Our Mail Bag

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 46, 30 May 1930, Page 31

Our Mail Bag

While we welcome the expressed views of listeners on topics pertaining to _ radio, we ask jthat these communications be kept to niinimum length, as heavy demands are made upon space. Mere reiteration of arguments cannot be accepted for publication, and we cannot take responsibility for views expressed. Address communications to the Editor, and sign all correspondence, though a nom-de-plume might be used for publication.

Theories! ! ! HON I challenged "Pioneer’s" the- ' ory that the. mushiness of 2YA was caused by a particular make of: receiving set in his district,.I did not think he would be‘so extravagant as to admit that his theory applies equally to all the other districts from which complaints of this distortion are coming in per medium of the "Radio Record." My answer, that the mushiness is bad some nights, whilst completely absent on others, and yet corresponds in different localities, explodes his theoty, and this and the general opinion expressed that this mushiness is much worse of late deals with the theory of it being caused by station 2YA being on a hill as advanced by "Constant Listener." inally, "Pioneer" recommends me to "set after it,’ ie, "this particular make of set." All right, "Mr. Pioneer," you are so sure you know its name, I make my first call on you. What about it, or do you agree with me that the engineers of 2YA are. the ones to "sat after it’-not the theory. but the

cause of the "mushiness" ?

T. T.

Dale

field

"YA Free From Distortion. HAVE read with surprise your correspondent’s views re the mushiness of 2YA. I can only say that it comes through to-me as clear as a bell both in the afternoon and at night. I am situated 25 miles from Wellington as the crow flies. wl have a small but well-built set, ahd many who have heard it remark on the: clearness of it. I am inclined to think that this Yaushiness is due to either local conditions or the set. I am writing this letter as I notice that those whose reception is not satisfactory are the only ones who write, whereas those whvw get good reception do not go to the trouble to express their views. Hoping to read a few letters from satisfied listeners, as it gets monotonous readine letters from dissatisfied listeners.-

Donald J.

McIntosh

(Pirinoa )

Parliamentary Language. WovLD you be good enough to ler me know through the columns of your paper whether or not the matter comprising the "plays" which are broadcast from the YA stations is subjected to censorship? Lately I have heard language in some of these play» anything but parliamentary, to say the

least:

B. L.

Medland

. (Great Barrier),

LWiane every ellort is made to protect the susceptibilities of listeners in all if jtter broadcast, there are occasions*when certain words may be "dramatically necessary" and incapable of excision. That was the phrase used, ‘for instance by the Lord Chamberlain of England in permitting the retention

of the word "bloody" in "Outward Bound." It may not be parliamentary, but life itself is not always conducted on a parliamentary plane, and if truth and art are to prevail some little latitude, carefully guarded certainly, must be given at times.-Ed.] Transmission and Quality. . EFORE commenting on the trans missions from the YA stations in general, allow me to congratulate the management of 2YA for their relay of the football match in Wanganui. It was excellent. Perhaps a little more notice of local players could have been taken. British players were always mentioned by name when taking part in a movement. Wanganui players were seldom honoured. However, this was a small defect in an otherwise splendid broadcast. Now for a grouse: Reception of al YA stations, except 2YA in daytime only, has been wretched for some considerable time. 1YA is nearly always troubled with a whistle, probably caus ed by an adjacent American, as it disappears usually about 8 o’clock; when American stations close down. 2YA is very good in daylight, but is mush) and blasts frequently after nightfall. 8YA has frequent periods of fading, sometimes disappearing completely. There is also considerable blasting. 4YA has also very frequent periods of blasting and fading. These drawbacks tv good night reception have been increas: ingly evident for several weeks, ani seems to be getting worse instead of better. All the YA stations have de creased in volume to about one-fourth of their strength of say twelve months ago. Indeed they have diminished sv much that several Australian stations are much better, both in volume and quality (not quality of programme items) after about 5.80 p.m. To-night

for instance, a station in Honolulu is equal in volume to 1YA, and considerably superior to both 8YA and 4YA. My set may be at fault, but I fail. to see how I can get such excellent Speaker results with it from stations as far away as Chicago, and with a band from say 2YB to 7ZL, if it is the case. I do not complain of the programmes we hear (sometimes!). Usually they are excellent; a dud item creeps in oc-casionally-"a visitor from the West Coast" was pretty poor on a cornet recently, for instance-but the wonder is that there are not more. Personally I am not too fond of jazz, saxophones or wurlitzers, but that seems to be an

eccentricity these days.-

Tongariro

(Raetihi).

Hamilton Relay Station. ey support of Mr. F. R. Swain’s letter concerning our promised reiay station, its fate seems to be in the lap of the gods, at least I sincerely nope it is, and has not been "lapped up," for if it is still in the delightful state of being promised there is chance. We do not have, in this town, a B class station broadcasting at night and have to buy powerful sets to "pick up" the YA stations, of which all that can be heard is poor, mushy, fading reception and a wail of a lot of "howlers," although to give credit when and where it is due, these ‘latter ‘broadcasters’ at times harmonise quite well with speaker noises caused by chronic power interference, supplying the rhythm in the bass Then, and then oniy, it is that Hamiltonians are provided with a programme the reception of which is equal, and I would even dare to say

~ a better, than the programmes of late. I trust that this note jogs. the memory of someone so that he may realise that the promise of a Hamilton relay station is not to be like the nroverhial nie.

crust.

A. W.

Jarman

(Hamilton)

Records for Dinner Music.-. R= "Switch’s" remarks in this week’s4 "Radio Record’ saying he does not envy the task of the selector of dinner music records, as he thinks the number of suitable records is very small; also he considers the 2YA dinner music programmes are practically ideal. This may be so, what there are of them, but it is plainly seen by studying the programmes at the other stations that the dinner records are sent round on circuit to the four stations, and they unfortunately find their way back where they started from three or four weeks before without any change in their personnel whatever. It would be interesting to know how many times, and for how long, we have listened to "Wlectric Girl,’ "Minuett"? (Boccherini’s), "Al Fresco," and many more that come along far too frequent~ ly, despite their popularity, when we would rather ‘listen to some of the newer recordings. I receive the new lists and main catalogues of ali makes of records regularly, and there are many new numbers each month. It is, to put it candidly, ridiculous to say the selection is small, with two or three hundred new recordings available each month, without the electrical recordings in the main cata-

logues which gre never heard

Up-to

Date

(Waverley).