AROUND AND BEHIND THE DIALS

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 27, 11 January 1935, Page 39

AROUND AND BEHIND THE DIALS

DX CLUB News and Views

Special DX Programme: DX Tips and Hints: Greetings From Normandy: Midnight Americans Good: QRM Severe.

Answers to Correspondents 164A, (Morrinsville): Would you please write me? My address is J. L.

‘Sullivan, Pukeroro, Hamilton.-

Dig

ger

(ukeroro_

Stations Identified "Polando" (Waipawa): Your station on 13820 k.c.. was undoubtedly KGMB, Honolulu. Re KFACG, you should. be careful. as 1YA has a estrone harmonie

on 1300 k.c-

Digger

(Pukeroro),

DX Topics QRM Severe. QE has been 100 per cent. for the last month, and new loggings are

DRRRRRRR RR RRR ARRAN few and far between. Verifications received by the last mail were KJR, KF VD, KTEI (second) and VPD. , _KTFI'S card was for a report sent them on January 10, 1934, so there is still hope for others who have not had their reports answered. VPD is the call of the shortwave station in Suva, heard testing last month on 23 metres.-164W. (Wellington), DX Tips and Hints. following are some DX tips I received from America :- The new station in Aberdeen, §8.D., 1420 k.c., 100’ watts, will. use the call KABR; KGBX, 1310 k.c., 100 watts, will use 1230 k.c. and 500 watts; according to the Federal Communications Commission, WKFI, Greenville, and WJEM, Tupelo, Miss., are deleted; the new station in New Britain, Conn., 1380 k.c., 250 watts, will use the call WMFH; the call letters of the Wilmington, N.C., station, on 1870 k.c., 100 watts, are WMFD; Plattsburg, N.Y., on 1310 k.c., 100 watts, will use the call WMIFF; the call of the new Hibbing, Minn., station on 1210 k.e., 100 watts power, is WMFG; WIS, Columbia, 8.C., moves from 1010 to 560 k.c. ; KSO, Des Moines, Ia., increases power (according to the FCC) to 500; WPEN, 920 k.c,,. Philadelphia, increases power to 250 watts night, 500 day. The following DX news is per court.esy N.N.R.C. :- XEB opened their new studios on November 28; WLBW will move to Dayton, Ohio; WLEU is a new. station at Brie, Pa.; WNEL tests on the first Tuesday in each month from 3 to 3.30 am., W.S.T.;- CKCW, Moncton, N.B., 100 watts, 1870 k.c., is a new station —

Elgin

(Wanganui)

Greetings From Normandy. A® usual at this time of the year, QRN has. been very severe. It is of the crackling kind and .generally begins at ‘dusk, As a tule I never DX between

November and February, but this year I have tried the dial on different occasions to see how the overseas stations are com-~ ing in. I find they are fair, for on December 28 I heard LR5 from 4.30 to.5.45 p.m. On another evening WBT was at full volume on an all-night special, working with a power of 100 k.w. On Christmas Day I went over the dial between 6.40 and 7 p.m. and the following could be heard on the speaker: WLW, WBBM, WHAS, KTR, KEI, KGO, WCco, KHJ, KOMO, KX, KSL, KFOX, KOL, KFAC, KGER, and KGMB. There was also a station on KDKA’s frequency, but I do not think it was KDKA, XHNT was heard on his new frequency. On December 15 I received an urgent cable from London reading :-Broadeasting message to you from Normandy, Christmas Bve, 1 a.m., G.M.T." | It was, of course, impossible to hear them at that time. A special programme from this station has been arranged to take. place on March 17 next from 4.30 a.m, to. 5.30 am. Full particulars of this broadcast will be published later in this paper and in the "Radio Timés." I have received a few Huropeans back, but, as the letters are written in their respective languages, I will have to have them translated. I Enow one report was a failure-Geneva, who said it was: Moscow III I had heard. When reporting this station I overlooked the fact that Moscow was on the same frequency-

Digger

(Pukeroro)

DX Club Meetings Poverty Bay In St. Andrew’s Schoolroom, Cobden St., at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9. ‘V. C, ROTHWELL (9HB.), Branch Secretary. Hawke’s Bay In the Club rooms at the premises of Mr. L. Beachen, next Annand’s, Waipukurau, at. 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16. Members are reminded that our various trophies will be competed for at this meeting. L. W. MATHIE. (1HB.), Branch Secretary. Auckland. In room 52, 5th floor, Lewis Eady’s. Buildings, Queen Street, at 7.45 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16. A. G. CONCHIE (241A.), Correspondence Secretary. Marton In the Toc H Rooms at 7.45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15. J. R. BAIN (217W.), "Branch Secretary. ‘ Manawatu At 157 Bryant Street, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 17. C, J. MORGAN (143W.), Branch Secretary,

Special DX Programme From KFRC, San Francisco KFRC, 1000 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California, will broadcast a special DX pro- | gramme from midnight to | a.m. on Sunday, January 27, P.S.T. (8 to 9 p.m. Sunday, January 27, N.Z. summer time). This station operates on 610 k.c. (491.5m.) with a power of | k.w.

Elgin

(Wanganul).

. , , Extracts From Verifications. : D* reception has been very poor lately, owing to severe QRN. . VK’s are now getting hard to hear, but through . the noise 8PY and SHE have been logged and reported to. "Second reports are . Out to 2HM and 3YJ. "-* Americén ‘reception has been good and reports are away to WTAM and WBOQ (on.a special for the "Newark News" Radio Club). ; "Recent; verifications include: Graz, Bratislava, Bari, Leipzig, HS7PJ, XHHG (100 w.), XGOD, KWX and VK’s 2ZF and 3BH. Graz sent a brief letter and a photo of their antenna and station buildings. Bratislava a letter and three photosrahps,; one of the Praha station, one of their own station, and the other of Praha city. They also sent a magazine -and several booklets describing Ozechoslovakia, and illustrated with very interesting photos of their country. ‘Leipzig, a letter written in German and.a booklet describing the station, Bari, a -quaint letter which reads: "Your esteemed letter report contening reception on broadcast of Bari, dated August 10, our hand. We are, pleased :f0 communicate that your report is convformable to what our station has broadcasted on August 9,1934, "Réjoicing with you for the capability in- listening our broadcasts so distant from you we make our best regards. ~ "Ci-indlus, we beg to send a photo of our station, and hoping hear you before long." ; ‘ HS7Pd, verified with a letter and a big photo of the transmitter, . XHHG, The Radio Broadcast Station of the Grand Hotel, 120 Thibet Road, ‘Shanghai, China, A card. VK2Z¥F, a card, which reads: "Very Sorry about the long delay in answering, but we have had a bereavement in the family and things don’t seem quite the Same, Hope you will excuse the long delay, and explain to any of the boys who are wondering what has happened to me."

Sunny

(Alexandra),

Loggings and Verifications. FARLY morning Americans have been fair lately, but the evening Americans have been very poor. Australian stations have been good, though Wastern ones have been weak, I notice that several dxers managed to log some of the stations on the "Iowa on the Air’ programme. Although I tried for all the stations, I was unsuccessful. However, I was fortunate in logging KROW, which closed at 9.3 p.m. on the same night. , My latest loggings are KELW, XHMO, "KSCJ, KROW and WBT. Verifications are slow in arriving, my latest being from KYW, KTFI (after 14 months), Moscow IV, and Bari, Italy, who enclosed a photo of their plant. : Extracis from some of the verifications are i-~ .

KYW: "If everyone were ag thoughtful and kind as you, the problem of providing interesting and entertaining radio programmes would be greatly simplified. The personnel of KYW ig therefore very happy to acknowledge your ‘communication and thank you tor it. This will

serve as a verification of KYW reception." a "Moscow: "We are glad to verify that you heard our broadcast on September 4, 1984. We shall always be glad to hear from you and have reports of reception." Bari: "We are pleased to communicate that your report is conformable to what our station has broadcast on September 12.. Rejoicing with you. for the capability in listening our broadcast. so distant from you, we make you our best regards,"’ ' KTFI: "Many thanks for your communication dated.October 12; 1933. Your report is correct." _ My receiver is a seven-valye a.c. conmercial superhet, while mv aerial ts 190

feet long, ‘running from B. ‘to’ W.say

-186 W.

(Wellington

(Continued :on page 42)

DX Topics (Continued from Page 40.) Midnight Americans Good. ‘A HTER a change to southerly winds, 4" static has fallen off considerably, and Americans are coming in well in my new locality. On January 4, from midnight to 1.80 a.m., the following were heard, ranging from R5-9:-KIFBI, KMOX, KVOO, KDKA, KRLD, KOMA, KSL, KGRS, WLW, WB, WJID, WMBD, WOAI, WHO, and several others at weaker volume. A very weak- station was heard on 1500 kc. at 1.15 a.m., but eéuld not be logged. Verifications received include two from KTEI, after 15 and.22 months, CRCT, who welcomes further reports, KOB heard on election night, and KFYR, who enclosed ‘an attractive black and gold verification stamp. Receiver in use is a T-valve .commer-

cial a.c. superhet-

~157W

Wellington).

Wellington Branch { HRS of the above branch who are entering for the Wellington and ‘Tasman cups are. reminded that entries must reach Mr. K. P. Murphy, "Radio Record" Office, not later than January 12, For the Wellingiun DX Cup, all countries, excluding Australia and New. Zealand, are eligible (540-1500 k.c.); veri‘fications dating from July 1, 1934. For the Tasman Cup, only Australian and New Zealand. stations are eligible (5401500. k.c.) ; verifications to date from July 1, 1984. All verifications must be tabulated in order of countries, and also in alphabeticalorder. Those entering for both competitions are requested to send in separate lists. The rules for these competitions were published in the "Radio Times" dated December 11, 1938, and

August 10, 1954.-

F. J.

Reeves

(Branch

Sec:) .