Short-wave Notes

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 9, 11 September 1931, Page 31

Short-wave Notes

ee ee O’. August 19 a’ station was heard testing on approx. 40 metres with a call-sign CKXX. First heard 5.30 p.m, N.Z. time. Modulation. was spoilt by a Morse station, but signal strength was sufficient at times to hear the announcement that the station was located at Alberta, Canada. A station has been heard on 26 metres quite a number of times, but I have never heard the eall-sign given. On July 17 this station was relaying the proceedings of the opening of a new American broadeast station, call WIBA, It was first heard .at 4.15 p.m. N.Z. time, when the Governor of the State was speaking to listeners. This was followed by a speech by a Dr. Frank Glenn, who spoke of the advance in radio. This relay was probably through: KIO, Kahauku, Oahu, Hawaii, on 25.685 metres, although no mention .was made.of the station. Did any DX. hear WIBA on the broadcast baud this ht? Evitlently station Ti4NRH_ changes his schedule, because Mr. Sellens reports his new schedule for Sundays as between 1.30. p.m. and 2.30 p.m. On Sunday 23rd, NRH was on the air until 3.15 p.m. our time. The latter portion of his rogramme was a relay of another staion. It is quite probable this was a test transmission. Strength here was R5, but modulation was spoilt by distortion due to another station working near by. In a letter received from NRH just recently he mentions that W9XAA is still on the air on the 49-metre band. It has been reported that this station had closed down on the above wavelength, and was now working only on 25.65 metres. Recently I heard him on the 49 metre band broadcasting a programme by the Internationa] Shortwave Club members. The above club _igthe most reliable in America to-day. ‘ts founder is Mr, Arthur J, Green, and & monthly booklet is printed with some very interesting data on all shortwave stations in operation. His address is P.O.

Box 718, Klondyke, Ohio, U.S.A. The station reported as HAQ, Madrid, has been heard a number of times, both in musical programmes and in communication with a telephony station located in Buenos Aires. American ham phone stations between 84 and 85 metres are beginning to come in strongly again now. I noticed in a recent issue that a correspondent was inquiring for the best time te listen for these stations. I find any time after 5 p.m. N.Z. time is O.K., and on some nights they can be heard until very late. Conditions are improving on the amateur band of 80 metres, and we can look forward to some good DX-ing. There are still some very fine New Zealand amateurs on phone on 80 metres, and the modulation from many is very good, Sta‘tion ZL2ZAW, the official station of the ‘New Zealand Sortwave Club, every Tuesday night rts over the latest data -eoncarning this club, and should reach outf@ery well because he comes in here locaHy at great volume. Station ZL2AX. Palmerston, at approx. 5 p.m. every Sunday puts over the latest data concerning the N.Z.A.R.T. He also is received well

at all parts of New Zealand. ZL2BH, Hastings, is still a good phone station both for music and speech. Volume is surprising. I believe he is now crystal controlled and tunes very sharply. The pick of the 1st district hams is ZL1BQ, Auckland. . At 10 am. on August 27 the Californian s.w. station KHL came on the air s (-j

making. a test with recordings (wavelength 43.7 metres), and at times could be heard calling Hawaiian Islands. Strength was R5 to 6, but static was bad. A station working above Russia, of which I reported some time ago, and which has also been reported by the secretary of the N.Z. Shortwave Club, has been heard often lately, but it is very difficult to get his call. Saturday, August 29, was the best I have heard him. His programme consisted of musical recordings. One played at 2 a.m. Sunday, 30th, was "Dancing With Tears in My Byes," which seems to be a favourite item from many stations. Announcements welé made after each item, as PKIAA, Weltevreden, Java. The station is listed as working on 75 metres, but he comes in on 73 metres. The station reported by Mr. O. J. Stevens, NZ76W, XHW, Mexico City, Mexico, was certainly coming in strongly on Sunday, 80th. As reported by Mr. Stevens, wavelength is just below W9XI', Chicago. I find he is hard to separate from both W9XF and W8XAL., At 6.50

p.m. he was relaying musie from a dance hall. All announcements were made m Spanish and the call letters XHW announced very faintly. The station signed off as "XEW, broadcasting from Mexico City, Mexico." He gave his time as 1.84 Mexican standard time (7.10 p.m. New Zealand time). At 7.30 p.m..Sunday, 30th, VE9CL, Manitoba, Canada, was on the air with a test programme, but was not received too well.-6X (Wellington). ; XEW, Mexico. I NOTICE in last week’s issue among Mr. Sellen’s notes a query regarding an unidentified station on 49.6 metres. I heard this station on August 30 from 5.45 p.m. until 7.5 p.m. on this wave length and heard the call "Radio Station XEW, Mexico City," announced by an American, about every quarter of an hour during the broadcast. The, programme, which consisted mainly of vocal items with guitar accom~ paniment, together with dance music, was received at good strength, R7-QSA4, but QRN and morse interfered toward the end. They signed off at 7.5 p.m., N.Z.T.,

or 135 am. C.S.T-

J. V.

McMinn

NZ16W

(Wellington).