AROUND AND BEHIND THE DIALS

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 12, 29 September 1933, Page 23

AROUND AND BEHIND

THE DIALS

A Section for

"the DXer, Short-wave Listener and Home Constructor. ~... Conducted by...... The Technical Editor ,

DX CLUB News and Views

Reception Improving: Details of 4BH; XER Coming in Well: 2ZF’s Schedule: Europeans Improving: WJR on Late Programme: Extracts from Verifications.

Answers to Correspondents 37L ‘(New Plymouth): According to the latest ‘"Radex,’"’ WIND is located in Gary, Indiana, and this is the new call of WIKS.-115 Ww (Wellington). Addresses & Addresses Wanted "Mrs. Amazon" (Palmerston North): KI, Harl ©, Anthony, Inc., Los Angeles, California. Identification Wanted Station WSE-, 635 k.c., heard at 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 17, at R35. Request numbers were being played. 5CR was heterodyning. Also a police station, whose call sounded like WRBS, on, approx. 1600 k.c., at R6, announcing that someone had been injured in a motorcar accident and giving a description of a stolen car. He also mentioned the Detroit, Police -75S (Southland), Three Japanese stations heard on 720 ke, 710 k.c., and approx. 755 k.c., respectively. The first two have been heard after 10 p.m. on most nights, and the third was heard on Tuesday, September 12, at 10 p.m. Also Mexican station on 1000 k.c., R3-5, heard most nights after 5 p.m., and speaking only Mexican. When this station closes down KKFVD can be heard on same frequency. -‘G.H." (Timaru). «. Station on approx. 750 k.c. heard in arly morning of Sunday, September i7, ’ between 4.58 a.m. and 6.11 a.m., when he closed down without: announcing. The programme consisted of Eastern music, interspersed with English recordings, two of which were "Love Me To-night," sung by a man at 5.15 a.m., and "Isn't it Romantic?" also sung by a man at 5.18 am. ‘The first part of the proeramme consisted of a woman singing with violin accompaniment.-122MC (Christchurch). Station heard on 1000 k.¢., probably Mexican or Cuban, at R38 on Monday, September 18, atter WHO-WOC signed off. Foreign speech was heard for thirty minutes, followed by some club announcements in English, and later by a request. number played for a Californian resi-dent.-118A (Morrinsville). Station KG , 1500 k.c., heard at 6.40 p.m. every night. M.S.T. is men-

tioned.

Elgin

(Wanganui).

Fereign stations heard between’ 0.40 a.m, and 6 a.m., Thursday morning, Sep-

tember 21, on the following approx. frequencies :-760 k.c., foreign speech heard ; 780 Ik.c., music; 888 k.c., piano solos heard at 5.50 a.m.; 908 k.c., lady. heard speaking, followed by an announcement by a man; 925 k.c., speech in Japanese or Chinese; 870 k.c., foreign speech heard; 1090 k.c., piano solo: heard; 680 k.e., speech by woman. Foreign speech was also heard from stations on 98) k.c. and 940 k.c-158MC (Timaru). Stations Identified 201W (Wellington).-You logzed IKGMB, Honolulu Broadcasting Co.,, Honolulu, on 1880 k.e., broadcasting a Japanese programme,-i128MC (Timaru), DX Topics Reception Improving. OONDITIONS for dxing have not been favourable in this locality lately, but are improving nightly. Latest loggings are:-KFI, KGO, KPO, WLW, WBBM, WOC-WHO (R98, QSA5), XER, WCCO, WENR, KFSD, WTAM (R7, QSA4), KGB, KHJ, KOA, KSL, KNX, KLX, KGU, XEPN, KVOO, KVI, KGMB, KHQ and KTM (R8-5, QSA3). Australian stations are better now than they have been for some considerable time. JOGK, JOCK No. 1,- JOAK No, 1, JODK-2, JOFK and several others unidentified are heatd nightly from 8.30 p.m. Latest verifications are:-NIWt. 2B, 8AW, 2UH, TUYV, 210, 25M, KSL, KVOO, and VK’s 8BY, 7DR and 7C8, who sent a photo. of his transmitter.142MC (Christchurch), 4 Details of 4BH. (CONDITIONS for dxing have been yery patchy. during the past week, although a few good nights enabled me to log several stations. My Ioggings for this week are: WOAI, WCCO, KQGU,

DX Club Meetings Taranaki Branch — The next meeting of the Taranaki Branch will be held at the residence of Mr. Carryer, Birdwood Avenue, on Thursday, September 28, at 7.45 p.m.

L. M.

Anderson

(32T),

Dist, Sec. Palmerston North Branch The usual monthly meeting oi the Palmerston North Branch will | be held at the residence of Mr. ]. P. Cowlishaw, 157 Bryant 5St., City, on Thursday, October 12. 115 W, Branch Secretary. Southland Branch Members and_ intending ‘members of the above Branch are reminded that the next meeting will be held = at Everybody's" Hall, Tay Street, Invercargill, on Tuesday, October 3, at 8 p.m. sharp. This will be verification night and all members are reminded to bring along their cards, Everyone interested in radio is cordially invited to attend.

J.

BUTTOLPH

Secretary.

KOA, KGB, WADC, JOBK No. 1, JODK No. 2, 6ML, 2MO, and on Sunday morning, September 17, at 2.5 am. VK3HK (1180 k.e.) at R4, QSA8. I received 4BH’s proper QSL ecard on September 20 (received football photo, last weels). Details on the card were as follow:"Transmitting hours; 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.3 11 am. to 2 p.m.; 6 p.m. to 10.80 p.m. Station situated at Bald Hill, Queensdand. We invite you to listen to ‘The Sheldon Follies of 1933,’ every Sunday night, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m." Unidentified Europeans have been heard betwen 4.30 am. and 445 a.m. on approx. 610 k.e., 830 k.c., 905 k.e., 1085 k.e., and. 770 k.e. The station on 905 k.c. announced in English once, mentioning Rome, and spelt out a call sign which sounded like LILI. On Thursday, September 21, I logged VIK8RG (1140 k.c.) on a test programme at. 1.10 a.m.-144MC (Christchurch). XER Coming In Well. JRECEPTION of all stations has been excellent lately, and I have started to log 1 kw. Americans. KFSD and KFAC have been heard at R4, while KHJ comes in at R5. Dxers who have not yet logged XER should be able to do so now, as he has been coming in at R7 during the past week. The best early American I hear is WHO-WOC, who sometimes comes in at R5. He closes down about 5.30 p.m., N.Z.T. Recent verifications are: WLW, letter, Ekko Stamp, and eard which states that they are on the air from 6.45 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., Chicago time; and KPO, lIetter and I.R.C. returned. Both stations state that they are pleased to’ receive any comments on their programmes. Don ¥. Logan, of Brunswick Street, Truro, i"ova Scotia, mentions in his last letter that he would like to hear from W.%. dxers.-239A (Waiuku), Reception Conditions Poor. JRECEPTION in this locality has been very patchy lately and at times I have been unable to hear even 3YA. Japanese, Australian, and American reception varies from poor to fair, but none are at good strength. My latest loggings are:-VK2GR, JOVK (R4, 500 w.), XER (R8, 75 k.w.), KLX (R5, 500 w.), KOA (R5, 12.5 k.w.), and 83KL (R6, 200 w.). My latest verification is 4ZL, Dunedin-186W (Wellington). Europeans Improving. AMERICAN reception has been patchy lately, with the exception of one or two nights, such as September 10, when KDB (100 w.), R4. QSA 3-4, KGB,

I WWVA, KFVD, KFSD were all logged. I also logged 1YA at 1 p.m. the same day, this being the first occasion on which I have logged this station during the day. European reception has been fair, and so far I have reported to the following stations:-Breslau (923 ‘k.c.), Milan (905 k.c.), Bucharest (760 k.e.), Prague (614 k.ec.), and Lwow (788 k.e.). Strasbourg (870 k.c.) was coming in R4-5, QSA 4, one morning, but was soon spoilt by power interference. Vienna (580 k.e.), despite its power, is not heard at good strength, the best being Leipzig (770 k.c.), Breslau (928 k.e.), Heilsberg (1085 k.c.), Prague (614 k.¢.), and Milan, which was heard giving a news item in English one morning. Verifications are slow in arriving, the latest being JOGK, who sent quite a good card, and 1YA (daylight). To those who have not tried this dodge it may pay them to experiment a little, The volume of Wastern and Buropean stations is increased greatly by removing the earth and just using an aerial. This has just the opposite effect on American reception. During the summer months of last year I found that the volume of American stations was improved by connecting the earth to the aerial terminal (or wire) on the set. This may not work on every set, but is worth trying.157W (Wellington). 2ZF’s Schedule. (CONDITION S for dxing in this district are unreliable, as on some evenings the Americans come in at excellent volume, and on others static ruins reception completely. Latest loggings are KGER, KLX, WSB, CFON, and VK3HK. By sitting up till 6 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, September 17, twenty Europeans were heard, the best being one on 760 kc. at R38. Latest verifications are:VK’s 2LZ, 2GR and 8GK (8 Good Kids, according to the eard!). A very unusual type of verification received by 3HQ from VEK7CW,. states that all stamps sent with reports are still on the letters, unused, I have been requested by the management of 2ZI° to inform dxers that cards cannot be sent to anybody reporting on a relay of 2YA, which has hap- . pened frequently lately. Those desirous of obtaining this station’s card must. re-

port on one of the station’s own programmes, which are on Fridays, 7 p.m. to 9.80 p.m., and Sundays from approx. 8.15 p.m, to 9. 30 p.m. Sometimes. the relay of 2YA’s evening church service does not finish until: ‘néarly® 8.80. p.m. In’-a letter recently received from VK3LH, he states that he is particularly anxious for information: as to how his signals compare with those of VK8BY, condidering the strength and quality, the extra distance and the difference in power. 3BY normally uses 50 watts, whereas 8LH uses only 8 to 15 watts, and usually broadcasts on 1185 k.e. The following are the frequencies at present being used. by VK’s who reside in suburbs of Melbourne, and are subject to a change every four weeks :-3BY (1114 k.c.), 8JB (1232 k.e.), BCY (1178 k.e.), BRI (1291 k.c.), 3KE (1850 k.e.), and 83WI" (1450 k.c.). ‘ 88HB: One evening in April last, QL (one of your "Lone Stars’) was in cote tact with KII as part of a stunt broadcast. The announcer at KIWI, after preliminary explanations, announced: "KFI calling Q1. KI calling Ql. Can you hear us? How is the weather up there? How far can you see?" ete., then, "KEI off to Q1." Qi then came on, was feceived by KFI, answered the questions, and was rebroadeast. This was kept up for about 15 minutes; and was very ‘interesting indeed, although the accent of the flyer was far from pleasing. If I remember rightly, Q1 was flying some miles distant from Los Angeles, and was taking part in the search for the wreck:of the Akron, the American dirigible. Although possibly I have my dates mixed, I cannot youch for the truth of this; it may (Continued on Page 28.)

Special DX Program mes eS From WNBX The management of WNBX, Springfield, U.S.A., advise us that they will broadcast a special N.Z. DX Club programme on 1260 k.c. (power 250 watts) on November 19, from 6.30-to 7,30 p.m. N.Z.S.T., Reports should be sent to Radio WNBX, Claremont, N.H., U.S.A, From VK2SX VK2SX, Slade Radio Coy., Lang St., Croydon, N.S.W., on 220m. (1370 kc.), will be on the air Sunday nights from 10.30 to il p.m., Sydney time (12 p.m. to 12-30 a.m. N.Z.S.T.)-"Elgin"™ (Wanganui). From ‘WDAF Station WDAF, Kansas City, Mo., 610 kc. (499.7 metres) broadcast a dx programme featuring dx tips, every Sunday morning commencing 12,30 a:m, C.S.T. (6 p.m. Sunday evening, N.Z. S.T.).-99HB (Hastings).

DX Topics (Continued from Page 24.) merely have been a stunt. Anyway, anybody who heard it certainly heard a rather unusual broadcast.-115W (Wel--lington), Extracts from Verifications. ADVERSE conditions have allowed meto do little dxing lately. KZM replied after about two months with a very complete card, giving power, location, frequency and even dimensions of ‘the studio. WLS,.who use 50 k.w. ‘and share time with WENR, replied promptly with an Bkko Stamp and letter. 4ZP (9 months), and 2KY (3 months) are both on my non-reply list. I recently received a card from 4ZL, to whom I reported about five or six months ago, while a friend received a reply in one and a "half weeks. THO (200 w.) state that they like to hear of advertisements heard in New Zealand, as it pleases their spon-sors.--1564 (Hamilton). WJR on Late Programme. RECEPTION has been fair this week, the Americans still coming in at good strength WJR was heard on a late programm. on Wednesday night, September 20. latest verifications include WJAS, KSOJ, KLRA, WKBH and HS-P1l-‘Higin" (€Wanganui). — : A Good DX Night. HE} Buropean stations are now coming dn at good volume and I have managed to log 10 more of them to report. to, although, at the same time, none of them are new loggings. September 10 was one of the best nights for American reeeption that I have yet experienced. 100 watters were coming in at great volume, and on me frequency I heard three of them call within 14 hours. KGFI came in at great volume. One evening I held this station for’ over three hours. Other 100 watters heard were KDB, KGKY, KWG, KERN, KGFJ, KIT, KFBK, KPQ and KPCB (I could not report in this case). Verifications received include 28M, 4MK, TOW, TWR, WABC, WABZ, WHAN and KGB, which arrived two days after I had sent my sixth report to this station. However, I cannot complain as they sent a splendid card and also an Hkko stamp. Other verifications are 8CY, 3AM, and 2DX. During the past week, five VK2’s came on with special programmes for the Club, but unfortunately the information came to hand too late for publication. According to a ZL "ham," another special was broacast form 3BZ.-iHQ@.