Round the World on SHORTWAVE

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 24, 23 December 1932, Page 23

Round the World on SHORTWAVE

Conducted by

F. W.

SELLENS

_. Short-wave Notes -------

Unique Broadcast. A® Australian aboriginal corroboree was, for the first time, broadcast on Saturday night by several Australian stations, including VK8ME, Melbourne. The native dances, war songs, étc., took place at the Baramba Settlement, 200 miles north of Brisbane, in the open by the. light of flaming tree stumps. There were 1400 miles of land-line between wliete the broadeast originated in Queensland and VK3MBH, where it was transmitted for "all the world" to tune in to something never broadcast before. ‘Reception was very good, being clear and loud, with but very little fading. The relay Commenced at. 10 p.m., our time, and’ concluded about 11 p.m. : Coronation Broadcast. A DUNEDIN correspondent sends parX.- tieulars of a very interesting broadcast heard on Saturday evening, December 10, on about 16.100 kc, (18.6 metres). The letter reads: "I found it between.6 and 7 p.m. ‘They closed at 8.29--pm.. Strength was about R8, not yety gushy, but speech distorted. I had them earlier in the afternoon, apparently . testing. After 6 p.m. they were putting over: some weird orchestral and yocal ‘Yousie. Announcements were made ju glish with a foreign accent. Later they: relayed some ceremony which I took to, be the coronation of some king. These are -one or two of the announcements: ‘Vis Majesty is now signing the Constitution’ and ‘The great moment is now at hand.’ After the latter there was a short -speech in a foreign language, and ther great. applause and bands playing. The foreign speeches appeared to be given in some hall.

‘After this, the Constitution was read. in English. This consisted of over forty articles, and dealt with the form of goyernment and the king’s powers. After this, the announcer returned and gave the station name and frequency, neither of which I could pick up. J faney, however, that I heard the word Siam both in this announcement and in other parts of the relay. I have not, as yet, been able to see anything in the papers regarding such a.happening, and wondered if you ene of anybody ‘else who had picked it If any other listener heard anything of this: broadcast, further particulars would be interesting. pire Station Call Signs, HE *hew Empire station, which wii have commenced its regular service on ‘the Australian zone before these notes are in. print, has a call sign for each wavelength which will be used. The eall. GSD, was heard frequently when they were testing recently on 20.58 metras, The cally which will be used are as follow: 49.586 metres. GSA mo 01.545 metres. GSB \ 31.397 metres, GSC ‘ uf 25.582 metres. GSD ngs 25.284 metres, GSE 19.815 metres, GSE 16.88 metres. GSG ' Stranger on 48 Metres. ME: ©. F. GHE, Bay of Plenty reports a new Station on about 48 metres, using the call sien, 7 ZOR. This station was heard on the 11th inst with music from 4.30 p.m. 6 pm, ‘They announced

that they would be on again next week. Announcements were in good English. $2-Metre Stranger. O* Wednesday evening a station on about 82 metres was coming in at R9Y, and good quality with recorded music till after 11.80 p.m. No announcements were made, just one record after atiother. They were on again on Thursday evening. going down to R8 by 10.30 p.m. Notes on Reception. (CONDITIONS are still below normal on the »short waves. VK38MB, VK2MBH, and the 32-metre stranger reported, are the only stations I heard that were worth listening to. All the other regular stations are either very weak or not audible.. -- Friday, although bad for short waves in general, was good. for American amateurs on the 80-metre band, several coming in at. good strength on telephony. Qne in particular, located at Rhode Island. New York, came in almost like a loeal, while talking to another amateur in the Tth district. U.S.A.