THE D.X. CLUB views and News.

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 45, 23 May 1930, Page 12

THE D.X. CLUB views and News.

’ Identification . Wanted N May 12-a station broadcasting ~ g@ boxing matech-Approx. wavelength 250 metres (1200 kilocycles). Time received 8.30 p.m, Station disappeared when I tuned in again at 9.15 p.m. There seemed to be a drone or purr accompanying transmission. Signal strength R5-C. Acute fading.-

Sonora

(Wellington )

[ HAVD often heard two men talking ~ just below’ 2YB, New Plymouth, They hold an ordinary conversation, discussing their progress in’sending and receiving morse, etc. They then go on to morse. I used to hear them freqnently after 10 p.m., and most of the evening on Sunday. I have not heard any call sign from them. "Oh, well, I must get off to bed now," is the nearest I have hdd. Has any DX member identified this pair? I have derived much. pleasure from the programmes of 2ZR, Wanganui. He is very handy from 10.30 a.m. till 8 p.m. I get him at RS here. Re mushiness on 2YA. I have seven radio friends round here. They all experience the same trouble. I haye also heard new sets being demonstrated by dealers here, and the mushiness is just as pronounced in them. Now, is it the set? My thanks to S. Ellis, Okato, for his letter describing earth and aerial System. Iam adontine it. and will

report in due course.-

Amazon

(Pal-

merston North. )

(COULD you identify the following station for me? I have heard it faintly several times now, but have never been able to get its call letters. The following are the particulars :~- Frequency, 880 kilocycles; metres, 361. Also, can you tell me the reason for this? I find it fairly hard to tune in to 2BL, Sydney, as there seems to be a dead spot.-‘‘Not Too Sure" (Motueka.) [This is probably a dead spot. Try placing a midget variable condenser in series with the aerial.-Ed.] 10.80 pm. Friday, May 9, two tations on 240 (1250 k.e.), one an American with a call -, the last letter like X. The other kept going off the gir for two or three seconds, The announcer’s voice sounded Hnglish-call sounded like "CJMW testing." Two others, one like an Australian on 325 metres (920 kilo.) and the other either Japanese or Chinese, on 333 metres (900 kilo.) heard after LYA closed down.-

M.B.S.

(Palmerston North),

Sb i Pi iia, ed Stations I dentified "TH station "Sonora" heard on a wave-length round about 2YB, New Plymouth, was probably 2ZH, Napier, 238 metres, 15 watts. Wednesday, 6.30 -10.80; Sunday, 2.30-4.30, and 7.0-9.30.-*Amazon" (Palmerston North.) [XY the "Radio Record" of 16/5/30 "Tneubu" (Waitaka) asks about a station which was broadcasting on Friday, May 2. This was 4Z0, Dunedin, and ZL4ZM, operated by Chas. Begg and Co., Dunedin. These stations were transmitting on relay from the Otago

Radio Exhibition.

-( Unsigned.)

DX Topics . An Error Acknowledged. I AM indebted to Mr. Rodgers for his correction of my report concerning station KPO, California, on 23.55 metres. Until reading his report I had not noticed the error. On. referring to my log I find that station received

was KGO-

M.

W.

(Wellington).

KFOX on Special Programme. pr any DX reader pick up KFOX, Longbeach, California, on Thursday, May 15, at 9.30 p.m., when they were ou the air with a special Australian and New Zealand: programme. Wave-length was 239.9 metres (1250 k.c.). Items heard were "Throwing Kisses at Me" and "My Mother’s Arms." Strength was R6 on ‘phones using a twu-valve all-wave set. On Wednesday, May 14, at 10 p.m. I picked up three Japs, and they ail had what was evidently an WBnglish lesson on, interspersed with Japanese talk, "I, she he, it, you your: yours,’ ete.,’ was heard. 2Z5, Eketahuna was testing on the same day at 5 p.m. on 1210 ke. (246 metres, approx.), at R 7-8. Reception here is improviug,

but static is bad. Short-waye reception.is not worth bothering about.-

H.F.

A.

(Masterton. )

A Freak Reception. WONDER if any other listener noticed the unusual wireless conditions this afternoon (May 14). Usually the only stations I hear in daylight are 2YA and 1YA. ‘To-day about + p.m., which is now about one hour hefore sunset, I tuned in to 3YA, and to my surprise it was as loud as Wellington. Thereupon I tried 4YA, and found

it almost as loud. As I had never picked up these two so early in the afternoon before, I tried the Australians. and found 2BL and 8LO quite audible, also 2FO, 4QG, and (I think) 2GB, just audible. My set is a, four-valve $.G. set, home-built. My B_ batteries are almost exhausted, which makes these freak conditions more surpris-

ing.

J.

B.

(Hokianga. )

[The reception of the principal -gouthern stations in broad daylight is quite an ordinary performance, for na } set such as yours,-Hd.] oe

Distance Tests . Interesting Revelations R, T. C. BRYANT, the operator in charge of the wireless on the s.s, Cumberland, has forwarded to 3YA a report covering several nights when he ‘listened-in to the New Zealand stations. He used a two-valve set. Mr. Bryant’s letter reads as follows :- "While testing my instruments for distant signals on all wave lengths, the broadcasting programme from 3YA was heard at midnight on March 20, 1930 (ship’s time and date) very distinctly. clearly and quite loudly. The signals were strength 8 (British Post Office standard) and our approximate distance from Wellington was 2000 miles. "The following night at about the same ship time, 3YA station was again heard, and at almost the same strength, but the fading was greater, and the atmospherics louder. Our approximate distance was then 2300 miles, No other YA stations were heard. On the next night, March 22, at the same time (ship’s. time and date), 3YA was again heard at about strength 6, atmospherics bad but fading only slight. Our approximate distance from Wellington was then 2600 miles. Items heard. was the relay of a church service, presumably from Christchurch. No other YA stations were received, but one or two distant American (Californian) broadcast statidns were weak. "On March 24, at about 11 p.m. (ship’s time and date), broadcasting was heard from assumed New Zealand YA _ stations (on 38YA tuning). The signals were weak, the maximum strength being 4. Atmospherics were also bad, and fading was very bad. At times the signals disappeared altogether, the carrier wave only being heard as a whistle when reaction was increased. One item heard was a "musical switch" played by a band, our distance being nearly 3000 miles, ie, almost in the game longtitude as Pitcairn Island. "On March 25 (same time) nothing was heard on 3YA tuning except for carrier wave whistle when reaction was increased, but on another tuning an American broadcasting statioa, WGAM, came in strength 4. "Atmospheries bad, but fading slight." A Noble Sacrifice A CUARMING radio story which has captured the imagination of English newspapers ‘was recorded recently. A Gloucester gir] betrothed to a wealthy young business man had the choice of rich furs or jewels as a present. She declined the gift, said she would be happy if every blind man. woman, and child in Gloucestershire could he provided with a wireless set. This was revealed when a young man walked into the National Institute for the Blind and asked the cost of providing the sets and maintaining them for ever. ‘The staggered officials worked out the cost and told him it would be £10,000. ‘Very well, they will have it," he said.. He declined to give his name. "Tt isn’t my gift,’ he said, "but a present from my future wife," and handed over a cheque,

To DX ClubMembers — QWING to the heavy demands © made on dur space, and. to the increasing amount of correspondence received from DX enthusiasts, we have found it necessary to request the following courtesies: (1) Address letters to: The Editor, DX Club, Box 1032, Wellington. Nom de plumes may be used, but all letters to be signed. Write in ‘ink, and on one side of the paper only. (2) Be brief, but do not omit interesting or essential details. (At present almost every letter . has to be re-written and condensed.) (3) When stating the wavelength of a station, if possible give the corresponding frequency. This may be ecaleulated from the formula: £00,000 K = — M to, where M = wavelength «in metres, and K the frequency in kilocyeles. . , (4) When inquiring about the. identity of stations, give the following particulars: Date and time of reception, approx. wavetength and frequency (see Rule 3), and items heard (not more than three). If unable to state wavelength, give dial readings and proximity to well-known stations.