Station 4YA Comes into Line

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 13, 11 October 1929, Page 9

Station 4YA Comes into Line

New Station Characterised by' Many : New Features

2 DIXT Wednesday. evening, Oc- | TOBER 16, will see the ofWwi} ficial opening of the new stasp} tion for 4YA, Dunedin. The at) Speakers will be the Hon. J. Lv J B. Donald, Postmaster-Gener-al, and Mr. R. 8. Black, Mayor of Dunedin. ‘The official opening will be performed by Mr. Donald, either in person in the studio or by relay fro Wetlington, 3 order to complete the change-over to the new premises and give the company’s technicians the opportunity to test and make the necessary adjustments to the plant, 4YA will be off the air from the closing down at 11 o'clock on Saturday evening until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16. Fine Programme Arranged. HE concert programme which will mark the occasion will be one of outstanding merit, While of all-round variety, there will be a decidedly Scottish atmosphere attaching to it. To this the Dunedin® Pipe Band will in no small measure contribute, while the humorist of the evening will be the well-known 38YA performer, Mr. Jock Lockhart. The vocal programme will be of a high standing, some of Dungredin’s leading singers having been engaged. These include Miss Mde Matheson, Miss Meda Paine, Miss Mary Pratt, Mr. F. C. Cooper, Mr. Ernest Drake, Mr. F. M. Tuohy, Mr. John Leech and Mr. W. Ruffell. Duets to be sung include "Calm, Silent Night" and "Solenne in Quest Ora." Quartets by the Four Aces will be. "The Trumpeter" and "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes." Among the solos will be heard "The Pipes of Pan," "How Changed the Vision," "A Soft Day," "Star of Eve," "King Charles," "All Hail, Thou Dwelling," and "Do Not Go, My Love." There will be a humorous sketch by Miss Anita Winkel and Major F. HW. Lampen, "Wavelengths." Mr, Frank Parsons will play a violin solo with orchestral accompaniment, "Romanza Andalusa." Novelty instrumental numbers will be played by the Dunedin #anjo Trio, and there will be a trombone novelty, "The Joker." Selections by the Studio Orchestra will include the "Egmont" Overture and "Lilac Time." The popular St. Kilda Band, which won the New Zealand championship at the last contest, has also been engaged for the evening. The band will play "Poet and Peasant," a selection from "The Pirates of Penzance," "Wedding of the Painted Doll," and Hume’s march, "Twentieth Century." Dunedin-Birthplace of N.Z. Radio. pu NEDIN may be looked upon as the birthplace of radio broadcasting in \ New Zealand, for it was here that en- } L "‘thusiastie amafeurs made the first at,‘tempts to supply a service, and it was here that the Radio Broadcasting Company commenced operations. During the exhibition a regular service was given, and has been maintained ever since. , ’ . Dunedin now has one that is almost

up-to-date in every respect. In the equipping of the new 4YA all the experience gained from the other New Zealand stations has been concentrated, and there is now no better-appointed or more efficiently equipped station of its power in the world than the new 4YA. Choosing the Site. HEN it was decided to erect a new station for 4YA, various sites were considered. The Broadcasting Company was fortunate in securing the top floor of the new "Evening Star" buildings as the location of the station. This spacious floor of approximately 938ft. by. 52ft. has lent itself to admirable adaptation for the purposes of a broadcasting station. It has provided space not only for capacious studios, lounges and offices, but also for rooms for the transmitting plant. In no other station in New. Zealand is everything on the one floor in this way. It adds materially ‘to ease and efficiency in working. Plate-glass plays a very important part in the partitions. Plate-glass is a feature of all the YA stations, providing plenty of light and enabling everyone to see all that is going on in any of the rooms. It is at the same time sound-proof. Thus, visitors and artists in the lounges while watching the performers can chat and’ laugh without distracting artists in the studios. Of added importance is the fact that the operator in charge of the transmission room at 4YA has also a clear view of. the two studios, and the efficiency of a very complete system of electrical signals.is thus considerably reinforced. Station Layout. OTHING more convenient could have been planned than the layout which has been effected, and the furnishing and decorating have been carried out with great taste. At the stairhead a visitor receives his first favourable impression, and that impres--sion is added to as he looks around and visits the studios and lounges. Directly off the stairway landing are the public offices admirably appointed. From the landing, also, ornamental swing doors open on to a central lounge which gives access to the large studio at the end of the building, to the small studio on one side, as well as to another lounge on the other side and to the transmitting rooms. At the stairhead two large leadlight windows, depicting modern means of communication, and a smaller leadlight with a monogram of the station call sign, "4YA," allow the light to filter softly through to the foyer. A black and white tesselldted floor and furnishings of antique oak, together with a fine stag’s head, make the foyer a fitting entrance to the studios and lounges. In the spacious central lounge a deep piled carpet in tones of soft blue and mole with furniture upholstered in embossed veloure combine to make this a hardsome and comfortable room, At the further end of the main lounge is the grand studio, 30ft. by adft., the decoration of which is car-

ried out in a scheme of pale jade green and silver. Shimmering jade velvet curtains, surmounted by an. ornamental silver and jade frieze, cover the entire walls. _ The furniture here is of rosewood upholstered in handmade Frengh tapestry; standing on a beautiful chintz patterned carpet, an ebony piano and many beautiful palms in antique brass bowls provide an atmosphere of charm and refinement. In the smaller studio, 27ft. by 17ft., an uncommon scheme of flame and grey has been artistically outlined. Flame velvet hangings drape the walls, and these are offset by the perfectly plain grey floor covering and furniture, while the colour note is repeated in the carpet in the shape of a large flame coloured butterfly. Delicate rose upholstered furniture on a cream ground chintz carpet forms the basis of the furniture in, the ladies’ lounge, and with window hangings of old rose and palms on their handsome stands. a charming -ensemble is achieved. Mrs. J. M. Bingham, wife of the Broadcasting Company’s chief engineer, is to be commended for the very artistie manner in which she has arranged the furnishing and decorating of the rooms. Mrs, Bingham, it may be added, was also responsible for the artistic furnishing of the other stations. The Transmitting Plant. HE transmitting plant is similar to that at 1YA and 8YA, being of the same power, but the various units

have been differently placed and aecessories have been added. Some interesting new features are to be observed. As mentioned previously, as the operator sits at the control panel he has a clear view of what is happening in both studios. A very complete electrical signalling system has also been devised by the company’s chief engineer. Even without the observation which the operator has of, the studios this signalling system would be thoroug ghly efficient. It is so arranged that it is not possible for performances in the two studios to clash in any way. Lights on the little switchboards, in each studio denote which studio is on the air. One studio cannot go on the air while the other is in use, and each studio must switch itself off or on; the other cannot interfere in any way. The master control is in the transmitting room. ‘The operator there can switch either studio on or ‘off at will, should the occasion require it. This piece of signalling apparatus, though apparently so simple, is very ingenious mechanism. Though the transmitting plant consists of the usual equipment, some special reference may be made to the amplifiers. These are intended for three purposes. The first is the amplification of the delicate electrical current which earries the studio concert from the microphones. This current is amplified to bring it up to a sufficiently high level to operate the transmitter. Then there are amplifiers for monitoring. The operator in charge of the station by means of the most sensitive instruments compares the quality of the broadcast with the quality before entering the transmitter. In this way he knows what should go, and does go, on the air. ss‘ further purpose of the amplifiers s in connection with relays, as for in-

stance, when a Dunedin programme is relayed to Christchurch On such occasions the strength of. the current requires- considerable "hoosting" up in order that it may override minor noises picked up en route, and reach Christchurch with sufficient power to be handled by 3YA, There is also equaliser equipment for correcting any undesirable characteristics which may be presen tin the case of programmes sent over land line. There are, of course, the usual motor generators. The microphones for general use will be of the condenser type. They are different from the carbon type hitherto used at 4YA. There is no background hiss and practically perfect frequency characteristics. In cases, however, when there is liability for rough handling, as for instance when sporting events fre being described, the carbon microphones will still be used. The 4YA towers, which are erected on the roof of the "Evening Star" building, are of steel, and similar to those at the other stations. The aerial, which is a single wire, is about 150 feet from the. ground. The’ Broadcasting Company’s chief engineer, Mr. J, M. Bingham, has been responsible for the installation of the whole of the transmitting equipment.