Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 27, 17 January 1930, Page 32

Round the World on Short Wave

HIS page is conducted in the interests of shortwave enthusiasts. A weeklv-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,

Argentina Telephones for B.B.C. Pro- . grammes. A telephonic appeal from the Argentine for a development of the shortwave broadcasting service from’ Britain was made recently when Sir John Keith, director-general of the B.B.C., received a telephone call from Buenos Aires via Berlin. Those engaged in the converation at the Buenos. Aires end were Mr. Hirst, of the Marconi Company; Mr. Barbara, manager of the River Plate Telephone Company; and Mr,.Brumen, head of the English Speaking Radio Club of Argentina. Mr, Brumen stated that plans were going forward for a new broadcasting station .near Buenos: Aires to serve programmes in Hnglish to the 100,00 English-speaking people of Argentina. Britishers in the Argentina.were keenly interested in 5SW, and looked for--‘ward anxiously for an extension of its service. New French Short-wave Transmitter. "[ct Station Radiophonique Paris Experimental" is the call of a new short-wave transmitter in France, working daily at 9 a.m. on 31.65 metres. Broadcasts are also made on Mondays at-3 a.m. (each New Zealand summer time), The power is 1- kilowatt. ‘Regular Schedule from Konigswusterhausen. THE Konigswusterhausen short-wave transmitter on 31.38 metres has been brought into regular daily operation. This station now relays the Juneh hour: (1'a:m. to 2 a.m., N.Z.S.T.) concerts ‘from Berlin, as. well as the afternoon and evening entertainments. A ‘special transmission is made once weekly between 11.30. and 12.30 p.m: (N.Z.8.1.). Short-wave Call of KZRM. N reply to query about the call of: the short-wave transmitter, broadcasting the KZRM programmes. This is KIXR, but is ‘seldom used.. It has been heard on several occasions at the beginning of the first transmission before changing over to the studio. International Tests from 2ME. While listening to VK2MHE talking to GBX, the following particulars of tests arranged: with. other stations . were given: With KDKA, every Monday,

11.15 to 11.30 pm, N.Z.S.T.; with W2xAF, Tuesday, 14th inst., 11.30 p.m., N.Z.8.T.; and Java and Holland on Saturday from 9.30 p.m., N.Z.S.T. . Reception during Week ending January 11,.1930. RA97, Siberia, 70 Metres, continues to come in strongly from about 9 p.m., with, as a rule, plenty of static. AFL, Bergedorf, Germany, 52 metres. -This stranger was heard first at 7.40 p.m. on Wednesday at R7. Reception, although fair strength, was bad on account.of gushing and static. Slow talk was heard at first. From 7.45 till 8 p.m. music was received at R8, with slow fades. After some "schtung," etce., they closed just after 8 p.m. This -German was on again at the same time.on Thursday, but not so loud. VLW started soon after I tuned it in, and of course blotted the German station out. | ; W9XF, Chicago, 49.83 metres, has been very good ‘till 8 o’clock each eveng. W3XAL, Boundbrook, New Jersey, 49.7 metres, was only heard on Sunday, closing down then before it reached good readable strength. W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.4 metres.Late in being audible, reaches: R8 by 4.30 p.m. on Sunday,. On Saturday they were not heard till nearly 5 p.m., when strength was about R4-5. -PCJ, Holland, 31.4 metres -On Friday and Saturday their programme commenced just after 6 a.m, at R8, decreasing to R4 by 7.30 am. 'The special N.Z. and. Australian transmission on Saturday afternoon was again too weak to be readable; music at times was just audible. , Zeesen, Germany, 31.38 metres, has been R4-5 each morning when starting at 6 am. ‘Friday was an exception; they were on before’ 6 a.m. with orchestral music at R6. They closed at 6 a.m. after an announcement, reopening. at 6.80 a.m. with more music, but much weaker. At 11.30 p.m. on Saturday night I tuned them in, just in time to hear the "sign off." Strength R7. 7LO, Nairobi, 31 metres, was very weak each morning except TIriday, when. strength was R45, but °very gushy. Bangkok, Siam, 29.5 metres, started about 11.30 p.m. on Saturday at RT: Static was medium. Orchestral records were played. The talk was not readable; it was as though the speaker were a distance from the microphone compared. with the music volume,

VK2ME, Sydney, 28.5 metres, is again testing with GBX, England, every evening. Strength is nearly always R9. : A most interesting test was heard on Saturday night between 2MH and PCK, Holland. Sydney was ‘first talking to Java, who were transmitting simultaneously through PLD (15.74 metres) and PMB. (14.5 metres). Later PLE were rebroadcasting AmsterdamPCK for Sydney, while the signals from 2ME were being relayed by PMB to Holland. The Java: and Dutch transmissions were well received here,. while 2ME was easily R9. GBX, England, 27.5 metres (about), comes through at better strength and clarity now: when on duplex with 2ME. KZRM, Manila, 26 metres (about), can be depended upon for a good programme of music after 10 pm, -They ean now: be heard from 8 p.m., but strength is rather weak, but readable most evenings. They close at. 9 p.m. till 10 p.m. ; G5SW, England, 25.53 metres.-This station has not been heard at more than R38 since last. writing, from 7 a.m. A Greymouth correspondent says that, although weak, they: are readable with him. They need to be strong here to be intelligible through the usual rapid fade and gushiness. ; KDKA, Pittsburgh, 25.4 metres.On Sunday this station was not readable to after 3 p.m., increasing to R7-8 by 4 p.m. Not a sign was heard on. Saturday.. W6EXN, California, 23 35 metres, was heard for a time on Sunday, but were toc weak to bother with. W2XAD, Schnectady, 195 metres.R2 was the best I could manage from this station on Sunday. They were transmitting on Saturday, as . when 2XAF closed down both station calls ere given, but 2XAD was not audible ere. . PLG, Bandoeng, Java, 16.88 metres, was heard-on Tuesday evening on duplex with PCK. PCK, Holland, 16.3 metres, were heard several times with records at R7-8, while waiting to commence duplex with Java, | PLE, Java, 15.74 metres, were calling Amsterdam on. Wednesday evening, and on Saturday were broadcasting records at R8. simultaneously with PMB, Java, 14.5 metres, which was also R8. Monte: Grande, Chile, 15.02 metres, came in splendidly with records on. Tuesday, Wednesday, and .:‘ Thursday

evenings from about B80. "The weakest heard was R8. DGW, Nauen, 14.83 "metres, was’: heard on Friday evening with records af at 10.30. Strength R7, with slight ‘ gush, . "ts Soke Unidentified Stations. On’72 metres (about), at 9.5:p.m. on . Sunday, a "John Henry and Blossom" record was theard without any: call . sign, probably a harmonic. 24.3 .metres' (about), reported ‘last week as 6H1 or 6X1, was heard: again at 6°a.m. on Tuesday, but was too weak to hear much. — 41.3. metres (about). Very faint music on: this: wave-length was héard ‘on. Tuesday morning. .