Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 37, 28 March 1930, Page 6

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

O a Mr. Parkerson proposed to fly from HDngland, via Australia, to Auckland. No doubt the Commonwealth authorities would require the carrying of a radio operator for the flight across the Tasman. If this last stage of the voyage is attempted zxadio listeners can look forward to another areeacHve broadcast by the "YA" stations. . A RATHHDR dramatic episode occurred at station 2FO, Sydney, on Thursday night, March 21, "Switch" was listening to a lecture on the early days on the McArthur River, Northern Australia, by "Bringa," a noted authority on the Australian aboriginals, when suddenly the speaker stopped. There was a pause for a couple of minutes, and then the announcer apologised, explaining that "Bringa" had been taken suddenly ill, and would have to continue his address on another occasion. A quarter of an hour later the announcer stated that "Brin-' ga" had recovered, and had left the studio. ’ ‘A WELLINGTON listener, who resides in Brougham Street, informed the writer last week that three different receiving sets had been operated without mutual interference while simultaneously attached to the same aerial. One set, for short-wave work, was operated by his son; a second set (multivalve) brought in outside stations, and the third, a crystal, was tuned to 2YA, Wellington. Music from all three sets was heard simultaneously.. He stated that it is a frequent experience for his son to be listening in to a foreign station on his threevalve short-wave set while the father is being entertained by one of the "YA" stations, the two sets being connected to the same aerial. GUCCESS does not always attend the simultaneous operation of two or three receiving sets attached to the same aerial. The writer remembers two listeners working individual sets simultaneously off the one aerial, and one listener found that the reception

from Australia was-greatly weakened when the other was listening to 2YA, Wellington, with his crystal set. In this case, however, the leads-in were at opposite ends of the aerial. THE laughter of the children in the Dunedin Town Hall while RearAdmiral Byrd was delivering his address was due to the antics of his dog ‘"Tgloo." The merriment of the children was heard all over New Zealand, and the barking of the dog, when the juveniles applauded, was also clearly audible above the tumult. HE Melbourne radio trade is about to hold another radio exhibition. A temporary 50-watt public address system is to be fitted up at the exhibition, and an amateur radio announcers’ competition is to be held in public. Five of the most successful competitors are to be selected by the judges, and each will receive a prize of one guinea. HE New Zealand "YA" stations have been coming in splendidly since the middle of March. 1YA, Auckland, igs now rivalling 8YA, Christchurch, both in volume and tone. The New Plymouth station is available with fair loudspeaker volume at night-time,

when it is on the air. 4YA, Dunedin, has superb tone, and seldom distorts. ‘*QWITCH" was listening the other night when 4ZP, Invercargill, was testing with 2ZM, Gisborne, and the former station was badly blurred. Nevertheless the Gisborne stations -received Invercargill quite clearly, according to his statements. This was a peculiar problem which the writer sought to solve. When. Invercargill closed down a minor Australian station was found nearly on the same wavelength. Apparently Invercargill and the Australian had been clashing, and as the latter was not heard in Gisborne, Invercargill, came in clearly up there. GTATION 2HD, Newcastle, which the writer tunes in nearly every night, has only a temporary transmitter. Ac-

cording to the latest news the new Newcastle station should be opened in May, and as there is a population of about 390,000 within a 50 miles radius, there will be an excellent field to draw upon if the coal mines are working once more. The Newcastle district is notoriously bad for reception of the Sydney stations, but all the troubles of fading and distortion with which the Sydney programmes are plagued will not be felt when the relay station is installed. The new station will have the choice of both 270 and 2BL for the local service, and a land line will

connections. It is believed by the be kept exclusively for broadcasting > A.B.C. management that 10,000 new licenses will be taken out by residents of the area served in the first twelve months, "THERE is widespread surprise and regret among listeners, especially those who are incapacitated in soldiers’ and public hospitals, at the attitude adopted by the Wellington Rugby Union towards the broadcasting of descriptions of local football . matches, Backblocks listeners who are unable to attend the matches are also protesting against the small-mindedness of some of the delegates of the Welling-'.., ton Rugby Union. The union’s finances are prospering and there is no proof whatever of the attendances at Athletic Park being adversely affected by the broadcasting. On the other hand, figures for the past season show an opposite resulfi O the great body of listeners the petty attitude of the Wellington Rugby. Union towards broadcasting is a reflection on the sportsmanship of the members of that body. In Australia, always noted for the land of true sportsmanship, there are no restrictions on the broadcasting of football matches, and, indeed, New Zealand has every reason to be grateful to the Australian union for enabling listeners in the Dominion to hear the descriptions of the All Black games in Sydney sent across the Tasman by 2MH, Sydney, last winter.

F’ course there are ways of defeating sports bodies who are churlish enough to prohibit broadcasting. In Australia there is no prohibition of the broadcasting of horse races, but sometimes owing to the noise and shouts of onlookers it is more desirable to have the microphone outside the grounds. Station 2UB, Sydney, has a microphone stand erected in University Street, outside the Rosebery racecourse, Sydney, and the announcer is able to describe the racing without entering the grounds. AMERICAN exchanges report that some hundreds of thousands of listeners in the United: States arose very early in the morning to listen to King George’s speech at the London Naval Conference, which was rebroadcast by 2YA, Wellington. The United States and Canadian broadcast net works picked up reception from 5SW, Chelmsford,- Hngland. It commenced at 3 a.m. Pacific coast time, 4 a.m. midwestern time, 5 a.m. central time, and 6 a.m. eastern standard time. The New York "Radio World" says: "In this country listeners are used to the most florid and grandiose introductions of nobodies, and to think that the king of the greatest kingdom on earth should take the air without so much as a how-do-you-do nearly took the breath away from those who were not asleep." AR away in Western Australia the recent tests between 2YA, Wellington, 2MH, Sydney, and 2XAF, Schenectady, have been heard. A correspondent signing himself "S.P.P.," Albany, Western Australia, reports reception of the three stations in the Melbourne "Listener-In" of March 5.