Short-wave Jottings

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 45, 24 May 1929, Page 40

Short-wave Jottings

i ee ee Ped i i i i Ou short-wave correspondent , Mr. Sellens, of Northland, writes :-- It is reported that a new short-wave station will shortly be testing in Austria, on a wavelength of 49 metres. "Popular Wireless" says that DHE ig the call of the German station working on about 41 metres. This station is often heard here in the early yhorning, usually at good volume. I am surprised to read that Mr. W. YT. Webb (Devonport) reports good reéeption of TLO, Nairobi, recently as the reverse has been my experiencee. Nothjng stronger than a faint carrier has been heard for some time. The following from "Wireless Weekly" {Sydney} will be of interest to all who sten to GSSW, Chelmsford, Hngland :- Some little time ago BCI, Mr. Russell Crane, wrote to the British Broadcasting Corporation giving his views on the BSW service. The letter from the B.B.C. in reply, is very interesting, and is, by the courtesy of Mr. Russell Crane, published here :- , Dear Sir,-We have to acknowledge with many thanks your most interesting letter of January 22, in which you express your views on long distance shortwave transmission. with particular reference to 5SW. In the main we agree with all that you have to say. Since their inception the transmissions of 5SW have been, and are, purely experimental, and we make no pretensions that the station is giving a service; for this there are several reasons. 3. Owing to the difference in longitude between the various parts of the British Empire a service would have to be on a 24-hour basis. 2. It is well known to any competent wireless engineer that a short-wave transmission of sufficient power can be received at a given time and under favourable conditions almost anywhere in the world; but there is a vast: difference between mere audibility and a service which implies regularity and reliability of reception. 8. Given a "service" there still remains the difficult and involved question of ayment for maintenance of the ransmitter, programmes, and copyright, with all its implications. It seems unfair to us that the licensed listener in the British Isles, from whom the B.B.C. derives the major portion of fts revenue, should bear the whole cost of a short-wave station on a service basis, seeing that such a station is practically Useless to listeners in the British Isles. There are three main categories in which we can place those who are interested in a short-wave Empire broadcasting service :-- (a) The "amateur" wireless engineer and experimenter. This class need not be considered seriously, as it is relatively small. ‘b) Those who live in isolated parts of the world, where there is no broadeasting service, such as military and civil administrators, planters, and s0 on. sudging by correspondence and conversations with individuals of this class, broadcasting in any form, would be a godsend, and the persous concerned are not, and would not be, particularly critieal as regards the quality or the regularity of their reception. Some, no doubt, eome under class "A," but these are in the minority, the majority have no technical knowledgé,' ‘and’ ‘look upon their receiver as a means of entertainment and fot as a scientific instrument. (ec) Those, like yourself, who live in tha greater Dominions within the range

of an existing broadeast service, but who would wish*to hear some items of special interest, such as mentioned in the postscript of your letter. The problem of Hmpire broadcasting is intimately bound up with that of shortwaye reception, and the purpose of our present experiments, which you know are being carried out with 2XAD, is to ascertain how far short-wave reception can be stabilised and improved by the utilisation of spaced aerials or other devices so that the chief obstacle, fading, may be overcome. The idea at which we aim is that a short-wave transmission may be so well received as to be "re-broadcastable" throughout the local system in a manner that would not compare unfavourably with the nqrmal output. It is probable that we are very far from attaining this ideal; but the results we have had to date are ‘not altogether discouraging. ¥or instance, we re-broadcast quite successfully from 2XAD the description of the landing of the Graf Zeppelin in October last, and the National Broadcasting Corporation of the United States of America relayed the London programme, received via Chelmsford, through a chain of 40 station, on February 5. You will see, therefore, that our experiments tend towards providing a service that will be of interest to the listener in class"C." Class "B,’ however, has our very sympathetic consideration. We have set forth the position at some length, and trust that the explanation is clear. We would once more express our thanks to you for your letter of January 22, and previous correspondence. BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION. T. C. H. SHAW, Chief Hngineer. This letter put the matter in a nutslfell, and there is no doubt but that the B.B.C. is working hard to overcome the many technical problems involved. Saturday, May 11. Bs BEN from 5SW was followed by the music critic, Mr. Ernest Newman. His talk was 100 per cent. readable at . A piano recital followed, then a talk about the French, after which the latest golf news was given. Reception was very good. PCJ was not heard during the early morning or afternoon. KDKA and 2XAD were both R8, reception being clearer from the latter station. "Half-hours with the Senate" were broadcast from both, the usual musical programme following. ‘ Sunday, May 12. T 11 am., 2XAD was tuned in, when music was quite good at R4; KDKA being R3 at the same time, with a talk spoilt by a H.F. hum. Later 2XAD was relaying dance music from the Crystal Room of the De Witzler Hotel, Albany, A stranger on about 49.6 metres at R5 was picked up. Music and talk were heard, but static on this wave was very bad, too much so to hear the call; by_the voice, it was an American. KDKA after their usual programme put over a special one for the Byrd Bxpedition. At 5.13 p.m. they called WEA, a short-wave station of the expedition, stating that they were ready for the message which was to be rebroadcast. The first message was to the effect that the programme had been well received by the party. A full report by Mr. R. Leslie Jones appeared in last week’s "Record" of this and the following interesting broadcasts. Receptiom was very good from both EKDKA through W8XK and VK2MH,

but signals from Sydney via Pittsburgh were badly distorted, though fully. readable. . WS8XK were also transmitting on 62.5 metres, which at 5 p.m. was receigable at R6. A strong harmonic on 81.25 metres was readable at about K3. This is the first time I have heard the first harmonie of their 62.5 transmitter. REM was R9 at 10 p.m. Static was very bad. Monday, May 138. USIC was just audible on about 32 metres at 6.30 a.m. 3L0O, Melbourne, was late in starting. Strength was R9, with excellent modulation, but severe fading. Tuesday, May 14. At 5.27 a.m. the tuning whistle and call of G5SW were heard. After Big Ben the conclusion of an organ item was picked up. A talk about theatres followed, strength was R8-9, but readability was poor. Records and then a French lesson were heard, ‘There was not any sign of another s.w. station on telephony. RIM, ZL2BE, and 2L2AX were vwellreceived during the evening. Wednesday, May 15. Very rapid fading caused 5SW to be not worth listening to this morning. DHE (?) Germany, on about 41.8 metres was quite good | at R8. . Musical items with "Achtung," etc., between. During rather long intervals a metronome could be heard ticking. "Ramona" was heard soon after 6.80 a.m., when reception was rather better than it had been. PCJ commenced ‘at 6.30 a.m. with what they termed a "special experimental transmission." This continued till about 7.15 am. Strength was R8, with slight fading. On 15.6 (about) and 15.2 metres duplex telephony (Dutch?) at R4 and R6 respectively, was heard. The same voices, a man and woman, were audible from each station. W6XN (KGO) was tuned in at 5.45 p.m., when the "World’s News Service" was being given. An announcement was made that the programme of KGO was broadcast on shortwaves through W6XN each Tuesday night ahaa 8 p.m. till 12 p.m. (Tuesday 3.30 p till 7.80 p.m., New Zealand.) The light from the San Francisco studio was heard till 6.30 p.m., after which Frank Ellice and his Trocaderians entertained with dance music till 7.30 p.m. The station signed off at 7.31 p.m. at R9, and VPD, Suva, at R7 were on duplex telephony. Thursday, May 16. Dz again. was very good at R9. "Achtung " was all I could make of the announcements. Music was heard till 6 a.m., after which slow speech with long was broadcast. 5S W were late in starting. Strength R7, with rapid fading. W6XN was R3-4 at 6 a.m. The two stations just above 15 metres on duplex telephony were both very weak. At 10.30 p.m., very weak speech was audible on about 16.4 metres. ZL2BH, Hastings, was very good at R9. RIM R8-9. Some static. PHI at 11 p.m. were R3-4, increasing to R5 during the short time I was listening. Musie and talk was very clear and steady. Friday, May 17. TALK about "China" was in progress when 5SW was tuned in at 6 a.m. RT-8, about 50 per cent. readable, At 6.18 am. Jack Hobbs was announced, who sang a comic song with patter, topical items such as the weather, the coming elections, etc. PCJ was R8 at 6 am,, remaining at that volume till 7.30 a.m. British. Colonies, America and Canada were called.