Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 7, 29 August 1930, Page 9

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

A CORRESPONDENT recently mentioned that some station was heterodyning 8AR, Melbourne. "Switch" sought for the stranger and found him whistling steadily on top of 8AR. This was late at night, and he waited till 8AR closed down, intending to try and identify the "outsider." When the Melbourne station went off the air the other was too weak to distinguish what was said. 2 * * [THE cabled suggestion that the British Broadcasting Corporation proposes to establish an Empire — shortwave broadcast station comes somewhat as a surprise in view of the fact that the establishment of such a station was to be proposed at the Imperial Conference with a suggestion that: the Governments of each of the Dominions should contribute to the cost and maintenance. The recent cable, however, says that listeners in the British Dominions be asked to contribute, say, 5/- per annum to the B.B.C. toward the upkeep of the station. If the proposal implies a voluntary contribution by the individual listeners it is doomed to fail. Voluntary contributions have always done such. * % * UCH has been written and said about the failure of Wellington's Music Week to draw crowded attendances at the Town Hall. One genius conceived the idea that the failure was due to the broadcasting of the concerts, thus enabling the public to hear them without paying. It is the opinion of experienced people that the concerts were too high-class to draw the general public. We have a weekly demonstration of this in Wellington. Our city organist gives Sunday night recitals of "high-brow"’ items to an almost empty hall, and these recitals are not broadcast. In the theatres there are, simultaneously, "popular" concerts which attract crowded attendances despite the fact that the concerts are broadcast. ‘’Nuf sed! J 2 e

"QWITCH" saw the scores of tele- . grams received by Mr. Lamberg, and they showed very effectively not only the widespread enjoyment of the announcer’s performance but also the splendid reception afforded listeners in all parts of New Zealand. ‘The reports from such places as Palmerston ‘North and New Plymouth must have been particularly gratifying to the Broadcasting Co. and all members of the staff concerned. 2YA is without doubt the "national station," and when ealled upon to speak to the populace it accomplishes its mission with widespread satisfaction. By a 2 THE trouble in "H.N.G.’s" set is evidently due to his heater type detector valve having burnt out. The symptoms are characteristic-a gradual fading away of the local station followed by the return of full volume. These heater type valves when burnt out light up and fade out alternately. There is only one remedy-a new valve-but don’t blame the station again, * * L ILLINGWORTH (Gisborne) * writes: "For some past Gisborne listeners have been troubled with interference from howling valves, so with a view to making listening a pleasure

they have formed a radio society. The committee has been very energetic and ‘howling’ has fallen off a good 75 per cent. Reception from Athletic Park last Saturday was perfect and interference was at a minimum. From the plan published in the ‘Record’ and the Al description Gisborne listeners could almost see the match being played.

EERE Reception from the American stations in Gisborne this winter has been exceptiorally good. An old hand at dial twiddling informed me that he has never known the Americans to come in as they have been lately." s a zs

V ELLINGTON listeners are nov commencing to discuss the proposed yacht race from Melbourne to New Zealand during the forthcoming summer. ‘The hope is generally expressed that at all events one of the yachts will carry a portable short-wave radio transmitter. In the yacht race, last Christmas, from Melbourne to "Tasmania, a low-power morse transmitter. which operated on 42 metres, was carried by one of the yachts. ¥ x > HE other evening "Switch’ was listening-in to an "old-time" dance night broadcast by 2FC, Sydney. The old-time waltzes were marred through the orchestra playing them far too slowly, and the indications were that it was a new-time orchestra quite unfamiliar with the waltz tempo of other days. The dancers, too, seemed to get

mixed up in the old-time square dances, and the master of ceremonies indulged in a little mild banter at their expense. Incidentally, the announcer yead a letter from a lady listener, in ~ which she scathingly criticised the modern dances and their "flat-footed" exponents. % s FLORTUNATELY during the period of the Australia v. Dngland cricket test match static was extremely mild, and those who listened to the news of the match broadcast from the Australian stations were able to hear every word distinctly. Generally, static rouses itself from wherever it slumbers when anything special is to be broadcast from an overseas station. a & * GENERAL appreciation has been expressed at the way the public were kept informed of the latest news concerning the ill-fated s.s. Tahiti per medium of 2YA, Wellington. It is understood that the Union Co.’s officiais heartily co-operated with 2QYA in giv: ing the public the information as soon as it eame to hand by radio. The news was radiated far and wide by 2VA, and by this means the Union Co. reached the greatest number of people with the least delay. ° 2 a THE Japanese flute item by Mr. K. Kubota, Japanese Trade Commissioner, heard from 2YA, Wellington, reminded:one of the concerts heard from the Japanese stations. This type of flute is not held sideways like a Huro-

pean flute, but is held like a clarinet. It is a rather difficult instrument to sound, as the writer can testify, having witnessed various instrumentalists endeavour to perform on Mr. Kubota’s flute. . e * * FEW days ago the writer heard of a Wellington novice listener who enjoys loudspeaker reception from 2IC, Sydney, merely by employing a crystal detector and two stages of audio frequency amplification. This feat has been accomplished also by a wellknown Wellington radio dealer some two or three years ago, but his home is perched on a lofty hill. Locality has much to do with performances such as these. % * AN exhibit at the recent Melbourne Radio Exhibition was that of the picture transmission apparatus of Television and Radio Laboratories Pty., Ltd, of Melbourne. A newspaper report states: "The receivers operate from any wireless set capable of receiving signals at good headphone or weal loudspeaker strength. The fact that comparatively weak signals only are necessary Will make it possible for pictures to be received from the several stations in many parts of Australia and New Zealand. The times of transmission will be arranged to take place either previous or subsequent ‘to ordinary broadcasting programmes, which will, therefore, not be interfered with." & Nt * HE writer found a strange station last week on about 230 metres. The stranger came in steadily with 2 minimum of fading. After waiting some time the call "SAD, Adelaide," was heard. % * A PRESS Association message from Honolulu reports that the passengers on the sinking liner Tahiti, although in a precarious position, quite enjoyed dancing to the jazz music eoming in over the radio from — the Sydney and Wellington radio Good old 2YA again! The message also states: "There was a difficulty when the passengers were instructed to take their positions beside the lifeboats. They refused to remain in their places, as they were more interested in radio sets than in lifeboats." a. * ¢