Short-wave News

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 25, 31 December 1931, Page 29

Short-wave News

GHORTWAVE station 12RO. located at Prato Smerado (Rome), Italy, has been heard quite a number of times of late at 5 a.m., operating on their original wavelength of 80 metres. It comes in at good strength and very clearlyquite the bést early morning on the air , Just now. = Interesting tests are being carried out Sunday evenings by a chain of New aland amateurs for stations on the 80metre band. Six stations are generally in operation, namely :-ZL2AX, Palmer: ston; 2X, Lower Hutt; 1FJ, Te Puke; 2BH, Hastings: 83CW, Greymouth; and 2FR, Wellington. Considering the small amount of power these stations use, the strength at which they are received is really wonderful. Their percentage of modulation is well up to the standard of A class, B.C.L. stations, and is a great credit. to the operators. It will be noticed by the calls of these stations that_ the tests cover practically the whole of New Zealand (with the exception of the fourth district), and -it is jgteresting to note

the relative strengths of all fones as reported from each station. The most consistent station of all six is ZL2AX, Palmerston North. One of the Hawaiian group of stations was heard on Dee. 8, call KIO, with a special test programme coming in here at R8, but spoilt by an interfering beam station. Perhaps in the near future we will be tuning our receivers to much higher frequencies, that is, 10 metres or below, and. judging from Press reports of late, many radio engineers are concentrating ou these frequencies. Some tells us they will be useless as regards transmitting over any great distances. It will be remembered we were told some years ago the same thing about the present short wavelengths but the results so far go to- show how penetrating they are. The still higher frequencies may prove to be more penetrating. Some three year sago the Genéral Dlectrie Co. of America carried out tests of 24 hours duration on a wavelength 9 10 metres. These tests were received here by me at good strength at certain petiods, although fading ‘periods were troublesome... It will be also noted that the Dutch station PHI, then operating on 16.88 metres, could be heard in New Zealand at far greater strength than stations working on lower frequencies. It is a pity this station had to close. The original tests carried out by Holland and Java some years ago on two-way telephony on high frequencies were very consistent. Two-way contact could always be established. One thing noticeable on low wavelengths is the marked absence of interference, Static and interference from électrical appliances are almost absent. It is also interesting to note the peculiarities of local harmonics in that vicinity. The frequency is never steady, and has a tendency to change, which I think proves even though a station is crystal controlled, etce., frequency has a tendency to move. However, it is not noticed on the fundamental. Could not a few enthusiastic amateurs in New Zealand concentrate more on 10-metre work, and perhaps use a little fore. No doubt the "skip" would be a little troublesome. It would be an interesting experiment, because we have a band of Australian and American hams experimenting in this vicinity. We are well aware of the results of waves of 160. 80, 40, 30, and 20 metres, but we hear very little of 10 metres. We have also read of late a great deal about reception of European stations on the broadcast band, and many listeners hold verifications from same. I have

watched very closely reports of listeners with regard to the numbér of these stations that have been logged. This started at 5, then 12 and 16, but to cap all, I read a report in "Radio Record" of a listener who had logged 42. Judging from the number and the power used by these stations, the listener who logged 42 is evidentlv hearing some of the 500-watt Huropeans. This is without doubt a record. although I was once ridiculed for reporting reception of a station on the broadcast band located in Madrid. Since then SSW, Chelmsford, England, has been heard on a crystal set, but haye been afraid to report same, All the same, I am quite in agreement with the Palmerston North listener who reported hearing European stations using a one-valve set. It can be done, especially with the new German station-A. P. Morrison (Wellington), Can it-Eid