Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 14, 18 October 1929, Page 32

Round the World on Short Wave

JTHIS page is conducted in the interests of shortwave enthusiasts. A weekly log comprising notes of reception and interesting tcpica!l events

hie Mee Das as is contributed by Mr.

F. W.

Sellens

; Northland, Wellington, but all’

listeners’ are invited to send in paragraphs of general interest.

Bangkok, Siam . [THE following wilf be of j interest to shortwave listeners who have tuned in to the new Siam’ station at Bangkok, or seen it mentioned in these during the last week or two:The first’ telephone conversation on short‘waves between ogmany and Siam was recently conductefl, when the Siamese Minister of Traffic, ‘Prince Purachatra of Kambaeng, Bejra, while in Berlin, was afforded an opportunity of attending the tests now being made by the German Post Office in "conjunction with ‘Telefurken and the Transradio Company. At the German end, the Nauen shortwave transmitter is used, while in. Siam, there is the shortwave ‘station recently installed at Bangkok. This comprises~a 20 kilowatt shortwave transmitter supplemented by a standard 3 kilowatt telegfaph and telephone transmitter of the marine type. This is set apart for communication with both ship stations and. nearby land stations. The two aerial masts are moored in’ conerste foundations, containing, in -small esvitias, a liquid protecting them against termites. Another interesting feature is the provision of a safeguard in the shape of a.contact manometer arrangement for the valves which, as the water supply in the tropical climate becomes exhausted, automatically cuts out the high tension. There are two beam aerials, for waveYergths of 14.5 and 17 metres respectiveAnart from the radio telephone -service, the Bangkok station is used for the transmission of wireless telegrams between Europe and Siam. When, a short while ago, the Japanese high-power radio station at Nagoya was inaugurated, reference was made to the probability of this being the last long‘wave radio telegraph station ever to be . built. In: fact, the new Siamese station is a striking instance of this change in practice. 7L0, Nairobi. OW that this East African short-wave station is again audible in this "country (morse interference and static permitting), the following will remind old listeners and be of use to new ones. The Nairobi station, call sign normally transmits daily from 3.30 a.m. to 6.30 am. (N.Z.M.T.). Sometimes, instead of closing down at 6.30 a:m., it ielays the BSW, CHelmsford, England, programme for about an hour. The wavelength used for all transmissions is 81 metres. Eiffel Tower. FFURTHER particulars are to hand regarding tthe experimental transmissions carried out daily by the HBiffel Tower on a wavelength of roughly 49 metres with a power of some two kilowatts in the aerial. The tests are made regularly during the periods 4.45 a.m.

to 5 am. 845 am. to 9 am., and 10 p.m. to 10.15 p.m., New Zealand mean time. Gramophone: music is broadcast, and the following announcement made _ between items: "Allo! Allo; Ici la station radio-telephonique de la Tour Niffel. Emission d’essai sur ondes courtes" (test transmissions on short waves). The exact wavelength used is given out at the end of each transmission. ’ W6XN, ‘Short-wave Station of KGO. HE usual Wednesday reception of W6XN has been ‘missed recently. This high-power Californian short-wave transmitter can now be heard on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday between the hours of 2.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. Ten Countries in One Day. M R. T, STANTON (Christchurch) * reports listening to ten countries on October 10, as follow: England, Holland, Germany, United States of America, Siberia, Philippine Islands, Java, Siam, Australia, and New Zealand. I think that covers most of the countries usually heard here, and to get them all in one day is a good performance. Saturday, October 5. Bie Ben at 5.30 a.m. from 5SW, was slightly gushy at R8-9. Mr. Ivor Brown gave his fortnightly film talk, which was 100 per cent..readable. Later, a very interesting talk was heard from Mr. Reg. Kember,> a village blacksmith from Kent. Mr. Kember told his listeners all about his craft, tracing it from. olden times, when the work was simply shoeing horses and making or. repairing agricultural implements, to the modern smithy, where the latest machinery is installed and where, beside the original class of work, all other connected with metal is undertaken. The musical programme commenced at 6.18 a.m., when surging and: ripples were more noticeable. PCI was, except for slight static, perfect from their first item at 5.45 a.m. till closing about 6,30 a.m., at strength from R8 to R9. IMI, Rome (7?);:A station was heard on about 438.5 metres, with. foreign talk at R4, fading right out at times. This may have been IMI, as this station operates on this wave, and has been heard in New Zealand. Forty-seven metres (about). Very weak talk was heard. Konigsbvisterhausen started just before 6.30, with talk at R9. Music was heard later. . Static spoilt reception. ; PCJ’s afternoon programme from R1 at 1 p.m. to R9 at its best at 4.30 p.m. They signed off at 5.28 p.m. at R&. Static was very bad. KDKA was spoilt by gushing. 2XAD was quite good, but not so strong as a few weeks ago. R4-5 at 1.30 p.m., increasing to R8 at its best. On 34 metres and 32.5 metres weak voices at about R2 were heard, but , could not pick a.call, 2Z0, Obristchurch,

was a good quality, but not the volume to be expected. -2MB, with the races at Randwick, was well-received at R9. W2XH, relaying WABC, Atlantic City, was tuned,in at 4.55 p.m., when a Wur-. litzer Organ recital wa’ in progress. The "Rose Medley," which included ‘Roses of Picardy, "Moonlight and Roses," etc., was received well at R8. They signed off at 5.30 p.m., "till 8 a.m. Hastern Standard Time." The wavelength was given as 49 3-10 metres. . . PCK at 7.30.p.m. were RT, records. Strength increased to R8. KZRM on 48.8 metres was good at R8&. — Sunday, October 6. PKA was first heard at 9.40 am, when they were R4. . Strength went off and was lost about midday. Later they were not up to their usual volume. A bad surge spoilt reception. 2XAD was just audible at 11 a.m., and R2 at 12.30, but could not locate this station during the afternoon. OXAF and 2XAO were only R4 at 3 p.m., making a rapid increase. to R8. by 3.30 p.m. From then onwards reception was excellent from both these stations, which were transmitting the same programme. W6XN was first tuned in at 1.30 p.m., when they were R9, and remained at that till nearly 3.380 p.m., when volume and quality went’ off. By 7 p.m. they were only just audible. W2XE was very weak to-day, about R2-3. : Monday, October 7. LO was. audible, but Morse was too strong, smothering their signals.. On about 49 metres very. weak voices eould be heard. The German commenced with a short talk at 6.80 :a.m., followed by orchestral music at R9. RA97 at 10 p.m. were transmitting a band, which was well received at R9. od Tuesday, October 8. [THE station on 49 metres was again too; weak to receive properly. .Another weak station on. about 45.6 metres was noticed. . 20.3 metres (about). An American lady was heard talking on this wavelength, soon after 6 a.m. A man spoke Jater. Strength was R3-4, Reception was too gushy to be readable except odd words-not enough to understand the nature of the talks. _ TLO Nairobi was not audible until ust before 6.30 a.m., when a lady could e heard singing at R2-3. 5SW, "Big Ben" was not heard this morning at the usual time, it could not have been ‘put on the air,"-as music was heard quite clearly just after the time the clock should ‘be audible. ; _ Reception was about R5-6. Readability 75 per cent.-100 -per cent. ‘ The German, also, was weaker than usual, being about R7. GBX and 2ME at 7.30 p.m. were quite good, except that the Sydney station had a very noisy

background. RA97 could just be hear through a heavy barrage of static. KZRM was R9, with plenty of static, " Wednesday, October 9. Mesic could just be heard, at 6 a.m. ‘on 89.2 metres. TLO, Nairobi at R4 was. spoilt by morse QRM. 5S W was spoilt by a. strong roaring noise like a locomotive blowing off steam. Reception was spoilt by this. The German (Konigswusterhausen) was R8 with..orchestral music. A station could be heard just above the German. Foreign talk was heard, GBX and 2MBH were both R8 at 6.45 p.m., the English station being the better. PCK was heard calling) Bandoeng at 9.30 p.m. oo KZRM were. R8-9 with a musical programme. The call was given as KZRM, Radio, Manila, at 10.10 p.m. ZL2BH and ZL2ZAX with grat Mg one records were well received. ' a Thursday, October 10.

ON 44.5 metres a weak, distorted voice eould be heard. 5SSW was again spoilt ‘by a similar roar to yesterday. ‘Big Ben could be just heard. through the din. LO, Nairobi, was better, strength being about R4. Morse was as usual. After 6.30 a.m. they’ apparently relayed 5SW. It. was impossible to check this, as the English station was not clear enough. The German on 15 metres was heard at 9.20 p.m. with duplex telephony. They signed off at 10.15 p.m. with a_threeletter eall, the first being "D,"’ the rest were doubtful. PCK were R8& with duplex. KZRM at 9.40 p.m. were reading news ‘items, etc. Music was heard later. RA9Q7 with talks and music were R8. On 16.8 metres (about) music was heard at R8-4 just after 10 p.m. It was probably PHI. A call was ‘not given while I had them. Friday, October 11. FROM £ 5.85 am. POJ was perfect till off at 7.35 a.m. R9 to commence, decreasing to R7-8. The German put on:a good programme of. orchestral music. Volume R8-9 at 6.80 a.m., going off to about R4 by 7.30 a.m. (Concluded on page 31.)

Short-Wave

(Concluded from page 82.) 7LO, at 5.80 am., a carrier only could be heard. By 5.45 a.m. a piano was well received at R3-4. Signals increased to R7-8 by 6.80 am. Slight crackling static and a slow fade were noticed. On 48.6. metres (about) and 49,2 metres weak foreign voices coyld be heard. 5SW,; Big Ben was very "gurgly" at RS. Talk was about 75 per cent. readable at first, but went off considerably. 2MB ‘and -GBX were R9 and R8 re spectively at 8 p.m. with duplex telephony, KZRM was tunedin at 9.30 p.m., when a clock struck the hour of 6 p.m. This was quite a novelty in thé way the hour was struck. The nearest I ean describe it is "Doo, Dah, Doo, Dah," was repeated six times, each "Doo, Dah" being in plate of the usual single stroke. The call KIXR was also givem