Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 38, 5 April 1929, Page 25

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.

The Service Appreciated. AM sure listeners appreciated 2YA’s effort in coming on the air last Wednesday night after the station’s hard luck on Monday and ‘Tuesday nights. The Radio Broadcasting Co. certainly do their best for the public. The children’s sessions at ®YA are very entertaining, and the various "uncles" and "aunts" have endegred themselves not only to the children but to adults also. That cheery and "smiling" voice of Mr. Announcer cheers many listeners, and he is always listened to as a friend. Would it be at all possible to publish photos. of the Studio Orchestra, artists, ete., when space permits? On glancing through an old "Radio Record" I see this was once done. ‘To new lis- ' teners they would prove interesting, Iam sure. With best wishes for your

paper and the R.B.C-

Robpuni

(Puniho).

[Effort is made to publish the photographs of as many artists as possible. -Ed.] , Lively Programme requested. «NOt so long ago it was announced 4 that 4YA would hold an extra "hour dance programme on _ Saturday nights, yet I find, when looking at this week’s programme, not only is the dance hour left out, but humorous night is changed to put in some highclass, so-called music. Knowing that the R.B. Co. can’t please everybody I suggest they should at least adopt one night a week for a_ real good humorous and dance programme. Perhaps it will be said they have one set aside, but if so why should it be left out just when the holidays are here and people like a good lively programme, especially those who find it inconvenient to go for holidays? I hope my suggestion will be adopted in time to say to a friend, "Coming down, to-night; there is a humorous pmnrovramme. followed hv a4 good

dance ?"_

Worth More

(Dunedin) _

A Squealing Cured. A CORRESPONDENT, H. W. Brocas, writes: The following may be of assistance to those situated as I was, away back from anywhere, with a whistling fourvalve set.. I have a four-valve "Browning Drake," which has earned the name here of "Drowning Drake." It has given me enough trouble almost to cure me of wireless for ever. The most persistent annoyance was a shrill whistle when the speaker was pluged in, but which stopped at the ’phone connection. Tf I wetted my finger and placed it on the casing of the second A.F. transformer, it stopped. I tried earthing the easing, but with no effect. I worked out the reason why my finger should stop it but not the earthing. So I took a length of ’phone cord and wound it jumble fashion, taking care that there was no bone end to make a connection anywhere. I placed the coil of wire in the end of the RV. transformer, and connected the loose end to the casing of the second A.F.

transformer. Oh! blissful peace. The whistle has stopped! Brighter Programmes. "THE vast improvement in this evening’s programme as compared with the painfully dismal items which have been inflicted upon listeners on recent Sunday evenings prompts me to place on record my guests’ and my own appreciation of the welcome change. We realise the difficulty of the company in catering for all tastes, but venture the opinion that 90 per cent. of listeners prefer a bright programme such as this evening’s to follow the broadcast of the church service. While on the subject, may I ask if you are in a position to advise your readers whether the company is arranging to broadcast band concerts this winter? Hvery radio enthusiast with whom I have discussed the question agrees that such eoneerts make Sundav evening broad-

casts the best of the week.-

Licensed

[Band musie relays from 2YA will commence on April 14.-]J And Another View. ET me express a few words of appreciation of the programmes broadeast by the R.B.C. Up in the bush here it is a great help to pass the evenings, but why is it I receive :2YA and 4YA at two different wavelengths, as though someone is rebroadcasting? The mock trial of outward bound broadeast by 1YA are indeed a novelty and would be really good if it was not for fading, and some other station interfering. Something like this would he vreat from 2YA. Wishing vou every

SUCCESS.-

T.

R.

(Te Kiri).

[These would be the "harmonics" of 2YA and 4YA. ‘The station interfering with 1YA would be probably an American, KHT or KOMO.-Ed.] Conditions in Southland. HAVB read and thoroughly endorse the remarks of your correspondent "AR." anent "Radio in Southland." Conditions during the last two or three weeks in particular have been wretched. 2YA, usually fairly consistent, has been weak; S3YA has been consistently erratic, 4YA is just so-so, and 1YA strange to relate has been the loudest and most consistent of all, with very little fading.. On many occasions the Australian stations came through far louder than our "locals." Apart from poor reception we have to put up with a lot of mush and power leaks. The writer located one particular leak about a year ago (it was a faulty earthing switch), and lodged a personal complaint with the newlyappointed radio inspector. He told me that he could not do anything in the matter, that the Post Office had no authority over the Power Board. On approaching the Power Board, the heads were found to be away in Wellington, and I could not obtain satisfaction from those here, and was told that such a position could not exist as they knew that the line was in good order ! The impression gained was

that the Post Office officials, with one or two exceptions, consider radio a nuisance and a tax on their valuable time. Our nearest station, 4YA, is about 100 miles air-line away. Naturally you would expect it to be our loudest and best station, but it is far from being that. In fact, most listeners do not bother with it at all. Apart from lack of volume, it is marred by a wobbly wave and fading. It has a harmonic on 230 metres that is almost as loud as the transmission proper. 4YA’s output into the aerial will only be about 250 watts as it is. The regulations governing broadcast stations provide that the wave emitted be steady and free from harmonies. Why hasn’t the Post Office forced the Radio Broadcasting Company to conform to the regulations. In the matter of programmes the "Radio Record" of March 15 reveals the fact that for the week ending March 24, 4YA would be on the air 163 hours, against 323 hours for 8YA! I would like the Radio Broadcasting Company to answer these questions: (a) Why does the Radio Broadcasting Company persist with a station that is a compromise and unsatisfactory? (b) Why does the Radio Broadcasting Company cut the hours of service down to approximately half that of the other stations? (c) Does the Radio Broadcasting Company consider it is providing a satisfactory service for the listeners. of the fourth radio district? (d) Does the Radio Broadcasting Company intend to place that service on a par with that provided for the other radio districts by extending hours of transmission and installing a modern transmitter? (e) Does the Radio Broadcasting Company consider the fourth radio district incapable of further expansion and therefore unworthy of a better service? (f) Does the Radio Broadcasting Company consider that the provision

of a modern station would not be eoincident with an increase of listeners in the South Island? (g) Why doesn’t the Radio Broadcasting Company provide a_ service equal to that obtaining in the other centres. I honestly think that Otago and Southland should receive consideration before any of the northern provinces, because of the great area to be covered and the present inadequacy of the service. I hope that my criticism has not been too "destructive," and that I have not taken up too much of your valuable space-I am, etc, "Shielded Grid" (Invercargill). [Announcement has already been made by the Broadcasting Company that the Dunedin station is being remodelled as far as is possible under present conditions. Advantage is being taken of the erection of the new building of the "Evening Star" to place the transmitting masts there, and the plant has recently been overhauled and strengthened. Under the agreement Dunedin is entitled to twelve hours service per week, and has received far more than this on the average. Dunedin service has not been cut down -it is being given more than the legal requirement quite cheerfully, and no body would be better pleased than the Company if the response from southern listeners would be such as to permit further expansion, which obviously must bear relation to revenue. (See figures of licenses published elsewhere.) ]