Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 32, 22 February 1929, Page 26

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

Dm intel fA'T the Wellington Radie Society’s ‘\ meeting last week a member urged that 2YA, Wellington, should rebroadeast more outside and oversea stations, to lend variety to the programmes, Mr. Preston B. Billing, technical adviser to the society, was strongly against these yebroadcasts. He said that when longdistance stations are picked up a tremendous amount of extraneous noises are also drawn in. He thought these rebroadeasts are not a good advertisement for radio as people are apt to obtain a wrong impression from faulty and noisy reception. OTHER speakers were enthusiastically in favour of the rebroadcasts, especially those of the oversea shortwave stations. Others again criticised the results of recent attempts by 2YA

to rebroadcast oversea stations. Among all these conflicting opinions the truth may be obtained. "THE rebroadeasting of distant stations is at the mercy of natural phenomena and beyond human control. Many circumstances count for and against the success of these rebroadeasts. The governing factors include the time of the day, the wave-length of the distant station, the period of the year, and the eondition of the atmosphere so far as it affects fading and the amount of static. Then there are local conditions, such as howling valves and electric leakages, which may mar the best reception. Rebroadcasts, therefore, have much to contend with.

THE sanest way to deal with these re-broadeasts, "Switch" believes, is to leave the matter in the hands of the Broadcasting Company. The folk of 2YA, Wellington, have exhibited a good deal of enterprise with respect to rebroadcasting, and they have a particularly adept technician to do the short-wave reception from overseas. Judging by the many enthusiastic comments one hears a considerable proportion of listeners favour these "stunt" re-broadcasts. Hven if there is a fair amount of extraneous noise ve-transmitted by 2¥A listeners in large numbers are now sufficiently educated in radio to know that perfection in long-distance reception cannot be expected, and if the feat is not entirely successful they make due allowance.

MAN= hundreds of listeners who own crystal and small valve sets never hear the oversea stations, and it is an attractive novelty to hear signals coming through from distant parts of the world. We must bear in mind, toe, that these "stunt" rebroadecasts are always an extra to the regular programme. When a listener stands up at a meeting and peevishly condemns an unsuccessful attempt by 2YA to give listeners a novelty he is looking down the throat of a gift horse. If we exercised a little forbearance in these matters it would do more to encourage the Broadcasting Company.

[ some of the anti-rebroadeast section could see with what wonder and delight the juveniles who own crystal sets listen to the far-away stations they would not seek to throw cold water on the Broadcasting Company’s endeavours. "Switch"? would encourage the 2YA director to continue these novel "stunts," when conditions are reasonably satisfactory, and thus give extra pleasure to hundreds of listeners. Anyhow, seeing that these "stunts" are an extra, those who do not like them are under no compulsion to listen to them. WHILE there have certainly been failures by 2YA, Wellington, in attempting rebroadcasts of far-off short-wave stations, there have been several marked successes. "Switch" has already stated that short-wave reception, generally speaking, -is rather inferior and disappointing, but it can

be said for the rebroadcasts by 2YA that they come from a very fine shortwave receiving set handled by a gentleman who may be regarded as one of the most skilful short-wave operators in New Zealand. Therefore the reception which is relayed from the shortwave receiving set to 2YA is equal to anything obtainable. Coming from 2YA the short-wave reception is greatly amplified and mellowed in tone. (THERE is rather too much egotism on the part of those who criticise the Broadcasting Company’s enterprise in re-broadcasting distant short-wave stations. Some folk never appear to think of others. Just because the rebroadcasts are not to their liking they

would demand that they be adiscoltinued. With due respect to these gentlemen, "Switch" has reason to believe that if a vote were taken on the subject among the thousands of listeners who tune in 2YA, Wellington, regularly, an overwhelming majority would favour the continuance of these rebroadcasts. HB letter received at the meeting of the Wellington Radio Society from the secretary of the G.P.O. replying to a complaint from the society regarding interference from a warship in port at Wellington, admitted that there had been. interference. The letter, however, stated that "the interference com-

plained of was not by any means serious." "Switch" can only say that if the ship on some future date returns to Wellington and causes the same degree of interference he would convince any official by visiting various listeners’ homes that the racket is intoler-able-in fact, overwhelming. UESTIONS were asked at last week’s meeting of the Wellington Radio Society concerning the idea ot distributing radio broadcasting by means of domestic light and power wires, which has "caught on" in the U.S.A. as a sound proposition. So much so that already one company for its exploitation has been formed, the "Wired Radio Incorporated." This corporation has been granted by the

Kolster Radio Corporation exclusive licenses for putting radio "on the mains." There can be no doubt that the present generation will see the day when broadcast programmes are "laid on" just as gas, water, and electric light are nowadays, but the wireless set which the owner, when he desires, can be tuned to bring in the Australian and other oversea stations will always be the more popular in New Zealand. N officer in the Canadian Mounted / | Police reports that during displays at Baffin Island, where he has listened in for three years, his set is absolutely dumb. The auroras are very wonderful in that region, and it

is to be expected that the phenomend would affect radio reception to a considerable extent. Wellington listeners have observed how reception weakens during nine out of ten gisplays of the Aurora Australis, and even our submarine cables play up at times during some of these displays. WORD of gratitude is due to Mr. Preston B. Billing for his highly instructive and very easily-understood lecture on "electrified-from-household-mains" amplifiers, at last week’s meeting of the Wellington Radio Society. Mr. Billing, although a professional radiotrician and in demand night and day, is always willing to help the society gratis. On the evening referred to he was still hard at work at his" establishment on a tricky job when the meeting started, but he managed to get done in time to hurry off to the meeting to give his lecture. "THE question of B class advertising was received with due caution. The meeting had no particulars of the proposed power of the stations, the hours of transmission, location and other matters deeply concerning the listeners. ‘The meeting wisely allowed the discussion to fizzle out, as there was nothing tangible to consider. No one could state definitely whether the stations were to be of 50 watts or 5000 watts power, or how many hours of concert or canned music were to be observed. a NT