Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 30, 7 February 1930, Page 39

Round the World on Short Wave

[ats 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

s Creating Wanderlust by Wireless. \ aA MOBILE short-wave transmitter was eo used in a new experiment made on a recent Sunday by the French "Office National de Tourisme," in an en-. deavour to stimulate touring. A representative of the organisation motored through several delectable districts of "La Belle France" and at a preconcérted time set his short-wave transmitter in operation and broadcast an alluring account of the places he had visited. The transmission was picked up on a receiver on the outskirts of Paris and relayed to Paris PTT. The test was a preeursor of a special series to be started in 1930. An Improved KDKA. FUARLY in 1980 the Westinghouse Flectrie Company, of Bast Pittbsurg, . Will be in possession of a new high-power ‘tvansmitter, which will be in the immediate neighbourhood of Saxonburg (Penn.). The site of this improved KDKA station has been carefully chosen. inasmuch as the geological conditions of the surrounding country have’ been proved to be peculiarly favourable for the transmission of short waves. Short-wave Telephone on Olympic. HORT-WAVE radio telephone equipment has been recently installed on the trans-Atlantic liner Olympic. Tt is anticipated that as the result of experiments made with this installation. nasSengers in the Olympic will be enahled to telephone from mid-ocean to their homes or places of business. The Olymnie has been heard in New Zealand using the call-sigsn G2GN on a wavelength of 32 metres. Koenigwusterhausen (Zeesen). . LY "THE following particulars are to hand of the above station. Germany’s { world transmitter. Time: Central Bnropean fone hour in advance of G.M.T.). "Relays Berlin (Witzleben) and other German stations, but gives an alternative main evening programme: works throughout the day from 5.55 am.. G.M.T.. with talks, ete.. including the followin’ vrineinal standard daily transmissions, 5.55 am.. weather: 6 a.m., phvsien] exercises from Berlin: 11 or 11.30, gramophone records; 1.30 p.m., children’s hour: 7 or 7.30, main evening conrert. Call: "Achtung! Achtung! Hier Koenigwusterhausen und der Deutscher weltrund junk-sender aug welle ein und dveissig komma acht und dreissig." (This is Koenigwustehausen and the German world transmitter on 31.8 metres.) When relaving Berlin. this station, as well as Madgehurg and Stettin, are included in the call. Interval signal: Metronome 120 beats per minute. Closes down with the German national anthem played to the melody of the "Old Austrian Hymn" iy . Anterica’s Finest Pick-up from Holland. FOR the first time in radio history a transmission from Holland was rebroadeast in the United States on October 26. For forty-five minutes, beginning at 12 noon (E.S.T.), thirty stations associated with the National Broadcasting Company gave listeners a Duteh musienl programme sent out from Huizen, PH1. onerating on 16,88 metres. with a power of 40 kilowatts, The event was acelaimed as "the finest pick-up of a foreign programme ever accomplished in the United States." Thirty-one Stations in One Day. M®*. A. F. GLEDHILL (Christchurch) % sent along a list of short-wave telephony stations heard from 5.30 a.m. till. midnight on January 11, 1980, The countries listened to were: England, Germany, France, Holland, America, Africa, Philippine Tslands, Java, Siam, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. Several are listed as foreignerscountry not known.

Reception during Week ending February 1, 1930. RA97, Siberia, 70 metres.-Some excellent reception has been had from this station during the past week. More music is heard now, but still a large proportion of talk, W9xXF, Chicago, 49.83 metres, transmitted a special New Zealand programme on Sunday after their regular, which finishes at 8 p.m. our time. Reception ‘was marred by bad static, which is not usual on this station. Maximum of about R9 has been from 7 p.m. to 7.80 p,m. during the past few days. . W8XAL, Boundbrook, New Jersey, 4.97 metres, has been carrying out some tests during the week. On Friday evening test No. 1 on No. 1 antenna and again on Saturday at 6.45 p.m., test No. 2, on antenna No. 2, was heard at R6. These tests consisted of records, with the station eall, ete., between items, with requests for reports on reception. W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.4 metres.On Saturday they were R5 when first tuned in at 8.45 p.m., inereasing to R9 by 5.380 p.m. Messages. to the Byrd Hxpedition and dance music from the Crystal Room, De Witzler Hotel, Albany. N.Y., were transmitted, Dance music from Hotel St. Regis. New York City, was received at about the same volume on Saturday. PCJ, Holland, 31.4 metres~-Starting on Friday at 6 a.m., volume was R7-8, with a Morse station on the same wavelength. This interference was there nearly all through the programme. Saturday was better. commencing at 6.5 a.m., reception was, except for a slight slow fade, perfect at R9. There was not any sign of PCJ during the afternoon. Zeesen, Germany, $1.38 metres, has been heard each morning, sometimes concluding a session at 6 a.m., and starting again at 6.30 a.m., and on other mornings, commencing at 6 a.m. The most enjoyable reception was on Friday from 5.50 am., when a male choir was relayed. Several items were heard with a short announcement between, 7L0, Nairobi, 31 metres,. has been weak and gushy each morning. VK2ME, Sydney, 28.5 métres, is still carrying out tests with England. Next week tests on 12 metres are to be tried. GBX, England, 27.5 metres.-Testing with 2ME as above. G5SSW, Chelmsford, 25.53 metres.The Japanese delegate to the Naval Conference spoke to America from 5SW on Tuesday morning before 6 a.m. The Jananese Consul for America interpreted the speech, which was given in Japanese. At the same time on Wednesday, Mr. Stimson, chief delegate from America, spoke. Reception was R8, with rapid fading; most of the talk was readable. Strength at 7 a.m. is about R5 now. KZRM, Radio, Manila, 24.4 and 48.8 metres.- Reception has been fair, but ‘not

to be compared with that on 26 metres. Volume is about the same on both wavelengths, if anything the lower is the better, y KDKA, Pitisburg, 25.4 métres.Reception on Sunday was too gushy to be enjoyable. Saturday was better, strength reaching R7-8 by 5 p.m. Dance music from the. William Penn Hotel, Pittsburg, was relayed. , W6XN, Oakland, California, 23.35 metres, was fair strength for a while on Sunday, being R6 at its best. W2XAD, Schenectady, 19.5 metres, is still too weak to listen to yet. On Sunday signal strength reached R4, but was very gushy. PCK Holland, 16.3 metres, was heard on Saturday at R5, on duplex. PLE JAVA, 15.74 metres, put on 2 very fine programme of records of Saturday from about 11 p.m., which were reeeived perfectly at RB. PMB Java, 14.5 metres, were on the air, transmititng simultaneously the same programme as PLE on Saturday night, but did not start til about 11.30 p.m. Reception was also excellent, though not so strong as PLE. Unidentified Stations. ON about 69 metres, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, an American voice was heard at R3, odd words only being intelligible. He signed off at 7.5 p.m., "- M or N, shortwave," was all I could make out. On 41.8 metres (about), Thursday, at Ga.m., a lecture in German at R83 was received. This was followed by another yoice. Musie later was R4. The same station was also heard at the same time on Monday and Tuesday. 24.5 metres (about): A station on this wavelength has been heard several times on duplex with a station on about 23. metres. 23 metres (about), on Saturday evening,(_ giving a call as "WOO," and calling G2GN (the Olympie’s call sign). A word test was carried out, "Write down," ete., which finished at 11 p.m. The call WOO was only heard once, and I am not quite certain of it. This call is not in the latest American call-book., Rad7, Siberia. HERE was a small dispute in a back number of the "Record" concerning the wavelength of Ra97, Siberia. listen in to this station nearly every night, and the wavelength is always giyen as 70 metres. I have never heard any mention of 35.metres, I have heard a station around about 35 metres, and the talk is foreign and not unlike the voice of the Ra97 announcer. There is usyally heavy static on this strange station, and so far I have not been able to hear what wavelength is given, I would be pleased to hear if any other listeners have heard this static 1-C. F. ©. Clode (Southland). ° .