Our mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 45, 23 May 1930, Page 4

Our mail Bag

"old Time" Night, ‘ARB you aware that London music halls are not conducted now as in the manner presented in Tuesday even‘ing’s. programme? .One was.led: to ‘believe it was an old time concert by .the presence of the chairman. Failing "to hear the old time songs one refers to the "Radio Record" and discovers "that it is supposed to be a modern pro-. gramme as produced in a London music hall. ‘But why London when the ar‘tists make reference to the Wellington Zoo and New Zealand in their songs? "J’m sure such poor eritertainment would not be tolerated in’ London to-day.-

Londoner

(Northland),

‘The Mushiness Theory. Two readers pounce on my. theory ; of the ‘mushiness of 2YA. HH. W. ‘Anglesey says there are no other sets within 5 miles which would interfere with his set, The set I refer to in my first letter is no nearer than 6% miles, and it. works just as a small ‘transmitter set, It is this retransmission coming in a little out of step with the station that accounts for the smudgy appearance of the music. Now we know that the power of 2YA is approximately ten times that of the other YA stations. -That accounts. for. the retrans‘mission ‘of the other stations,. not. being heard. Now we know that two stations jamming has a tendency to cause wavelength to alter slightly, hence the necessary yetuning. H.W. will. get

an instance of what I mean if he tries tuning two sets in series with one aerjal. I grant that H.W. may have had five years’ experience, but in that time perhaps he has not done the experimenting I have in the last seven years. I had one of the first sets in one of the pioneer centres of radio. Fading, he says, is due to earth and air wave, but I have my own theory of fading, and if he can prove that this is the cause, then I give in. Fading has. something to do with current surge at the station, which can be controlled by the engineers in charge. But leave alone fading, that does not cause the mushiness referred to, as fading was known ‘before this other curse came into existence. Now, as far as T. T. Dalefield is concerned, I may state that it is not necessary for the owners of these broadcast sets to sit beside them and twiddle the dials to have the wavelength altered. As I have stated before, the re-radiation of the set causes this on its own account. Now, T.T., is it. not possible for these interfering sets to be sold from. Auckland to the Bluff, and taking the distances of these two towns from 2YA it is that reason why we have not heard of others farther north and south complaining, and you cannot have had much experience of re-radia-tion or you would not have condemned my theory as youdid, for I did not say the operators of these sets were to blame for the swing of the waver length, but the set itself. That is what necessitates the alteration of tuning so often, Think awhile, ‘T.T., for while you sit writing to condemn 2YA’s_ transmissions you could be doing yourself and others a good turn by getting after it. You may have the means to get about, but I have not or I would no doubt have turned my. theory to the actual

long before this.-

Pioneer

(Waipawa).

Sporting Results. T is a noticeable fact that sporting results from Christchurch are not -broadcast from 2YA at seven o’clock on Saturdays. Dunedin results are sent out, and this city is much further south than Christchurch. Could arrangements. not. bé. made to have Christchurch football results put over the radio at the above time, as I am sure there are plenty of listeners who are interested. enough in Canterbury football to: appreciate reception of results from there. Trusting that listeners will- have the. privilege. of. the above

request.-

A.

K.

Greymouth) . c/o Ken-

nedy Bros... (Greymouth). .

Transmission of 2YA. \/HY the recent mushiness in night reception from 2YA? Until recently this = station was always pleasant to -listen to. There is now

not a station in New Zealand we ‘canwith pleasure listen to. 1YA is. clear, but fades badly; 2YA mushy; 3YA even worse. We are in a splendid position, getting Australian and, American stations regularly, but one does rely more or less on one’s local station, I am not alone by any means. in my

complaint.-

G.

F.

(Featherston),

WHat is the matter with 2YA? I have two super-electric. sets in the house that are capable of receiving 1YA, 3YA; 4YA, and the Australians very clear with good volume, but when I tune in 2YA the station is very mushy. I think there is nothing wrong with the sets as they are both new.-

J. E.

Kirkus

(Kilbirnie)

Community Singing. NOTICE that 1YA will this year again broadcast daily the community singing which has been so very popular to both backblocks and city listeners. Why has 2YA not kept time with the less-powered station 1YA? 2YA is certainly putting over some fine programmes, especially those we get on a Saturday night. More of Mr. Will Bishop I am sure would be appreciated. Many must have a good laugh when they hear programmes like these, particularly those who are not fortunate enough to be- able to attend the actual performance. I hope others will take up. the subject of: the community sing-song so we might have a bright. hour each dav during the

winter:

Anxious

(Wellington) .

YA’s Transmissions. HAVE noticed several letters in the "Radio Record" referring to the mushiness and fading of all the YA stations. I quite agree with these writers. *Fed-up" complains of power interference in Hamilton, which I am sure any Hamilton listener must say is correct. Then comes Mr. Swain’s letter referring to transmission from YA stations was no surprise to any Waikato listener, as 1YA has been "rotten." I note Mr. Swain has had over 80 sta-

tions, and I have 50 to.my log, so this» proves our sets are quite O.K. , The fault is the YA stations, so why not relay stations as proposed, as > am sure listeners would rather have gw good nights than seven bad.-Listeyer No. 64,456 (Hamilton), ANNIB LAURIN (Wanganui Hast) writes supporting the broadcasting of jazz music, arguing that as we live in a modern age we must be modern in outlook. He complains of mushiness from very many stations. Wet Another Theory. HAVH been interested in letters appearing in your pdper re the distortion from 2YA. Many has been the time I have been -shooting: in hilly country and have noticed: that when I am at the bottom of a hill and someone else shooting at the top, some are heard very loudly and others re puffs. Although a perfectly stiljMay there will be a current of air céming up each side of the hill, first taking the sound away and then forward.. This, in my opinion, is the cause of the distortion and the fading from QYA, as it is on top of a hill. Let me give another illustration. All who are familiar with Cook Strait wiil know of the Terawhiti rip and the Jackson’s Head rip, which are two currents sweeping up either side of a coast and meeting, with a choppy sea resulting; this also must happen with air currents. There would be three in the case of 2YA, one from each side of the hill andthe transmission. I think myself that a transmitter should be located in perfectly flat: country. My log shows that there are between twenty and thirty stations in Ne Zealand, and none of them can b classed top-notch. The Canadian Goy‘ernment build a railway into a large tract of country they want opened; the settlers soon come. So why doesn’t the Broadcasting Company build a (Continued on next page.)

Our Mailbag

\ (Continued from previous page.) 50,000-watt station in a suitable place and instead of the 50,000-odd listeners I venture to'say there would soon be 250,000, as such a station would be heard all over the country, with no fading, static or distortion. I do not intend casting reflections on any of the station staff’s capabilities, as I think they are doing their-utmost with the equipment at their disposal. A very high-powered station will have to come, sooner or later, so why not now before chaos exists with numerous stations like U.S.A. I am the owner of a very powerful recéiver, and through static, ete., have had only one gramme in the past eight weeks. eaking for myself only, I would not mifid a £5 license fee.-Constant Listener 2,