Power Wasted for Testing by Wellington Stations

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 8, 1 September 1933, Page 15

Power Wasted for Testing by Wellington Stations

To the Editor. Sir,-We are regular readers of your journal, and so far have not seen any letters on the above subject published in it, By the term "waste" we refer to the waste of electric power for "test" purposes from 2YA and 2YC. It is known that there is ample supply of electricity for any purpose, but why send it back into the air again for no useful object? This hag been the case now for at least the past year with 2YA. And ever since 2YC has commenced its unnecessary programme, the same thing has taken place. For an example, 2v0 is scheduled to commence its nightly broadeasts at 7 p.m, and regularly at about 6.40-p.m. his "power" comes on the air, evidently for "test" purposes, It is not unusual, also, to hear these operations for hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It would be interesting to know why. 2YA conducts "tests" after closing down of a night; on and off until all hours of the early morning. A suggestion is that a defective transmitter is used; and if this is the case we think, Sir, that a com: plete and thorough overhaul of the said transmitter may eliminate this waste, once and for all. It ean be seen, or at least heard, that none of the remaining YA stations carry out these wasteful tests, and they come on the air at approximately five minutes before actual starting time. Besides being waste, these "tests" are also annoying to those engaged in dxing. -I am, ete., WASTE NOT, WANT NOT. Wellington.