Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 16, 2 November 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. Address correspondence Editor, "Radio Record," P.O. Box 1032, Wellington.

How Many Licenses Needed? I HAVE a five-valve receiving set, and have paid the usual license fee ‘of 30s. for it. I am thinking of buying a small erystal set for use when my valve set breaks down or when its battery is being recharged. If I bought a crystal set and used it in the same house and room as my valve set, would IT have to pay a license fee for it also? The information would much oblige.Aucklander. [-No, one license only is required in your case.-Kd.]

A Hospital View. [THIS is my first appearance in the Mail Bag" column of the "Reeord," but after, last night’s transmission of 2YA I feel I must let those responsible know how they excelled. themselves. I tuned in at 8.30 (Friday, 19th) and heard the organ solo record of "Polly," then the orchestra played the ever-beautiful "Star of Eve." This number, in my humble opinion, Was absolutely perfect in every way-the way the’ strings came throught was wonderful and lifelike in the extreme. here were no background noises, and it needed uno ,stretch of the imagination to think that one was sitting amongst the players. I use a carborundum erystal set of my own construction, and I have yet to hear a valve set to beat it for clurity, freedom from interference, and faithful reproduction of the characteristics of the various instruments and voices. The station engineers, the players, and the arranger of "’Star of Eve" (Mr. Bellfagham) are to be highly complimented on the performance of this number. I should be very. interested to hear other listeners’ opinions of last night’s reception and programme in general, and must say. that should they report indifferent results it will be beenuse of circumstances over which the station has no control whatever. In reference to the ever-present "jazz -yersus classical" controversy, I would suggest to both sides that more toleration in respect to-others’ tastes would bring about a happier state of affairs. T have been in contact with good music all my life, but can tolerate a certain amount of the jazz type of item, whether record or "personal" rendering. In’ conclusion, I voice the opinion of the majority of the patients in this institution in saying that the football, hoxing, racing (and lately the 25 hours’ broadeast of the Southern Cross epic) have all been keenly appreciated and we look forward to their continuation in the future-‘"Tutanekai" (- ~ Hospital).

, DX Details. PERMIT me to endorse the remarks of Mr. G. GC. Bradshaw re the ‘publishing of descriptions of sets used by DX hunter. As one of the worst kind of DX fiends, I for one would greatly appreciate it. I should also like to point out that the station operated py the Crosley Company in America is WSXAL, not WHXAL. The announcer went to great puins to make this clear last Wednesday week. XOXF is to he found just below 2BL. I use a fourvalve Browning Drake, aerial 140ft. long, 35ft. high, earth, pump bore 35ft. deep. In conclusion, I would like to tell any other DX fans who may he interested, if you want really long-dis-

tance reception use British parts only.

You will notice the difference.-

B.

D.

Gramophone Appreciated.

THINK the inclusion of gramophone records in the evening programmes an excellent idea. I am hoping the Broadeasting Company will continue to make this a feature of their evening entertainments. Our local artists are quite good, some quite first class, a good many quite second rate, but I think all must agree the artists to he heard from gramophone records are nearly all 100 per cent. excellent. I am quite certain it is the lighter class of music the majority of listeners prefer, and I think if the Broadcasting Company wish to keep the present listeners. and get many more they will consider this. I would like to hear a Wurlitzer organ solo and a humorous elocutionary item (gramophone) — ineluded in each evening's programme.Yours, A to Z (Marlborough). The Flight. ERMIT me to express a word of appreciation of the service given by YA on the occasion of the return Tusman flight. In both broadcast and. rebroadcast from 2BL the results as experienced were excellent, everything coming through as clearly as one could wish. When one considers the long hours worked by all connected with the station so that-listeners should have the opportunity of following the flight fro start to. finish, it becomes obvious that we are under a great obligation, and the achievement undoubtedly offsets many of the imaginary complaints we see voiced oceasionally in these columns. I would like to see also some acknowledgment of the long hours worked by the officers of the Wellington Radio Office, upon whose work so much _ of 2YA information depended.-Apprecia-tive. ane. = wa ew = s ap

Dance Lovers Called to Arms.

SUPPOSE there has been dance musie in’various forms as far back as the world goes, and it is still going strong to-day. (Ask any musi¢e or gramophone dealer what are his best sellers.) Dance music is here to stay. but I am quite convinced that the Broadeasting Company have not tackled this problem seriously yet. On glancing through this week’s programme for 2YA I find Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday entirely devoid of anything like. dance musie, while on Saturday we get one hour of dance music. I think this is a poor compensation for the dance lovers. I’m sure it is high time the company had a dance session from 9.30 till 10 p.m. from one of the three main stations every night except Sundays. Now you dance followers, you pay with the rast. co stick out for your rights.-

Give Us Our Share

Servicing Sets. ENCLOSE a short article from "Wireless Weekly’ of 12/10/28.

The article runs as follows :-‘Radio reception is what you make it. Radio reception is better to-day than ever it was, but few listeners really take adyantage of the improved conditions, and, of course, there is a great deal more to be done. Listeners, in general, comment most unfairly on our proadcasting stations and receiving conditions-whilst actually it is the listener himself who is at fault. A great many people have receivers that have passed or seen their day in early broadeasting and still continue to think they should get good results such as those possible on present-day receivers. If reception is not good, , these people blame all noises due to loose connections, dust, dirt, run-down batteries. and other causes to poor old statie, and yet do not service their sets in the least. Listeners must keep up with ihe times as broadcasting stations do. Improvements and changes in our prondcasting stations are having a marked effect, but old receivers are not capable of the life-like reproduction that is possible to-day. Radio

reception is what you make 10." This article contains very true facts, yet in spite of the great amount of useful information to be obtained free by every listener he still expects his cat ta oc properly simply by winding

eu" . ee it like a gramophone.-

N. C.

Win-

stanley

(Picton).

Can Anyone Oblige?

WONDER if some reader would identify this station for me. Listening last Friday night (October 19) (at 12.20, New Zealand summer time) I heard a station on about 280 metres advertising denim overalls for $1.50 a pair; also some records, and one time he announced that the next musical number on our morning programme would be "Get Out and Get Under the Moon."

T heard this transmission on a > valve set, and owing to static could only get the call letters KL {?). Before closing I would like to thank the Brondeasting Company for the way in which they handled the Southern Cross flight. Carry on the good work.-

A. E.

Ireland

Taradale ) .

Some Human Appreciation. LLOW me to pen a few lines in appreciation of the very great service being rendered to the community in general by the Radio Broadcasting Company, and by your very valuable paper. We human beings, as a. rule. are not a very appreciative species, but it must be conceded that the service from 2YA in particular is absolutely first-class no item of interest even that which appeals to a minority of listeners, is allowed to pass unnoticed, everything being "put over’ with the least possible delay. Our 80s, gives in my opinion the best return that one "in expect in so small a country. Why, we have not the population of a decent city, and yet we have, the: "orowler"’ (who like the poor is ever present) demanding programmes to compare with England. The Tasman flights were a

very great credit to the company, and my wife wishes to thank Mr. Ball in : particular for his very great forethought in "‘eutting out" the jazz on the stroke of midnight. It was. an act of a man who-considered the feelings. of those who, not like ourselves, who « perhaps would not mind whether i was Sunday or Monday, respect the Sabbath, and to our mind was a most

thoughtful act. Sports news, market reports, great visitors, any item at all of interest to anyone is broadcast, and must serve a great educational purpose. The kiddies sessions are "great," the various Aunts and Uncles be they ‘""Gwens," ‘"‘Tobys,’ ‘"Ernests’’, ete., they one and all deserve the utmost eredit and thanks for the great work they so cheerfully undertake. The action proposed in connection with the elections, must be greatly appreciated by all, be they Reformers, Labour or United, all are deeply interested in results, and may I suggest to the "Record" that together with the chart being prepared, they publish the last result of each electorate alongside this year’s candidates. In conclusion let me say, that with a two valve set, home-made at that, I invariably get. 2YA exceedingly weil, indeed, on the loud speaker,.so loud in fact, that one can hear all over. the house, and on good nights fifty or sixty yards away from the house on the road outside, I also get 1YA and 3YA, but not so good, although occasionally 3YA is as loud as Wellington. I am not a long distance fiend, but have had thirty-six stations on my set all told,’ even having KFON and JOAK on the speaker faintly, and pretty good on ’phones, not to mention the Australian ‘stations, a large: number of which I have had and get regularly on the speaker. Flowever, I consider that 2YA is the best of the crowd, and certainly is most popular with my circle of listeners. Wishing you the best of luek and a huge increase of licenses.-

Yours faithfully ,

Well Satisfied

(Hastings).