Short-wave Jottings

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 30, 8 February 1929, Page 32

Short-wave Jottings

Mr. A. P. Morrison writes: O far this week two new short-wave stations have been heard by mea Dutch station, wave-length 16.88 metres, and a German station on approximately 41 metres. Portuguese Station. "THE following items of interest to \ S.W. listeners are from the latest American "Radio News" :- Pioa, Lisbon, Portugal, is the call of a FPortugeuse experimental station ‘broadcasting around 45 metres. An- ‘ nouncements before and after each number of the programme are made in Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, and English. Kiffel Tower SW Station. Hiffel Tower, Paris, is now conductfing experimental transmissions on 31.1 metres in the mornings and afternoons. A good many correspondents report in "Radio News" of hearing the Canadian SW station CJRX, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Probably this is the Canadian SW station heard by many New Zealand SW listeners. By its latest list of SW stations in the world given by "Radio News" their wavelength is given at 25.60 metres, power 2000 watts. We read with interest in our papers this week of the record two-way communication between the Byrd expedition and "New York Times." Probably the Pittsburg station KDKA will zo one better shortly, because while listening to RDKA a week or so ago I.heard the announcer tell the Byrd expedition that if arrangements could be made they would try out an experiment with duplex telephony with them, but nothing definite was said, and I think this could be accomplished quite easily, because these duplex telephony tests carried out by PCLU, Holland, and ANB, Java, are wonderful. I think it is as easy for these Dutch people earrying out these tests as conversing over the ordinary telephone line; anyway, it will be interesting to listen into this experiment. A thing that puzzles me is that in every list of SW stations published in different radio books, South Africa {s stated to have a SW station call sign JB situated at Johannesburg, and I also have read in an English radio magazine where this station has been heard in Bngland, and also two different SW fans heard this particular station, and then we read a report in "Radio Record" from a correspondent that there is no such station in South Africa, and has a letter to that effect, and this station started operating since that information was received. My log.for the week is as follows :-~ Friday, January 25. 6.30 a.m.: TLO was heard, but very weak. R5: The power of this station is not great, being only 4000 watts, so you cannot expect very much from that, although at times he is very good. 7 am.: 5SW, strength about R6. I have noticed lately some mornings he cannot be heard at all; no doubt as (goon aa the winter comes along he will

be heard with better strength on the morning transmissions with us. 7 p.m.: RSR, Germany, heard at good strength, R7 to 8, but mostly talk. 9 p.m.: PK2ME Sydney was testing duplex telephony with VPD Suva. Strength was very good, R8. 9.10 1: VPD Suva was on 16.9 metres -. R8 to 9. _ 9.80 pm.: RFM Russia was at R8, talking. As usual an item of music now and again. 1" .,ja.: ANE Java was heard playNY i+: ords at RS. No sign was heard of Pees Saturday, January 26, 4 p.m.: PCJ Holland, with his usual Australian and New Zealand programine. Different ones were called. Mr. Sellens was mentioned. Strength was R6, but increased to R7, and then faded out to about R5 before closing down. 9 p.m.: RFM Russia, strength R8. 12 p.m.: The mysterious 41 metres and 52 metres station I have reported before. I belieye one to be a Russian and the other German. Before closing down, the station I reported on 14 metres last week was heard again, much stronger this time, but still a little weak to get his call sign. Sunday, January 27. 3 p.m.: W2XAF, His carrier wave was just audible; did not listen for him again till 4 p.m., when he was about R6. He increased to R7 before closing down, He signed off at 12.5 a.m., his time, and stated before signing off he would be on the air again at 10.30 a.m. to broadcast a religious service. 4.15 p.m.: KDKA was heard, but was too weak to bother about. REM was heard in the evening with a little music. 8 p.m.: American station heard on 80 metres, and again on 52 metres, testing. He was at good stréngth, R7 to 8, but modulation was not at its best, and I believe it was WLY. I notice by "Radio News" that the 3XN Whippany, New Jersey, short-wave station, has its equipment transferred to WLW Cincinnati (this station was heard by me but once), so probably we may hear more of this station now, because before it was only for experimental purposes. Monday, January 28. 7 a.m.: 8LO Melbourne, usually 32 metres, but he gave his wavelength as 31.6 metres this morning. Chimes were heard from the studio, 5 a.m., Melbourne time, afterwards music. All items strength R8. 9 pm.: RFM Russia, R6, much weaker than usual. * 9.15 p.m.: A new Dutch station was heard on 16.88 metres. Orne of the finest receptions I have heard from Holland. A lot that was said was understood. He .stated transmission would be Mondays and Thursdays. He asked for reports on transmission re strength and modulation. One item of music was "My Blue Heaven." The transmissjon: was absolutely perfect, and his strength was R9 right throughout, and he was still going- when I

closed down at 11 p.m. Probably in my next. week’s noteg I will have the call-sign of this station. Tuesday, January 29. No short-wave stations were heard in the morning. ' 8.80 p.m.: A German stotion was heard on 37.55 metres. | ' ‘an item of music was heard. séuld talk for 15 minutes, and then there would be an interval of ten minutes, when he would talk again. His call sign was heard a good many ti: as experimental station DOR Nh on, Germany. For some time he wa: speaking of Russia, and also mentioned about a short-wave station in Germany being heard all over the world. His signal strength was very strong for the first hour or so, but faded out from R9 to R3 at 10.30 p.m. | Wednesday, January 39. 6.30 a.m.: TLO heard with records, strength was a little better than usual. R6. No sign of 5SW, Chelmsford. 3715 am.: PCLL, 37 metres, was heard at great strength, R9, with music, some items heard were "Rose Marie," "Stars and Stripes," Gems from "No, No, Nanette,’ and many others. His programme continued to very late, still going after 10.30 p.m. My. Sellens told me over the telephone last night that PK and MH, Sydney, carried out a duplex telephony with a German station, this test I did not hear because of listening to PCLL, the German station was heard on 26 metres, I believe. 9.45: PK2ME was heard on a duplex test with ANE, Java, both stations were at good strength, but ANE was fading a little, R8. 11.80: The German station as reported before was heard again on 41 metres. DOR, Nauen, Germany, was given many times; strength was R7. ANB, Java, was heard ealling PCLL, after completing their test with 2ME, but I did not hear PCLL reply. Thursday, January 31. 7 a.m.: The carrier of 5SW could be a but nothing else was heard from I forgot to mention, on Wednesday morning, at 6.44 a.m., a carrier was heard on W2XAD’s old wavelength, but I am not sure if it was W2XAD or not. Since he changed his wave I have never heard him. Would some s.w. "fan" report if he has been heard on his new wavelength? Did not listen-in in the evening.

Short Wave Reception

HADERS perhaps have little idea of the radio sport that is gradually coming to them down on the shorter waves. Up to the present there has been so little to listen to, except Morse code, that a set seemed hardly worth while. But now very many stations are broadcasting on short waves from North: America, Chelmsford, Wngland, Holland, and Australia; Germany is

just completing a powerful short wave . station from which programmes will be broadcast to the whole world. A particularly strong station is the one in Eindhoven, Holland, which puts on regular programmes for reception in distant parts of the British HWmpire. This station is more widely heard than any other short-wave station in the world, according to many reports. © Being able to get distant places lik these usually makes one think o super-priced receivers of many valves totally out of the reach of the ordinary person. But thanks to the gift of short ware this is not the case. ‘Short wave receivers need only cost one quarter of the ordinary broadcast receivers.