notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 29, 31 January 1930, Page 13

notes and Comments

B

SWITCH

(COMPLAINTS are rife among listen- : ers in the Mount Victoria-Rose-neath area regarding electrical leakages; There is probably no suburb of Wellington more afflicted with this type of interference. Night after night it breaks in with a loud frying noise wich positively overwhelms all stations outside of Wellington. The noise persists for anything from 10 minutes to half an hour, with spells of varying periods. The Roseneath listeners declare that it is of no use owning an expensive receiving set when one can receive only 2YA without interference. "SWITCH" congratulates the technicians of 2YA, Wellington, on their success in rebroadcasting the speeches .at the opening of the Naval Confer\fnce in London last week. Without exception it was easily the best rebroadcast of the British short-wave station 5SW yet accomplished by 2YA. The distance between Wellington and London is 12,000 miles, and although 5SW was somewhat "gushy" at the outset during the King’s speech, about 75 per cent. of the speech was intelligible. The remainder of the rebroadeast was. from 8&5 to 100 per cent. intelligible. UNFORTUNATELY some miscreant with a short-wave receiving set "contrived to interfere to some extent with the rebroadcast of the opening speeches at the Naval Conference put on the air by 2YA, Wellington. The person who was responsible for this breach-.of the regulations is deserving of a substantial fine. Time and again his howling valve obtruded, and many hundreds of listeners who were tuned in to 2YA, Wellington, had to suffer for the short-wave amateur’s selfishness. o Me. RAMSAY MACDONALD’S rich, resonant voice was delightful to listen to in the rebroadcast by 2YA, and it was excelled for clarity only by that of Mr. T. M. Wilford, New Zealand’s High Commissioner. The English translation of the Japanese dlelegate’s speech was another outstanding success... The. French interpreter, who spoke in French after each speech, possessed a remarkable voice for clarity, and those in New Zealand who understood the language could scarcely have failed to understand every word. "QWITCH" has heard of some outside suburban short-wave _ listeners who claimed extraordinary success in picking up the Naval Conference sPeeches, but from people who chanced to be present the writer learned that the success claimed did not come up to that of 2YA, Wellington. The shortwave receiving station for 2YA is not in the best locality, being rather close to the city, and the position is not far from sources of electrical interference. ALTHOUGH the British short-wave station, 5SW. was received far better than on any previous occasion by 2YA, Wellington, the American shortwave station, WGY, Schenectady, New York State, excelled 5SW on the oceasion of the rebroadcast of the Naval Conference. At the conclusion of the Naval, Conference speeches 2YA, Wellington, switched across to WGY, and so loud and clear was the American announcer’s yoice that it-was difficult for beginners to believe that the speaker was 7500 miles away. WGY, which is operated by the National Broadcasting Co. of U.S.A., rebroad-

east 5BSW, England, through a network of broadcast stations throughout the United States. HE Naval Conference broadcast was the greatest yet attempted, and it is impossible to estimate within millions the number of people all over the world who heard the speeches on that epoch-making occasion. AS speakers at the function. said it has been a dream of civilsation to end war with its distructiveness, and the Naval Conference is an important step towards the consummation of this great desire of humanity the — world over. How fitting then that radio, which promises to create a_ better understanding between the nations of the world, should carry the speeches on that memorable occasion to the utmost limits of the globe! o "HE King’s voice was well modulated when he delivered the opening speech of tl2 Naval Conference, and "he displayed excellent care in emphasis. His delivery was the slowest of all the speakers, and he measured his phrases nicely. -His voice seemed conspicuously more robust than the gramophone reproductions of His Majesty. Unfortunately reception was. at its worst when the King was speaking, but it rapidly became steadier as the "gusts" peculiar to longdistance short-wave reception became less pronounced. At the conclusion volume was almost constant. A little static could be heard, but it was not obstrusive at all. SEVERAL listeners haye mentioned to "Switch" that the success which attended the rebroadcast of the Naval Conference opening should justify occasional rebroadeasts of 58SW, England by the New Zealand stations. Others expressed themselves strongly in favour of more of these short-wave re-broadcasts, either from America or England. They urged that these rebroadcasts are very interesting to hundreds of listeners.who are unable to pick up distant foreign stations. Of course atmospheric conditions are not usually suitable for these rebroadcasts, and a regular schedule is, therefore, out of: the question. Still, the idea is worthy of consideration. — A SUGGESTION has been forwarded to "Switch" to prevent. the intrusion of howling valves when shortwave, rebroadcasts are being staged by 2YA, Wellington, excepting on special occasions. It is urged that no preliminary notice of a short-wave rebroadcast should be announced, as used to be the custom of 2YA. An impromptu rebroadcast of an American station generally catches the short-

wave listeners napping, and there is no chipping in by howling valves. On important occasions, naturally, a preliminary notice to listeners is necessary, and therefore short-wave "howlers" then get a chance. to spoil the pleasure of thousands of broadcast listeners, So "Aunt Gwen’s" wedding ceremony at St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Wellington, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 29, is to be broadcast. This will enable her countless radio friends, young and old, to hear, the proceedings, and they should have no difficulty in imagining themselves present. This will not be all, for the microphone at her parents’ residence will carry to many thousands of listeners the merry proceedings at the nuptial breakfast. Where in this corner of the globe. is there a radio ‘aunt’ who has achieved such popularity as "Aunt Gwen"? "THE popularity of "Aunt Gwen," of ' the 2YA, Wellington, children’s sessions has been evidenced by the number of presents which have been sent to her by listeners far and wide on the occasion of her retirement in order to be married, "Aunt Gwen" has been overwhelmed with gifts from scores of appreciative juveniles and

adults. She is deeply touched by the remarkable tribute to her popularity, , and regrets that she is unable to meet each and everyone of her radio friends, but her happy hours spent at 2YA will remain a life-long memory. "QWITCH" advises all listeners who have had their aerial masts erected for some time to examine the aerial halyards, and stays, while the summer ‘season is with us. The rains and frosts of winter cause rust and decay, and the proverbial "stitch in time" apPlies very aptly to aerial gear. The writer makes an annual overhaul of this gear during the summer, for the work of renewals is anything but pleasant in the winter. A recent examination of the galvanised wire stays of one of "Switch’s’. aerial masts disclosed that they were ready to snap, having rusted deeply through years of exposure to the weather. They ‘were promptly renewed, and now the "storm king" can do his worst. (COMMENCING on January 20, the children’s birthday calls that were given out daily through 2FC, Sydney, at 7.50 a.m., have been discontinued at that hour, and are re-inserted in the children’s session every evening through 2C, except Sunday, when the calis go through 2BL, ‘The privilege of having a birthday call from the Australian "A" class stations from January 20 onwards will cost 2/6. This money (without deduction for expenses) goes to the Sydney Children’s Hospital. When £60 has been raised, a 2%O and 2BL Children’s Hospital League Cot. will be endowed, and every subsequent ° £60 will provide further cots. This means of assisting the Children’s Hospital has been in vogue in Victoria for some years, and since the formation of the A.B.C. over £300 has been raised in half-crowns to assist the Mel--bourne Children’s Hospital.