News and Views of the D.X. CLUB

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 28, 23 January 1931, Page 11

News and Views of the D.X. CLUB

Readers’ Queries "Cuesmar. OND-VALVE" (Auckland): A diagram ‘of the earth you inquire about appears in our "Questions and Answers" columns this week. Full particulars were published about two years ago. J. QW. (Tauranga): The DX (short for long-distance) Club is conducted solely in the interests of those radio enthusiasts who are interested in comparing reception conditions, reporting new loggings, etc. . There is no membership fee, and anyone contributing notes of interest automatically becomes a member. .

Identification Wanted é N January 138 I heard a station on 1200 kc. (250 metres). Strength R8-5, for the most part mushy. Announcer. spoke about.a place in. South Dakota’ and mentioned that the station was on a special test programme authorised by the Federal Radio Commission, He then mentioned Ohicago, operating on a frequency of 1200 kc. (250 metres) on a power of 100 watts. One item played just before closing down was a gramophone reeord, "The Morning After the Night Before, With You." © Closed down at 8 o’clock N.Z.S.T. after asking for reeeption reports. Call sounded some. thing like "KGBY." A station a few kilocycles below this was heard clos- . ing down a little later. "Operating on a frequency of 1200 k.c. (250 m.) by authority of Federal Radio Commission. Station K-" (call sign in three letters). He said something about a valley and remarked that he was closing down until 7 o’clock the

following morning.-

W.S.

K.

(Nelson).

QTATION on approximately 1440 k.c. (208 metres), heard frequently of late after 11 p.m. I once heard a talk on gardening, but talks are usually on Seripture. On January 12 at 11.10 p.m, someone was reading from the

22nd Chapter of Genesis.-

W.H.

R.

(Dunedin)

ARE there any -short-wave stations in Hawaii? If so, on what fre-

quencies do they operate?-

B.

C.

Ham-

ilton).

HAT is the eall-sign of the Auburn Motor Company’s station on 1000 k.c. (300 metres)? Also of the Theosophical Society’s station in Syd-ney?-J.H. (Tauranga). {Call-sign of latter is 2GB. Address: Theosophical Broadcasting Station Itd., Adyar House, 29 Bligh Street, Sydney.-Hd.] Stations Identified R J.R. (P.N.): 8KZ, Carlton, Vic- * toria, operating on 222 metres (1850 k.c.).. He announces "3KZ, Melbourne." After. the "Song of the Dawn," an orchestral item, "The Toymaker’s Dream," was played. This was followed by a vocal number, and the station closed down at 12.55 a.m. B.W. (Stratford): Station heard was 8KZ. Partieulars as abave. Re Japanese or Chinese station on, 490 metres (610 kec.), as you remark, it is very close to 3AR, TI logged him

on November 3 at 1:50 a.m., and heard the call "JOAK" twice repeated. On November 6 at 2 am. I heard on 422 metres (710 k.c.) the call "JOAK." He was just below 6WF, Perth I logged him again on December 28 at 12.82 a.m., when the announcer gave the ‘eall "JOIK, " $tation was operating on 490 metres (610 k.c.). JOJK and JOAK evidently relay one another’s programmes, and at the same time alter their frequencies. The former station appears to be a oneman show-one hears nothing else but the slow and deliberate talking of the announcer. He seems to have a bad cold, because between the talking he

coughs quite a lot.-

Earl J.

Haynes

(Christchurch).

"FOREIGN" (Wellington) : You probabbly heard KFVD on 1000 k.c. (300 m.) broadcasting a special session of Spanish items and giving announcements in that tongue, as previous to the date you mention I once heard a similar programme and thought I had a Mexican station. However, on December 25 at 7 p.m. onward I logged what I thought was Mexican on or near 1020 k.c, (293 m.). I could not catch the call letters, as the announcer spoke too fast. His frequency is identical with 2UH, Sydney. I.have just received a verification from KGGYF. Coffeyville, Kansas, my report

being their first overseas one--

C. V.

Blucher

(N. Auckland).

DX Topics Particulars of WMBI. 1 HAVE just received a verification from WMBI, Chicago, which operates on 1080 k.c. (278 metres), with a power of 5 kw. This station is run on purely religious lines and broadcasts services only at the rate of five a day. Address: Moody Bible Institute, Radio Department, 153 Institute Place, Chicago. Re controversy on power of KTM. I have a verification dated November 12 in which they state their power is 500 watts, but I also have to hand the December number of the American "Radio Digest," which gives their power as 1 k.w. ‘The station heard by "Switch" and "Jaka" (Wellington) is KZRM, Manila. On January 3 I listened to him for an hour and a half, but he omitted to give his station call until the last item. He closed down at 2.50 a.m. He oper-

ates right on 2AR’s freauency.-

J.P.

C.

(P.N.).

WCCO's Address. HE address of WCCO, taken from a recent verification, is: WCCO (Gold Medal Flour), North-western Broadeasting, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota. He operates on 370 metres (810 k.c.)-"Red Bird" (Wellington. News from KFYD. FVD transmits from the Hal Roach ~~ Studios on 299.8m. (1000 k.c.), with a power of 250 watts. Culver City is seven miles from Los Angeles, and is

between the latter and Venice, one of the principal beaches of California. At Culver City are located the Hal Roach studios, and’ also the big Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer studios. I receive this station at about R9 on the speaker fairly often.-K.D.B. (Taumarunui.) Power of KTM. WALKDR (Bluff).-I have just received the latest Pacific Call Book, and this states that KTM uses 1 watt.in the daytime, and at sunset drops to 500w., so that when DXers log KTM they are logging a 500-watts sta-

tion:

S.

Ellis

Okato.)

’ A New Australian "B." [TN a recent issue a correspondent stated that 3WR, Wangaratta, would be on the air in a few weeks. I picked this station up on December 31. He was so close to 2NC that I had to wait until.the latter closed down before I could hear what was going on. The following night 2MV was very strong, and I logged 2AY, Albury, between KGMB and 3BA, Ballarat. On January 2, at 1.30 a.m., I heard Radio Manila on about 488 metres (620 k.c.) Musie was audible about 50 feet from the speaker. The same evening I logged an American on 535 metres heterodyning JOFK. Just after the latter closed down I heard ‘the announcer refer to the weather re-

port tor Louisiana, Lis iS propadly KWKH, Shreveport, on 352.7 metres (850 k.c.). Incidentally the station I mentioned in January 9 issue as transmitting a metre or two above KNX, is

KIKB; not KEKZ

Ray Dio

(Shan-

non).

Verification News. "THE following is an extract from @. letter dated November 25, which received a few days ago: "KTM oper ates an 780 ke. (384.4m.), with 500 watts power, and is owned and operated by the Pickwick Broadcasting Corporation." I also received by ‘the same mail letters and cards from KX, KSL, and WMAQ. The latter I have not seen reported by DxXers for some time. I have been able to get him only when 29C is silent, as these two stations are very close in frequency.-

Kohi

(Auckland.)

Good DX-ing. * B station on 83AR’s wavelength (484 metres), as mentioned by "Switch" in his notes in the issue of 9/1/31, I picked -this up at 23 am., January 4,. Heavy static and long fades. . Station was on records and I identified "Tf I were a King" and "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes." Static, fading and morse made it difficult to get his call, which I thought to be KGW.. Have written him to see if. this was correct, or only my "DX receiver, which is an optimistic detector plus two

stages of imagination.-

Cromdale

(Otago).

Christmas Reception Conditions, . _AMERCIAN reception during December and the Christmas holidays has. been the best I have known during my four years of listening. I have logged 18 new American stations, including WPG, Atlantic City, N.J., and the

100-watters KMJ, KGIFJ, Cal, and KGBY, South Dakota, Also 250-wat: ters in Vancouver, British Columbia, namely, CJOR and CKMO, and. twa Mexican stations, one on 1140 k.e. (268 metres), giving a cali that sounded like XAH. It was probably XBA. The other was. on 1020 ke. (294 metres), but the call was too difficult to eatch, B.W. (Stratford) : I heard the Melbourne station’ and also assumed the call to be 8KZ. I am still using a four-valve regenerative set of pop: lar make and have identified over 180 American stations. Many thanks to Guy ©. Holmes for his good wishes

to fellow DxX-ers.-

C. V.

Blucher

N;

Auckland)

Another New Australian B. R J.R, (P.N.): I have not logged the * mew Canberra station yet, but you appear to have heard it fairly definitely. From information I have received, their call should be 2CA, Canberra, operating on 480 metres (625 k.e.), but until the station was officialIy opened they would be broadcasting from VK2LB on 1050 k.c. (286 metres). I have heard a station interfering with 2Z¥F lately and I think it is KNX. J.P.0, (P.N.) : Reception has been very noisy during the last week and consequently I have had no trace of the station on 610 k.c, (492 metres). The Jast time I heard them I listened for half an hour, but no call sign was given, I think you will find the Moss Vale station’s callis 2MY. Your locality appears to be ideal for American reception. "Ray Dio’. (Shannon): Probably a printer’s error. "N.Z." at the conclusion of 8KZ’s address is cer-

tainly wrong.-

B.

W.

(Stratford).

[dKkZs address is: Industrial Printing and Publishing Coy.. 24-30 Victoria Street, Carlton, N.8-Ed.]~

An Often-Heard American. T NOTICH that "Kia Ora" (Frankton) has been receiving KFKB, Milford, Kansas, very well of late. I received this station very clear on my loudspeaker one night about 11 p.m. On looking up the time on the DX clock I made it out about 4.30 a.m, there, so I came to the conclu-

sion that someone was "pulling my les." Are these American stations

on the air all night?-

New Chum

(Napier).

NOt aS a general rule, thouga quite often certain stations will stay on the air all night either for testing purposes or for broadeasting special programmes for overseas listeners.-Hd.] . News From Siam. H® following is an extract from a letter received from short-wave ‘station HS4PJ, Siam:-‘On the evening in question we were testing our telephony communication with Berlin from our HSJ station on a wave‘length of 18.7 metres, power being 20kw. I may also mention that we rarely use HS4PJ now, and we use HS2PJ as our broadcasting station or shortwave, The transmission from this latter station is carried out every Monday: evening from 13.00 to 16.00 G.M.T., on a wavelength of 29.5 metres. Power 500 watts. Reports on reception would be greatly appreciated. Telegraphic address: "Telepost," Bangkok, Siam.-

J.

C.

(New Plymouth).

A Suggestion for the Competition. OULD the DX competition rules be amended to exclude the Australian B class stations? With the advent of all the new Bs across the Tasman, much unnecessary correspondence will be occasioned as the majority of them are receivable by any valve set in’a fair location. The V.K. experimental stations also entail a lot of late hours, which I think is a contributing factor toward a falling-off of the enthusiasm which we all feel at the start of a competition. It is really a heart-break-ing proposition when one looks forward. to all the Aussies one will have to write to for the next competition.-

V.

Cuncliffe

(Tasman).

[Your suggestion is not without merit, though some of the lower-powered B class Australians are not easy to log. What do other DX-ers think?-Hd.]

On Short-waves. THE station heard by Mr.: Sellens on approximately 47m. and identified

by another listener as CT8AG, is correct. It is situated at Funchal, Madeira Is., and is on the air. Fridays and Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m, New Zealand summer time. In January 2 issue Mr. Sellens heard a station on 49.9m, in the morning. According to information received this is VQYLO, Nairobi. It broadcasts on 50m. now daily, 4-7 a.m. N.Z.S.T, The Rome station known as I8RO has now changed its call to I2RO and transmits on 80m, (?), 4-6 a.m. and 7,80-10 a.m. The address is: "Via Maria Cristina, 5, Rome, Italy." Station HS1PJ is experimenting irregularly on 37.6m., with a power of 60 kw. The address of Morocco stations is, "Director de Office de Postes, Des Telegraphies et Telephones, Rabat,

Morocco.

ZLDX

(Palmerston N.).

The DX Competition

GoM excellent logs were received for the above, and the winner has been chosen. As soon as the latter’s verifications have been receive: and checked, a further announcement will be made.