Notes and Comments By SWITCH

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 38, 3 April 1931, Page 8

Notes and Comments By SWITCH

B

SWITCH

"QWITCH" has found that’ while the Australian stations have been coming in with great volume, the audibility of the Japanese stations has been ebbing somewhat. 5CL, Adelaide, and 7ZL, Hobart, are now available at satisfactory loudspeaker volume every night. Static has not been excessive, but fading has been a little more pronounced than usual. The most distorted of the Australian "A" _class stations, according to "Switch’s" log, is 4QG, Brisbane. This, however, may be seasonal. * * * L_ISTENING-IN in the early hours of the morning last week the writer was surprised*to tumble across a powerful short-wave phone station, KHL, in California, testing speech with a Japanese amateur, JIAA, Tokio. The operator at the Californian station gave his name as Homer D. Jaggers. In discussing weather conditions, the Japanese "ham" said they had just experienced a thunderstorm, Mr. Jaggers reported that it: was a beautiful early morning in Southern California. Gramophone items were put on by the Californian station. cy * * * ON the arrival of the Melbourne yacht Oimara at Sydney last week, the owner, Mr. F. J. Bennell, his son, and Mr. Fred Constance, of Auckland, whe were members of the crew, were interviewed before the microphone at 2BI. Sydney. Mr. Constance complimented Mr. Bennell, senior, on his splendid organisation which had ensured the success of the run across the Tasman, despite the stormy adventure during the latter part of the trip. The interviewer’s queries and replies by the yachtsmen were received in Wellington with full loudspeaker volume’ and faultless clarity. _* * * N=w ZHALAND listeners who tuned in either 2FC, Sydney, 2NC, Newcastle, or 83LO, Melbourne, on Wednesday night of last week were treated to a most enjoyable presentation in the

8LO studio of Franz Lehar’s musical comedy, "The Merry Widow." The relay by the two N.S.W. stations was a success. The performers and full orchestra did utniost credit to themselves, and. one could scarcely believe that the piece was not being produced in a theatre.. The play was produced by Mr. Maurice. Dudley, announcer at 8L0O, who is a former J.C. Williamson performer. He figured outstandingly as Baron Popoff in the broadcast production, = * le PRACTICAL lesson in French pronunciation is’ available to any short-wave enthusiast who cares to listen. in between 1 and 2 o’clock any morning. "Switch" picks up a powerful commercial radio phone station between those hours any morning he chooses to tune for it. The operator generally calls many times before he can get a reply. He shouts, ‘‘Allo, Allo, Allo, Allo, Paree!" Paris comes back at about a quarter his volume. ‘Possibly the louder station is up in New Caledonia, * * * APAN would appear to be ata handy range for long-distance short-wave phone testing. In the very small hours of the morning recently "Switch" picked up London calling a Japanese phone station and asking for

a test with speech. The Japanese agreed, and the London technical operator read out a lengthy extract from a radio’ technical article, He was received word for word by "Switch," as well as by the Japanese station. e * * GHORT-WAVE listeners must find 2MH, Sydney, an easy station to pick up. The writer, operating a twovalve set, with a new circuit, using only ten feet of insulated wire hung around the room, as an aerial, and no earth at

all, gets 2ME at good headphone strength. Simultaneously the writer’s a.c. set (alongside the short-wave set) is tuned in to one of the Australian broadcast stations for the entertainment of other members of the family. s * s HE Australian Broadcasting Company is stated by the Commonwealth Auditor-General (Mr. Cerutty) to have lost some £4000 since the company took over the contract for providing the programmes for the "A" class stations. The running of broadeast programmes is not by any means a lucrative business. * * * A CORRESPONDENT writes to say that his a.e. set loses its sensitivity over half the extent of the tuning dial. The trouble would appear to be in the alignment of tha variable condensers,

This, however, is provided for in the majority of a.c. sets by. "trimmers" which can be adjusted so as to render sensitivity more uniform throughout the broadcast band. ‘The bias-resist-ance on the radio-frequency valves may have broken down, for this would also cduse the trouble mentioned, * ok » THE most successful long-distance relay yet accomplished by 2YA, Wellington, was that of the Oxford-Cam-bridge boat race. When it is realised that the commentators spoke into a small portable transmitter on a fastmoving launch, the merit of the ‘relay will be fully recognised. The description from the launch passed through the air to the Mnglish receiving station, was broadcast by G5SW, picked up 12,000 miles away in New Zealand, sent A land line to 2YA, and put on the ai for the third time. And reception was-* practically word-perfect from 2YA. 2 * /* HE New Plymouth broadcast station, 2YB, is now coming in most satisfactorily at Wellington, although its proximity in wavelength to 2NC, Neweastle, creates an annoying heterodyne note. From what "Switch" can gather the clash between the New Plymouth and Newcastle stations is creating complaints from many New Zealand listeners.. 'The time is overdue for the authorities to shift the wavelength of the New Plymouth station. * = ‘

[t was a commendable plan of Mr, ©. Drummond, announcer at 2YA, Wellington, to write down a description of the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, and then give out a summary across the air. Listeners in remote districts who may have had to contend with static, either natural or artificial, would thus have a second opportunity of hearing an account of the race. ~