WELLINGTON RADIO SOCIETY

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 29 June 1928, Page 3

WELLINGTON RADIO SOCIETY

GENERAL MEETING IIE Amateur Radio Society of Wellington held a general meeting in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute on Wednesday evening, June 20. Mr. Byron Brown, the newly-elected president, occupied the chair, and there were about two-dozen members present. Mr. J. Ball, editox-announcer for 2YA, Wellington, was in attendance on special invitation. The following donations were acknowledged :--Mr. Byron Brown, £5 5s.; Mr. D. A. Aiken, £2 2s.5 Captain ©. J. Foster, £1 is.; Mr. 5S. George Nathan, £1 Is. The acting honorary secretary, Mr. |

Jones, read 2 copy of a congratulatory | cablegram sent on behalf of the society to Mr. Warner, radio operator on the trans-Pacific aeroplane Southern Cross during the great flight from San I'rancisco to Sydney. Interference, The secretary reported that a good deal of interference was being caused in and around Wellington by at least three people who were practising amateur transmission in Wellington without having first obtained a license. He had been in communication with the Post and Telegraph Department officials on the subject, and the latter, he said, were fully alive to the situation. Drastic action would be taken against amateur transmitters who were operating during New Zealand broadcasting hours. | More 2XYA Features. A letter was received from the Radio Broadcasting Company stating that arrangements were being made to test the. possibilities of a relay from a Wellington theatre. The company reported that it had not been able to come to a satisfuctory arrangement for the broadcasting of organ music from the Wellington Lown Hall. With regard to the society’s request that the Sunday night sessions be extended till 10 o’clock, the Broadcasting Company replied that on such occasions when matter particularly suitable for proadeasting was available arrangements would be made to continue the Sunday night sessions until 10 o’clock. The secretary of the society stated that he had personally urged the use of high-class gramophone items on conclusion of the Sunday night concert relays, one of which on the previous Sunday had concluded at 9,20 o'clock. The meeting passed a resolution r2newing the Society's request to the Broadeasting Company that the Sunday night sessions be continued until 10 o'clock,

Inspection of Sets. The Society lately asked the P. and T, Department to arrange if possible for the inspection of licensees’ receiying sets at their homes to ascertain whether neutralised sets are correct'y neutralised, with «a view to reduciss the howling valve nuisance around Wellington. A letter was read froa the secretary of the General Post Office stating that the practicability of the suggestion was being investigated, and a report would be furnished in due course. Instances had been reported in the Press in which neutral ised sets were definitely, incorrectly neutralised, and were potent instruments of interferenec with other listencrs, and the committee of the Society after careful deliberation, considered that the only practical method of loeating such trouble-causers was for [radio inspectors to visit the homes of

licensees and t..c unuar sets. If a sar were found not to be neutralised correctly the owner could be prompt served with a printed warning that unless the set were properly neutralised Within a stated period action would be taken under the Government regulalions, Is There Distortion. A general discussion ensved on the subject of whether there was distortion in the transmission by 2YA, Wellington. Mr Byron Brown stated that reception of 2YA at his home in Otaki was of excellent tone, free from distortion, and of tremendous volume. Others residing in and around Weillington reported diversely, Some asserted that distortion was only slight and oceasional, others alleged it was rather frequent and severe, and some said distortion was apparent only in the case of vocal ducts, trios, etc. One member stated that he was informed that there was one good microphone | in the studio, and that the others were faulty, and inclined to blast. f Mr Ball, editor-announcer at 2Y¥A, suid that the microphones were not faulty, but differed in characteristics. The differences of the microphones were corrected in the studios by placing the vocalist nearer or further from the microphone, as the ease demande. She Exponential Horn. One listener reported to the meeting that he had devoted nine months to careful experimentation in tone reproduction, and had built an exponentioi horn according to the most approved design. He found that at times there was slight distortion from 2¥YA occasionally, but his experience led him to believe that 90 per cent. of the complaints regarding distortion were due to the listeners sets. It was pointed out by one member that distortion in reception could be ecnused by power-

line leakages, X-ray, and violet ray equipment, amateur transmission, bat-tery-chargers of the vibratory type, etc. The overloading of the detector valve was also a cause of distortion. A Listeners’ Query. Uprourious laughter was caused by one member, who resides about one mile and a quarter from 2YA, Wellington, complaining in all seriousness that he had to move his tuning dial "fully alf an inch" before he could eut out 2YA, What he wanted to know was "Why, if a station is supposed to be on a certain point on a dial, the dial has to be moyed fully half an inch before the station can be cut out. It’s not right, and I’d like to know the reagon why." It was explained to the member that owing to his proximity to so powerful a station he was exceedingly fortunate to be able to drop that station in only a half an inch movement of his dial. The field of the station was so power.

ful that owing to its proximity shock excitation and the power of the side bands of the carrier wave always rendered it exceedingly difficult to tune out the station without a wide movement of.the tuning dial of a receiving set. In fact, many sets in Wellington would bring in 2YA right around the dials. This disability, however, quickly decreased the further the receiving set was away from 2YA,. The breadth of tuning would decrease in exact proportion to the square of the distance the receiving set was away from 2YA. Coneert to be Organised. A proposal by Mr. R. L. Jones to organise a concert under the auspices of the society for transmission from 2YA, Wellington, was adopted with thanks, provided that all requirements of the Broadcasting Company regarding auditions, ete., are complied with and that any fees required by the performers shall be paid by the company.

The Secretaryship. The acting-secretary, Mr. Jones, asked to be relieved of his post. No one, however, would undertake the duties of secretaryship, so Mr. Jones agreed to continue as acting-secretary until the next meeting. The membership roll of the society was reported to stand at about 330. Short-wave Receivers, Mr. J. Ball, editor-announcer for 2YA, Wellington, stated that the Broadeasting Company, with the permission of the Harbour Board, was erecting a short-wave receiving station on the board’s property on Mount Victorin, for the purpose of picking up’ und rebroadeasting whatever shortwaye transmissions were available from overseas. An endeavour would be made to relay the ringside description or reports of the world’s championship fight in New York next month between Tunney and Heeney.