News and Views of the D.X. Club

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 22, 11 December 1931, Page 12

News and Views of the D.X. Club

eh hi tt tt inl --_ ee eo ~ * 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 C.V.B. (N. Aue.): Your verification from Radio Algiers and the remainder of your letter has been referred to the Editor of the "Radio Log." J.V.K. (P.N.): Your address has alyeady been forwarded. DX640C (Dunedin) and others: Your letters will appear in the next "Radio Log." "Wainui" (Gisborne): VK8GK’s frequency is given on one of his cards as 1450 ke. (206.8 m.). Power, 16 watts. ° Identification Wanted

Station heard from 5.55 p.m. onwards on November 27 on 640 ke. (469 m.). Not KFI. Items heard: "Little Grey Home in the West," ‘Painted Doll," "Eleven More Months and Ten More Days," and "The Sunshine Girl.’ San Diego was pentioned several times.-DX64A (Moun).

Foreign station heard from 9.30 to 11.30 p.m. on "November 11, on a frequency just above that of 2Y.A. Most of the speech was foreign and was very hurried. The talk was evidently about birds, for the speaker would often say a sentence such as "The birds had risen in a great mass" in English, and repeat it several times. spelling out odd words such as "risen." He would then continue talking in a foreign language.-IF.G. Station heard on Noy. 22 on 640 ke. (468 m.), at 3.15 a.m., playing dance music. Strength R2-3. Items: 3.18 a.m. "When the, Moon Comes Over the Mountains’; 3.25 a.m., a waltz, "You Will Remeiber Vienna" ; 847 a.m., fox-trot. "Tere Comes the Sun." He was still on the air at 4.15 a.m. Also a station on 1110 ke. (270 m.), heard on 25th to 27th inclusive, playing grand opera from 5.15 a.m. to 6 a.m. ' Chimes like those from KFI_ were heard between items.DX23MC (Chch.).

Stations Identified DX1ijJ1A (Tauranga): The station you heard on November 16 was the Gisborne Harbour Board station, which operates on approximately 1510 ke. (197 m.). I also picked him up and heard his call given quite clearly as "ZLI, Gisborne." This station is used for two-way communication with ships in the vicinity -"Very Amateur" (Auckland). DX910C (Green Island): American on 700 ke. (428 m.), is WLW, Cincinatti, a 50-kw. station. "Omsk" (Whakatane): Ave you sure that it was not KGMB you heard on November 24? They often broadcast Japanese programmes.-N. Jenkins (Masterton), DX9ICC (Green Island): Your Australian on 1150 kc. (261m.), is 4TO,

Townsville. DXI2NW (Nelson): Your station on 620 k.c. (484m.), is probably KZRM.-"Wainui" (Gisborne). DX Topics

Recent Verifications. ECENT verifications include :- WSMB, New Orleans, 1320 k.c. (227m., 500w.). KID, Idaho Falls-1320 k.c. (227m.), 250w. WER. f Dallas, Texas.-1280 ke, (284 m, KTRB, ’ Portland,’ Oregon-1300 k.e. (231m.), '500w. IKSCJ, Sioux City. Iowa.-1330 k.c. (225m.); 1 k.w.-DX24NW (Nelson). KOB, New Mexico. 1S replying to Mr. J. P. Cowlishaw, Palmerston North, station KOB sent a fairly full description of their station. As this station can be heard in New Zealand, we reproduce below the more interesting pottion of that letter. Dear KOB Listener,-We are glad to verify your reported reception of our programme of recent date, and we appreciate your telling us. KOB, owned and operated by the New Mexico State College of Agriculture and Mechanie Arts. has its transmitter located near Las Cruces, New Mexico, about 40 miles north of El Paso, Texas, in the rich Mesilla Valley. This is a farming community,. irrigated to wonderful production by water from the noted Elephant Butte dam and reservoir, and extending many miles along the Rio Grande river, "in the heart of the sunshine coun- .’ "where sunshine spends the winKOB is one of the oldest radio telephone stations in the world. It started regular broadcasting as a 5-watt experimental station in 1921. Since that date regular broadcasting has been continuously maintained, and- now it has grown to 20,000 watt output. This probably makes it the most powerful college broadcasting station now operating. The transmitter is of the crystal oscillator-power amplifier type. The antenna and counterpoise are

suspended from insulated pipe mast 140 feet high and 175 feet apart. The assigned frequency is 1180 kilocycles. Beside the studio and transmitter located on the, Campus, a remote control studio is man: tained at El Paso, Texas. KOB broadeasts every day, usually three or more programmes, except Sunday. The first morning broadcasting is from 7 to 9; at noon from 12. to 3; from 7 to 9 at night; and Sundays, from 6 to 9 p.m., all mountain standard time. These programmes are often extended to. take care of special programmes. The noon hour broadcasting includes time signals; U.S. Weather Bureau forecasts; live stock. market reports; news of the day; U.S. Department of Agriculture crop reports; farm flashes; housekeepers’ chats, and other special features. These are interspersed by music. The evening programmes include concerts, news items, lectures, interesting talks and information, Athletic and special events are broadeast as they occur. Occasionally dx, after midnight, programmes ar2 put on, with listeners reporting from New Brunswick to New Zealand. Special features from our El Paso studio include a children’s hour, broadcast each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoon at 5; and a women’s hour, which extends the morning broadcast hour on from 9 o’clock on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Authorised U.P. and P. news flashes are sent out from there twice each day except Sunday. Japanese Schedules. TPHE following is a schedule recently received from JOIK, Sapporo. ‘Times given are N.Z.S.T. 8.80 p.m., musie and talk for children. 9 p.m., lecture, music, and an English lesson. 9.30 p.m., news; 10 p.m., lecture, music, talks, plays. ete. 12.10 p.m., time signal: weather forecast, information. ete. JOIK sends a station stamp on their card with these details: It operates on dual wavelengths, using frequencies of S870 ke. (3845 m.), and 590 ke. (508 m.). Power, 10 kw. each. Hours of broadcasting. from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Tokio standard time. When writir them I give a description of their pi gramme and received a reply stating thac T had heard the "Buddhist Celebrations." Also a footnote that postage from New Zealand to Japan is 24d. Regarding un-

answered verifications, I have received no reply from KTM, , D, 38H, and 8HF-DX260G (Dunedin). Details of 7DR. THE following are particulars of VE7DR, Devonport, Tasmania, taken from a verification card: This station operates on 241 m. (124 ke). Address is: Devonport Radio Club, 55 The splanade, Devonport, Tasmania. Schedule (N.Z. summer time) : Sundays, 10.30 to 12 a.m.; 2.80 to 4 p.m.; 6.30 to 8 p.m.; 12.30 to2 a.m. Saturdays, 1.30 p.m. until close down. Can any dxer give me the time to pick up the Cuban stations?DX64A (Mokau). . ?

ae Is XOL Still on the Air? ON July 18 I wrote to station XOL, Tientsin, China, for verification of what I took to be reception of their station, which had been reported at the time in the dx notes. Recently, however, I received my letter back through the dead letter office, with a note in Chinese attmhed. It is to the effect that there is no such station in Tientsin. In view of this 1 would like ‘to ask any dxers if they have received a verification from this sta-tion-DXI1T (N.P.). ‘ Heterodyne Interference. N June 23 I sent.a very complete yerification, together with a stamped and addressed envelope for reply, to station VK4LW, Rosalie, Brisbane. I notice in the "Radio Record" that several listeners have received replies from this station, but so far I have not heard from him. A little previously I also wrote to KZRM, Manila, but have had no reply. These two stations are the only ones which have not replied to my letters. Some time ago I sent in a note to the dx column to the effect that KGO, Oakland, was conducting a special midnight organ recital, and: asked for reports. Recently IT received a verification card from this station concerning my report on the transmission. I hope that some day a radio commission will be in operation between ‘New Zealand and Australia to. prevent ‘heterodyne interference. 2ZW, Wellington, to quote one case, is usually spoilt by a continual whistle--DX9W (Feilding). {Several months ago we published a. full-page article pointing out the growing menace of this type of interference, and asking for reports from dxers. We hoped by this to get a detailed report covering heterodyne interference-in every locality in New. Zealand. This we intended to forward to the New Zealand and Australian authorities, who would no doubt have seriously considered a complete or partial reallocation of frequencies, The result, however, was very disappointing. as only 28 reports in. all were received. We expected over 100 from all parts of New Zealand, and this number would have been necessary to prepare the report we had in. mind. The majority of dxers, however, evidently do not consider the re serious enough to warrant the irWble of their preparing reports. We

would like to take this opportunity ofthanking those few who did so. Their reports have been filed for reference pur-poses.-Hd.] : ss . DX Jottings. TATION VK4QL, Brisbane, Queens- . land, operates on 225m. (1330 k.c.), with a power of 17 watis input. Address: The Queensland Listeners’ League, 157°

Hnogella Terrace, Paddington, Brisbane. They also received a report.similar to mine from DX8NW (Nelson). 4QL_ tests every Sunday, near midnight, our time. Latest loggings are: WCKY, Covington, Kentucky, 1490 k.c. (210m.), heard recently on a special 42 hours’ broadcast, which came in here at about strength R7; KPI, Twin Falls, Idaho, a 250 watts station; and VK7BO, Burnie, Tasmania, 1210 kc. (248m.). The latter station was heard cn Nov. 22, when VKS8BY, Melbourne was not on the air. On the 29th. when the latter station was on the air, there was no chance of hearing 7BC. The last mail brought verifications from WCCO, Minneapolis, KECA, Los Angeles, and CJOR, Sea Island, B.C. Has any other dxer heard CJOR operating lately on a frequency of approx. 1170 k.c. (256m.)? A few evenings ago he was heard very loudly on this frequency. He was immediately announced as OJOR. However, on the verification I received he gave his frequency as 1210 ke. (248m.).-N, Jenkins (Masterton). Recent Loggings. LATEST loggings ‘ include WCCO, KFNF (on a special DX _ programme), WEBM, WIBW, KLX, and CRCN (the latter at RS. Has any dxer heard a Cuban station’ If so, do they announce in English at all? I recently heard a statiow that sounded

like a. Mexican on 1030 k.c. (291m.), but on looking up the latest call book I find that there is no Mexican near that frequency. However, CMKO occupies that channel.-"Wainui’ (Gisborne), Another Dead Letter. p*40c (Invercargill): On Aug. 17 1 heard a Chinese station on 965-k.c. (310m.), and I wrote to NKS, Shanghai. Tt have just had my letter returned through the Dead Letter Office, and I must say the envelope isa picture. Written along the bottom is: "No more NKS station exist in Shanghai."-‘Digger" (Hamilton). It have a card from 1ZM, Manurewa. My latest verification is from OFRB, Toronto, Canada, owned and operated by a Toronto radio company, in which they state they are delighted, that I report reception on one of their own sets.-J.P.C. (Palmerston North).

ar -- A Dxer’s Map of Europe DXERS’ map of Europe is now obtainable from the offices of the "Radio Record," The _ nap, which igs printed on linen, folds up into ‘a small compass (about the size of the "Radio Guide,") and is fitted like a book between two stout paper covers. The map shows the: location of all the broadcasting stations in Europe, and is splendidly compiled. It is isshed by the B.B.C. _ Only a limited number of these are available, and may be had for 4/- (post free), Supplies of "World Radio Iden- _ tification Panels" have been exhausted, but we are writing for . more, and orders will be filled in putation on their arrival, Price 2 "« Address correspondence to "Radio rd," P.O. Box 1082, Wellington.