Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 19, 20 November 1931, Page 31

Round the World on Short Wave

HIS page is conducted in the interests of shortwave enthusiasts. A weekly log comprising notes of reception and interesting topical events is contributed by Mr. F. W. Sellens, Northland, Wellington, but all listeners are invited to send in paragraphs of general interest. :

"Short-wave Notes Shortwave Broadcasts From Java. THE test programmes on several shortwave lengths from the Dutch Wast Indies, reported upon in our page on October 23, have concluded. egular prorammes are to be transmitted, wavelengths, hours of transmission, etc., having not yet been arranged. The address of the station is N.Z. Nederlandsch, Indische, Radio Omroep, Moatschappij, Tandjong, Priok, Zuiderderweg, Batavia. Java, D.W.1. Shortwaves From ‘Honolulu. © Quite a lot of music and talk has been heard during the last few days from stations KRO, Honolulu, Hawaii, on 51.87 metres I heard them first on Sunday, November 8, at 7 p.m., when, records were being transmitted. Reception was excellent, being R8-9, with one stage of audio. Beside giving their call, KRO, and frequency, Riverhead, Long Island, New York, was called and asked for a report for the transmission, The test programme was still on at 10 p.m., but signals were not as strong, and static became severe. On Thursday, November 12, another long test was heard, this time with W3XL, Boundbrook, N.J., from 6 p.m. Volume again was good. The exehange of programmes was being .arranged, W83XL to transmit a typical New York programme from 4.30 p.m. our time on Sunday, November 15, "for the boys down there’? and from KOR to "put over" typical Hawaiian music, from 5 p.m. for 15 minutes. In arranging these transmissions, so that no mistake should be made in the time, Hastern standard, Pacific standard, Hawaiian local, and Greenwich mean time were given aS 4 check. Hawaiian Music via America. HE special programme was not quite in the order mentioned. It was in ‘the nature of a programme dedicated to Station KGU, Honolulu, and broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company on their coast-to-coast network of stations. It. was announced that it was the 110th anniversary of the first settlers of New England arriving at Hawaii. _ The first part of the programme originated in New York. 'The next was from the studio of KGU in Honolulu, from which native music, instrumental and yocal, was broadcast. This the announcer stated travelled 5000 miles to New York, 2000 miles over the air to California, and 3000 from there to their studios-and in our case 9000 miles back to Wellington ; 14,000 miles in all from Honolulu before it reached us. This portion of the programme was not so clear as the other, but considering the distance, _rebroadeast, land lines, etc., it was quite good. Later, the programme originated at KGO.

° San Francisco. This. of course, was carried by land line to 3XL at New Jersey. The special broadcast concluded at 5.30 p.m., after which "we are now going over to the Edgewater Beach Hotel, Chicago, where you_will be entertained by dance musie by Paul Whiteman, ete., was announced. Reception was R8-9. Statice was troublesome. The Armistice Service From London. I HAVE listened to several Armistice Day services from London, via G5SW, but never before has one been so_well received as on last Wednesday. At 10.15 p.m. the carrier of GhSW was heard at great strength, with the usual surge, but not nearly so bad as usual; in fact, it promised to be quite good for the special transmission to follow. Nothing was heard, except the "tuning whistle," a high-frequency note which is put on the air to enable listeners to tune in properly, till 10.30 p.m., when the Greenwich time signal-6 dots-was broadcast. This was followed by the usual, opening call, and the announcement of what was going to take place, giving the order of the service, ete Thev then went over to the Cenotaph where the massed Guards Bands played selections till the service proper was ready to commence at about 10.50 p.m. Most listeners will know what followed, as 2YA took up the relay at this time, and_continued till 5SW signed off about 11.10 p.m. Readability was good all through, the prayers by the Bishop of London, and the military orders were very distinct. Volume was all that could be desired, being quite loud on the speaker. The rebroadcast by 2YA from my place was successful.

WS3XAL, Boundbrook, 49.18 metres. -Monday, R5 at 5 pm.; spoilt by static. F31CD, Saigon, 49 metres-A good station every night from shortly after 11 pm , W3XL, Boundbrook, 46.69 metres. This sister station to W3XAL comes in at good strength earlier than the 49metre Americans, and continues strong til] about 6 p.m. Heard on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturay. . REN, Moscow, 45.38 metres.-Like RW59, this station is good volume early, but by 7-7.30 a.m. gets very weak. 32.3 metres (about).-Thursday, 8 a.m., talk and music at R4; too gushy for talk to be readable. VK3ME, Melbourne, 31.55 metres.Wednesday till 11.80 p.m.; excellent at

W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.48 metres.Reaches RS by 4 p.m. Quality quite good, except for slight surging. WIXA2, Springfield, 31.35 metres.Only heard on Sunday and Monday at 4,30 p.m., and then only just audible. VK2ME, Sydney, 31.28 metres.-Sun-day from 5 pms and again on Monday morning at GSSW, Chelmsford, , 25.53 metres.Very poor each morning at 7 am., but at 12.80 a.m. it is quite good. On Monday night I heard their carrier at 11.30 pm. but nothing was doing till 12.30 a.m., when, after the usual call, the next day’s programme was given, but no mention was made of the Armistice service. Big Ben was heard striking the half-hour. Reception was quite good at R7-8. After the Armistice service, reported elsewhere, 5SW closed till 12.30 a.m., when it came back again at R7, still with the surge, as earlier, but quite good. 12R0, Rome, 25.4 metres.-Not heard much now; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday weak and gushy at 8 a.m. . This appears to be the peak period, as I have not heard much of them before or after this time. WSXK, Pittsburgh, 25.25 metres.Sometimes heard during the afternoon, but usually closes before reaching readable volume. 25.7 metres (about).-Monday, _midnight, talk and music at R2-3. Could not catch any call. FYA, Paris, 25.2 metres-Varies a lot in volume. Monday, 8 a.m., R2 only. Tuesday, 7.45 a.m., R8, with rapid fade. Wednesday, 6.45 am., R8, very rapid fade; no sign at 7.30 a.m. Saturday, 6.30 a.m., R6, rapid fade. Not heard on other mornings. Russian (?), 25.2 metres (about).Sunday, 10 p.m., R9; static very bad. Same programme as RY15.