Round the World on Short Wave

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 34, 4 March 1932, Page 24

Round the World on Short Wave

NHIS 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.

AM indebted to Mr. Page Taylor, Detroit, US.A., for the following shortwave news contained in a letter just received. Where time is mentioned, the equivalent N.Z. summer-time is given in parentheses. HKA is heard every night from 8 to 10 (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.), on his original wavelength of 48.8 metres. He changes so often that this may be altered before you receive this letter. NRH.-I recently received a letter from’ Senor Cespedes saying that he desires to be heard well in the Americas again, but he thinks he will need 2500 watts to «lo it. He forgets the NRH of two years ago, when we were able to listen to him every evening on our speakers, with the 74 watis he used at the time. As soon as he changed to 150 watts, then 75 watts, he faded out, and has not been heard since except on rare occasions. He now has a small transmitter using two 210’s in pushpull, giving him, I believe, something between 15 and 20 watts. He uses a wavelength of 31 metres, and on his original echedule of 10 till 11 every night but Sun-

day (3 pm. to 4 p.m. except Monday). He says he has been reported in his own country only. I have picked him up twice this week on that wave, but it was very poor and weak. . . KRO, Kauhuku, of the Corporation of America, works with the RGA stations in California. "Wavelength js 51.29 metres. This is link between the Hawaiians and the United States for the National Broadcasting Company. Tne broadeasts are irregular.

VESDR relays CFCF of the Canadian Marconi Co., at Montreal, Canada. ‘The wave is 49.95 metres, and the schedule 0100 to 0300 daily (1 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Power 2000 watts. They relay N.B.O. programmes sometimes, So don’t get it confused with WSXAL or W9XEF. Always announces as "VH9DR and OFCF in Montreal." BRB. Tegucigalpa, Honduras, has closed down. XAM, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, was testing very regularly a month ago on 26 metres, but is irregular now. It is owned by the Mexican Government, and talks with XDA in Mexico City. A very powerful station. They talk in Spanish, but play phonograph records from time to time. When XAM is on 26 metres you will usually find XDA on 51 metres, and if you hear XDA on 25.5 metres, you will usually find XAM on 52 metres. ‘They very seldom both test on the same band. TIR. I now have a letter from TIR. They give the following information: Power is one kilowatt, and wavelengths are 31.28, 39.06, 49.34, and 535 metres, I have heard them several times on 39.06 metres, talking with stations in Miami, Florida, and Boston, Massachusetts, but some fellows have heard them on 31.28 and 24.3 metres, broadcasting musical items. According to their letter, the call letters are TIRA when broadcasting music. The address is: Compania Radiorafica Internacional de Costa Rica, San ose, Costa Rica. The transmitter is located at Cartago. HKF and HEM are irregular now, but sometimes come in well. El Prado continues to come in yery well every Thursday (Friday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.), on 89.8 metres. Zeesen. I have heard JZeesen since writing last, and now have a verification from the station. This letter says that they test on Mondays on 19.7 metres, but & correspondent tells me that he hears them on Fridays instead. He says the time is 13.50 G.M.T. (1.50 a.m.), and they test with the N.B.C. stations in New ork, VE9IR is the present call for old OCIRX. The wave is 25.65 metres, The schedule is the same as VE9CL used; this station is off the air at the present time. Washington Bi-centenary Celebration. The 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington was celebrated in America on Monday, February 22. There was a gathering of prominent Americans and foreigners at the New York University, several of whom spoke in laudatory reference of the first President of the United States. All the speakers were heartily applauded, but perhaps the loudest of the cheers was heard at the finish of the "Marseillaise," sung by a well-known American tenor, after a long speech by a Frenchman in his own language. This function, which commenced at 8 a.m., Tuesday, February 23, our time, and concluded at 9.15 a.m., was relayed by W2XAF, being received here at R8, but marred by static. On account of this interference readability was spoilt.

Log for Week Ending Feb. 27 "PoE past week has seen some extremes, Several mornings have been quite dead on the 25-metre band, while on Saturday, 12RO, Rome, 25.4 metres, from 8 a.m., came in at excellent quality, full loudspeaker volume, for nearly an hour. Other stations on this morning were above the usual volume received recently. This appeared to be the case elsewhere, as an Australian ham, VK8ZX, was heard talking to HAR234 in Spain, on the 40metre band. RV15, Siberia, 70.1 metres. About R& early, increasing to R9 by 10 p.m., static heing bad most evenings. 52.4 metres (about). On Friday morning at 1.15 am. musie after the style we hear from Saigon was heard on this wavelength at R5. Morse interference was too bad to hear any call. HivJ, Vatican City, 50.26 metres. Good at R9 each morning at 7 a.m. V59, Moscow, 50 metres. On several mornings there has been another station .heterodyning with Moscow; this appears to be intentional, as the trouble is absent when the Russian is silent during an interval. On Thursday at 6.45 a.m., musie was very good at Rd, weaker than usual, but free of interference, W9XF, Chicago, 49.83 metres. Has been weaker than usual recently, also noisy. ZL2ZZX, Wellington, 49.5 metres. Good volume. WSXAL, Cincinnati, 49.5 metres: Audible from about 4 p.m., increasing to R9 soon after 5.30 p.m. Good again from 11.30 p.m. 7LO, Nairobi, 49.5 metres. Wednesday, 6.45 a.m., band music at R4. Statice was very bad. WS3XAL, Roundbrook, 49.18 metres. Reaches R8-9 by 5.30 p.m. Has _ been noisy during the past week. W2XH, New York, 49.02 metres. Seldom loud and clear enough to get the eall. Tuesday and Friday were the best days, but were weak then. FS1iCD, Saigon, 49 metres. Thursday

al was my only late night. Saigon was then * RY from 11.30 p.m, ‘ PLW, Java, 31.86 metres, Apparently | the call of this station is PLW, and not PLY, as I corrected it to a week or two ago. A correspondent kindly advised me that the Dutch pronounce W as Vee, so that accounts for the mistake, ‘This station is always received at good volume, mostly on duplex telephony, but sometimes with-records in between, or while waiting for galls, K3SME, Melbourne, 31.55 metres, Wednesday and Saturday, from 10 p.m, at R9. The quality was better this week, but still not quite up to standard. W2XAPF, Schenectady, 31.48 metres, Heard every day. Weak and gushy at 3 p.m., but soon improves to R&8, reaching RO as a rule, by 4 pm. Tuesday morning, tuned in at 7.50 a.m., when they were R8. The George Washington bicentenary heard from 8 a.m. (Report earlier in these notes.) Zeesen, Germany, 31.38 metres. Reception varies. Tuesday, 6.45 a.m., R9, with one stage of audio. Orchestral items were a real treat. Later it was nedessary to use two of audio to get full Volume. They were very weak by 8 a.m. Thursday, 6.80 a.m., R38. Faded out soon after. Friday, 1.5 a.m., R7-8, very good, with a band, Saturday, 6.45 a.m., R8-9, static and Morse bad. Not heard on other mornings, W1XAZ, Springfield, 31.35 metres. Very weak the past few days. On Thursday they carried on until 5.34 p.m., reaching R8 during the last hour. Messages were being sent to the far north during the latter part of the transmission, VHK2MB, Sydney, 31.28 metres. Sunday, weak during the first hour, but reached R9 soon after 7 p.m., remaining at that till closing at 8 p.m. FYA, Paris, 25.63 metres. Heard on Monday, opening at 9.2 a.m. with the "Marseillaise," but very weak, faded out soon after, On Saturday at 11.30 a.m. they were heard at R2-3. G5SSW, Chelmsford, 25.53 metres. The morning transmissions have not been worth while, but at Thursday midnight conditions were better. They opened as usual at 12.30 a.m., by giving the evening’s programme details, as well as for the next evening, ‘The news session included: New motor record, Japanese China trouble, Prince of Wales to visit British Industries Club, Indian and Australian news, ete. From 12.45 a.m, the Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion Orchestra was heard quite well. The whole transmission from 12.30 a.m. till 1.80 a.m. came in at R8-9, with a slight rapid fade. Talk was about 90 per cent. readable. 12R0, Rome, 25.4 metres. Being heard better now, but not every morning yet. Saturday. was best, being R9 from 8 a.m. till 9 a.m. WS8XK, Pittsburgh, 25.25 metres. Tuesday from 11,30 a.m., just audible at R2, till about 2.30 p.m. FYA, Paris, 25.2 metres. Only heard twice; Tuesday, R4 at 6.45 am., and Saturday, R8, at the same time. 24.6 metres (about). At 1 a.m. on Friday morning, a long talk in what I took to be German at RD.