News and Views of the D.X. Club

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 25, 31 December 1931, Page 12

News and Views of the D.X. Club

‘Answers to Correspondents DX1220C (Timaru): You do not mention the approximate frequencies on which the stations you require idenfified were transmitting. "Amuri" (Invercargill) : No, the letfer you received trom 7CA, Calentta, goes not definitely verify your report. P.C. (Hastings) : Write Te Aro Book Depot, Courtenay Place, Wellington wou do not give nearly enough partiof the stations you want identified. Reception is always better at night than during the daytime heuse in the day the ionising influence of the sun neutralises the action of fhe Heaviside layer and thus prevents teflection of the "sky wave." Consequently the only wave you receive is fhe ground wave, At night, however, tthe Heaviside layer the "sky wave" back to earth, and increased sigpal strength results. -_-

"Sparks" (Waverley) would like a dxer with a five-yalve battery set to correspond with him. "Sparks’s" addvess may be obtained from the ofiices of the "Radio Record." DX760C (Dunedin): A revised list of the Australian stations which are barred for the competition appears in the December "Log." 1f you and your friends would send in your opinions concerning the revision of the competition rules they would be given every consideration. DR27W: Why not: If you have a good set, good aerial, etc., and plenty of patience I should think Seatoun Iicights one of the best spots around Wellington. A resident up there told me he had great reception from America. Of course you will have to give up a lot of sleep if you want a good dx harvest. DX21W: Some stations are long-winded, but usually come to light. My "black listers" are KZRM., Manila: 3SH, Swan Lill; 4RkK, lockhampton: 2GB, Sydney; and JOIIK, Sendai. Reports were forwarded these, together with return postage, in Aug-ust-September last. I think the binding covers for "Log" a goud idea.-

DX25W

(Miramar).

Addresses and Addresses Wanted "THE address of KMTR, taken from a verification, is 915 Formosa Avenue, Hollywood, California. TCA’s address is Indian State Broadcasting Sarwiepn 1 Claretoan Ploea i (alentty-

Amwu

(Invercargill ) .

Identification Wanted At 1.35 a.m. on Dec. 21 I picked up a shortwave station on dial reading 13. 2ZX comes in on 15. I heard music and then speech in a foreign

language.-

DX46W

(Wanganui).

DX Topics Beverage an Improvement. ERIFICATLONS just to hand in‘clude: EAJ7, Madrid; Radio Strasbourg, France; RVi2, Moscow; XER, Mexico: ZTC, Cape Town ; VUG, Calcutta; CIFRB. Toronto; CJOR, Vancouver; 4CO, Townsville, Queensland: and a number of Americans. I am using a Beverage aerial Sft. high and 1000ft. long, and I find it a big improvement on the average aerial. TI have definitely logged six Americans and one Canadian all using power of

only 100 watts.-

DX76OC

(Dunedin).

DX "Policemen." ys a recent letter I stated 4Z4L was going off the air. It now appears my information was incorrect, as this stution was broadcasting on the evening of Dee. 14. I consider it would be a good idea to hold DX Club mectings at each of the four main centres -Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, ‘It would give members an opportunity to meet one another and to compare notes. What do other members think? Re the blacklisted stations: Why not appoint a dxer in each town where there is a broadeast station to answer members’ queries concerning unconfirmed — reports? The member inquiring should enclose a stamped and addressed enyelope in addition to particulars of report made, such as date, time, and

items heard:

DX64OC

(Dunedin).

DX. Jottings. NOTICE J.P.C. (P.N.) and another dxer haye received cards from 1ZM. I sent in another report recently, also enclosing a small donation for a radio -set and a 2d stamp for reply. I heard him acknowledge the

letter next morhing over the air, but up till now have received no card. Latest loggings are: KGMB, Monolulu; KGU, Hawaii, and KSL, Salt Lake City. Js there an Australian station 2CO?-‘Digger"’ (Hamilton's. [Yes. 2CO Corow:d relays 3L0 uh SAR. Power 7.5 kw. Wavelength 535.7 metres.-Iid.] European Verifications, ¥2Y the last English mail I received verifications from two Kuropeans, Rome, Italy, and Heilsberg, Germuny. The Jatter station forwarded a book about the station, a list of 128 European stations, and two photos of the transinitting plant. According to a letter from WBOQ, it operates with a power of 50 k.w. and is the key station of the Columbia Broadcasting system in New York. WBOQ is now on the air with the call letters WABC from 7.80 am. until 2 a.m. the following morning, F.S.T. 4Z3,, Dunedin, has been on the air again these last two nights-DX840C (Dunedin). VITBC. HE following particulars of station VETBC are taken from a verification as 2. Bruce and C. Craw, 56 Mount Street, Burnie, Tasmania-frequency 1209 k.c., power of 10 watts, input. They appeared pleased to receive my report and replied within three weeks. 2CO Corowa has been coming in at great strength lately, but is often spoiled by Morse, 3AK, Melbourne, has also been coming in at good strength lately on 1500 kc. On some mornings they broadcast until after 4 a.m. he strength of KI has fallen off lately, and it is a long time since I have had him above strength R6-7. KGO, on the other hand, has been coming at increased strength The verification which DX780C received from Colombo was very interesting , but ean he not tell us on what frequency he recéiviyl that station? The best "Wkko"’ stamps I have received from U.S.A. are from KMTR, Wollywood, and KMOX, St. Louis. These appear to be made of compressed copper. or bronze. I recently received a verification from 20, Neweasitle, after four months. Also received one from WBOQ, New York. I would like to know how many dxers have received verifications from

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. nn gn es 0 2 ee 0 ee 2 ee 66 ee oe ee

XEX, Mexico City? Compliments of the season to dxers. -N, Jenkins (Masterton). The Black List. SEE by last week’s "Radio Record" that DX21W has 3HA, Hamilton, on his black list. I.sent 3HA a report two months ago «nd have had no reply so far. Also 3SH, Swan Hill, has not replied to two reports sent. I received a card last week from 1ZM, Manurewa, by return mail and 24M, Gisborne, sent a verification three months after. I sent my veport on reception.-

DXE7OC

(Dunedin).

A Heilsberg Letter. BY the latest mail I received a verification from Heilsberg. The manager also sent a book of 62 pages dealing with his station, and a copy of the ~vening’s programmes with the items I 1eard underlined. Everything is writ"ten in German. I enclose a copy of the verification. I will try and get some of the book translated so as to let dxers know something about Heilsberg. Mr. R. J. Brown asks if anyone has a verification from KTM or WABC. I wrote to KTM over six months ago, bul have received no answer. I also sent reports to WABC and WBOQ, and received a verification from the latter, but the former has not yet replied. Another station on my black list is WLACO. I posted a report to that station on May 14. By the latest American mail I received a verification from KGW after waiting some time. The reason why I was so long in receiving it was be- _ cause it was sent back to KGW for additional postage. Words to this effect were stamped across the en-

velope

DX73OC

(%. J. Mullin).

Oamaru. The letter from Heilsberg reads :- "We thank you sincerely for your friendly letter of September 19, referring to the reception of our transmission from Heilsberg. "Will you please look through the enclosed cutting of our programme for the days in question, in which we have marked with pencil the items you heard, showing that you actually heard our transmission. ‘"As requested, we send you a booklet of our Heilsberg station, which we trust will be of interest to you, and beg to remain ete, Ostmarken-Rundfunk A.-G." oo~«

Details of 4T0O, Townsville. "THE following are particulars of station 4TO, Townsville, Queensland, taken from a verification card: Frequency, 1170 k.c.; power of 100 watts; operated by Amalgamated Wireless (A/sia.) Ltd. The slogan is: "The Gateway of Tropic Queensland." IT also received a letter from 2KO, Newcastle, which stated that when I heard the station it was operating a temporary service on a power of 25 watts. . My black list is: 83WR, Newcastle, 2KY, Sydney; 7LA, Launceston; 38H, Swan Hill; and 3HA, Hamilton. Has any dxer received replies from any of

these /-

Country Lad

~ (Gore).

Leipzig Heard. I HAVE recently received a verification from "Leipzig," Germany, a translation of which appears below. I heard this station up till sunrise on and after last September 28.-C. V. Blucher (DX27A). "We enjoyed receiving your letter and are pleased to know that you have picked up our broadcasting programme. We enclose a copy of this programme for your information. You will be interested that two other listeners in New Zealand have received our station at approximately the same time as you did. With best wishes for further success in radio.-Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk A.-G., Technische Betriebsstelle." Useful Verification Data. HE following extracts from verifications received recently by me may be of interest to dx and sw readers :- From Radio Saigon: There are three stations in Saigon, Franco-Indochine--(1) F8-1CD, Cie Franco-Indochinoise de Radiophonie, 106 Boulevard Charner, Saifon. Station site, Chi-hoa, 6 kilometres from Saigon; aerial power, 12 k.w.; wave length, 49 metres; call, "Hello! Hello! Here is Radio Saigon." (General outline of station plant and equipment.) (2) FZR, the Government station, working on 24.91 metres. Telegraph and telephone connection with Paris and Japan. (38) A private broadcasting station working on 31.50 metres, aerial power 800 watts. From the P. and T. Department, Bangkok, Siam: HSP-1 (Radio Bangkok) transmits daily on 350 metres 2) k.w., except on Mondays, from 12.00 to 15.30 G.M.T. HSP-2 (Radio Bangkok), s.w. station. This station is now undergoing a series of tests on 41 metres, 2} k.w., every Monday from 13.00 to 16.00 G.M.T. Both stations may be recognised by the distinctive call notes in the form of chimes of six notes up and down the scales of a

gong at various intervals during programme. (Also further station plant particulars. ) From Japan: We have a chain system in this country in which 14 stations are included. Programmes are relayed to others and vice versa; as, for instance, JOAIK to others and vice versa,

Yrom Crosley Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.: WLW, 700 kc, 50,000 w.; WSAI, 1830 k.c., 500 w.; owned and operated by Crosley Radio Corp. "You might not consider your individual comments important-but we do. When you have anything to suggest-how any detail can be improved-we want you to write us, We want our audience to know in advance that these comments are and will continue to be greatly appreciated. We are particularly pleased to receive reports from so far away as New Zealand."’-Yours, ete, DX2Q5W. Publicity for New Zealand. R. SPENCE R. ELLIS, of Okatu Taranaki, ex-president of the DX Club, has forwarded the following two interesting paragraphs taken from American papers. The first, captioned "CJOR Heard in New Zealand," runs: "CJOR’s recent increase in power and transmitter improvements has cel tuinly made it a target for reception letters from all over the world, Following are the addresses of four letters extracted from one mail, Friday. October 9:Hubert D. Hunt, Alfred, New Zealand. Edward Anderson, 27 Shortland Street, Caversham, Dunedin, New Zealand. Spence R. Wilis, vice-president New Zealand DX Club, Okato, Taranaki, New Zealand. ¥rank Barnett, Broadcasting Station 4ZO, Lower Octagon, Dunedis New Zealand. All letters contained a wealth of information proving conclusively they were authentic. One had heard the Lido Cafe programme, and mentioned such minute details as phone numbers. addresses, names, etc, Two others had heard Mart Kenny’s_ orchestra from the Alexandra Ballroom, and commented on them concluding their programme with "God Save the King." The other is a discussion of a radie problem which has recently arisen in the States, and which, it is reported appears likely to cause international complications :- "A new fly has appeared in the radio ontment, so to speak, Ambitious United States broadcasters, refused channels in the States, are building their transmitters just across the border in Mexico and pirating Canadian and United States waves. The worst offender is XR, a station with its studios in Texas and its transmitter just across the Rio Grande, at Della

Acuna, Mexico, according to the ane nouncement which I heard the station making on two occasions last week, This station comes through to Toronto with all the field intensity of a local station; and no wonder, for the announcer stated that they were us 75,000 watts power, which is 25, watts higher than any other station on the continent is using at the present time. The station registered on my supers at a point midway between WSB, Atlanta, Georgia, and CKAQ, Montreal, and its sidebands interfered with the broadcasts of both CKAC and WSB. As a matter of fact, XDR has brazenly seated itself in a channet that leaves only five kilocycles separation between it and WSB on the one side and five kilocycles between it and CKAC on the other. With its high power it is not only pirating part of both waves but actually is wrecke ing the broadcasts of CKAC and WS both of which are popular station with Canadian and United States lige teners. 7 "Tater investigation brings infor tion that the station XER was b by a Dr. John R. Binkley, a ott red broadcaster and former politician 0; Kansas, who, having failed to get channel in United States, hit on t idea of building his transmitter Mexico, (Concluded on page 29.)

\ DX Topies (Continued from page 13.)

"This is but one of severai Powerful stations which have beea building in Mexico with United States capital, and which are all, more or Jess, pirating Canadian and United States waves, One evening recently I listened to no less than four Mexicah stations coming through-on wavebunds which were supposed to be "cleared chanuels" for Canadian and United States stations. "Fans who would like tohear XHR should tave no difficulty in pulling it in ac 735 kilocycles, which is a needlepoint between the spots at which WSB and OKAG come in, The best time to dial for it is around 11.30 or midnighf. The announcers make quite a pplite row when they come in betw@oer numbers, and they tell you all about their high power and the reports of reception which they are receiving from distant points."