News and Views of the D.X. Club

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 21, 4 December 1931, Page 12

News and Views of the D.X. Club

Are YOU a Member of the DX Club? If not, post your application to the DX Editor, Box 1032, Wellington, enclosing 2/6 to cover cost of badge and certificate (post free). Subscription to the "Radio Log"-the DXer’s own magazine-is 6/6 per annum, post free. Book your order now and receive the latest in DX news.

‘Answers to Correspondents HAR.A. (Masterton): Your official club number is DX27W. DX115A (Putaruru): Quite a number of dxers use four and five-valve batteryoperated °Hammarlund-Roberts receivers and.get quite good results. The ‘Night Owl .Three" is an excellent short-waver, and ‘is proving very popular. Details of a coil to enable this receiver to be used over the major portion of the broadcast band. are published this week. DX24NW (Nelson).-Headed writing tablets, with the d.x. monogram, may now be obtained at a price of 1/10 each, posted. "Amateur" (Dunedin).-We could not say, not having heard of it. At the rate you‘dre going your log should certainly be worth entering in the competition after next.’ "Digger" .(Hamilton).-Full particulars of JOLIX were already to hand when your letter arrived, and these appear elsewhere. . "Omsk" (Whakatane).-For information, re Japanese stations see the letter from the director of JOLK, published elsewhere in this issue. Your trouble may ‘be due to a bad earth connection or to a defective resistance. Identification Wanted On Nov. 17 I heard a station on 840 ke! (875 m.) heterodyning JOIK, Sapporo. Items and times were: 10.10 p.m., band selection; 10,15 p.m., dance music; 10.25 p.m., Stein song. A portion of the announcement sounded like "-- Melbourne testing." Static and fading bad. At 12.20 a.m. on November 22 I heard an Australian signing off on 1150 ke. (261 m.). Missed call, but heard, "- owned and operated by A.W.A.," quite clearly. "God Save the King" was then played. What American operating on 700 ke. can be heard after 2YA signs off? I have oceasionally caught the name "Cincinatti," -DX910C (Green Island). Two powerful American stations heard at approximately 2.15 a.m. on Sunday, Nov, 22, One on 620 ke, (484 m.) was broadeasting a description of a boxing match, and later dance music, and the

other, on 690 ke. (434 m.) approx., was playing classical music. No announcements were heard from the latter.DX12NW (Nelson). Can any dxer supply any information as to the whereabouts of station on approximately 1200 ke. (250 m.), giving the eall "Victorian HWxperimental _ station, VK8EFO"? The call could possibly have been "BIO" or "TRO." This station has been coming in exceptionally well lately. I notice in a recent issue of the "Record" that three or four inquiries re this station have been returned, as it is not known in Australia. Surely a station of this power cannot be unknown to the

authorities | tor

Marama

(Colac Bay _

What dapanese spation operates on KGMB's frequency (1270 k.c.; 236m.) ? It was heard at intervals between 7.45 and 9.30 p.m. on Nov. 24. After 7.52 p.m. KGMB often blotted out the Jap.’s sig-

nals.

Omsk

(Whakatane).

American or Canadian station on approximately 310 ke. (329.5 m.), heard on 24th at 8.15 pm. playing an organ solo, "One Summer Night." 38UZ prevented me from, hearing eall sign. Also a Jap., on approximately 1310 ke. (229 m.), and an. American on 1100 ke, (2738 m.), heard signing off on same date at 8 p.m. He counted 3, 2, 3, 4, and then signed off.-‘Wainui" (Gisborne). DX Topics Further Particulars of CSR. Hf HAVE to hand some particulars of station XHR-"The Sunshine Station" -Del Rio. It is situated in the small village of Del Rio, on the banks of the Rio Grande, and is operated by the Villa

Acuna Broadcasting Co.. Inc., of Acuna. C.0.A.H., Republic of Mexico. Vrequency is 735 ke., cleared channel, with an output of 75 kw. in the aerial. The announcer is Herbert Denys. He gives his name when they close down at 7 p.m..

OT OT NEw ww N.Z. summer time. The song _ entitled "Until To-morrow," broadcast ‘before they sign off at 7 p.m., is rendered by the comnoser, Miss Rosa . who is known as "Mexico's nightingale." are on the air again at 11 p.m,, New Zealand standard time, on their morning session. ‘Tonight at 6.47 p.m., the announcer dedicat: ed an item to a Mr. , of Dunedin, New Zealand. I missed the name owing o QRN. This station has been coming in at RG-7 at 6.80 each evening for the last week. At 7.380 p.m. on November 24 T logged station CJGC, London, Ontario. Canada, at R5-6. He operates on 91 ke (329.6 m.), and was asking for reports from distant stations. The above address would find him. TI recently constructed a Beverage aerial, and find it OK for DX work. Recent loggings include KDB. Santa Barbara, 1500 k.c. (200m.); WCKY, Covington, 1490 k.e, t2Om.) 5 7 KWsc. Pullman, 1220 k.c. (246m.); VK7DR. Devonport. Tasmania; and VK8EF, Ellwood, Victoria.--DX113A (Bay of Plenty).

Hambourg Comes in Well. ECEPTION of American stations has fallen off during the past week. letter was received recently from KSH, which is owned by the Radio Service Corporation of Utah; offices at 35 Richards Street; studios, Vermont Building. Their slogan is, "The Voice of the Inter-Moun-tain Empire." I switched on at 4 a.m. on Nov. 20, and although QRN _ was terrific, Hambourg, Germany, on 372m. (805 k.c.), came through at R6-7 very clearly.-DX1600, (Oamaru). Thanks for power of WDAG. I took particulars from the "Guide," but your information is more recent. An Australian amateur has been heard recently on approximately 220m. (1360 k.c.), closing down at 4.30 ‘a.m. ‘The call sounded like VK3RO,

ictoria,

H.F.

A.

(Masterton).

Location Wanted. T 2.10 a.m. on Nov. 22, 1 logged station 3EKO, at about R7, with slight fading. Call was given as "Victorian I lixperimental Station 8HFO," but during the half-hour that I listened, no name of a town was given, Frequency was about 1240 k.e-DX12NW (Nelson).

Some Notes on the Beverage. [HE following item concerning aerials may be of some interest to dxers. I have erected a Beverage aerial about §& feet high and 1000 feet long, earthed at the far end through a 700 ohm resistance. From a dxing point of view the results are most satisfactory, A comparison between this and the ordinary standard type of aerial can be quite easily made by tuning in a station on the one, and then switching over quickly to the other. The difference is certainly marked. The ecarrier wave is picked up much easier on the Beverage, and all interference is practically eliminated. Perhaps the only fault this aerial has is that it requires so much space for erection, and so cannot be used: i. towns, where interference is greatest. .. I think the Anstralian stations for the DX competition should be left as they were. I do not think that more than one in a hundred will be able to log more than four daylight stations from Australia. Again such an important factor as ‘locality. cannot be ignored. It is only fair to all to keep open as big a field as

possible.--

Marama

' (Colae Bay).

Pen Friends Wanted. LATELY I received a verification from JOTEK. Kanazawa, Japan, operating on 710 k.c. (422 m.). with a power =

Test Transmission From KID For N.Z. Listeners ITH the fast American mail J] received 2 ecard from KID, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 228 m. (1320 ke.)., He grants the request I made for a test transmission, and states that this will take place from 7.30 p.m, to 8.30 p.m. N.Z. summer time, on Wednesday, December 9. Reports are wanted.-DX24NW (Neison).

» of 3 k.w. They also enclosed with their card a covering letter and three snaps of the plant. WLAC, Nashville, sent a verification and’ a card appointing me as an Official Listener. WLAOC is the official broadcasting station of the Life and Casualty Insurance Co., and operates on a frequency of 1470 k.c, (204 m.); with a power of 5 k.w. I also received letters from two American listeners who are desirous of having pen friends in New Zealand. Mr.. Clyde L. Kern, 1605 "H" Street, San Diego, California, wrote 11 pages full of interesting radio news, and he also gave-me some particulars of station XHR, similar to the report of "Kia Ora" in the "Record" of November 13. He says he heard him one night speaking on a cable heading from New Zealand, and he calls him qa "Disgruntled Seer." He also states that though he is some 1200 miles from there, XER is so strong (75 k.w.) that no matter how heavy static is he comes in above it all. As his station is outside the continental limits of the U.S.A., the American Government can do*nothing. The other writer who wants pen ‘friends in New Zealand is Mr. Hslie J. Eller, Box 135, Wtna, California, who liyes on his father’s ranch in the extreme north of the State, completely surrounded by high. heavilv-timbered mountasins.4

DXIT

(New Plymouth).

\ Verification News, TPHE latest American mail brought 10 verifications, including KMTR, Hollywood; KFBB, Great Falls; KSCJ, Sioux City; and WCCO, Minneapolis. -KSCJ sent me a newspaper in which was published the names of six New Zealanders who had heard him during August "and September. WCCO sent me a booklet containing photographs of all their artists. KF BB has a striking Hkko stamp, and they also forwarded a large photo of one of their studios. KTHS sent me a descriptive booklet about their hot springs. N. Jenkins (Masterton). I received a card from. 2XU a fortnight after writing. -DX840C0 (Dunedin). XER in Trouble, S "Kia Ora" (Frankton) mentioned in the issue dated November 13, station XDR is owned by a Dr. John Brinkley, who after getting into hot water with the American authorities, went to Mexico to build another station. The transmitter is located at La Cunta, Mexico, and the studios are in Del Rio, Texas, On the other side of the Rio Grande del Norte. Power is 75 k.w., and their allotted frequency is 735 k.c. (408 m.). The Federal Radio Commission are expected to ask the Mexican Government to have XER’s frequency shifted, because transmissions are interfering with those from CKAC and WSB. Often heard Americans which have been bought recently by the N.B.C. include KGA, Spokane; KIJR, Seattle; KHX, Portland, Oregon; and KYA, San Francisco. In a recently wceived verification from Japan they rethat, gramophone recordings are never used for their Huropean music. Artists are always engaged. In the last "Radio Log" I noticed one or two small omissions in the list of Australians. 8SH is now on 50 watts; 2MO now observes a Sunday schedule from 9.30 to 11.30 N.Z. St. T. 4GR’s schedule is 10.30 to 11.10 a.m.; 1.80 to 2.50 p.m.; and 8.50 to 11.30 p.m. No evening session Saturday. Sunday, 11.380 to 2.30 p.m.; 9 to 11.30 p.m. N.Z, St. T.-DX42W (Lower Hutt). Some Low-powered VK’s. B* the last mail I received a verification from VK8RG, the report being sent via VK5WS. The owner, Mr. R. L. Blake, said that he had received about 25 other reports from New Zealand, but most of them were from the South Island. \Power of 8RG is 25 watts input. Verifications were also received from. VK2HM, 94 Francis Street, Bondi, N.S.W., whose power is 40 watts; VKSWS, West suburban Radio Club, 44 King Street, Mile End. §.A., which operates on 250 m, (1200 k.c.), with a power of 20 watts;

and WLAO, Nashville, Tennessee. Commencing on ‘the first of this month the following stations in Toronto, Canada, are changing their frequencies ower Art from 690 to 840 ke, (357 ons CBCA, from 840 ke. to kc, (268 m CBRE from 960 k.c, to 690 k.e. 5 ORNG from 580 ke. to 960 kc. m.) to 580 k.c. (517 I see that’ DXssA° (Auckland) has had a

letter returned to him from the D.L.O. The following extract from a letter received from WJSV, Mt. Vernon Hills, will, I think, substantiate his statemen that many reports are in the D.L.O.-N. Jenkins (Masterton). "We are in receipt of your letter of August 26. We have made a thorough March 21, and although we have found several letters from New Zealand research through our files for your letter of questing verifications of test programmes during that month, we do not have onc from you." American Reception, GTATIONS are coming in. down here with splendid volume this month. Latest loggings include KTAT, KGRYV, WEBCO (heard on test after KDYI closed down). KOH, KFWI, and KGNF. Recent verifications include KEW, WBOQ, WMAQ, KDB, KLBA, and KECA. After listening to a staticy winter, my motto is "By patience and perseverance we succeed."--DX10C (Timaru). Some News from China. FARLY on August 17 I logged a Chinese station on about SYA’s frequency. and held him at good speaker strength from 12,10 a.m, till 12.45 am. I could find no station in the "Guide" exactly on that frequency, so I sent a report of items heard to XGAH, Shanghai, and asked if they could give me any information. I recently received their reply, in which they remarked that I had undoubtedly logged &GY, Hangchai, on 307 m, (975 ke). They sent me a most cour-

teous letter, and said that they would like a report from New Zealand on XGAH, on 823 m. (980 ke.). They also sent another lettor all in Chinese (which I will get translated if possible), and copies of programmes, with a list of Chinese and other | far-Wastern broadcasting stations. These I am sending down, as they may be of interest, I have written to XGY by this mail, but unfortunately will not receive their reply in time for the competition.DX24A (Taumarunui). . (The list of Chinese and other. Bagiern stations mentioned by the above. correspondent is published in a panel on this page.-Hd.] From the Director of JOLK. HW following is a letter received from the director of station JOLK, Fukuoka, Japan:-‘‘We are broadcasting on 441 m, (680 ke.), with a 500 watts transmitter, which is the ‘All-Japanese Products’ since December last year. Japanese Central Standard Time is used at longitude 185 deg. DB. It gains nine hours than Greenwich mean time, and loses 2 hours 27 minutes than your New Zealand standard time at longitude 172 deg. 50 min. Bast. viz, N.Z.S.0., 1 a.m., equivalent to our J.C.S8.L. 10.383 p.m... We usually speak Japanese, but the call-sign JOLE in English, so you jyill not understand items on our programmes. I think jt will be another station, because we close the broadeast at 10 p.m. every night, and call the sign JOLK only two times, at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12.27 a.m. N.Z.S.0.-for the beginning and closing of every session. The following Japanese station operate to 1.27 a.m, N.Z.S.T., using Japanese standard western time. longitude 120 deg. east:-Keijo, JODK, 455 m. (690 ke.), 1 kw.; Darien, JOAK, 395 m. (760 ke.), 1 kw.; Taihoku, JFAK,’ 448 m. (669 ke.), 10 kw. The good season for winter radio is coming in Japan of the northern hemisphere. We hoping your success in dx reception and thankine vou for vour earnest report.-Lours

very truly,

S.

Loga

37 (Director)

The following is 2Z1X, Wanganui’s, new schedule :-Eivening, 7-8 p.m.; Mon. to Fri, aud Sat. 11 am. to 1. p,m. The station operates on 500 metres (600 ke}. -DX64A (Mokau). Pen-names Preferred. "CURLY" (P.N.): I was keenly interested in your statement in the "Log that you have. recently logged 4GO-a@ small Australian station in Townsville. I wonder if you have confused the eall with 4TO Townsville, power 200 watts? On about June 6, 1930, I logged a station who called "VK4GO, Newmarket, testing." He was working on about 1820 ke, (227 m.), and I sent him a detailed report. I received no reply. I have not logged him since, nor have I seen him res ported in the "Record." I have also ed to find him listed. I would like t hear further particulars through the"Record" of your efforts in connection with this station. "Digger" (Hamilton) In addition to many others in this lecali I have received verification of Manurewa, on a GSL ecard. 2ZM has not. replied to two letters of mine, so your . statement throws some light on the ma ter. *3 It is apparent that many of the older. correspondents have discarded the pen names which they originally used, in. favour of their club numbers, ‘This is to be regretted, as they lose their identity to a certain extent. ‘Digger,’ "Sevenkicker," "Ray Dio," and others well known would not be the same if the used their club numbers.-‘Amazon" (Palm. North.). 8GK’s Address. K8GK’s address is giveh on his card as: 41 Pental Road, Caulfield, Mel-. bourne, He works on _a power of watts input.-DX840C (Dunedin). 8GE’S Frequency Wanted. -*400: Thanks. I have just received a verification from KTBS, and find they had changed their address sinee I (Coneluded on page 28.)

DX Topics

(Continued from page 13.) wrote, thus accounting for the delay. Can any dxer give me VK3GK’s frequency? I have recently received a card from him, but he omitted his QRH -‘Wainui" (Gisborne). A Verification From Rome. I HAVE just received a verification from 1RO, Rome, on 441m, (680 k.e.), As the card is written in Italian I cannot understand it, and am forwarding on to you in the hope that you can get it translated. [In effect, it states that your report dated September 2 has been confirmed, and that the station you heard was 1RO, on_441.1m.-Hd.] ; . I reported on six heard at times between 624 a.m. and 7.24 a.m. on dates beeween August 21 and Sept. 2. Strength varied from R2-R6.-DX6NW (Westport). Reports wanted by KFEL. CONDITION S for dxing have improved lately, and between Nov. 2] and 28 they were perfect. Latest loggings are KFWI and KFEL, Colorado, ‘The latter station is trying out a new transmitter and wants reports. Lately I have heard quite a number of Americans on the air after 8 p.m. I switched on at 2.15 a.m. on the morning of the 23rd, and received eight Americans. I heard only one Australian, however--6WI. Perth. I recently sent two reports separately to station JOLE and JOGK, and received in reply two verifications in one envelope from JOLE. Are these twin -stations? My reports were in two distinct programmes at different times and dates.igger (Hamilton).