Short-wave Jottings

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 31, 15 February 1929, Page 32

Short-wave Jottings

R. A. P. MORRISON, of. Brooklyn, writes :- Another new German station heard this week occurred Friday, February 1. Call sign, DHC; location, Nauen, Germany; wavelength, 26.20 metres; power, 20 kilowatts. From information received from Philips Lamps, Ltd. (N.Z.), the station I reported hearing in my last week’s notes, operating on 16.88 metres, ‘their call-sign is PHI, situated at Huizen, Holland. The following item of interest to S.W. listeners is from a late edition of "Science and Invention" magazine: ‘Rebroadeasting a radio "echo." In an experiment. carried on by the General Hlectric Company, phonograph music was sent across the Atlantic, back again, and rebroadcast. The signal was first sent out from Schenectady over short-wave station W2XAD on 21.96 metres. This was picked up at Chelmsford, Hngland, on a shortwave receiver and fed into the shortwave transmitter 5SW, whcih sent its signal back to Schenectady on 24

metres. Here it was picked up by another short-wave receiver and retransmitted by station WGY on the 319 metres wavelength. It was a decided novelty for broadcast listeners to listen in on the radio "echo" after it had twice crossed the Atlantic Ocean. © The experiment was carried on between the hours of 11.30 and 1 p.m., ©.S.T. The signal, when rebroadcast, was noticeably free from static and interference, due to the fact that it had been transmitted on the shorten wavelengths. The engineers in charge have succeeded in sending over WGY’s wavelength the Wnglish rebroadcast of their own short-wave station output successfully a number of times. My log for the week is as follows :--

Friday, February 1. 6.45: 7LO, South Africa, could just be heard at R5. % am.: 5SW a lecture was in preogress, the signals coming through about R6. 7.30 p.m.: DHO, Nauen, Germany, duplex telephony test with PK2MH, Sydney. This test was one of the best duplex tests I have heard so far. The test began thus: "Hello, Hello. Nauen calling. Hello, Hello. 12345678 9. Hello, Hello, Sydney. We will play music. 2ME come on," etc, Anda little while afterwards, "2ME calling. Hello, Hello, Nauen. Here is Sydney. Hello, Hello." "Hello, Hello, Sydney. Yes, this is Nauen; what is your time now?" 2MBE replied, "It is now 6 p.m., Sydney time." DHC replied, "It is now 9 a.m. here in Germany, and it is very cold, about 26 deg." Some comments were made about snow. DHO said, "Do you hear me a little better than yesterday? Your signals are very low. Could you give me a little more power?" 2M¥BH increased power. Nauen replied,.""That is a little better. Could you talk a little in the German language?" He said, "I cannot understend yous your power is very, low" (a,

little more strength from 2ME). Nauen replied that that was much better, and. asked how great was 2ME’s power in kilowatts and how great. was your. sender. — . 2M replied, "12 kilowatts." Nauen replied, "Thank you," and "We are sending to you with 20 kilowatts. Can you tell me how great in_ kiloeycles is your wavelength. Hello. will you speak a little louder? Hello, Yes. I cannot understand you. Please will you speak a little louder? Hello, Sydney. I do not hear you." "Yes, Sydney," 2ME replied, "10520 kilocyeles," "one moment," said Nauen. "Hullo Sydney, our wave is 26.20 metres, please will you tell me, will we continue next week? What do you say to telephony in the morning, Hullo, Hullo, Sydney." "Yes, that is great, our conversation is good.. Hullo, Hullo, Sydney, yes, Nauen speaking" (at this part of the transmission another announcer spoke and I think probably this speech was coming from Berlin per telephone line to. D.H.C. studio).

"Hullo, Hullo, here is Berlin, Hullo Sydney, are you English or Australian born, are you a European or born in Australia" (I did not hear the reply to this; very amusing for all that.) "Hullo, Sydney, I cannot understand you, one moment, please. Hullo, your voice is very bad now, I think we will finish now and continue to-morrow, Monday, at 7 am., G.M.T. Hullo, Hullo, I will read for you, yes, yes, Nauen speaking, we will continue in the morning at 7 a.m. G.M.T., I cannot understand you, will you speak a little louder." Nauen asked 2MB if they would send through a cablegram to their receiving station at Nauen. "Hullo, Hullo, Sydney; yes, thank you, good-bye," and here the transmission concluded.

Both stations were at good strengtn, 2MB, R8, and DHOC, R7 to R8&. The German station spoke very plainly, of course, sometimes not in the best of English, and while DHC was not speaking to Sydney you could hear them walking about the studio and talking to one another. . 9 p.m.: W2XG on word test, R8. 10.15 p.m.: ANE, Java, was on the air, but was silent when I picked them up. Saturday, February 2. 4 pm.: PCJ, Holland,. was heard, the best I have heard him for some time; strength was from R6 to R8, and some very enjoyable music was heard. 6.15 p.m.: On 31 metres a foreigner was heard with one or two items of music and speech was in the French language, but I failed to get his eall letters; he was only heard for 15 minutes; strength at R7 to R8. 7 pm.: RSR, Germany, was heard with a great deal of talk, but not music; signed off at 7.20 p.m. 8 p.m.: DOR, Germany, 41 metres, talking much, at R8. . 12 midnight; ANH, Java, records, Bi,

Amateurs heard: ZL2AW, Wellington, and ZL3A¥F, Christchurch. Sunday, February 3. $3.15 p.m.; W2XAKF was at R4. I listened to them again at 4 p.m. and they were on with their usual dance programme; strength increased from R7 to R8 before closing down. KOKA was very weak in the afternoon, so did not trouble ‘them much. 6.15 p.m.: KDKA, Pittsburg, was heard with their special programme to Commander Byrd and comrades, sending messages, also musical and vocal items. One good item was by a scout, Mr. McDougal, a song, "On the Bonnie Banks of Clyde." He also told some Seotch stories and afterwards sung one of Harry Lauder’s songs. KDKA mentioned that their signals were being well received by the City of New York, a radio being sent from them, and also stated if any of the Byrd expedition wished to send a message per radio they would be only too pleased to rebroadcast it for them. The messages sent to the expedition are many like this one:-‘Dear John,Many thanks for your letter. Best of luck. Hoping you are well. Love." This transmission concluded at 8.20 p.m. New Zealand time.

Monday, February 4. 6.45 a.m.: Foreign station heard on 87 metres, but was not strong enough to get call. R5 to R6. 7 a.m.: 3L0O, Melbourne, 31.6 metres; usual programme; strength K8. 9.30 p.m.: RFM, Russia. This station has fallen back in strength again and was only R6 this night. . 11 p.m.: PCLL, Holland, was heard playing records, R7 to R8. Tuesday, February 5. 6.30 a.m.: 7LO, South: Africa, was too weak to-listen to; 'R4 and with 5s.w. I did not trouble. -8.20 p.m.: DHC,-Nauen, Germany, was conducting another test with 2ME, Sydney. Strength was good from both stations; R& . 9.15 p.m.: REM, Russia; very weak, R6. . Wednesday, February 6. Did not listen-in this morning. 7.30 p.m.; DHC, Nauen, Germany. Another test with 2MBH. I listened-in to the whole .of this: test and it was even better than the other tests I have heard from them. They concluded at 8.55 p.m.; both stations at R8 to R89. 2MH was subject to a little fading. 10.45 p.m.: 2ME conducted a duplex test with ANB, Java. ANE, who was R7, and 2MH, R8& to R9. ANE conducted another duplex test with PCLL, but I did not listen for this.