Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 7, 31 August 1928, Page 24

Our Mail Bag

Will correspondents please practice brevity, as heavy demands are now made on space. All letters must be signed and address given as proof of genuineness; noms de plume for publication are permitted. Addresscorrespondence Editor, "Radio Record," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington. —

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A.M.D. (West Coast) and T.W. (Waiheke) write commenting on artists. To publish , these letters would ‘be contrary to our policy of declining to discuss individuals. Complaints should be addressed .to the Broadcasting Company. -Ed. T.M.L. (Otohangi) -Your problem has béen dealt with in the "Radio Record" of July 6, 1928, to which we refer you. There is no regulation by which this can be enforced Ed. R. AS.-The nuinber "Could Lloyd George Do It?’ will be repeated by Mr, Stark on September 21. G.F., Dunedin.-The Japanese stations asked for are JOAK (345 metres), Tokio, JOBK (400 metres) Osaka,. JOFEK (353. metres) Kiroshima, JOGK (880. metres) Kumamoto, JOHK (890 metres). Sendai, and JOIK (361.metres} Sapparo. A comprehensive list of stations available, times, ete., is given in the New Zealand Radio Listeners’ Guide (160 pages), available from dealers or our- * selves, T HAVE a Polar Twin set and am using two 45-volt Burgess B batteries. Would it be more economical if I only used one?-*Twin." If the set will work satisfactorily on 45 volts, then it is certainly more economical to do so. If, after re-

ducing, you find that distortion oceurs, it will be necessary to adjust the "("battery.-Hd. : Sunday Night Concerts. NDER "Our Mail Bag" I notice "Not suitable for Sunday," and as this correspondent evidently.has a set capable of picking up stations between 300 and 450 metres it is a wonder to me he does not do a little "dial twiddling." {t am confident that if he does he will find a station that on Sundays caters well for his needs, and as regards "high standard" it will fill his requirements lovely. J, for one, trust the company see their way to let 2YA still carry on-Wwith the good work. It is the only bright spot on Sunday that we can find. Listeners who switch off can rest assured anything unsuitable for Sunday, accordine to the company’s policy, will cer-

tainly not -be broadcast.

H.F.

B.

Auckland.

S a letter under the heading "Not Suitable for Sunday". appeared in your paper deprecating the broadcast

of the band concerts by 2YA, let me say that is the favourite programme of the week here and to rob the boys who assemble to hear it of -this pleasure would be a crime. It sends us off’ to ped bubbling with merry music. I suggest that the correspondent should at 8.30 p.m. tune in 2FC and get "something in keeping with the day’’-a second service and a second sermon. Cio ahead with the band and the merry songs. If the artists knew the happiness they give in the backblocks they would go on to the tenth encore. Carry on broadcasters and give your critics the first stone to cast.-Satisfied (Mohaka, H.B.). ‘Not Available for Broadcasting." AFTER due consideration I have addressed this letter to "Wellington," though for some time I thought it might be more properly addressed to "Wowserton’; in fact, it was only the bare possibility that the envelope might find its. way to Dunedin that led me to make the alteration.: ‘The nossibility, of course, I will admit was

a yery remote one, particularly in view of the latest super-wowser production from your town. That some hidebound porridge consumer should object to an enjoyable concert being broadcast on a Sunday evening is quite understandable, but that a broadcasting company, presumably controlled by intelligent business men, should be led astray is beyond comprehension. When one considers that a receiving set is a machine that can be turned on and off -at will, the only conclusion from the facts is that these people are appointing themselves honorary sanctifiers of the souls of mankind generally. It can be. confidently anticipated that a Bill will be before Parliament shortly making it a criminal offence to play foxtrots on a gramophone on Sunday.--: Diogenes.

{ AM. writing to let you know how the programmes on Sunday nights from OYA have been appreciated, and at the same time I wish to let you know how disappointed our radio circle here was on Sunday night, August 19, at the "Items" on the programme "not available for broadcasting." Surely the letter of protest from a writer Was not the cause of it, as the non-broadeasting of the races was not felt by one-tenth of the listeners-in as was the deletions from the Sunday night’s programmes. Can it be that Mr. G. Titchener’s humour shocked them-tI think not, as even some of the churches, with meagre congregations, would welcome some of his humour to brighten the service. We trust that the programmes will be proadeast -in- their. entirety, and we feel confident to leave it to the management to continue as they. have done in the past to supply clean and. wholesome programmes and not be swayed "py "wowseristic" motives.-Aerial. | [The items in question were not broadeast because of ‘contract. restrictions placed on certain visiting artists, and not because of any question of the unsuitability or otherwise of the items themselyes.-Ed.t0

Reception in Dunedin. I FEEL it incumbent on me to acquaint you with a few facts that " TY think should be known and be rectified. Of late reception of 2YA by me and many other of my friends here i Dunedin has been very bad indeed}; fading..and indistinctness being the chief characteristics. Not a single item comes in with power and distinctness. What is. wrong? "The people here: have come to the conclusion that the station is not using the power that it did at first, namely, 5000 watts. If this is a faet, you should let the public know and not keep them under a misapprehension. You ‘have material in your programmes which is spoilt in some way or other. A very poor compliment to the talented artists. And this is not on account of my set being out of condition, but is on account of the station being out of condition. Toning vou will be able to alter these

conditions.

D. E.

Booth

Dunedin

[We have made inquiries, and Cath give the assurance that 2YA is being fully maintained on the rated power of 5 kilowatts. Correspondence received from other centres shows that reception has improved since the adoption. of crystal control: and occasions no trouble. In the circumstances. it would seem as if Dunedin is not particularly well situated in relation to 9YA. The satisfactory reception accorded elsewhere shows that the trouble experienced is not due to .2 technical fault in. the transmission.Editor. |

) Programmes of JOHK. As a certain amount. of interest is evinced in the Japanese station JOHK by owners of valve sets, the following particulars, contained in a / letter verifying my report of reception’ in May last, may be worthy of mention in your columns ;- The call sign: JOHK Sendai Hosokyoku. The position: Sendai- shi, Japan.. Transmitter: 8.1.0. 10 K.W.: (Geneya Rating 15 KW. ye Antenna: Height: 60 m., horizontal length 43 m, % . Antenna current: 24 amperes. Frequency: 70 KC. Wave-length: 390 m.

Wiih the exception of two breaks the station is on the air almost continuously from 9.80 a.m. til] 10 p.m. The eyening programme is: 4.30 to 4,40 p.m.:- First General. News Bulletin. 440 to 4.50: Stock market, foreign market prices. 6,0 to 6.30: The Children’s Flour. 6.80 to 7.10: Lecture. 7.10 to 9.80: Second General News Bulletin, lecture, weather forecast, music, ete. 9:30 to 10.0: Time signal, Announcement of programmes of next

aay. , The morning and afternoon programme consists mainly, of talks also. T wonder if many BHuropean residents

0f: Japan have radio sets 2

Guy C.

Holmes

(Masterton).

Quality of Announcements. | T READ with-interest the remarks of Mr. ‘William Ferguson. Whilst ‘what he ‘says is perfectly true, I like the present announcer at 2YA incom: -parably better than others. Mistakles } in pronunciation are unfortunate, "but, "when the perpetrator has a pleasant " yoice and cheerful manner, I am much "more willing .to condo: them. The fault lies: not so much with the ane

nouncer as with the management, which has permitted 2YA to offend from the inception of the station. With regard to the pronunciation of foreign fone in the programmes, it should not hard for the announcer to get some. erudite friend to coach him. I: should be yery sorry ‘to hurt the announcer’s feelings as I quite look upon him as 9 friend and. T am snre he will take

these remarks in good faith.

R.

Stuart W.

Hunt.

Following Megohm’s Advice. JT may be of inteftest to you and to other, listeners: who are amateur constructors to know that the "Screen Grid Booster for Short Wave Receiver" by "Megohm," which I informed you recently. I intended to incorporate with "The Record Short Wave Shielded Receiver," has turned out a perfect success, particulatly.so when using broadeast coils and I can confidently reconimend any amateur constructor wishing to build a set suitable for dual purposes to make one up. To give an idea of the volume obtainable thes "Tjinen Diaphram Speaker" by "Megohm," is the only one- I haye as yet been. able to: get ‘to stand up to the volume obtainable. My log to date_ou the broadeast band using loud speaker only is 1, 2, 8, 4YA’s,. 4ZL, 1ZB, 1ZQ, 2BL, 2FC, 2UH, 2KY, 3L0, 3AR, 4QG. Careful tuning is required as the set.is very sharp, and constructors will find it advisable to use a wave trap. On actual S.W. work I have further experiments to carry out before J. can say exactly what. this machine will do. but from the way things. are panning out, it appears there is. too much, vol-

ume to control.

H. F.

Bashford

Avondale.

Qld Songs. \ HILH I think the New Zealand Broadcasting Company are doing the best they can for the listeners-in, may I suggest that, say, from one. of the stations, say, once a: month, that they put on a programme of old songs -"Home Sweet Home," "The Holy City," "Ora Pro Nobis," "The Star of Bethlehem," and other songs are quite rood. songs, and would be eppreciated

by the: older. and, I. think, by the

younger listeners:

J.

W.

(Otoro-

hanga).

Gramophone Records. J HAVE taken the "Record" from the: first number, and I must say that T have always found ita very instructive and useful. paper, and well worth the small cost per year. Having been a constant listener for eighteen months, and knowing the quality of programme then being broadcast, I say that the company is doing its level best commensurate with its income. The New Zealand listening public must always remember the company has only a comparatively small amount of capital to work upou, compared with that of the Australian stations. Now here is a2 word of well-meant advice, and it is not because I am an Aucklander. If the company will see fit to broadcast more gramophone items of the. public taste, and cut out a little more of the monotonous solos, ete., I believe there would be greater interest taken in the programmes broadcast. I refer nere more especially to the Auckland

station.-

P. H.

Spring

2YA on Banks Peninsula. HAVE found that. since 2YA has been put on crystal control, the transmissions are a long way worse in this district. It does not matter how you tune 2YA no.improyement results: from it. The evening. sessions are diabolical and the afternoon sessions, which were in my opinion the best for tone and clarity, are easily the worst. This is the opinion of several other listeners as well as my own, The Sualvation Army Band concert is the clearest that has beéu for some time. I thought I was going to enjoy 2YA’s concert last night (Friday) as it was unusual, But the transmission was terrible, everything was blurred and mushy. The announcer’s voice and the piano were the only items to be heard clearly. I tried 2YA several times between 8 and 9 p.m. and it was always mush. A strange thing the mush never cleared like it does on other nights. 1YA, 3Y¥A and 4YA came in

clear as a bell.-

A. R.

Gardiner

(Purau).

Two Uncommon Stations. JN April last I (and other listeners) reported reception of Station OXF, Chicago. ‘I.logged this station again last evening (August. 19), the call this time being given as "Voice of Service WENR, the power being the same as previously-viz., 50,000 watts; also the wavelength-viz., 288 metres 1040 kilocycles. (A letter received recently from the owners of the station, the Great: Lakes Broadcasting Co., verifying my report of reception, stated that the new station 9XF would replace the present stations WENR and WBCN.) Reception last evening was far better than in April. The announcer said they were using a new transmitter-which is evidently an improvement, He stated this was a test programme and that there would be another test transmission on Saturday next at midnight, continuing until 3 a.m., Chicago daylight saving time. I first tuned in the station at 5.85 p.m. and listened almost continuously until they signed off at 7.283 pm. For the last hour especially reception was at good speaker strength and very clear, though there was a certain amount of fading. Mostly, speech was clearly heard all over the room. While having tea in the next room, about 28 feet from the speaker, I could hear the music very easily and clearly-this from a station upwards of 8000 miles distant! The transmission: concluded with chimes and a elock striking, but whether this was:a Chicago clock fr

"studio effects" I: was-not able to determine. Last evening I logged for the first time ‘station KFWB, Hollywood, -California operating on 361.2 metres . I notice thé most. recent issues of "Radio News" give the wavelength of this station aS 353 metres.Guy C..Holmes (Masterton). | [361.2 is the allotted wavelength, of KIWB, Los Angeles, California. It is operated by Warner Brothers Pic-tures.-Ed. ] : A Crystal Puzzie. J WISH to thank a reader of your paper for his answer to my inquiry re a station on 1YA’s setting and another. on 2YA’s setting. I would also like to. know who has the best list of stations received on a crystal set and 2-valve amplifier. My list is:-N.Z.: 1YA,. 2¥.A, 3YA, 3ZC, 30M (on 80 metres) and 4Y¥A, Australia: 2FC, 2BL, 2GB, 38L0, 3AR and 4QG.- Total, 12 stations, which I think is not too bad. I have also started to put in the "Pierce. earth system,". and although I have only put in eight pipes so far, I find a good earth as necesSary aS a good aerial. A few weeks ago I altered my crystal set. First of all I had a variable "condenser (.00035) and a 60-turn coil, which used to bring in the Aussies practically every night. Since I have altered it to a tapped coil and variable condenser I have not heard any of the Aussies. Could anybody suggest a

reason.

E.

Powell

(Christchurch).