Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 19, 22 November 1929, Page 32

Round the World on Short Wave

HIS page is conducted in the interests of shortwave enthusiasts. A weekly log comprising notes of reception and interesting topical events

is contributed by

Mr.

F. W.

Sellens

‘Northland, Wellington,

but all

listeners are invited to send in paragraphs of general interest.

i. The Farthest ‘North! ‘A. SOVIET expedition claims the honour of having erected the world’s most northerly wireless station. This has been established at Tranquil Bay, Franz Josef Land. The station will be used principally for meteorological reports, operating on a wavelength of 48 metres. A Call from Mexico, HE Trens News Service,. of Mexico City, addresses the world in a, circular letter requesting all wireless users to pick up their news report broadcast in morse daily at 9.45 p.:m., G.M.'T. (9.45. am., New Zealand summer time) on 16 metres. The power is 20 kilowatts,

New Belgian Transmitter, . A NEW high-power short-ware station — is being erected by .the. Belgian Government near Bruges for direct communication with the, Congo and South America. Short-Wave Schedules for Britain. EGULAR short-wave ‘transmissions for test purposes with Great’ Britain are carried out daily from Schnectady, New York, between the hours of 4 am. and 9 am., New Zealand summer time, from the following stations :- W2XAD, on 31.48 metres. W2X0, on 19,54 metres, W2XK, on 17.34 metres. The same programme is transmitted. simultaneously frc#: the three Ameriéan stations. A Record for One Day. M®*: A. F. GLEDHILL, Christchurch, sends the following list of shortwave ‘stations heard from 5.30 a.m, till midnight on Saturday, November 2:2Mu, Sydney, duplex with GBX, Engan PCJ, Holland. BSW, England. 4° Zeesen, Germany. . 8ZC, New Zealand. 2XAD, New York. KDKA, Pittsburg. 2XAC, New York, on air for relay, by DKA. K CyRX, Canada, on aiv for relay by KDKA. 8XAL, U.S.A., on air for relay by KDKA., WLW, U.S. A. on air for relay by KDKA. KGO, U.S.A. OXF, U.S.A. CJI, Montreal, for KDKA rebroadcast. PHI, Holland. PCL, Holland. PLE, Java. KZRM, Manila. RA97, Russia. DHC, Germany.

2 U.S.A. station and 2 English stations on duplex on about 32 metres. . Mr. Gledhill adds, there were a few stations too weak to get their call. Can any reader beat this? Twentyfive short-wave stations on telephony in one day. Leo, Armistice Service. ECEPTION of this service via 5SW was disappointing after hearing the Chelmsford station testing from just before 10 pm. A record was received very clearly at R6, also an announcement re closing down for a quarter of an hour, to reapen for the Armistic service relay.. At 10.25 p.m, they switched over to London, where the details -of the programme were given. The massed bands were composed of the Irish and Seots Guards. Reception for the greater part of the period was R8, but not as clear as it might be. Military orders were readable, as was the prayer by the Bishop of London. "O God Our Help in Ages Past" came through very well. Reception during the week ending Saturday, November 9, has again been below the average. RA97, Siberia, has. broadcast -several musical programmes during the week; reception R8-9. Static, as usual, has been troublesome. W9XF, Chicago, is fairly consistent in volume and clarity, reaching about R8 by 7 p.m, Their sign-off song, "When We Come to the end of the Day," is always sung prior to closing down at 8 p.m., our time( 2 a.m. in Chicago). W2XAL,.New York, short-wave station of WRNY, was heard on Saturday till 7 p.m. Volume was about R7, but not quite, clear enough to hear all that was said. The wavelength was given as 49.7 metres. Zeesen, relaying the Konigswusterhausen programmes, is, according to "Modern Wireless," working on 31.38 metres, but it is a little above PCJ and 2XAF (who are on 31.4 metres). I estimate the wavelength nearer to 31.6 metres. On Thursday and Friday mornings this German was received R&8, closing down At 6 a.m.. I have not heard them later than this recently, they have apparently altered their hours of transmission. PCJ, Holland was spoiled on Friday and Saturday with a very strong generator hum. Volume is good when they start at 6 a.m., but rapidly goes off. On Friday morning @ special programme was being broadcast for the "World Exhibition" at Barcelona. The Saturday afternoon, special N.Z. and Australian trans- mission, was only R8 at its best. This was at about 4.30 p.m. 2ME, Sydney, working duplex with GBX, England, continue to come in well. On_ Wednesday evening at 10.30 p.m. 2ME was on about 15 metres, apparently the new transmitter for duplex with

England when the 28.5 metre transmitter is not suitable. 2XAF Schnectady on Sunday was up to R8 at its best near the close of the transmission with hotel dance music. -_ KDKA, Pittsburg, was quite good at R7 with a programme for the Byrd Bxpedition‘on Sunday. On Saturday (9th inst.), the best was R3-4. Radio Manilla on Tuesday evening broadcast a play from the Rialto Theatre. Volume was R8-9. Wach evening, except Monday, they commence at 10 p.m, On Tuesday they were R4 at 8.15 p.m, with records. 7L0O, Nairobi, was up to R8 on /Tuesday morning at 6.40 a.m. Morse and static spoilt readability. Other mornings volume was about R8-4. ° 5SW, England, is too weak these mornings to do any good with, Unidentified. Stations 41.5 metres (about) foreign was heard at R83 on Wednesday morning. 34.4 metres (about). At 6.45 a.m., Tuesday, a foreign lady was talking quite clearly at R4. 383 metres (about). Duplex telephony’ at R8 on Monday at 7.40 p.m. in English was heard. Mush and statie made reading almost impossible, At the same time another station on about 32.4 metres was transmitting talk at R7. 15 metres (about). Gramophone records from 9.30 till 9.55 p.m. on Saturday were received at R8. A strong generator hum spoilt reception. No calls were given till 9.55 p.m., when a long foreign talk commenced.