Short-wave Jottings

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 51, 5 July 1929, Page 32

Short-wave Jottings

A. BR,’ MORRISON, | Brooklyn, writes iRegarding the tests of: the" ‘Duteh station P,H.1, wave"16.88 metres, the ey time I. heard: this transmitter was . January 28, 1929,-on this his ‘and was perfect, they. were also -heard«in February during: one: .of chis ‘special tests: 4.30 p.m. New. Zealand time, ' Saturday, Reception was heard. here’ very. well indeed,, but lately PH1 las again: been- Carrying. out: tebts, but Ihave not. been too suceessful in hearing bir, Last Saturday, June 22, he was .supposed, to: begin ‘at 11.80. p.m: New Zea-: land time.-J tried’ for him for. an- hour, but could. not even get. a whisper of his carrier. wave, .I,think probably the reason he isnot: audible here late at night is’ that the. time: is\ not: ‘suitable, for New Zealand, "because at would be broad daylight. in. Holland. * By. announcements made’. by PCJ it eeems PH1i. is heard very well in .Australia. I would like to see reports: from other shortwave listenets outside of Wellington, such as Christchurch and .AuckJand, of their success, if-any.

vo: >. Programmes to Byrd. > (THE special programme to Commander -. Byrd and party in Little America (polar. regions) given. by. the ‘Paramount ulm Company on Sunday, June, 23, the -broadcast’ commenced at_ approximately 2.35pm, New Zealand time, when many introductions were made. © Mr, John L. Lasky was the first to speak to’ Commander Byrd, others were suddy Kodgers, tim star, and Mary _ ryan, who ‘seemed to be a. little shy of the. microphone. We heard':a-coupie of humourists talking about ‘a trip to the moon, 1 did not catch their names, but -helieve ‘they’ were the original. Black Crows we often hear on thé-records. A’ message was read to Commander Byrd: by the Hon. George Atkinson, secretary ior President Hooyer. We ~ next heard Kudy Vala and ‘his ""-- YanKees," who rendered a tew musical items. » Yhe general. manager of the diasky. Corporution was: then introduced and had much to say to syrd. lt was then announced that a great frend ‘of its commander would speak (who, I think, had the best radio voice of them all), He was announced as Jimmy Walker (jot Johnny Walker), Mayor of New York. His first words were: "Hullo, Dick." He made a very fine speech, every word was heard, and Iam using a detector and a two-audio, which gets anywhere. This programme concluded at 3.20 p.m., N.Z.T. I should state that this hour’s programme came trom the Ambassador Hotel, Atlantic City, broadeast by KDKA, Pittsburg, on W8XK,, S.W. They then went over to William Penn Hotel for messages for Byrd and party, and a little after 5.80 p.m., our time. W8XK stated they would then rebroadcast VK2MB, Sydney, another special broadcast for Commander Byrd. As far as I am concerned this rebroadcast was a failure; at times modulation was good, but to make a short story of it it was not a suecess, as the American announcer stated, because of receiving conditions there. I found on tuning to 2MB, 28.5 metres, modulation was perfect only for a- slight fade now and again, so it will "be seen that the R.B. Company of New Zealand are not the only ones who find ‘that §.W. -rebroadeasting is not always successful, f . ‘3 have heard 8XAI: or WLW frequently lately. He seenis to be on the air every day, and has been tuned in -as early as 3.15 p.m., but at that time ‘not. with any. great strength, his transmissions. continued till 5.30 p.m., and at that time he sometimes reaches R7 to 8, but he is not consistent... He comes on the -air again at 10.45° pm. N.Z.T., for one hour, for. "the ‘farmers’ hour" (early risers theré, I guess). The progamme begins with "Hullo, everybody" $ station call, time’ given generally a little ‘after 6.a.m., their time; weather conditions, and’ weather report, followed by a "musical item or two,:then market reports, vegetables and such like, and very often ‘its announcer continues with the cures for diseases’ in fruit, flowers. : . His strength-is about R7 for its first twenty minutes or so; he then gradually ‘goes down. . It can ‘be expected, because SXAZ's power is only 750 watts, wavelength 49.5 metres, or 6060 kilocycles. W8XL, Boundbrook, New Jersey, was on the: air again last night, ‘Tuesday, June 25, conducting a test. . He. came on as'soon as 8SXAL conclyded his transmission at 5.80 p.m. -I listened to him for. about’ a quarter of an hour; he was playing musical items, strength R8, moduJetion zood, Again to-night he was

(26th),-.Opened up about the same time and announced that this was a test *programme, and gave his wave as 49.8 metres, or6020 kilocyeles, and ‘asked. listeners to report on his transmission and to address. mail fe W8XL, Boundbrook, New Jersey, I listened for him again ‘at 7.30 p.m., and he was still on the‘ air.. He closed down not long afterwards with the concluding item, mentioning that. it. would be of interest to those in -Australia and New Zealand-a. recording of the Westminster. organ. He closed down, giving his time as 4.15 and 45 seconds a.m. This concludes: this period of test programme, and "Weare now signing off. Good-night all’ (instead of good-morning). Strength and modulation was R8, with slight fading. ;