Our Short Wave Corner

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 1, 20 July 1928, Page 14

Our Short Wave Corner

Mr. I. W. Sellens (Northland) writes :-- In the last number of the "Popular Wireless’ (England), the following appears, which was first published in the "Radio Record" several montlis Age i"Keyholing Extraordinary." "T note the report that 2 New Zealand listener had the luck to overhear 5°W talking to 2XAD, the former on 24 metres and the latter on 21.9 metres. What made the matter unique was that when tuned to either wavelength he could hear both stations, because while one of them was listening to the other on the loudspeaker his own microphone faithfully reproduced the loudspeaker. Glutted as we are with marvels, I think we still have room for a slight thrill at this incident. Think of the whole process, from the moment the first sound was made by the vocal chords of the man at s2XAD till the reproduced voice reached the New Zealand man's ear, via SSV, occupying less time than the blinking of an eye!" Tis station reported at different times as "Au Japanese" is just as much «a mystery in South Africa as New Zealand, according to an American magazine, "South African listeners have been puzzled recently by a station heard calling ‘Hello Japoni,’ around 82.82 metres. Letters to the "South African Wireless Weekly’ suggest it u. y be Peking, or the Belgian Congo. TWowever, considerable strength of signiu was reported at Cape Town. French ec..versation on radio matters was heard from this station." Ox aecount of the great success of short-wave relays, most of the famous American broadcasting stations, including IKDKA, WGY, WRNY, WLVY, WAAM, and WHI are now broadcasting their programmes on short wavelengths as well as upon the ordinary wave-leugth. The French are experimenting with short-wave wireless at the bottom of the sea, und tests were recently carried out on a submerged submarine in the Bay of Biscay, good strong signals being picked up by amateurs in Englund when the vessel was submerged. For the benefit of the many residents in East Africa, 2 short-wave station is to be erected at Nairobi. PULL, Kootwijk, Holland, transmits every Thursday from 1.30 a.m. till 2.50 um, New Zealand time. The Malabar short-wave — station, Duteh East Indies, is now broadcasting fairly regularly on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from. 12.80 a.m. till 3.30 a.m., New Zealand time. on a wure-length of 17.4 metres, with the eall sign ANP. Necent advice from JOAK states that they are testing on 380, 35, 60, and T0 metres, "Write down --," ete, so often heard from 2XG ave intelligibility or word tests in connection with the commercial Transatlantic telephony system run by the American Telephone and Telegram Company. Within the past few days some trouble was experienced with the smooth oscillation of my set. This, after a little seurching, was put right by removing some dust from the yvariable condenser with a pipe cleaner. It is a good plan to go over the set oceasionally and remove all signs of dust; it makes a lot of difference to the results, The Aurora Australis reported during the past week was probably partly {responsible for poor reception recenty. 5SW has not been heard for several days. This is confirmed by other lis_teners, Saturday, July 7. : here was not any sign of either of the short-wave stations of WGY, which is unusual, either 2XAD or 2XAF hayring been heard every Saturday afternoon for some months. KDKA were broadcasting the "Palmolive Hour," usually heard from WGR’s studios, ° A special programme for Monday was announeed. They signed off at 2.80 p.m. Strength about R4. lrom 3.30 p.m. till 637 pam, PCIT put on a special programme for Australia and New Zealand. AS usual many amateurs were called and thanked for reports. This was confined to Australia, New Zealanders not being mentioned this time. Strength was at the start about R9, and fairly evenly decrease to R8-2 atthe conclusion. There was slight static and short fading, REM was about R5 during the evening, but statis spoilt reception. Sunday, July 8, 2XAF was heard, but something was Wrong, as signals were weak and mushy all through, also very unsteady. This was the experience of others in Wellington. ZAC, Wairoa, was testing on ’phone just below 2XA¥’s ware-length and came in at good strength, at times up to RY.

--- } Other amateurs heard were 3AU, Rangiora (R383); 1FD, WUamilton (R 5-6); and 4NW, Queensland (R 3-4), Monday, July 9. sLO was not heard until after 7 a.m., When to me they appeared « little lower on the dial than usual and very weak, Yuesday, July 10. The carrier only of 55SW was audible up till 7am. At 7.10 pm. a band ras heard on about 90 metres. A call was given, but was not intelligible. They closed down about 7.15 pm. Strength R 2-8. Wednesday, July 11, PCITJ was about Ri at 5.3 a.m., but from then till after 7 a.m. not a sound was heard. A friend who got them just after they started again heard some mention of apology, so probably they had a breakdown. Vrom 7.15 a.m. till 7.30 a.m. strength was quite weak, about R83-4. They closed with the Dutch National Anthem at 7.39 a.m. The only stations heard during the evening’ were 2Bl and 4YA on harmonies, which were more clear and stronger than usual. Thursday, July 12. At 10 pm. an orchestral selection from RIM came through well at about R5, but a Morse station spoilt reception. | Friday, July 13. PCIJ was very weak, about R2, at G6 am. and increased to R6-T at, 7.30 ai. Not any announcements were heard. They appeared to be relaying the progriumme, which consisted of some very fine vocal music, both solo and concerted numbers. Some jazz was heard toward 7.80 a.m, RM came in very well after 10 p.m. Plenty of talk, but some fine orchestral selections as well. R5, 2BI and 2AH, both of Wellington, were heard testing on the 80-metre band. Another Interesting Letter. IIIS last week or so short-wave reception has been yery good with me, all stations coming in with good strength. PCJJ, the Dutch station’s Saturday afternoon transmissions are la treat to listen to. Their transmis-

{sion of Saturday, July 7, I listened to | right throughout, their programme consisting of gramophone items, calling Australia and New Zealand, and thanking different ones who have been good enough to send them a report on their transmissions. Mr. Sellens’s name I have often heard mentioned. I am looking forward to their relay of the Olympic Games, and trust it will be well received here. I notice 2BL Sydney is also to relay this short-wave event. On Sunday, July 1, after 2XATF closed down, the short-wave transmitter 2XAQ, of Bamberger and Company, Newark, New Jersey, was heard on approximately 65 metres. Mostly dance musie was heard, the announcer stating they were relaying dance music from the Rip Van Winkle Hotel, New York. The volume was not to be comLnared with 2XA¥, but modulation was. perfect. This station closed down at 4.3 p.m., New Zealand time. I tried for this stranger again on Sunday, July 7, but the carrier ware was only audible, The Cincinatti short-wave transmitter, WLW, came in with good strength yesterday afternoon (Sunday), from §.35 pm. till 4380 pm.,. Wurlitzer organ items being well received, and the programme concluded with dance items from Cato’s Vagabonds, at Swiss Gardens, the last item being ‘I'll Love You a Little Longer." The station announcer gave his time as 12.3 a.m. E.S.T. We are all looking forward to the Heeney-Tunney championship contest, and by a letter I received a few days ago I think we will have three shortwave stations to choose from, namely, OsTAD, 2XAF, and KDICA, and the time of the big fight will depend on what time the preliminary bouts finish. No doubt first-class information will be

cabled to New Zealand from America in plenty of time. Station 2XAD has not been heard by me for some time now, but no doubt he will be on the air the day of the fight. The — last time I heard KDKA Pittsburg was on June 23, on his usual wavelength, 26 metres, being logged at 1.30 p.m., but his signal being very weak I did not trouble him much. My experience of the English aimateux Gerald Marcuse 2NM _ transmissions is that he is always interfered with by a morse station, and find it very difficult to hear anything. I was talking to a friend a few days ago, and he tells me this station is a Jap. beam station, and I think it is a beam transmitter, because it is impossible to read anything, A few words of praise to the New Zealand amateur transmitters who are on ’phone sometimes with music and speech. I had the pleasure of visiting one of these amateurs a few nights ago, namely, 2B0O, Mr. H. C. Dixon, Devon Street, Wellington, and it was most interesting to me to see what some amateurs work with-nothing flash, but they deliver the goods. 2BO i: vot a great distance from me, but his volume is equal to the strength ° sometimes of 2X¥A, The amateur deserves all the praise possible, because it is they who haye pushed short-ware transmissions ahead. I don't want to bring the old shortwave argument up again, but I may state I am one of those knobturners and have been very successful in logging DX short-wave stations, but apart from S,W. listening I am a frequent listener on the broadcast band, extending back to when KGO, Oakland, California, was in its experimental stages being the second in Wellington to hear this famous California station call sign, which at that time was 6X(, Wireless has advanced some since then. From time to time I send reports to the "Radio Record" regarding S.W. stations logged by me (and thank the editor for publishing them), but leave the S.W. corner to Mr, Sellens, the weekly correspondent, and must say his information is of great benefit to the S.W. listeners--A. P. Morrison (Brooklyn). P.S.-The 40-meter station RSR, Germany, I heard on three mornings of last week, but he is like RFM, Russia-it is mostly talk with him, although one morning I heard two items of music,