Round the World on SHORTWAVE

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 41, 22 April 1932, Page 24

Round the World on SHORTWAVE

Conducted by

F. W.

SELLENS

Short-wave News

UOR2, Vienna, ACCORDING Oo a correspondent of "World Radio" (Hngland), UOR2, Vienna, 49.4 metres, which hag been reported in these columns recently, is now a mobile transmitter, being mounted in a motor-van, with the aerial system only a few feet above the roof. Announcements are made in Wnglish, French and German, and listeners are invited to sub- — reports on reception to Radio-Wien, jenna. Trans-Atlantic Relay Stations, (BW, Rugby, 30.64 metres, and GBU, Rugby, 30.15 metres, are sometimes used to relay European programmes to America, Round the World Broadcast. GEVERAL tests have been carried out in connection with the "Round-the-world" broadcast, which is to take place on April 22, when-a Rotary conference is being held in New York. On Wednesday 2 test was heard, when talk and music from Schenectady was sent round the world on relay through shortwave stations at Amsterdam, Java, and Sydney. The talk was readable, but distorted after leaving the last relay station, 2MH, but was not as good as it might be, direct from America, Another test, the last, is timed for midnight (our time) on the 19th inst. It is understood that on the day of the big event the signals from Sydney will be picked up on the Pacifie Coast of America and relaged on their coast-to-coast network, that is, & programme originating in New York will be heard by American listeners after it has been round the world. Radio Roma on New Wavelength. 12RO, Rome, on 25.4 metres, has been missed recently, but on Wednesday morning I heard g station coming in at good strength and quality on about 48 metres at 8 a.m. After a short time, the regular lady announcer was heard giving the eall, "Radio Roma." Each morning since, Rome has been well received on this wavelength from before 8 a.m., fading out by about 9.80 a.m.

Log for Week Ended April 16

(CONDITIONS are improving, many stations Being received at good volume. RV15, Siberia, 70.1 metres: Good most evenings. 67 Metres (about): Just after midnight on Saturday, foreign talk at R4. Call not heard. HVJ, Vatican City, 50.26 metres: Still R9 most mornings from 6.30 a.m. RV59, Moscow, 50 metres: RS8-9 at 7 am., going off toward 9 a.m. XF, Chicago, 49.83 metres: Good volume every afternoon from about 3.30 to 4 p.m. till 6.80 p.m., but always noisy. ZL2ZX, Wellington, 49.5 metres: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 7 p.m. WS8XAL, Cincinnati, 49.5 metres: Not heard so much now. Wednesday, R8 at 4.45 p.m., increasing slightly. W38XAL, Boundbrook, 49.18 metres: Still the best American on the 50-metre band till 5.80 p.m., being R9 each afternoon,

¥31CD, Saigon, 49 metres: R8-9 from 11 p.m, each evening, louder by 12 p.m. WSXK, Pittsburgh, 48.86 metres; This is a stranger come up in volume the last few days, being almost as loud as W3xAL. W3XL, Boundbrook, 46.69 metrest Monday, R8-9 at 5 p.m. REN, Moscow, 45.388 metres: Saturday, 6.30 a.m., very good at R8 with talk. 44 Metres (about): Saturday from 6.30 a.m., talks by a man and woman. Apparently another Russian station, The voices were very like those we hear nightly from Radio Roma (12R0?) Rome, 43 metres (about): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. R9 at 6.30 am, to just audible by 9.30 a.m. HSP, Bangkok, 37.76 metres: Thursday, 8.30 a.m., records at R8, with "Hullo, Berlin, here is Bangkok," between items. Down to R5 at 9 a.m. PLY, Java, 31.86 metres: Monday and Wednesday, after 11 p.m. R9. VK3ME, Melbourne, 31.55 metres: Wednesday and Saturday, from 9.30 p.m, Better quality again. Volume, R9. W2XAF, Schenectady, 31.48 metres: very day from about R4 at 2 p.m. to R8-9 by closing time-3.30 p.m. Wednesday night on the "round-the-world" test, RO at 11.30 p.m., but slightly weaker at midnight. Zeesen, Germany, 31.38’ metres: Varies a lot, several mornings being splendid volume, while others are not so good.. XAZ, Springfield, 31.35 metres: Does not reach good strength before closing during the afternoon, but from 11.30 p.m. is excellent at R8-9. ME, Sydney, 31.28 metres: Sunday with their usual international programme. Not so good as usual, except for a few bursts into R9, for short periods. EAQ, Madrid, 30.4 metres: Saturday, from 12.45 to 1 p.m., R4 with talk and musie. FYA (Radio Colonial), Paris, 25.63 metres: This station is coming in well now every morning from soon after 7.30 am. at RO. Some days talk is all that is heard, but sometimes they broadcast music. Every day between 8.15 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. news in Hnglish is transmitted. They are usually audible till 10 a.m. or after. G5SW, Chelmsford, 23.58 metres: Very weak, if audible at midnight, but improving in the morning after 8 o’clock. Several times recently their programme nas been received up to R8-9 with less rapid fade than usual, most of the talk being intelligible. WS8XK, Pittsburgh, 25.25 metres: Tuesday only this week, R5 at 2.50 p.m. to R8 by 3.30 p.m., but badly distorted. FYA (Radio Colonial), Paris, 19.68 metres: Monday and Wednesday, 11.30 R6 to R4 by 12 p.m., gushy each time.

NZ. Shortwave Club

From the Secretary’s Pen POR the benefit of members who want to learn Morse code in the Wellington district, Mr. N. Steele, a transmitting member with the call ZL2KL, will run two sessions weekly, Monday and Wednesday, between 630 and 7 p.m. The last meeting of the Wellington branch was below the average attendance, but interest was high. The idea of a radio "shack" was discussed, and Mr. . HW. Jakobsson undertook to make in-

quiries about a place in view. Suggestions were made regarding donations of "junk", and tools, one of the ideas being to build a@ receiver and a transmitter, The suggestion has been made that a transmitters’ section of the club be formed, in view of the fact that a number of transmitters, who are also interested in experimental and shortwave work, are members. Also, a number of young members are studying hard for their tickets so that the idea would be to allow them facilities for learning what they want to know. The decision will rest with the members. In view of rumours, I wish it to be understood that the club neither services or sells sets, also that it is entirely run by shortwave listeners, A special New Zealand Shortwave Club two-valve cireuit for members will appear shortly. At present the set is undergoing extensive tests at a prominent member’s place. There are many listeners who would like to join up, but, owing to unemployment, and the many little matters which are now due, are unable to do so yet. In order to help these listeners I will post them, if they will englose a 2d. stamp to cover postage, a shoriwave lecturette which will be useful to them. My address is A. B. McDonagh, Secretary N.Z, Shortwave club, 4 Queen Street,. Wellington,

Thrilling S.W. Broadcast ame

QHORTWAVE listeners who happened to be tuned in to the American station W3XL on the evening of Saturday, April 9, no doubt got as big a thrill as the writer. I happened to be searching around about 49 metres at 8 pm. and was surprised to find that W38XL was still on the air, I had been previously listening to this station at about 6 p.m. Instead of the usual musical items thatethis station broad-’ casts, however, a dialogue was taking place, Unfortunately, I did not tune in at the commencement, but it transpired that the station was broadcasting the proceedings in connection with the inauguration of radio telephony on the airliners carrying the U.S.A. mail. For over an hour I listened to various pilots being interviewed by newspaper reporters in front of the "mike" and some interesting accounts were related of their wonderful work. The station then went over to the office of the Post-master-General at Washington, D.C, who, in a speech: lasting about 15 minutes, gave some astounding statistics of the airline service in the U.S.A. "All the letters in the world," he said, "are not worth the lives of one of these fine fellows," who carry on their perilous duties in all weathers and at all hours of the day and night. But the biggest thrill was to come. Pilots in: aeroplanes, some of which were 15,000 feet jn the air, were heard conversing with those at the airport, and the two-way conversation was clearly heard through my loudspeaker. "Where are you now, Charlie?" was asked;)and the voice of the pilot 9000 feet in'the air came through the speaker: "Right over the lake, steering north." Height, temperature, barometer, wind direction, ete., were given, and so the demonstration went on until 9.45 p.m. (New Zealand time), the conversation being 90 per cent, distinguishable throughout the whole two hours that I listened to the proceedings. The roar of planes landing and taking off was clearly heard at one stage. One pilot put his "mike" outside the plane window, and asked those on the ground if they could ‘hear the wind. » Unfortunately, interference from powerful Morse station marred reception during the later part of the broadcast, but for nearly two hours my family and visitors were treated to a real thrill and the marvels of modern radio brought home vividly to all who were privileged

r this wonderful broadcast.-

-Al-

bert

Comfort

(Wellington).