Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 20, 30 November 1928, Page 32

Round the World on Short Wave

Notes of special value to short-wave enthusiasts are contributed

weekly to the "Radio Record" by Mr.

F. W.

Sellens

Northland,

Wellington. Observations from others are welcomed.

Which Station Was That? A R. N. CGC. WINSTANLEY, Picton, heard a station working on about o> metres last Sunday, November 18, closing down at about 9 p.m. Music and foreign speech was heard, with, apparently, a lady announcer. Static was bad; strength fair speaker. Can anybody identify? I did not hear the station reefrred to, but suggest it may have been the first "harmonie of REM, which is often heard at quite good strength on 30. metres. Mr. T. Pascoe, Auckland, inquires about a station ‘on about GO metres. Heard nearly every evening from 7.50 till 9.80 at good strength, clear and steady. He is certain it is not RIM or a Japanese. As this station is transmitting while 2YA is on the air, and is on the Wellington’s stations Tth harmonic, it is impossible for me to hear it, living within two miles of 2YA. Perhaps a reader can oblige. A new station is reported as operating at Toowoomba (Australia). The eall is 4GR. On Friday from 8.45 p.m. till 9.30 p.m. this station transmits on 31.5 metres.

No Earth on Short-wave Work. A short-wave writer in the English magazine, "Popular Wireless," says: "Naturally, I never use an earth at all nowadays for short-wave work. I find that the surest method of obviating hand-capacity troubles is to connect everything on the panel to L.T. negative, and to use only a short beat to’ the L.T. (A) battery, which should preferably stand on the table with the set. Once these few simple pracautions, and others that are best learned by experience, have been taken, there will be no need to play with H.F. chokes, antieapacity sereens, extension handles, and all the gadgets which help to seare the average broadeast listener away from short wayes." The Duteh Stations. MESSRS. PHILIPS, HOLLAND, are now operating the well-known short-wave station at Kootwijk, Holland, using the call PCLL.: The Dutch State Telegraph Technical Department used to operate this station. PCJJ, although schednied to commence at 4 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday, has not gone on the air till 6 am. these mornings during the last two weeks. General. 310, through 3MH, has been heard each evening this week. since Tuesday

from 8 p.m. our time. Strength has been R8&8-9. A Norwegian whaling fleet left Hobart recently for the Antarctic. While in the frozen south, the chief wireless ‘operator (Mr. Olsen) will be carrying out tests in conjunction with 7ZL,. Hobart, and rebroadeasts from the station will probably be heard in New Zea‘land and Australia. The short-wave transmitter, working on 81.5 metres, is on the mother ship, the N.T. Neilsen Alonso. Concerts will be broadcast twice a2 week. There are some excellent vocalists and instrumentalists among the Norwegians, and their singing of the old Viking choruses aud other Norse songs, sent out ‘over the air from the Antarctic regions, will be a unique achievement,

Saturday, November 17. HERE was no sign of 5SW till 7.380 a.m. this morning. Both 2XAD and KDKA were quite weak till about 3.30, when strength. was about Bd, after this they went off slightly. PCJJ were not readable 5 p.m. except for odd words. Just before signing off at 7 p.m. volume reached R8&. A Jap. was heard just after 7 p.m. on about 28.5 metres. Later in the evening RFM was excellent, with musical items, ‘There was slight static. Volume was better than it has been for months, since they were on 60 metres. On their first harmonic, 35 metres, they were R8. Sunday, November 18. Af 9 am, 2XAD were describing a football match. They were only just strong enough to ‘find out what was being broadcast, not enough to follow properly. 2XAF was spoilt during the-afternoon by a persistent: howler, who was spoiling his own reception as well as others. If this person would reduce the regeneration it will clear up the signals so that they are readable, instead of a lot of mush and squeals, and, which is more to the point, allow others a chance of enjoy- ing the music. KDKA was interfered with by a beam station just above, and other Morse.

REM was again very good, but static was rather troublesome, Monday, November 19. 8LO from 7 am. was R8. Musical items, news and election results, were heard. At 9.30 pm. RFM was loud and steady. Static again was bad. Tuesday, November 20. 5.15 a.m., 5SW testing with 2XNAD. Gramophone records and talk. The former was RTS8, rapid fading spoilt intelligibility. The American was about R2. They both closed down at 6 a.m. 7LO. Nairobi, R4. Fading, statie, and

morse spoilt reception. Big Ben at 7 a.m. was R7. The talk following could not be understood on account of rapid fading. At 11 p.m. ANE, Java, at R8, was calling "Hullo, Amsterdam and Kootwijk." Very clear and steady. Al talk was in Dutch. Orchestral items followed. "Another Dutch station was heard at R&, probablly PCLL. The call was not heard. It appeared to be a duplex .telephony test. Plenty of "Hullo" and "Ya" was heard from each station. 8LO was transmitting on 32 metres a programme of old-time songs and dances, calling 8LO, Melbourne, and 5CL, Adelaide. Greetings were sent tovarious places, including Kelburn, Wellington. Wednesday, November 21. At 5.30 am., 7L0, Nairobi, though weak, was, for a wonder, free of morse interference and very little static. PCJJ commenced at 6 a.m. with the Duteh National Anthem, followed by along foreign announcement. Strength was R7-8 at first, decreasing. 5SW was tuned-in at 7.80 a.m., when orchestrai music was heard at R6. Rapid fading was bad. From 8 p.m. 38LO were on at R7-8-not so strong as usual. Volume increased later. Thursday, November 22. 5.45 am., TLO, Nairobi, R2. Slight static. Not any morse interference.

The first few times this African station was heard, signals, though stronger, were spoilt by morse. Now the morse is not so troublesome; signals are much weaker. PCLL was quite good at R5-6, with records. 6.15 a.m., on about 24.5 to 25 metres, our old friend "Allo, Su Japanese," but instead of it. being that, it has resolved into "Ici Paris," pronouneed ."é ¢ Paree," so it is probably FFW, ‘St. Assise, on 25 metres. It was all talk, with "Allo, allo, ici Paris" at frequent interevals. Strength R7 when first heard. weaker later on. oOSW, when giving their eall, ete, just before 7 a.m., were quite readable at R5, but were very poor on "going over" to London. From 8 p.m. 83LO was very clear and steady at RO, Friday, November 23. AT 5.80 a.m., SSW, at R7, and 2XAT). at R2, were carrying out a duplex telephony test.

— | Poss commenced at 6 a.m, strength }- R8. 2ME was tuned-in about 6 a.m., when they were signing off after having earried out a test with PCLL. Strength R9-very clear and steady. The Dut 1% station was not heard, 2XG, Rocky Point, New York, about 28.5 metres, was heard at 7 With his usual "Write down pinat re. etc. It is some months ‘since I hégy this station with their word tests. 3LO at R9 commenced .at::8 p.m. strong generator hum was noticed. — ; At 9.445 "Allo, allo, ici Paris" wa heard at R8, very clear and steady. All". French talk, REM, good strength, spoilt: by static. ANE, R7-8, band music. Later were calling 2M, Sydney. 2MFE calling ANH, Java, R9. . 5SW was late in starting. At 12.38 a.m. the announcer apologised for the delay. Organ recital from London, R8, very good.

Another Report. Mr. J. D. O’Loughlin (Masterton) writes :-On Friday, November 16, at 7.25 p.m., 2XG, Rocky Point, New York, was heerd for the first time for some months. .He came in well through morse and static, at R7. He was on one of ‘his usual word tests, giving 4% string. of words preceded by a request to "write down." He then said, "This concludes list (No. 801." He gave his eall «nd then called JJB, ending up by saying, "Listen for the siren call." A loud wailing screech was heard for two minutes, then: W2XG, ‘in morse, and he closed down. This was on about .27.6 metres. Five minutes later he was heard starting up again on.» about 87 metres. He went through the/ same procedure and closed down wititin a few minutes. Modulation and volume were good, but static was bad. On Saturday, November 17, at 12 pm., the Jap» was coming in good. He was quite audible all over the house. JOAK was heard several times, so it was probably JHBB relaying them. He closed down at 12.45 p.m. On Monday a station was-heard in. the evening, on 29 metres. His ecail sounded like "REFN, Moscow." Piano solos and operatic selections were heard, Amateurs heard were 2A0, 38CM, 2BO, 2AK, 2AB, 2GA, 3AZ, 2GH, 1BI, 3Cl, 1AJ, and OA, 2HC, 3AM, 6AG, 2CS8, and 8CH.