Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 52, 11 July 1930, Page 32

Round the World on Short Wave

HIS page is conducted in the interests of shortwave enthusiasts. A weekly loge comprising notes of reception and ir >restine topical events

is contributed by Mr.

F. W.

Sellens

‘Northland, . Wellington, but all —

listeners are invited to send in paragraphs of general interest.

Log For Week

Sunday, June 29. 7 BESEN was tuned in at 9.30 a.m., when they were quite good at R7-8 with orchesttal music. Volume rapidly decreased. " A station on about 31,4 metres was heard at 11.30 a.m. at R4, increasing to RT by noon. Dance music was being played. A morse station started just before the other closed down about midday, so the call was not heard. It may have been W2XAF;; this station was not heard during the afternoon. W2XAD was R3-4 at 11.30 a.m., but could not be heard one hour later. NRH at 1.50 pm. was R2-3 with singing. Talk was heard at 2 p.m., odd words only being readable, but New Zealand was heard, possibly mentioning reports received from this country. In giving the call, NRH, the-last letter sounded more like X sometimes. W8XK at 2 p.m. was R3. At 2.30 p.m, they were off the air, On about 29 metres at 3.30 p.m. a very strong carrier was heard, _ but nothing else while I was listening. W8XAL from R7-8 at 3.30 p.m. increased to R9 by 4.30 p.m. W2KE, give ing the ¢all "WABC and W2XB," were R7 at 345 p.m., increasing to R8 by 4.30 Dm. W9XF was much weaker than the above stations to start, but soon increased. to. good volume. Monday, June 30. I PID not listen till the evening. W2xXA¥F was tuned in at 10.30 p.m. when they were very noisy at R8, clearing up by 11 p.m. Holland and Sydney were being called. . Arrangements had been made for signals from W2XAF to be picked up by PHI, Holland, relayed from there to PUN, Java, and then on to 2MB, Sydney. Neither of the stations were audible up til] 11 p.m. * 2XX at 10.45 p.m. was excellent at maximum volume. RA97. was perfect at 10.45 p.m.,: but only Russian talk was heard. oo, eee . See Paar ee eee

Stations Heard During Week Ending July 5

° + ZL2XX, Wellington, 62.8 metres: Morday, " RA97, Siberia, 70 metres: Hach day excep} Sunday. ~ We Rig oncaco, 49.83 metres: Sunday arid Saturday. wo , Chicago, 49.34 metrés: Saturday. WSXAL, New Jersey, 49.18 metrés: Sunday and Saturday. W2XE, New York, 49.02 metres: Sunday and Saturday. . W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.4 metres: Mon., Wed., Thurs. and Sat, ? ? $1.4 metres (about); Sunday. ZEESEN, Germany, 31.38 metres: Each day except Monday. KIXR, Manila, 31.8 metres: Each day except Sunday and Monday. PCJ, Holland, 31.28 metres: Friday and Saturday. NRH, Costa Rica, 30.5 metres: Sunday and Saturday. VK2ME, Sydney, 28.5 metres: Friday and Saturday. GBP, Rusby; 27.7 metres: Tues., Thurs., Fri. and Sat, , G5SW, Chelmsford, 25.53 metres: Each day except Sun. and Iau, WSXK, Pittsburgh, 25.25 metres: Sunday, W2XAD, Schenectady, 19.56 metres: Sunday.

Tuesday; July 1. \JOT a sound could be heard at 6.15 a.m., except one or two morse sta--tions very faintly. 5S8W was just audible soon after 7 a.m. GBP only R1-2. Zeesen was about R7 at 7 am, but inaudible half an hour earlier..

KIXR at 8.15. pm. was very gushy at R4, and about the same at 10 p.m. RA97 was almost wibed out by static at 10 p.m. Looe Wednesday, July 260 At 7.80 a.m. 5SW was R3, too gushy to be readable. Zeesen at the same time was excellent at R8 with a musical programme. ~ W2XAF was tuned in at 9.45 p.m., when records were being played and 2MBH ecalied. Volume was R8, Talked with Australia, commenced soon after, but 2ME could not be’ heard here. KIXR was gushy at R8 at 10 p.m: RA97 at 10.15 p.m. was R8-9., Static was bad. Thursday, July 3. T 6.30 am. 5SW was R2, increasing to R38 by 7.30 am. GBP was a little better than 5SW, while 2ME was not audible during this period. Zeesen, although weak, was quite clear at 6.80 a.m., being R4, reaching R7 by 7.80 a.m. KIXR at 815 pm. was gushy at R4 By 10.80 p.m. volume was R8& with better quality, byt still below standard. RA97 with band music and talks at 10 p.m. was R8-9; static bad. W2XAF was testing at 10.15 p.m. They were excellent at R8-9. Friday, July 4. GtATION POS at 6.80 a.m. was very gushy at R4. By 7 a.m. they were good at R8, reaching R8-9 by 7.30 am, GBP was R2 at 6.30 a.m. to R7 by. 7.30 a.m. 2ME was not audible. SSW was not heard till nearly 7.380 a.m., when they were R4. Zeesen again was

— very: good by 7.36 am. at R8&. 2MH Ad p.m. was R9, while GBP was KIXR was R7-8 at 10.30 p.m., being very gushy. RA97 was weaker usual at 10.30 p.m., R7. . ° Saturday, July 5. At 6.30 a.m. POJ was only just audi ble, increasing to R8 by 7.30 p.m. They signed off at.7.87 a.m., "till midnight, G.M.T." GBP increased from R2 at 6.30 a.m. to R8.at 7.380 a.m. 2MH was just ‘audible at 7.45 a.m., but not before. 5SW was very gushy at 7.30 am, R4, at 7.380 am. was R8, but slightly gushy. PCJ was very poor all through the afternoon, R2 at 1.30 pm. to R7 by 4 p.m., and down to R8 by 5.30 p.m. Reception was mushy. ‘all the time. W2XAF was heardj at 1380 p.m. at ‘R3.... They were. when .tried for at 2 p.m, NRH at 2 p.m. was R3, surging was bad. GBP and 2MH commenced about 2.10 p.m. at. R7 and R9 respectively. WOXF were first tuned in at 4.15 p.m., when they were RS. This increased to RO by 5 p.m., when dance music was heayd from "the world’s most beautiful ballroom.". W3xXAL were relaying music from ‘the Pennsylanvia Hotel, New York City, being received at R7 at 4.15 pm... W2XE was only R2 at 4.15 p.m. WOXAA was first heard at 4.45 p.m. at R4, but a morse station came on pier after and ‘spoilt reception. KIXR t 8 p.m. was R7-8, which is better usual for this time. RA97 with music and talk at 10 p.m. was RS. W2XAF at 10.45 p.m. was playing records and calling W6XN, asking them to call 2M. W6XN or 2MBD were not heard. y

Short- Wave News

Shortwave Station for League of : Nations. SPECIAL short-wave transmitter to be operated by the League of Nations has now been authorised and tenders are to be called for its construction at Prangins, in Switzerland. ae It is not expected that it can be finished before the spring of 1931, and in the meantime, should the necessity arise, the existing transmitter at

Prangins, working on the broadcast band, would be placed atthe disposal of the authorities for official comunications, " Television Broadcasts. TATION WERC (Cincinnati) is shortly to commence _ television broadcasts. It is to operate in conjunction with a new shortwave station of the Ohio Television Corporation and will synchronise its sound proImes with the night programmes of € shortwave station. A Two-call Station. HEN VK2MB is being used in the Australian-English duplex telephone ervice their call is VLK. VK2MH metimes works on about 18.7 metres ‘hen ‘testing with Java and America. ~ Notes on Reception. (CONDITIONS. continue to be very poor for shortwave: broadcast reception during the early morning and evening. Very little has been heard of 2MB during the week, although W2XAF (Schenectady) and GBP (Rugby) have been heard conversing with them several times. The distant stations are clear, while 2MB has, in most cases, been inaudible.

On Short-Waves

R. McDONAGH, of Wellington, writes: From RA97, then RA16, now RB15, on 70 metres, I heard the programme mentioned by Mr. Anglesey, of Nelson. The lady finished the talk on the Indian situation with "Long Live the [hdian Revolution." The next night she s speaking of the agenda for the Fiftk Socialist Congress. I have hear: them speaking in Chinese, then a Chinese song and musie, evidently for the benefit of the Manchurians. I noticed a bugle eall before selections by a military hand. Pear’s Annual gives the nopulalion as 21,000, and says Kharbarovsk 1s an important military centre. A Russian told me there is a powerful station at Tomsk, PPE REALL LALLA LLL Leiilllliiln

ZU2XX, 62.4 metres, gave a programme on Saturday night, which 4ZO, Dunedin, re-broadcast. Included in the items was a sound film, which came out very well indeed. A most interesting feature of a test last week was the sound film "Characteristics of Sound’’; this film would be much appreciated by listeners who are unable to share the pleasures of short waves. To hear the same piece three times in an hour from one station may be unusual, but last Saturday night, or, rather, early Sunday morning, Siberia gave "Rose Marie," probably it may have been a relay of the play. 2XAF is often on from 10 p.m. Sometimes he is exceptionally loud. I have noticed that 2M goes higher up at times to somewhere about 86 metres, often he can be heard coming in from 2XAF; it may be from a speaker. Note.-2XAF, at about 10.15, will ‘rebroadeast Java. If conditions are unfavourable, he will get Holland to put i0'p. through on Tuesday, July 1, from p.m. A World-Wide Broadcast, N June 24, W2XAF, New York, wa: received very clearly at R9. Ap parently there is to be a round-the world hook-up on a Tuesday night shortly. Mr. Hicks, of 2XAF, while in conversation with Mr. Farmer, of VK2MBE, Sydney, mentioned that the circuit would be completed as follow :- -From 2XAF to 2ME, thence to one of the Javanese stations, to PCJ Holland 5SW .England, back to 2XAF. The time proposed was about 11 a.m., N.Z time. This should be worth listening to. as the round-the-world talk will be rebroadeast on a slightly higher wave-length-about 31.8 metres , Was mentioned. Listeners will hear a message that has travelled one and a half times around the world. Anyone possessing two S.W. receivers will be able to notice the time it takes for a signal to go right around the globe (or nearly so) and back to us in New Zealand.EB. W. Anglesey (Nelson).

Questions and Answers

N CONLON, ‘Tahunanui, Nelson, * states that he cannot obtain porous pots for Daniels cells, and asks how they might be made. A.: They cannot be made except with elaborate apparatus-they are of unglazed china. Perhaps some more fortunate listener might send you a few.