a.m., but reception was spoilt by a rushing noise and static, Volume increased to good phone by 7.30 am. "Au Japanese" was again heard, but much weaker than yesterday. Nothing but talk. SSW was not audible at 6.30 a.m., but was fair phone strength at 8 a.m., when 9 talk was on with short pieces

of-music interspersed, as though the music was to illustrate some period. Shakespeare was mentioned during the talk, but reception was too unsteady to follow properly. 2AW and 2B0, both of Wellington, were testing on telephony during the evening. Thursday, June 14, At 6.15 a.m., on about 42 metres, a foreign station was picked up, which proved: to. be -RSR, Germany. Once "Achtung, Achtung -- Orchestra" was heard, followed by an orchestral selection, After another "Achtung" a lady sang. accompanied by the orchestra. Clapping was heard at the end of the item. Mach item was preceded by the call "Achtung," followed by some German’ talk.: ‘At 7.30 a.m. a longer announcement was made, including some- broken -ingHsh, which was not food enough to follow, but something about days of transmission, etc., the call RSR was given, being repeated. Both speech and music was very clear and steady, and received at fair speaker strength. SSW sum. was amndible, but too weak to be infeiligible. _ Friday . dune 15, sSW again was too weak to understand at 7.30, though stronger than an hour before. POJJ was tuned in at 5.45, a.m.,.when a long talk was in progress, all foreign. After this followed what, appeared to be a relay, not any call being heard between the items, which consisted of solo and concerted items, with an orchestra. Volume was very: weak at first; but improved all the time, and was very good phone at | 7.30 a.am | RFM was heard in the evening. ‘The past week or two has been bad for DX on the short waves, and static has been very bad, and most signals heard have been weak, Although I always go round the dial after 2YA hasClosed down, not one Aussie has been heard of Inte, or Zedders, except local hams.