Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 34, 6 March 1931, Page 8

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

TA WELLINGTON shortwave enthusiast has shown "Switch" a statement in a leading American radio journal to the effect that for ‘shortwave reception battery sets are preferred to the A.C. sets by the United States Army, Navy and commercial companies. ‘The reason given is that on shortwave reception battery sets are free from noises that creep in from the A.C. supply. The trouble incidental to battery maintenance does not count with the navy, army an commercial companies. * * * [HH broadcasting of the late Dame Melba’s singing of "Home, Sweet Home," by 2YA, Wellington, just after the announcement of the sad news of the diva’s death, was thoroughly appropriate. "Home, Sweet Home" always gave Melba pleasure, and on many notable occasions she sang it in public. There was a tremendous rush for Melba’s gramophone items when her death was announced. One large Wellington dealer completely sold out of "Home, Sweet Home." B.J." (Dunedin) writes to say that * he finds the audibility of the Australian stations varies considerably with the table compiled by "Switch." His table reads as follows (with "Switch’s" figures in parentheses): 2BL, Sydney, 10 (94); 3L0, Melbourne, 74 (7); 2F0O, Sydney, 7 (10); 4QG, Brisbane, 7 (8); 30Z, Melbourne, 5 (53); 2GB, Sydney, 4 (64); 8AR, Melbourne, 33 (4). As previously stated by "Switch," locality is an important factor in long-distance reception. There are also "distance zones" in which a given station is

heard at its maximum, while a few miles nearer or further it loses in volume. = * * ANENT the foregoing paragraph, it is well-known that many receiving sets have a ."peak" on their tuning dials, and a number of sets "Switch" has tested seemed to have maximum sensitivity about the wavelength of 2BL. In the writer’s set there is a device which the makers choose to flesignate an "inductor," the function of which is to maintain peak efficiency on all wavelengths. a * * s "AMATEUR" (Marton Junction) asks whether on an ordinary broadcast receiving set it would be possible to pick up a short-wave transmitting station. If the receiving set were in the vicinity of a short-wave transmitter it would be possible to hear the latter. "Switch" has heard on his ordinary broadcast receiver a

short-wave amateur transmitter at a distance of about 24 miles. The station mentioned by "Amateur" generally broadcasts on 240 metres and occasionally on 30 metres. "R B. (Wellington) sends a list of * stations which he has picked up on his eight-valve a.c. receiving set. His list comprises 17 verified stations and 26 unverified stations. Considering that "R.B." has had his set for o 4 ‘7 x) waL

only 16 months and he has been DXing for only eight months his performance is exceptionally, good seeing that he is located in Wright Street. HOSE who tuned in 3L0, Melbourne, on the night of February 24 heard a superb presentation of the well-known musical eomedy "Gipsy Love." The piece was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Company, and it is entitled to the fullest praise for its success. The performers were selected for their radio voicesyand they gave a highly meritorious interpretation. The orchestra, too, was magnificent. 3LO, ‘Melbourne, will broadeast "The Merry Widow" on March 25 and 81. * x "BHAu GESTH," broadcast as a radio play, was most realistically put; on the air by 2FC, Sydney, on Thursday, Hebruary 26, The defence

of the fort by the Foreign Legion | against’ the desert Arabs was excitingly vivid. Rifle fire, the war songs * of the Arabs, and the animated dialogue of the "Mnglish brothers came across like the real thing. "Switch": held 2FC, Sydney, at good loudspeaker strength as steady as a rock. * * oe HAT wonderful. old melodrama, "The Silver King," by Henry A, Jones and Henry Herman, will be presented from 3L0, Melbourne, on Wednesday, March 4, and will be relayed to 2N'C, Sydney, and 2NO, Newcastle. The play belongs to another generation, but it should find a wide popu- . larity to-day. Maurice Dudley, the well-known Melbourne announcer, will take the part of Jaikes, the faith’ old family servant. J R. CHARLHS D.. MACLURCAN, one of Australia’s first successful amateur short-wave transmitters, recently returned to Sydney from a visit to England. About seven years ago Mr. Maclurcan passed through Wellington with a short-wave transmitter specially fitted on a ’Frisco mail-steam-er to carry out a series of tests on the run up to the Californian port. under engagement to Amalgamated Wireless. His report convinced the big Australian company of the effectiveness of short-wave transmission in the Pacific. . * 2 "THERE is one Australian station that has not performed up to.its formeryj’ standard for some months past, and that is 4QG, Brisbane. This. station has now a confirmed habit of fading ‘frequently with consequent distortion. One would not mind if this peculiarity of 4QG. were restricted to those nights when the other Commonwealth stations are similarly afflicted, but on other nights when they show little fading 4QG maintains its vagaries most consistently. = * * [DURING the latter half of last week long-distance reception increased wonderfully, and the Australian and Japanese stations came in’ with rare volume. Owners of efficient sets had an enormous variety of entertainment. A. pleasant surprise on the Thursdj night was to hear Miss Jessie Shmi¢h, who sang at the "YA" stations a f@ months ago, contributing from 3L0, Melbourne. Her rich contralto voice sounded as well as ever across the 1400 miles of ocean. Miss Shmith is one of 3L0O’s "star" performers. A WELLINGTON radiotrician impressed "Switch" the other day with ,;the rapid spread of interest in short-wave reception. He showed him a large bundle of letters received recently from all parts of New Zealand, written on the subject of short-wave reception. The promised big British short-wave broadcast station, when it eventually goes on the air, will be sought for by some thousands of new short-wave enthusiasts ‘in New Zealand, if one can judge hy the ste‘y increase of interest in short-wave reception.