Around and Behind the Dials

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 32, 15 February 1935, Page 41

Around and Behind the Dials

DX CLUB News and Views _

Why Argentine Stations Do Not Verify: DX Tip Broadcasts: KTSA Now. Using 5 k.w.: CHSJ Verified : Southland’s Forthcoming Picnic. -_- + $n

Answers to Correspondents 37T. (Patea):: Although RXKR_ was located on a ship, the ss. City of Panamu, it was broadcasting for entertainment purposes, not commercial, and can therefore be placed in the same category as ordinary land broadcast stations. Stations | Identified. 247W. (Opunake): Your Mexican station is XENT. They have changed their frequency from 1120 k.c. to 910. k.c., and close nightly at 7 p.m.-1G64A. (Morvinsville). px Topics Why Argentine Stations Do Not Verify. [HE following is'a letter: just. to-hand from LR5, Argentine, in reply to a

query I sent them asking why most Argentine stations do not verify -‘Tiny" (Palmerston North). "Dear Sir,-I thank you for your letter of October 26, which came to hand a few days ago. I also much appreciate the "New Zealand Radio Times" which you so kindly sent me, and I. compliment you upon the article contained in same on Radio Excelsior. I much appreciate your Kindness in this respect, and- I should not be at all surprised if your article caught the eye of some of my old war friends who were jn the same regiment 2s I was ‘way back in 1915.’ I belonged in those days to the Second King Edward’s Horse Regiment, which was formed almost entirely of colonials who came from every corner of the globe, particularly from Canada, South Africa, Australia, and q few from New Zealand, "Now as regards the possibility of getting replies to your reports from the stations mentioned by you in your letter, I am afraid that this will be a rather difficult problem, because these stations hardly realise the value that these verifications have for the party interested. They are all non-Mnglish-speaking sta- tions, and as they are not imbued with the spirit of the game, they rarely acknowledge reports of this sort. Nevertheless, as most of the. stations are known to me personally, I ‘shall seize the opportunity I have of stressing upon them the advantage and convenience of replying to letters such as yours, as it all helps to keep radio in evidence. . "Of course, this letter will reach you quite a long time after Christmas is over, and the New Year will be well on its way, but nevertheless I take advantage of this opportunity to wish you in 1935 every happiness and much prosperity.Yours sincerely (signature unreadable)." 'To Members of Marlborough-Canterbury Branch. A CUP has been presented.to this branch for competition among members, and it has been‘decided to arrange a six-monthly competition using:a points system when judging, The table of points has been made out, but as it is too lengthy to reproduce here, members may obtain copies by dropping me a line. My

nn) address is: 11 Johnston Street,. Sydenham, Christchurch. The period of competition, will be from February 20 to. June 30, verifications (all except N.Z. B.B.’s) to date from February 20, 1935. This cup has been donated by Mr. F. Knipe (142MC), our ex-secretary. Another competition for the best verification of the month has been started, and will be judged at our branch meeting each month. Wntries: for this competition must. date from February 4, 1935.-H. Vine (122MC), Branch Seeretary. , DX Tip Broadcasts, HE following stations give out’ DX tips daily when signing off :- WSM, Nashville, 650 k.c., 50 k.w.,.1 am., H.S.T. For N.N.R.C. and I.D.A. WNEW, Newark, NJ., 1250 ke, 1 kw. 4 am., E.S.T. For N.N.R.C.: and I.D.A. CKCK, Regina, Sask., 1010 k.c., 500 w.. gives out DX tips every Saturday from 12.15 a.m. to 12.80 a.m., E.S.T. KDKA and KFT also give out DX tips every Saturday.-59A. (Cambridge). Southland’s Forthcoming Picnic. ALTHOUGH conditions have been poor lately down. here, several of the boys have done their best to-log many of the American stations that are to be heard at present. The past summer months have been the worst experienced at this time of the year for six years, but we are all hoping, now that we have had some rain, that the air will clear up and that it will be possible to listen to overseas without getting more static than station signals. Last year our picnic was a great success, and naturally we have decided. to _ (Continued on page 46). ,

DX Club Meetings Auckland In room 52, Sth floor, Lewis _Eady’s Buildings, Queen Street, at 7.45 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13.

A. G.

CONCHIE

(241A.),

Correspondence Secretary. South Canterbury At the secretary’s. residence, 35 Bowker St., Timaru, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. February 13.

D. N.

ADAMS

(2H

Branch Secretary. Hawke’s Bay In the club room at the premises of Mr. L. Beachen, next Annand’s, Waipukurau, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13.

L. W.

MATHIE

(IHB),

Branch Secretary. Wellington In room 15, 3rd floor *‘Dominion" Buildings,- Wakefield Street, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19. °

F. J.

REEVES

(157W.),

Branch. Secretary. Manawatu . At 157 Bryant Street, Palmerston North, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 14.

C. J.

MORGAN

(143W.),

Branch Secretary. Southland. . At 100 Islington Street, Invercargill, on Saturday, February 16. A full attendance of members is requested as arrangements for the annual picnic are to be finalised.

D.

JACKSON

(725.),

Branch Secretary, |}

Special DX Programmes _--- From KFH, Kansas KFH, Wichita, Kansas, will broadcast special DX: programmes. from 8.15 p.m. to 8.45 p.m., N.Z. summer time, on February 28, March 28 and:April 24. Reports, which must include reply postage, should be sent to Mr. Grosvenor, Mid-Co DX Exchange, Wichita, Kansas. KFH operates on 1300 kc. (230.6m.), with © 1 k.w. power.

DX Topics (Continued from page 41). hold another one this year. At the present time the committee. are discussing plans to make this one an even better one than last year’s. Every time I see one of the boys the first question I am asked is, not what is coming through, but "When are we having the picnic?" Bob Thomas reports that he- received 10 back last month. This gives him a total of over 160 for six months’ dxing. His latest logging is XHHR, China, 50 watts, Merv states. he -has-a few stray’ Americang back lately, while Stan Hunt

says 8PA is his best lately.-

S.

Robson

(Invercargill) _

CHSJ Verified. 8 SINCE writing my last notes I have _moved to'a new locality. I was told that I would not get the same reception as I did in the old locality. Conditions have therefore been given a good test and I am certain they are not .worse than in Pukeroro. On February 3 I heard LT1, LR5, LARS and four other South Americans, and although they were too weak to make reports, it is better than I have ever done before. All locals and Aussies are good, but QRN is severe, even in daytime. Verifications have been few lately. 1 received XEBC, 730 k.c., also a second from KTSA, who is now on 560 k.c, In their letter they say their new power is 5000 watts daytime, with permission to test new power after 1 a.m., C.S.T. I heard him at good strength on the day I received the verification. I also received a verification from CHSJ, St. John, New Brunswick, who say I can claim to be the longest distance verified listener. The station is 10,000 miles away, and they use 100 watts on 1120 k.c. They also sent me q local paper with a write-up. A few words from one of my latest German verifications may be interesting. They are: "We send you and your club our good wishes, and your country all the good,

"From Germany we would like to make -known that all hands work in -peace and harmony to solve the problem of unemployment, to reconstruct commerce under our great leader, Herr Hitler." My new address is Alpha Street, Cam-

bridge.

Digger

(Cambridge).

KTSA Now Using 5 k.w. RECENT verification from KTSA. San Antonio, states: "This will serve to verify your reception report. of October 7, 1984, at which time KTSA, broadcasting on ‘its new wavelength of. 550 k.c., announced the programme of the’ Taylor Tabernacle, San Antonio. "We have recently beeii.granted a power iiicrease to 5000 watts daytimewith permission to broadcast test programmes on the new power after 1 a.m., O.S.T. "We were happy to receive your report and hope you'll be dxing down this way again."-1HB (Waipukurau). Has Any Other Dxer Verified WCBA" RECENTLY received a_ verification from WCBA, Allentown, Pa., — in which they say: "It is with great pleasure that I can verify your report of December 12, 1934, which was correct in every detail. " It is signed by G. Y. Synder, the director. The station operates on 1440 k.e. with 250 w., and I think I am the on!» one in New Zealand to hold a verification

from this station.-

Lofty

(Christ-

church).

Timaru Notes and News. OUR Canterbury correspondent writes: "The Timaru Radio Club was formed in this town about three years ago, and since then has been looking after the listeners’ interests. Besides, it has done much useful work in putting the installation in the Timaru public hospital intu working order, and now, after about 1S months’ work, reception in that institution is better than it has been since the radio was first installed... "Blectrical interference has been the subject of many uncomplimentary — re marks from the dxers here. There are many keen dxers in Timaru, the present New Zealand DX champion being in this town. This dxer won the New Zealand DX Cup with a verified log of some 546 overseas stations on the broadcast band. Since winning the cup with that log lasi June he has been steadily increasing, and is now approaching the 650 mark. Despite this huge verified log he is still finding some new stations tq add to it. The following is a list of the different countries he has verified :-Germany, France, Italy... Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Austria,’ Russia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Rumania. North Africa, Siam. India, China, Japan. Philippine Islands, Australia. Hawaii. Argentine, Bolivia, Venezuela, «Porto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, U.S.A., Canada, Newfoundland. His set is an ordinary eightvalve T.R.F. receiver. . _ "When approached re the above he stated that he did not.think his log very wonderful when compared to that of another in’Pleasant Point, some 25 miles from Timaru. On a. home-constructed set of two valves a young enthusiast of some 17 summers is hearing and receiv. ing letters verifying his’ reception of such low-powered stations ‘as 100-watt American stations, 100-watt Chinese stations, and numbers of stations in Europe of moderate: power. This young’ man now has about 150 verifications from stations outside New Zealand that he has heard on this two-valve set, and has verifications from some 100-watt American

stations which no other New Zealander has -heard.- This is undoubtedly 4. truly wonderful: performance. : . "The aerial used. in conjunction ‘ with this two-valve set is 200 feet in length, and at the far end is'100 feet high, down to a pole 50 feet high at the other end." ~ Loggings and Verifications. | ECENT loggings are CFCT, KGDM, KJBS,. KTRH, WAWZ, KARK, KGDY and WNAD.° CFCT was logged on a Sunday-night at 9.80 p.m. ° This station operates on 1450 k.c., and is listed ay using only 50:-watts of power, KGDM (1100 k.c.) and: KGBS (1070 .k.c.) are two stations worth looking out for’at the present time. ‘These stations work until. late’ at nighf, but-are best logged just before the Australians occupying the same channels are audible, KTRH has been _ testing quite often lately on 1290 k.c., .usually closing at 8.30 p.m. WAWZ was logged on Januazy 20 when testing, while WEBI" was logged on February 6 testing a 1000-watt transmitter. KARK, KGDY and WNAD were picked up on frequency tests on February 3. An American station has been heard lately on 730 k.c., closing at 8 pm. I think that this station is a Mexican, but owing to interference from 3YA I have been unable to identify ‘the eall. Verifications received recently are from CKWX, KGAR, KGGC (all 100watters), KFBB, KJR, KVOD (new cail for KFXF), WNEW, WTAW. 5PI and Madona (Latvia), who sent a very interesting folder describing Latvia and showing many views of -Latvian scenery, etc. Some extracts from their .verification are: "In Latvia are four broadcasting stations, Riga on 583 k.c.; power of 15 k.w.; Madona on 1104 k.e¢.. 50 k.w.; Kuldiga on 1258 k.c.. 20 k.w.; and. Liepaja, 1738 k.c., 0.1 k.w. "Madona transmits the programme of Riga. Announcement is ‘Hallo, Latvia, Riga, Madona, Kuldiga. Liepaja.’ "- 6M.C. (Pleasant Point). Wellington Branch Meeting "THOSE present at our meeting on Kebruary 5 were 177, 2382; 2338, 238, 240, 305, 306, 312, 313, and one: intending member, Those members who hai not been present at our previous meetings ‘this year were notified -of the changes to our competitions, ete. _ Reports for the branch notes in the March "Radio Times" should be in the secretary’s hands by February 18 (address, F, J. Reeves, 211 Grant Road). Entries for the best verification of the month. will be judged at our next meeting. to be held on Tuesday February 19.

K. P.

Murphy

Acting Branch See-

retary.