Our Short Wave Corner

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 51, 6 July 1928, Page 16

Our Short Wave Corner

PRESSURE of work combined with an attack of influenza has prevented Mr. F. W. Sellens devoting time to listening this week, and consequently no detailed report is available, . On one afternoon, however, he did hear the concluding portion of 2XAF broadcasting the Democratic Convention from Houston, Texas. It was announced that this was being broadcast through so comprehensive a chain of stations that the whole of the people of the United States were able to hear the proceedings. The Convention continued till 3.3 a.m. Eastern State and daylight saving time, so that they made a proper "all night session" of the occasion, Defence of Mr Sellens, [2 is, indeed, regrettable that your . correspondent, Mr Olaf E. Stout, wrote what he did about the "Shortwave Corner" in "Radio. Record": and it is still more regrettable you, Sir, allowed the matter to be published. [As already explained, we exercise our prerogations of supervision as little as possible-IEd.] As is well known to most of those acquainted with My Sellens, that gentleman has been, and is still doing, good work in the interest of listeners. It is a pity a few more ambitious listeners don’t See fit to rise early enough to compile records of shortwave reception. Someone has to do the pioneer work, and Mr Sellens and the others supplying the information contained in the "Short Wave Corner" in "Radio Record" deserve every particle of thanks possible for their splendid efforts, efforts which have been acknowledged by the actual broadcasting stations, as evidenced by the letters being continually received from such stations as PCJJ, ete. If a person happens to be fortunate enough to be able to stay home, alongside his receiver, of course, that listener is indeed fortunate, and considering the hours of shortwave transmission, and seeing, also, that most listeners supplying copy for the "Shortwave" column, are business men, and not retired or wealthy people, they are doing more than the lion’s share of the pioneer work. Had several of us been able to afford the time from 2.30 p.m. onwards we could have obtained the "dope" relative to Mr Hoorvm’s nomination; but, you see, radio must take second place with working men, unless it be before or after working hours. Mr Sellens has been true to the cause of radio, and has the respect of | hundreds of listeners throughout New Zealcnd, and further, has spent many years in listening-in and experimenting with radio receivers, etc, Plenty of people look on and growi at the other fellow; but are too indifferent to lend assistance to any cause; we can all pick holes in the other fellow’s methods, but when a man works definitely with a purpose and will, it behoves us all to help him with our assistance. The reports being supplied to "Radio Record," although reading somewhat abbreviated, do, I suggest, materially assist listeners, and the reports being sent direct to the broadeast stations by the correspondents, plus the newspaper reports, also prove invaluable to the broadcasting companies. If some of us had more time to spare, I am sure we could also help Mr Sellens and the other correspondents by forwarding reports both to the "Radio Record" and also to the broadeast companies. | There are many people who do not like seeing their name in print, and ‘who are very timid when it comes to a matter of signing their name to.a letter for publication; and there are hundres's of people who sit in judgment upon those who work in the public interest; and who never raise a finger to assist in public work; but for a correspondent to come out in the open and say the shortwave reports appearing in the "Radio Record" are "bunk," well, that beats anything I have ever read or heard. Did Mr Stout know that Hoover's nomination was "coming over" from 2XAl at a particular moment? No! He tuned in hoping to hear something from somewhere, and his report might easily have been: "Got 2XAI at 2.30 p.m. faintly, just heard some Yank saying ‘Hoover's in! Hoover's In! and faded out, got them again at 2.30 5-8 p.m., but faded out again at 2,80 7-16 p.m.," and so on. It so happened Mr Stout was unfortunately confined to his house through sickness, and he happened on 2XAT by a merest fluke! I happened to be up at midnight yesterday, Sunday, and, knowing the

"Japs" would be transmitting, I tuneuin my super-sef and had quite an interesting time at loud-speaker Strength; would Mr Stout suggest I am not assisting anyone by stating this fact? There are many who welcome information about hours ani strength of reception. . I admit I haye sat up late, or have arisen early, for. Some specific purpose, and as clear reception over a lengthy period cannot always be depended upon, nevertheless, I consider any information I have had to offer has been of some use to somsone. It was not so long ago I spent several hours taking down the full reports of the N.S.W. elections, and passed this information on to the proper quarters; even that was helpful tu someone; and the same may be said about all listeners; every listener, if he so chose,.could pass round valuable information; and it is up to every listener to see that information is made ftvailable through the medium of the "Radio Record" and Press, where pos-

sible

R. Leslie

Jones

Further Comment, [* your editorial comment last weelx you seem to have correctly interpreted the intention behind my criticism of the matter appearing in your "Short Wave Corner," an intention that appears to have escaped Mr Sellens and Mr Young. Let me make it plain that I cordially agree with Mr Sellens, "that there is nothing very smart in picking up station 2XAF," Any person of average intelligence can, in the course of an hour or so, build a receiver that is capable under proper conditions of picking up station 2XAI, 5SW, PCJI, and other stations mentioned from time to time in your "Short Wave Corner,’ and I have never at any time claimed that reception by me or any shortwave station was "a remarkable performance." My contention was, and still is, that the short wave corner consists in the main of uninteresting and bald statements of fact that might be taken from the logs of hundreds of shortwave listeners throughout the Dominion. I quoted a typical example, but here is one from your current issue: "Tuesdays, June 19, "Big Ben was heard through SSW at 6.80 a.m., followed by a violin solo. Reception was better than usual at this hour. A lady was talk-° ing from RIM during the evening." Now , if the editor would give us from time to time descriptions of the more recent shortwave stations, their location and layout, the technique adopted, the result of experiments in using the new screened grid valves for shortwave reception, experiences with "frequencies changers" used in front of sets haying radio frequency amplification, descriptions of the resulis obtained from a shortwave super-het, (such as that used by Mr. Ray Alsopp, of 2BL), or full descriptions of the matter broadcast on special occasions (such as the "one reported on by Mr. Sellens for June 16, when we are told ‘merely that a speech by from — University dinner was given), then I would say that the shortwave corner would be of more interest to listeners, Owners of receiving sets can, to my ‘mind, be divided into two main classes, First those whose pleasure is derived from the quality of the entertainment obtained. These people are content to tune in to one of the principal New Zealand or Austrglian stations, and to hold that station so long as reception is strong, clear, undistorted, and free from static or other electrical interference. The other class, whom I might term "dial twiddlers," are more interested in tle number of stations that they can log, and so long as they ean hear something, and get the station call sign, they don’t care whether | the entertainment is in Chinese, Dutch, Yiddish, This class very seldom stay long with one station, and, as quality is not a consideration with them, they are quite content to listen even although oscillation, distortion, fading, or interference they would be unable to distinguish between "God Save the King," and "The Wearing of the Green,"’ Tet us hope for the future of radio in New Zealand that the majority of our listeners belong to the first class. I am sorry to read that Mr Sellens is discouraged by a little criticism. I feel sure that no one who has been a regular reader of the radio press in New Zealand, or of our local dailies, ean fail to be aware of Mr Sellen’s enthusiastic devotion to shortwave work, and the time and trouble expended by him in connection with it. I feel sure that his reports on reception to stations PCIJT and other stastatiais are much appreciated by those in charge of those stations, and that he has always been willing to place * his wide experience at the disposal of be-

ginners.

Olaf E.

Stout