Around and Behind the Dials

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 36, 15 March 1935, Page 45

Around and Behind the Dials

DX CLUB News and . Views

DX Specials and Station Changes: Reception Improving: Special from Fecamp, France: Conditions Still Bad: DX Club Meetings tor March.

Answers to Correspondents _F. J. Reeves (Wellington): ‘Many thanks for your useful ‘information,-

Lofty

(Christchurch).

' Identification Wanted . American on approximately 960 ke. heard on ‘Wednesday, March 6. At 7.10 p.m. they played "Love’s Just Around Corner," at 7,24. p.m. "Cocktails for Two," and at 7.26 p.m:, "Two Cigarettes in the Dark.’-‘Butch" (Wellington). American station in Oregon, heard testing between 8 p.m and 8.15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5,-en 1300 k.c. Items heard.. weré: "Isn’t It~Heavenly" and "Someone to.Care Mor."-122MO (Christchurch). DX Topics DX Specials and Station Changes. "THE following information concerning DX programmes and station changes is taken from the bulletin: of the Universal Radio DX Club, of 2559 ‘Polk Street, San Francisco, Calif. — mt Forthcoming DX programmes are as follow. (Times N.Z.S.T.).. CMHW, Cienfuegos, ‘Cuba, 910° k.c., 100 w., March 13,5 to 9 p.m. CMOX, Cuba, . 1825 ‘k.c., 200w., March 13, 6 to 10 p.m. XGOD, Hangchow,. China, 978 k.c., 1 k.awv., Mareh 15 and 16, with special DX programmes up to 12 midnight.or a little later-. This special may be a little too early for most New. Zealand dxers, even though the Eastern stations are coming in well now. Two advance tips are iWKBW, Buffalo, New York, 1480 k.c., 5 k.v.. April 22, 6 to 11 p.m. CMUP, Moron, Cuba, 1360 K.c. "5.05 We « April.25, 7 to 8 p.m. ; KMTR has again, changed from a 24shour station back to: signing off at 12 mid- . night P.S.T."(8. p.m. ,N.Z:8:T.) " -KFAC is a 24-hour station. ~UBJBS. is now on the air nightly. from #10, pm; on, P.S.T. (6pm. N.Z:S/E: next .day), instead-of from 12.01 a,m.; P.S.'T. ‘April. might see’ the last of the fre-

quency checks on account of the new equipment they have for checking during the regular broadcast hours. KTSA’s: new schedule is from Sunday to Thursday, 7 am. to 11.30 p.m. C.S.T. (up. to 5.80 p.m. N.Z.S.T.), and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m, to 1 a.m. the next day (up to 7 p.m. N.ZS.T.). A new. station in Whippany, New Jersey, has a permit to test between 5 p.m. and .11-p.m. with a power of 5 k.w. on éither 560, 900 or 1540 k.c.. No call-sign has ‘yet been allotted.. There are also two new’ 100-watt stations in Ashland, Keitucky (1310 k.e:), and Decatur, Alabama (1870 k.c-); but no ‘ealls are. allotted yet. IKF' BB, Great Falls, Montana, is changing frequency from 1280 kc. to 610 kc. till April 1. KSEI, ‘Pocatello, Idaho, is "changing from 900 k.c. to 890 kee. permanently. " KGVO,. Missoula, Montana, "is : "changing ‘frequenty from 1200° to’ 1260. k.c¢.;-and is® ingreasing’ power ‘front’ 100° to: "1000 watts ‘permanently. WORK, ' York, Pa. » Nis changing, from 1000° ke. to 1320: "Ke. 5 till August: 1, WDAF (610: kk.e.),7 day. power inereased from 2500. to: 5000 ww... -. BERD. 680 k.c.) from 500 to 1 kw. day "pow WIBW ‘(580 k, c), from: 2500 ~ to 5000 We day, power, , wow: (590 k.¢.),- from 2500 to 5000, w. day power. . WHB (S60 Kc. ); from 500 .to 1000-7 W. full. tithe. (920 k. ¢.)s ‘1000 to: 5000 w. day power. KOIN (940° k,e.),.* '2500 to. ‘5000 day power. WIBA,. (1280° k. C, Dy increase. in -power from 1000 to:1500 w. till April 1. KTUL (1400 k.c:), from 250 to 500 w., full: time. WHBD, Mt. Ovab,’ Ohio (1870 kc), lias changed ‘its location to Portsmouth, Ohio.’ Indidentally -it may interest older dxerg to know that this latter station .was verified, by "IKauspanker" (Hawke's Bay) many years ago. The. claim made by 2uW, Sydney, that it isthe only 24-liour station in the world is incorrect. At the present time and for the better part of the last eight or nine months one of the best received American stations*in New Zealand, namely, KFAC, Los Angeles, Calif. (1300 k.c., 1000 w. ); has been on a 24-hour He is particularly unpopular with Pacific Coast listeners, trying for the "frequency: check" stations on 13810'k.c., as owing to his

DX Club Meetings Auckland In room 52, 5th floor, Lewis Eady’s Buildings, Queén Street, at 7.45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13. A. G. CONCHIE (241A.), Correspondence Secretary. South Canterbury At the secretary's residence, 35 Bowker St., Timaru,-at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13. D. N. ADAMS : (2H.Q.), Branch Secretary. | Napier. The Napier branch of thé’ N:Z. : ‘DX Club holds its meetings fortnightly, the second and last Tuésday of each month, at the ‘clubroom on the corner of Faraday and Carlyle Streets, Napier, at 7.30 p BRIMER (151H.B.), ’. Branch Secretary. Wanganui At 21 Lowther St., at 8 p.m. on. *Thursday, March 14. ; FRANK CARR (150W.), Branch Secretary. Poverty Bay . In St. Andrew's -schoolroom, Cobden St-, Gisborne, at. 7.30 p.m. on’ Wednesday, .March ..13.: Members please note alteration of. date. V.C,. ROTHWELL (9H.B.) Branch Secretary. Manawatu At 157 Bryant St., Palmerston. North, at 8 p,m. on Thursday, March 14. Cc. J. MORGAN (143W.), Branch Secretary. Hawke’s Bay — At the premises of ‘Mr. L, Beachen,. next Annand’s, Waipukurau, at 7.30 p.m., on’ Wednesday, March 13. L. W. MATHIE (1H.B.), Branch Secretary. Wellington In room 15, 3rd floor, "Do-*. minion" Buildings, Wakefield St., Ps at.8 p.m. on Tuesday,.March.12,.F, J. Reeves (157W.), Branch Secretary.

"punch " he spreads right over this frequency, Up till about a year ago there was another 24-hour .station..in Jos..An-.. geles, KGYJ, 1200 k.c., 100 w. This station claimed it; -had_transmitted, night, and day for’ re years without a st LOD», About 12. snont ths’ ay i, the: : United States Oi inatitiied" a monthly "frequency check" on all small powéred...American’ stations, to see if they were on their. right wavelengths and ordered that KGFJ close down between’ 1 and 6 a.m, for. the first seven days in each’ month so that’ they. .could check the other stations gn the same wavelength, Bxcept* for thése hours. when he is forced © to be ‘silent, KGFJ_ transmits 24 hours a day still, There are one or two other 24-hour stations’in the Hastern States of America, but I forget. who they

are at the moment,-

N.

Jenkins

Master-

ton

‘Reception Improving. © (SONDITIONS | are steadily improving, and if ‘static would decrease some good loggings would be the result. Early. evening Americans have beer heard at 6.30 p.m. KNX is by far the best; and others heard are: KFI, KPO, WLIW, KSL, KEX. WOAT (at 6.30 p.m. last: Sunday), KFOX, KDYL, KFAC, KGMB, KGB, KWK, and WOXBY. Europeans aie bréaking through and in a week or so should. be quite good. -L5TW (Wellington).

Special From Fecamp. SINCE: my last notes conditions have greatly improved. This does not apply to one section, but to all stations. To give an illustration of how tke Buropeans are coming jn, for four mornings I have been listening to the-Huropeans without. an aerial, and on gach morning I have heard from 10 to 20 of them at readable volume. Strassbourg has been the best, but Moscow, Belgtade, Rome; Prague.and numbers of others are heard. Although I- have Strassbourg verified, I have sent in half an hour’s programme that I took down, while not using an aerial. I can also get, at-good volume, without an aerial, XEPN, KFI, PO, : and XELO. The letter. from Montpellier was a very difficult one to translate, and I had to get a professor of French to do it. In the body of it, it says: "It seems correct, In fact, it was Montpellier-Languebo¢e, In future titles of items must be sent to secuie a verification," -So I was lucky, as I | only sent,a description.

‘Miskole is not on the air. This information is from a recent verification. Latest verifivations are: Rabat (Moroc: co), who sent three large pages deacribing their s.w. station; KJBS, who sent two cards and is now a 500-watt station, and W6XAI. I would like to remind dxers of the special from Fecamp next Sunday, March 17, commencing at 4.30 a.m. our time. There will be 12 items and after the sixth’ the station will call up our president, Mr.

dtobson, and other 1BC members.-

Dig

ger

(Cambridge).

Conditions Still Bad. (CONDITIONS are still bad_ here. Americans coming through’ noise from 6.45 p.m. on, but very weak, KIL and KPO being the best. — se Recent loggings are 2XN, 4RO, 8TR (second report), CKiC, KXL, KGRS, JOOK, Monte Ceneri, Nurnberg, and a new "Aussie"? on 1500 k.c., call being 2CN, his station has been testing on Mondays and Thursdays, coming in at R4, QSA2. A letter is just to hand from Mr. F. R, Crowder, European Pre: ' sident, 1.D.A., who has just: lost his little boy, aged six. I feel sure that’ our club members send him our sincere re-

grets:

Lofty

(Christchurch)_

Wellington Branch Meeting. INE metibers were present at the last meeting of the aboye ‘branch. and it was decided to change the sequence of the meeting nights. The next meeting will take place on March -12, when a full attendance is required 60 that. a suitable night can be arranged to suit oue and all, The talks which are usually a feature of our meetings, have been noticeable by their absence lately. ‘but now that’ conditions are improving the Jéctures will. be continued. ‘The Coming Buropean Season and Karly Evening Americans" was the title of the talk given by 157W. at the last meeting, To all dxers and those interested in dxing, a hearty welcome is assured.if they | care. to come along to our meetings, which / are held. in room 15, third floor, '"‘Domin-

ion" i

F. J.

Reeves

Branch

Secretary)

Curing Parasitic Oscillation ‘Parasitic oscillation ‘is most common in an output-stage, where it manifests itself as an almost complete cessation cf signals, combined with a very heavy increase in plate current. The ,osciliations are probably taking place at a frequency determined. by the ‘induct ance of the wires running to grid and plate, with interelectrode and .other stray capacities acting as tuning .con‘denser. In the case of an output. valve, which , is not in any event expected to deal with rf. currents, the cure is based en the well-known "grid-stopper." © A non-inductive resistance of about 5000 ohms is connected right up. against the valve socket, to the grid of the valve, in series with the signal-path. The comdination of this resistance with the grid filament capacity of ‘the valve makes a fairly .effective filter preventing rf. voltages from developing on the grid. ‘Additional safety may be had by’ connecting a similar’ type of resistance, of only about .100 ohms, directly up against the plate terminal to act as an anode-circuit filter. ~ When oscillation of this type occurs in a detector stage, the cure is different, This valve has to deal with r.f. signals, so that a resisance filter, whil2 effective in checking the oscillation, might lead toa considerable drop in signal, Strength, ..A choke, consisting of -ten or turns of wire wound to shapé round a pencil and then slipped off its temporary "former," may be connected between grid and grid-con-denser. * Its impedance to signals of noma] wavelength is far too low to matter, but it is generally perfectly effective in checking the parasitic oscillation. A choke of this kind may also be used in the output stage if no suitable ‘resistance jis to hand, but it will usually be: found that the resistance provides i more certain cure, and so should be used whenever the conditions of the circuit make it possible to do so,