Empire Broadcasts Commence

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 24, 23 December 1932, Page 2

Empire Broadcasts Commence

24.Hour Service THE Empire short-wave transmitter GSD, situated at Daventry, England, which commenced operations last Tuesday, December , 19, will transmit programmes practically the clock through, In order that every part of the Empire shall receive these programmes as clearly as it is humanly possible to arrange, the Hmpire, or, indeed, the whole world, has been divided into, five zones. Signals will be .transmitted from one or more of the special directional aerials at Daventry, so that the zone for whom the programmes are intended shall receive the strongest possible signal. Different wavelengths will be used for each zone. Some zones have been allotted a fixed wavelength; in other cases it will be varied according to the time, the season, and other conditions. In the case of New Zealand and Axstralia, who form zone One, the length employed will be a fixed one of 25.5. metres (11,750 kilocycles). The transmissions will be-on a power of 26 kilowatts. As this programme will be fed to the New Zealand zone from 9.30 am. to 11.80 a.m, Greenwich mean time, it will be received, during the period of, New Zealand summer time, at the same times on the evening of

the same day. Unless a receiver has a special adapter, or has been specially built to receive the short wares, it will be unable to do so. The average receiver us used in New Zealand covers a wavelength from 200 metres to 600 metres, but it is quite possible to have these sets adapted, so as to receive the short waves. Doubtless if the servire proves a success, many listeners will do so. Meanwhile it is understood that the radio authorities in New Zealand intend to rebroadcast all or part of the programmes. This will enable receivers unable to receive the transmissions direct. to pick them from their usual broudeasting stations,

Although every effort is to be made to supply direct programme performances, discrepancies of time in some eases will make this quite impossible. Tn that case, recourse will be had to the Blattnerphone' recording apparatus. This will enable listeners.in the different zones to hear the identical programmes. within a few hours of one another, ,