Round the World on Short-wave

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 40, 17 April 1931, Page 31

Round the World on Short-wave

« HIS page is : conducted in "the interests of shortwave A "weekly log comprising notes of reception and interesting topical ‘events

is contributec

by Mr

F. W.

Sellens

Northiand,: Wellington,

_ put ale

listeners are invited to send in paragraphs of general interest.

the best type of bottle to use is one shaped like Fig. 2 at the lower edge, the rounded obviating any tendency. for stray cement to cause the former to adhere to the bottle... If: the former is tight upon the bottle, assist removal by placing a metal spindle: through the hole, pressing the other end on the table. ars ae * "THOSE who wish ‘to: make a betterlooking coil can instead of making the former cylindrical, hold the turns in position as is shown elsewhere This makes a much fitmer job, and the eoil does not. go out of shape easily. The ‘coils can, of course, be wound -on ribbed or ‘plain’ ebonité’; formers, ‘or, for that matter, Exelon. ‘The most efficient. coil, I find, is thé one held, by the strips... 2, ee oan Hére are the numbers of turns to be spaced as indicated, _They.are’ for 18gauge wire. The tickler-is 80 dsc., close wotnd." These numbers. are taken di-

rectly from the coils I use when compiling the weekly log.for the. "Radic Record." . note _ The Radio Coil... TTUNING condenser .0001 double spaced. Diameter, 2 inches,..Turns are spaced by .their own diameter, if silk or cotton-covered-mine are cotton -or slightly spaced if enamelled. ~ The aerial coil is composed of ten’ turns, and I do not alter this, except ‘the coupling. The coupling is best varied by arranging the two pins of the aerial coil as distinct from the grid coil on a separate piece of bakelite and attaching to this some kind of support that can be hooked over the side of the cabinet. It can then be varied backward and forward by sliding the support along the cabinet. The aerials’ earth is connected to the pins. by flexible wire. Here are the numbers for the secondary coils-3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 28. These will cover all the wavebands between 14 and 90 metres. In mounting the coil, just note that the turns go the same way as the turns of the aerial coil turns do. Just in passing, I might add that I have found it to advantage to bunch the aerial coil, The Detector Coils.. THERE are two of these secondary -™- and regeneration, but they are

. both wound on the ‘same former and ‘gepatated by: about in. Condeitser | .0001 threble spaced (double is | Just: as* good):

These have been designed to suit my particular case, but it may be necessary to make some adjustments to the tickler turns so as to suit the particular valve and voltage you will use, The radio coil with ten turns can be used in conjunction with the detector coils of five or six turns. The mounting of these coils is-not difficult, and in this respect: the diagrams will help a great deal, Valve pins and sockets are used -they can be bought for a very small sum, and the wires tucked away underneath the pin as'shown. The supports are of bakelite. _ The sockets are mounted into Ijin. ' wide bakelite, and this kept off the sub-panel by wood separators. The detector valve socket is mounted on the extension of the bakelite support for the det. coil. . Here are appropriate voltages :- Detector about 40 volts, depending on valve in use-experiment. S.G. valve and audio valves, voltage on plate up . to 150. The voltage to s.g. must be half of that to the plate of the same valve. Read the valve maker’s instructions, they are the best guide. B-, A- and C+ are connected together,

Notes on Reception

FRECePTION has been quite good during the past week, a fair number of . stations being heard at good volume. Most of my correspondents do theit listening during the evening (when there is not much doing), and late night..; If, they _ changed round for awhile and listened during the early hours, say from about 5.80 a.m. till breakfast time, they would. be well repaid for the early rising, as, on the whole, the best and clearest reception is to be had during this period. "~ Log for Week Ending April 11. RV1i5, Siberia, 70.1 metres: Hither conditions have improved or power. has. been increased, because this Russian :sta--tion is stronger than ever, but still. more. talk than musi¢c. | Mt " ZL2XX, 62.8 . metres: Heard testing several times. during . the week. ‘Maximum volume, ‘quality . excelent; ' . PMY, Bandoeng, Java, 58 metres: Saturday 11.30 ‘p.m, R8, quite good quality," but spoilt: by .static,. ey ee HVJ, Vatican City, 50.26 metres:. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings = 6.30 a.m, Excellent at R9, but all talk. 7 ose oa a PK2AF, Djocjacarta, Java, 50 metres: Saturday, 11.30 p.m., R7, increasing to RS after midnight. Static very. bad. ~ WOXF,. Chicago, 49.83 metres: Back. again after several weeks’ silence. Satur, day, 4.p.m, to 5 p.m, R8-9, static and, background troublesome. a .PK3AN, Sourabaya, Java, 49.7 metres: Opened at 12.10 am. ‘(Sunday) ‘with chimes and clock striking 8, followed’ by

the Dutch National Anthem at R9. Statice very bad. Be 7LO, Nairobi, 49.5 metres: Audible most mornings, but very weak WS8XAL, Cincinnati, 49.5 metres: Expenimental test transmission on Saturday afternoon, R9 at 5 p.m. Static bad. VE9GW, Toronto, Canada, 49.22 metres: Nearly every. morning weal music is heard. Have not heard a call, but according to schedules, this is the only station on this wavelength to bé. heard at ‘this time (between 6 a.m, and T a.m.) ’ . WS3XAL, Boundbrook, 49,18 "metres: Sunday, Monday and Saturday, R8-9 by 4 p.m., but not reaching the same volume as a few weeks back. W2XE, New York, 49.02 metress Sun~ day, R8-9 at 4p.m. Static was bad. F31CB, Saigon, Indo-China, 49 metres: Monday, Friday and Saturday, from AL p.m, with, native music at R8, increasing in volume later. os WSXKH, Pittsburgh, 48.86 metres: RO on Sunday at. 4 p.m. Static very bad. HRB, Segucigaipa, Honduras, 48.62 metres: Sunday, R8 at 3.30-p.m, to R8-9 by 4.80 p.m:, when they. closed,. ~reaxlability was very poor. 4. Moscow, 45.4 metres (about): Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. mornings at good volume between 6 a.m, and 7. am. ~ ae . . "Radio Maroc," Rabot, Morocco, 32.26 metres: Tuned in at 7.20 am, when metronome was ticking, openéd at 7.30 a.m, with "Mailames, Messieurs, ici Radio: Maroe," -ete., followed: by an orchestral selection at R9. -Reception was. perfect . till. after 8.a.m.,. when signals started to, decrease and become gushy, | By. 9.30 a.m. . they wete down to R6, and. very gusty. At 8 a.m, various names were cailed and thanked for reports, and -intimated that further reports would be welcome. ~ All talk was in French; « = VK3ME, Melbourne, 31.55 metres: Saturday, 9.30 p.m. till 11 p.m’, test programmes, R9, with severe. fading at oe hes OXY, Denmark, 31.51 metres: Tuesday, 6.30 a.m., R5, Morse on-top spoils reception. mo "% W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.48 metres: Sunday, 2 p.m., R6, reaching R9- by 3:30 m. Hxeellent_reception Monday, tuned in at 8.80 a.m., R8-9,-when he was signing ‘off W2XAD, and said that W2XaAF will now--take.up the transmission., Signals gradually became weaker till fost. Strong ‘again in the afternoon, reaching R8-9..-. Zeesen, Germany, 31.38 metres: Each morning R9 at 6.80 a.m., weakening later. On: Tuesday a’ relay was on where the ‘audiénée-were enjoying’ themselves, laugh‘ing and talking being clearly audible be, tyween_items. .. . = -- eat ; _.W1XAZ, Springfield, 31.35 metres: Reaches R9 by 3.80 p.m:; ‘quality is: al"ways very good. On Saturday was heard ‘opening at midnight (7.30 a.m, "New York time), at R7-8, with calls. of WBZ, WBZA, and W1XAZ, and the wavelength of each, the first two being the same. CJ, Eindhoven,’ Holland, 31.28 metres: Thursday, R9 at 6.30 a.m., with a strong ripple. Saturday morning not quite so loud. ' At 2 p.m. the same day, they. were. R7, increasing to R9 by 4.30 p.m. till 5.55 p.m., when they closed with the Dutch national anthem. From 4,30 p.m. was special for Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. As usual, reports were asked for. ‘ ‘ GSSW, Chelmsford, 25.53 metres: As last. week, volume. was ‘good from 6,30 a.m., but signals very gushy. -12R0, Rome, 25.4 metres: Bxcellent each morning.. On Thursday from 0 am.-a talk in. English was heard about an international conference in reference to wheat supplies, ete. WS8XK,:. Pittsburgh, 25.25 metres: Comes in about R5 by 10 a.m., increasing to R7-8 by 2 p.m., closes early, about 2.30 pm =... oo. 17.4. metres Wednesday, 9.30 p.m., music and foreign talk at R4; think it wasa Jap... . . Bangkok, Siam, 15.5 metres (about): Tuesday, 9 p.m., a lot of counting and calling "Alloa," till 9.30 p.m., when "Hullo, Java, here is Bangkok," was heard, _ Volume was R6 at first, increas: ing to R9 by 9.30 p.m,

Sec: Spacing: Tic. Jin; 3 3 Tin_ 3 Yin. 3 Jin: 3 : i/16i1; 8 13 1-l8in. 5