Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 13, 23 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. .

Answers to Correspondents. "Sotisfied Listener.’-The description of the indoor aerial to which you refer: was taken from the "Radio News," a leading American publication. "Tortured" (Roseneath) writes complaining of the. "Bohemian Girl’ broadcast in terms which we think would be prejudicial to the prospect of further relays of this nature and -as such against the interests of listeners. Listeners, however, may note that this writer enters his "emphatic protest" against that entertainment and suggests that "2YA should have a stab at pleasing the other side of ~ musical taste." Northerner Wants Stronger 4YA. HAT are the Radio Broadcasting Company doing about the promised new 4YA station? Ever since 2YA ‘came on the:air, and the wavelengths were rearranged owners of 5 and 6-valve sets have difficulty in getting 4YA; so what chance have the smaller sets got? Would not the fact of an improved station increase the licenses? I think 2YA is sufficient proof of that. If one looks at a map of the South Island, they will see, the area of country to be served by 4YA, in comaprison with 3YA and 1YA; therefore, why not have a more powerful station-say, 750 watts instead of

500.-

A. D.

Walker

(Dargaville).

A Collection of Overseas Scalps. SINCE ‘writing’ last, my set has been out of commission, but I am back again into it now as deep as ever. This morning, Sunday November 10. I thought I would rise a little earlier to see what was on the air and found quite a lot to amuse me. 7LO.was on the air till 7°a.m., but that brass pounder was in strong evidence as co

usual, although reception was quite good even through him, after listening to him a little I tuned my receiver to 45 metres, and a station was tuned in and after listening to a few vocal and musical items the station announcement was made, being IMI, Milan, Italy. Strength was about R7. This station I will book for again next Sunday morning to try and find out a little more about him. The ‘reception from him was quite good, but was subject to a little fading. | The German station, RSR, came on the air about 6 a.m., with plenty of speech, but for once he gave us some musie. which was quite good. I find now that this station has inereased in strength somewhat and rates regarding volume with any other s.w. station. On Wednesday. November 7, I listened to 2X AF sending out American election results. At 5.15 p.m. for a while, an? then heard a station on 40 metres sending out the same results, but the call sign I could not get. But KGO., California, was mentioned, so think perhaps it was KGO, s.w. transmitter I heard. It seems strange to me that we do not hear some of the Californian s.w. stations, because I believe they have two or three stations working on high power, but to my knowledge one bas not been logged here yet. On Wednesday. ‘November 7, I had quite a record of stations, namely :-- PCJJ. Holland: 5SW. England; 7LO.

South Africa; RSR, Germany; 2X AF, 2XAD, Schenectady; 2M, Sydney ; ‘§6AG, Perth; KFON, KGER, KNX, California; JOAK, JOBK, JOIK (JH BB s.w.), Japan; six Australian; three New Zealand; total, 24. 2XAF and 2MB testing duplex telephony, have been heard’ a number of times; and haye been quite good. The Canadian as reported being heard, belongs to James Richardson and Sons, Ltd., Grain Exchange Buildings, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is a Canadian. Marconi Company ontfit on the nineteenth floor of the building, 2000 watts, 27 inetres, call-sign HT. | The Loveless aerial described in the "American Radio News" and also in the "Radio Record’ -being always interested in something new, just for an experiment on s.w. I tried this aerial out and found it to be an absolute failure boti for s.w. and also on its broadeast band. I could receive much better without an aerial at all. Like most of these wonder aerials and such like, they usually turn out a frost. all the same, I bet there has been a few miles of Bell wire sold lately somewhere. I have been much interested in the relays of s.w. stations by 2YA, and in my opinion, some have been successful and some not, and on.two or three occensions when 2YA has been relaying PCJJI and 5SW, the reception has been subject to a lot of interference, probably from power lines and such like, but it was surprising to me to read in one of the daily papers that the relay by New Zealand stations of 55W on the event of the Armistice Day celebration; in London, Was nc. successful. My reception of 5SW_ on Sunday night from 10.380 p.m. was the best I have ever heard from 5SW. In all probability my success was this, I have just erected a .ew aerial, the approximate height being when first erect 100 feet. and on receiving at that height I found reception was no better than received on my old aerial of 50 feet, but when the high winds were on last week, it brought the pole down where the far end of my aerial is attached. The pole was erected again, and I brought my aerial down about 10 feet, which gives me now 90 feet, and I find now signal strength has increased 50 per cent. to, what it was &

before. One could hardly credit it, that decreasing the height of the aerial shonld make that marked difference,

put ‘such 1 was the case.-

A. P.

Morrison

(Brooklyn ).

A Voice from the Backblocks. Dear Sir,-I take the pleasure of, writing this letter to you ("Radio .Record’) and thanking you for the past week of enjoyment which I have, received from my set, despite the racing ban. Being away in the hills and away from town life, I can assure you that the radio has brought town to us and made distance seem very small. IT had the luck to get the Melbourne Cup description very. well when it was finally relayed. I wonder how many New Zealand Racing Club people were’ turning the dials on that occasion. I hope they were few, when they ban the farmers and those in hospital from getting the running description. They say that broadcasting the races incline people to go for illegal betting. In my opinion-that is, if one can form one — as long as there are people on this earth and horses racing, illegal betting will go on, and, what is more, it went on before the radio came to us, and it will go on after it has gone. Let us hope in the future that the Broadcasting Company will be able to give us the full race meeting from the course. I much appreciate the goods we have been having from 38YA during race week. One good thing, there is not a ban on the election night. I will be up and at it from start to finish, as it would be a good week perhaps before we got the full details. Taking our programmes right through they are O.K. A mouth organ solo more often ~ would be well in its place, as they come through as good as a band of mouth organs. There has of late been a good deal of background music from 1YA in their news and report hour. Could you let me know what that is, as it sounds ~ as if they are getting ready for the concert at 8 p.m. at 1YA. All stations ave been O.K. of late as regards programmes, and I hope you will continue to do the good work.-Backblocks. P.S.-The Leckie and Radford bout was one of the finest boxing matches I have had the pleasure of tuning-in (thanks to the sports announcer). «© ‘ Various Points. N the "Record" of November 9 you mention the tests carried out be- tween 2ME, and 2XAF. I picked up one of these tests on my six-valve receiver on the loudspeaker at about 280 metres. Would this .be a harmonic’ We heard the American announcer quite plainly, and also music from OXAT, as well as the conversation between the two stations. The volume

was very good. [Yes, that would be a harmonic.] I also noticed a complaint regarding 4YA. It is certainly a hard station to pick up, and it is very seldom that we can hear any items on the speaker. On the other jaand, I get very good volume from 27K Palmerston North, and 2ZM Gispone. [Of course, they are a little closer than Dunedin.] Another point. that was stressed by one correspondent was the poor quality of the afternoon music. I cannot agree with him. Regarding 1YA, the selection is very yaried, all tastes being catered for. As the announcer has a few thousand listeners to please, each with different likes and dislikes, he has his work cut out. Personally. I would like to hear a little less classical music, as I am like the man that preferred "music with tunes in it.’ How about a few more yocal duets? In conclusion, I would like to make two suggestions. Firstly, what about a midday session from the big stations? ‘Whatever the farmer is doing he is usually handy to the house at dinner time, whereas 3 p.m. finds him at work. The other suggestion is that the racing authorities adopt "pro bono publico" as their motto, instead of "pro bono racing

finance.’-

Northlander

(Whanga-

rel ) .

10-watt Aussie Heard. AS anyone else received this station, 8RI, Melbourne, wave-length 230.6 metres, power 10 watts? I received the station on September 7 at 1 a.m., N.Z.M.'T., and this is the letter I reecived confirming my report: "I have much pleasure in confirming reception of this station on September 7. As 4 matter of fact, the voice you heard making the announcement was my own. I was testing with another experi~s. menter for modulation of speech. "Considering the power used at this end, it speaks volumes for your receiver and the efficiency of the aerial system of this station. Our schedule is as follows:-Sundays, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., Melbourne time, and sometimes week nights from about 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. Thanking you for your report and wishing you further success.-Yours faithfully." The set I was using on this night was .an ordinary three-valve neutrodyne, 1 radio detector, and 1 audio. My log

totals 46 stations now.-

A. E.

Ireland

(Taradale).

Method of Announcing. WHILE appreciating the service of . the Broadcasting Company, we were disappointed in the announcing of 2YA last night. The announcer, when giving out figures, should say, "Six-three-nine-five," instead of "Six thousand three hundred and ninety. five." As it was, there are some districts where we do not know yet which candidate is leading, as it was impos sible to distinguish between "fifty" and "sixty," also between "thirty" and "forty." The regular announcer’s voice is much clearer. We afterwards listened to 3YA, where we had no dif feulty in distinguishing the figures. Which were read as I suggest. Perhaps the’ announcer may take the hint in future. In news items we are not particular about precise English-we ‘ want clearness. With regard to the programmes, the ‘evening ones are all right except that all the items are "anonymous." I do not know why the name of the performer is omitted, but it certainiy robs the programme of a good deal of interest. It cannot be to save time, as

there is usually about 15 to 30 seconds between the announcement and the beginning of the item. The afternoon sessions from 2YA are very enjoyable, though I always switch off when the dance items start. These, no doubt, are enjoyed by some, but I hope they do not adopt the suggestion of your contributor who wishes them sandwichbe4 between the other items, as this would spoil the whole pre-

gramie.

J.

B.

(Wakefield).

Tunes on the Dials. WISH to congratulate the Broadcasting Company on the most thorough manner. they dealt with the broadcasting of the general election results last evening, and feel sure if there is any listener who was not satisfied then they must be very hard to please. Also, I am very pleased to see how the Broadcasting Company is dealing with racing and trotting by giving out the results irrespective of the ban placed on them by the narrow. minded members of the Racing and Trotting Conferences. Can you tell me if the radio inspector is still sfationed in the Hawke's Bay district? If so, he is not dealing with the howling valve parasite that is prevalent hers, as in absolute fairness to listeners Whose sets are neutrodized we should not be annoyed by howlers. and if they are imagining they can play tunes on the dials of their sets, let them play with them when their aerials are disconnected, and so not interfere with others. Wishing the Broadcasting

Company every SsucceSs.-

Oratrix

(Na-

pier ).

iWe are rererring your letter to the authorities.-Ed. | Two Elusive Americans. ON several occasions lately I have logged two American — stations which are new to me, both operating on the same wavelength, viz., approximately 265 metres. They both transmit early morning programmes, which means they are heard here till late in the evening, and on some evenings are on the air at the same time. Although sometimes I listened for over an hour, in neither case was I able to get the complete call (from each I made out some of the call letters), and I should be greatly obliged if some DX fan could tell me what stations these are. One gave the location as Birmingham, Alabama, and the other as Salt Lake City. From both stations items and speech have been heard on the speaker, und on ’phones quite a lot of speech could be made out clearly. I find station. WENR Chicago has changed its wavelength, and is now on about 345

metres,-

Guy C.

Holmes

(Masterton).

2YA’S Harmonic. TUNED it to 260 metres, shortly after 10 p.m., and was astonished to hear the Wellington announcer give the item, and on tuning in to 2YA’s usual number I heard the item, a quartet, being given. My set is a five-valve neutrodyne. I should be obliged -if you could explain what happened, Many thanks to Mr. Announcer for his unflagging efforts to make the relay as interesting 2s possible. His task is not an enviable one. I only hope he gets all possible consideration during these all-night sittings, as the work is hard, as anyone who has done night work knows well.-‘Bush MListener." [This would be a harmonic of 2YA.] A Stranger Near 3YA. (CAN anyone tell me the station I got at about 10.45 p.m. on November

6? We have a six-valve set, and I got the stranger at 28. Christchurch with us is 80. He is also on again tonight (time, 11.15 p.m.). still very

faint, but again on music-

H.

(Lumsden).

[Krom the data given it is dificult to say with any degree of certainty who the stranger was. If may have been KXDM Kirkwood (3800 metres). or 4ZB Dunedin (295 metres).] 4VA’S Area. I NOTICED a letter in the "Mail bag" column signed "WMquality," condemning station 4YA. He stated that the above station is pot received in Central Otago or Southland. I caa not speak for Central Otago, but I can gay, in this part of Southland 4YA comes in well with good volume and very little fading. I would also inform "Equality" that 4YA is our only reliable station in the day time. At one time 2YA and 3YA were received well in the afternoon, but of late they are conspicuous by their absence. Now for the Auckland Boxing Association It appears to me that the above asso ciat? on ‘are not altogether in favour of their fights being broadcast. Quite recently they staged two professional fights, both on a Monday night. J have also noticed the same thing on one or two other occasions. It cer tainly seems strange that their pro fessional fights often take place on a Monday night, which, by the way, is 1XA’s silent night. No doubt the association have their reasons, but at

the same time a lot of listeners are be-

ing disappointed.

C.

G.

(Dipton) .

The Auckland Band. | J NOTICED in to-day’s "Herald" that the Auckland City Council intended to stick out for £750 a year for the right for the: broadcasting ,of the Municipal Band’s. performance. I hope the company will not give it, as I think they could give us a:much more varied entertainment for. the same money. A few more instruments added to our studio orchestra would make it as good as the Wellington Studio -Orchestra, which for real music beats all the brass bands in creation, and for those that like band. music the Salvation Army Band would probably be willing to play for us again. I always enjoyed their music and would like: to hear

them again.-

George Cole

Baker

(Port

Waikato).