THE D.X. CLUB Views and News.

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 6, 22 August 1930, Page 7

THE D.X. CLUB Views and News.

Identification Wanted TA™ION on about 288 metres (1040 ke.), with call which sounded like NIK, Wyoming. Announcer read out several names of people in St. Louis, and stated that programme by request. One of the items were, "Dem Golden Slippers." It was stated that the station is a new one, and would be _ transmitting the best of programmes, He was received on August 10 at about 5 p.m., and when closing down gave time as

121 pam;

P.C.

B.

(Manakau),

MERICAN station heard on August 11 on approx. 265.5 metres (1130 ke.). Several times during his announcements I heard "The Vagabond of the Air." To items announced were "A request ‘number, Metropolitan’ March," composed by the player" (piano), and "Drifting Back to Dreamland." During the last few days I have added KFOX, SL, KVOO, and KNX to my list. Total,

now 69.-

L.

I.

(Gisborne).

Z. station heard on August 138 at * ‘approx. 9.380 p.m. giving results of Invercargill by-election. It was. transmittine on annroxr. 482 metres (G48 ke).

E.W.

A.

(Nelson

TATION just under 300 metres (1000 ke.) heard on’ August 8 at 8 p.m. CGall-sign 2--M. Same evening at 9.45 Dm. heard a foreign on 265 metres (11380 ke.), Language resembled French, I have logeed BO station to date on an &-valve

ali-electric

Wilcox

(Timaru)

AUGUST 10 was one of the best nights for American reception I have ever experienced. I heard the calls of seven, but several others I could not identify for static. One in particular was just ahove 8YA._ and was oceasionally drawn-

_ ing it-

Yankee

(New Plymouth).

STATION testing from 11.30 a.m, till 12.5 p.m. on August 10. Address sounded like Roger's broadcasting stion, Manurewa, but speech was very mushy. The announcer used two microphones, speech on the second (which he used very little) being quite clear. Gramophone items played included "Cuckoo" waltz, "Orange Blossom Time," sung, and "I Get the Blues When It Rains." His wavelength was about 250 metres 1200 ke.). Also on the evening of ugust 6 I held station KROW, Oakland, California, from 5.54 p.m. till 6 p.m. Items included dance music by Al. Wallace and his dance orchestra, This station is not mentioned in the "OQuide.’? Wavelength about the same

as 3UZ,

S.P.

W.

(Waingaro).

ON August 18, 1930, at 9.50 p.m. until 10.17 p.m. I heard an American statian on about 226 metres (1270 k.c.).

composition, prize one guinea, was announced. Songs, "Louise" and "Mareheta," orchestral number, "Vagabond ing," and a piano solo were heard. Static was bad and station was singing badly at conclusion of programme. Callsign sounded like KTB or P. On August 14, 1980, I logged KMOX for the first time since March 1, 1929. Strength

R4.-

Amazon

> (Palmerston North).

GrAT TION heard August 15 at 8.80 pm. on 1500 ke. (200m. ), and further towards minimum reading of

Jiot Not DyaIa harmonic_

Yankee

(New Plymouth)

AT ‘what times (N.Z.) do any regular time signals and weather reports in morse come’ through from Japan «and Siva? Also. what is the latter station’s

call-sign ?

R.J.

G.

(Auckland).

VY RECHNTLY tuned in to a station a little above 2YB, New Plymouth, givjng his ‘call as 8---, Melbourne. He eame at good loudspeaker strength at 9.85 p.m. on August 8. His eall .was very clear, but was given at such a speed

that I could not catch it.-

J.W.

T.

(Dune-

dlin)

[Probably obi, Meibourne. pee nlations Identified" column in "D.X. Notes" of, last week’s issue,-Hd.] TATION heard 1.80 a.m, on August 3 about 2 degrees below 1YA with clock (rather high-pitched but .clear) chiming 8. It may possibly. have been 7 or The announcer spoke Hnglish, and though musie came through well, speech

was blurred.-

G.

F.

(Ohura).

wart stations operate on 563 k.c. (582 metres) and 500 kc. (600 metres), and what American operates on 595 k.c. (504 metres)? My set is an 8 valve all-eectrie commercially built one, and I am using a 90 foot aerial about

42 feet in height.-

Phones

Hastings

at" do not give enough particulars.Nd. : TATION heard at 10 p.m. every night W (strength variable) on about 765 k.c. (893 metres). I think ‘it must be a Japanese, but I can never get the call. From 9.40 p.m. till 10.80 p.m. speech is heard, and after that vocal items (at least, I think that is what is intended) My set is a 9-valve all-electric commer-

cial model

W.D.

W.

(Dunsande] )

~ {Probably JOHK, Sandai, Japan, o erating. on 390 metres (770 k.e,)

AL RE RL A ei hi A Mi Mi Ml i Al a NY in Me in dn tS de Stations Identified eee eee A D. ROGERS (Wellington).-Ad- * dress of 5AD, Adelaide, is c/o Advertiser Newspapers, Waymouth Street, Adelaide. " A MAZON" (Palmerston North)-I heard 3DB relaying 3BA, Ballarat (231 metres) on 255 metres (1175

KCe , recentlya

G.

F.

(Ohura)_

"TPORQUE" . (Island Bay).-An announcement was made a month or so ago from W2XAF, New York, that WGY, on 790-kilocycles’-(880m.), would be carrying out tests on a power of 200 k.w. These tests were received well here in Christchurch around 8 p.m., but J do not know if WY is nsine this

nower resularly now or not.

R.T.

S.

(Christchurch),

T 12.26 a.m, approximately a station was heard oa 21/7/30 ‘which gave its call-sign as 83BY, Melbourne. Played

records, "Happy Days are Here Again," "Tea for Two,’ piano solo, and dance music, and closed down at 1.45 p.m, New Zesland time. This will confirm

"Amazon's" recent statement:-

S.

Beckett

(Whakatane),

iD R. (Heretaunga): The best time to * receive American: stations is, between 3 p.m, and sundown. Your "Listener’s Guide" will give you the required frequencies.-EHd. "TS CUBU" (Waitaka): Address of Station 8BA is c/o Ballarat Broadcasters Co., Ltd., 2155 Raglan Street, Ballarat. They operate on 231 metres (1800 ke.), with a power of 50 watts.-

Liederman

(Timaru).

OC A.H. (Napier): Anyone revealing an * interest in the DX Club by contributing notes of interest, etc., automatically becomes a member.-Hd. "TJ NCONSOIOUS® (Timaru): Probably WGN, Chicago (just above 2YA). One of the stations just above 7ZL is KMTR, Hollywood. The otherslightly higher-I have not yet identified. "Amazon" (Palmerston North): KSL, Salt Lake City, can be found between KMIO, Inglewood (which 2ZM blots out) and KVOO, Tusla, Oklahoma, and is

Te Oi Min An in a hin le Li ls dn An Mn dS Ln. in dln An¥ sn dln S ian de MY AY most probably the station he heard. About 8 degrees on my dial (180) covers all three stations. "Metre" (Huntly): Your station 8 degrees below 2FC sounds like KPO, San Francisco. It comes in close

fon Perth ( earlier, of course)

E.

W.

Anglesey

(Nelson).

" ST Started" (Stratford). probably heard EJML, who gave his position when I heard him as 47 miles*from Cape Maria. ‘Gregg" (Dunedin) ‘heard

KNX, Los Angeles, California

Yan

kee

(New Plymouth),

" A MAZON" (Palmerston North) : Station on 263 metres (1140 kc.) is, I think, KYA, San Francisco, It. is ' not KMOX, as another reader suggests; ‘as I have since heard this station .on- 275 metres (1090 k.c.). L.C.8. reports 270 Bketahuna. I also heard this station at-good- speaker streneth one Wednesday

evening.

A.D.

Rogers

(Newtown).

"QCREEN-GRID" (Opunake) : Ball-fox-kJ ball description of Test match Eng-. land v. Australia was broadcast by 2UW, overating on 2@7 metres (1124 k.c.)-

A.

L.

(New South Wales).

"J C." (Vogeltown): Station heard * was probably PCJ, Holland (31 metres approx.)... Other station is cer-: tainly 8RO.. I-receive him with good ~ volume. He starts at approx. 6.45 a.m.,except Monday (Sunday in Italy), and continues until approx. 8.45 am. On August 14 a man gave an address in* English on U.S.A. ‘The station call is "Radio Roma," and a man and lady both: announce. The man, at exactly 07.30, N.Z.M.T., repeats several Italian words ‘which sound very much the same. Then he rings a bell and the musical session is commenced. "Bob" (Wellington): The station you heard was probably KFXM, California. "Grege’"’ (Dunedin): Station heard was KNX, Tos Angeles.-

Z.L.D.

X.

(Palmerston North).

AI ©. (Vogeltown).-Station heard on ° 80 metres at 7 a.m. is undoubtedly 3RO, Rome, as they are coming in well — on this wavelength at present. The station on the 40-metre band would be WN6O, one ‘of the trans-Atlantic *phone stations controlled by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, and operating on approximately 4¢ metres. This station carries on twe-way tele phony with London stations, the. same way as VK2ME does with GBP. ‘The other. American he heard about. three metres above W2XA¥F would probably be another of these stations, as there are several around 34 metres, The station Mr. H. R. Hughes (Auckland) inquires about as being on 49 metres is 3AN, of Sourabaya, Dutch Hast Indies. This station is run by. the Sourabaya Radio Society.. In 1928 it used to be heard here regularly on 39 metres, and a card is held by the writer confirming reception of this station, The wavelength is now changed to 49 metres, but no schedule is available at present to give the operating times of this station. Strength here is not very great at pres ent. but their modulation is alwave rond.

R.T.

S.

(Christchurch) _ 0

DX Topics A Unique Reception. I AM using a_ four-valve screen-grid New Zealand-made set, and it would be hard to beat. I have heard a lady in London jump out of bed (we hope you had the delicacy to switch your set off-Hd.) and knock a flower-stand over in her eagerness to answer a telephone call from VK2MB, Sydney.- I have heard the clocks ticking in the studio of station 2BE, Hastings, and 2AX, Palmerston North, suggested putting a bluebottle on the "mike" to see if I could hear it crawling, (Beware of "Diogenes," Crom-well-Eid.) Has any D.X.-er heard 2BO, Cape Maria? I heard him conversing with 2AX some time ago. The former operator has a brother. in Gore who is also a "ham." I have-heard all the New Zealand amateurs and several Australians. I have been listening-in for years, but have never experienced a better season than this, both on the broadcast and short-wave bands. The Australian and Japanese stations roar ins; so does the Russian station and Manila. The latter has evidently raised its wavelength. I am using a 135-volt "B" battery and a 409 instead of a pentode. _I am situated three miles from the coast. My aerial is 130ft. long (45ft. high). and IJ am using a buried kerosene tin with a soldered cable for.an earth.

W.A.

M.

(Moumohaki) .

News From Costa Rica 5 T HAVE received an interesting let from America setting forth the. aims and objects of station NRH. 4 li a a ee

ly and interesting story of the smallest radio station in the world, by Cespedes Marin, the owner, is being published shortly, and radio enthusiasts are invited to send two dollars to acquire the publication when printed. It is to be called "Me and the N.R.H." The wonderful DX of little station NRH, of Heredia, Costa Riea-working with 72 watts and 500 volts power-is to be revealed by the owner and author, covering 24 months of continuous night in and night out broadcasting, on 30.8 metres, a radius of six thousand miles. with loudspeaker volume. Mr. Amando Cespedes Marin, Radio Station NHR, Heredia, Costa Rica, AC 40 the owner. operator, and. pro-

Ca) ducer:

R. Leslie

Jones

(Wellington).

A Substantial Log. . QHORT-WAVE reception does not appear to have improved much this year, but I recently logged two foreigners on the 80-metre band. 3RO, Rome, which can be heard most mornings of the week at good speaker strength, and G2GL, the callsign of the s.s. Homeric, which has been heard working G2AA, London. My log for broadcast stands at 91 stations (42 verified), and short-wave at 115 stations (53 verified), making a grand total of 206 received over a period of one year’s listening. Tf dx’ers would state what well-known stations their new loggings are in closest proximity to, then it would be a much xe tae nrocess to identify or log them,

Le lil just below 2BL.-

Uncon

scious

(Timaru).

NRH, Costa Rica. VERY interesting letter, diploma and leaflets describing this -wonderful little 74 watt Spanish short-wave station were received from the owner, operator, announcer, Mr. Amando Cespedes, Marin. Reports of reception have been received by this enthusiastic amateur from 2 countries, the most distant being New Toaaland-ahant S000 miles.

ayuocn ae ere The letter, in rather colloquial American, reads as follows :-"Dear Mr, Sel-lens,-I have your letter of May 4, just one month to-day, and very glad to hear from you. Your diploma and: else dope herewith enclosed to satisfy you a plenty. Will not write much because, you will have many news from all that dope, which will surprise anyone. ~ "You are the third one to report this NRH. Mr. A. P. Morrison, of your city, was: the first one; then Mr. H. Adcock, of Masterton, the second, and now your own. Those reports came one after another, which seems that New Zealand is a very good place for receiving. The best report is from Mr. Adcock, as he copied ali my programme and all I said very clear and on a two-tube set from 2.30 to 8.30 p.m., your time. Now I am one hour advanced on account of eastern daylight saving in U.S.A., where thousands do hear me and report me by the bunches. My book will have a special chapter on New Zealand, containing the three reports and the great achievement of a 74 watt amateur broadcaster, the unique in this world. Hope that my BHnglish will satisfy. you and that you can understand no matter if broken up, but queer and lively. I am an old man of 49 years, yet I have to feel like a boy to reply to over 100 letters per week. If you feel like helping toward my book, please do it that you will be making a help towards the world of radio fanship." A D.X. Four-Valver. ON August 18 I was successful in logging 3 more Americans, KMTR, Hollywood, KFRC, San Francisco, and KSL, Salt Lake City. This brings my total of Americans to 24 on a 4-valve set. As well as these I have received 23 Australians, 22 New Zealanders, 7 Japanese, and 70L Caucutta, most of which are verified. I have also received about 40 short-wavers on the same set, and I can only tune down to 28 metres. I should like to know how’ many stations other = listeners using a 4-valve all-wave set can m receive. H.W.A. (Nelson).

A Seldom-Heard American. At™ 5.80 p.m. on 5/8/30, I picked up station WCAL,: Northfield, Minneapolis, U.S.A. Reception was very clear, and we held the station for about one nvm Tt hae not. heen renorted as heard

asus rT ~ in New ,

W.

B.

A Good Log. ONCERNING DX reception in the city, the Americans are coming in at great strength now, on the speaker. On 10/830, three Americans were heard, I logged KMOX on 1090 ke. (275m.) on the. speaker, loud, and with great clarity, signing off with "The Midnight Serenade," at the conclusion -of their request programme. WHNR, Chicago, on 345 metres 870 ke.), was at good strength at 5.385 pm. At- 10.15 p.m. KYFOX, Long Beach, California, on 239 metres (1255 ke.) was coming in at great strength. A

dance number, "Out Where the Little Moonbeams are Born," was heard, and at 10.30 p.m., "Three o’Clock in the Morning" was played at the signing off. My log now consists of 39 verified short-wave a1 41 vertified long-wave, totalling 80

verified stations.-

A. D.

Rogers

Wy el-

lington).

A New American. ON July 15 I logged KHQ, Spokane, Washington, transmitting a few degrees below 7ZL. One of the numbers noted was "Dancing with Tears in My Byes," a song which js evidently very popusar jn the States just now. Also on /8/30 IL tuned KTAB Oakland in on 535 metres (560 ke.) in time to hear them closing down at 8.30 p.m. They announced that the station was operated by "Associated Broadcasters," but I am not sure if this is correct. On 10/8/30 at 5 p.m. I received WFAA Dallas, Texas, at good strength, so loud, in fact, that I plugged in the loudspeaker, and music was audible all over the room. This station, 8000 miles away, being heard on my three-valve set at R8, I consider good reception. The same eyening KFI came in very strongly, and_I heard the announcer say that every Saturday night their orchestra would play a 2umber of old-time songs for a quarter of an hour, commencing at 11.30, Los Angeles time. Listeners have to guess the names of the pieces played, and the winner gets nu free ticket to’ the R.K.O. theatre in Los Angeles. The announcer then erad the order of winners of last week’s competition. I always find KFI the most realiable of all American stations.-

Reinartz

(Auckland).

New Schedule for PCJ. I RECENTLY received a_ verification from PCJ, Holland, and on it they give a new schedule for transmission. Times given are as follows (corrected to New Zealand time) :- Friday: 5.30 a.m.,-7.80 a.m.; 10.30 a.m.-2.80 p.m. . Sotnrdav: 5.30 a.m.-7.30 a.m.; 11.80

9m-50, pm:

M.

W.

, (Wellington).

New Loggings. ON August 6 I logged KROW, Oakland, California, This station closed down at. 6.380 p,m, "in favour of KFWI, San Francisco," which came on the air a few minutes after. Apart from. the first call and a few words, reception was then too weak to listen to, Frequency was given as 930 k.c. (822 metres). An August 183KGHF, Hot Springs, was very strong indeed. I don’t think even a very good imagination could have done justice to the way: he came in. He was broadcasting election results, interspersed with musical items. He comes in about 1 degree:above KNX. 2Z¥ drowned him out at 6.15 p.m.. I cannot find his call in the "Call Book," so he must be a new

station.-

Ray Dio

( (Shannon )

Reception from Overseas. TH new station 5AD, Adelaide, 229 metres (1810 k.¢), comes in’ as clear as a bell, with no distortion or fading. His baritone solo "My Little Gipsy, Sweetheart" at 9.50 p.m, was bette: than I had heard anywhere. I haw just previously been listening to 3BA, Ballarat. His transmission was weak and inclined to fade. His power is 50 watts on 231 metres. (1800 k.c.). I afterward logged 5IKA, Adelaide, 250 metres (1200 k.c.), and he also was putting over some good stuff. I also managed to "bag" another American, KLO, Ogden, Utah, on a request programme of gramophone records. He invited listeners to ring him up, report on reception, and let him know their favourite records. KGMB, KFOX, KGBER, and WOAL were also going "great guns." The projected DX competition will, no doubt, stimulate DX hunting and increase the revenue of the Post Office, but how am I going to "foot it" with old stagers like ‘"Kauspanka" and S. R, Ellis? We youngsters will have to look to our laurels. » Good luck to the uncrowned DX king! T am prepared to do him

homage. —

Amazon

(Palmerston

North).

Special N.Z4. Programme. TO-DAY I received certification from WTAM, Cleveland. They mention that they are putting on some special New Zealand programmes, about 2 a.m. B.S.%., and will go till daylight there, so they will be going all the evening here.

This will be in September.-

E. W.

Angle

sey

Nelson )

News from the States, RITING to Mr. R. Leslie Jones, Lyall Bay, Mr. Fred. Easter, Ohio, U.S.A., states that W8XK operates daily on 11,880 ke., between the hours of 12.00 (noon) and 10.00 p.m., Eastern daylight saving time. On Wednesday and’ Saturday two other short-wave transmitters are operated, as follows: 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 (noo), WHastern daylight saving time, W8XK, on 19.7 metres, or 15,210 ke.; also 5.00: p.m. to 12.00 (midnight), Bastern daylight saving time, W8XK, on 48 metres, or 6140 ke. Wastern daylight saving time is four hours earlier than Greenwich mean time. Mr. Haster goes on to say: "I used to hear KDKA on crystal set back in 1923. I receive Hastings, Nebraska, on the same set in the winter of 1924 (station KFKX) ; this was my greatest DX on a crystal (650 miles)." Trans-Atlantic telephone uses about 5000 metres. HRB is now on metres, using 2000 watts power, and should be good in New Zealand, says the writer. VRY now has 120 watts power. Mr. Baster says KAIXR on 31.3 metres is not heard; this station refuses to come in, The R.C.A. receiving station at Riverhead, Long Island, have the last word in receiving and amplifying equipment. They have provisions for overeoming fading and employ directional receiving antenna which pick up _a signal. that ‘could not be heard with the ordinary receiving: aerial, there being a great number of short-wave stations there for ‘ communicating with all parts of the world, the signals being picked up from many foreign countries and sent over (Concluded on page: 27.)

_- DX _ Topics ‘4 (Continued from page 8.)

land wires to the tape recorders in New York city, where the radiograms are received. Pstablishment of the first commercial radio service using the ultra-high. frequencies or channels beyond the range recognised as practicable for regular service, was authorised by the Federal Radio Commission, with a grant of 16 channels to the Mutual Telephone Company of Hawaii, The company sought these channels of inter-island telephone communication ; experiments having proved the feasibility of these hitherto commercially unusual frequencies for linking the regular land-line telephone systems on the Islands. Two-way ’phone service will be possible among the islands, without distortion, it is claimed The recpgnised radio output for commercial work is .23,000 k.c., although experiments are authorised beyond this limit. Under international agreement, however, 23,000 k.c. is designated as the extreme ur~er end of the radio spectrum. Under date July 8, the General Hlectrie Comnany, Schnectady, N.Y., in writing to Mr. R. Leslie Jones, stated that through the fine co-operation of VK 2MB, the General Hiectric Company had been able to put a signal completely around the world the lapse of time being about oneeighth of a second. PHI, of Huizen, and PLW, of Bandoeng, Java, were also in the circuit. Some excellent photos were posted to Mr. Jones, including a few depicting Kingsford Smith speaking into the microphone at Schenectady, N.Y., when in telephonic communication with his parents in Australia. Another fine photo was that of the following quartetMessrs. Adolph Ochs ("New = York Times", Martin P. Rice (manager of the Broadcasting Department, General Electric Company), Arthur Mays §ulzberger (vice-president "New York Tires"), C, D. Wagoner, News Bureau, General Hlectrie Company.