RADIO PROGRAMME INTERRUPTED

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21050, 29 December 1933, Page 8

RADIO PROGRAMME INTERRUPTED

<fr HAIL STORMS AFFECT NEW 3YA Successive storms of hail and sleet caused an interruption in transmission last evening at the new 3YA station at Gebbie's Pass. The normal programme had to be suspended for five minutes while pov/er was reduced to permit the cleaning of the lead-in, which had become coated with sleet and paitially earthed. The interruption occurred shortly before 9 o'clock when the weather forecast was about to be broadcast. Although the usual programme had to be suspended music was played while the station worked at reduced power. Heavy wind and hail had been experienced at the pass during the afternoon and evening, and the big aerial line, in its exposed position 300 feet above the ground, received a liberal coat of hail ancl sleet. This caused a stretching, which in turn made the lead-in sag and become partially earthed near the insulator at the tuning box. Power was immediately reduced to allow the operators to clean the lead-in and tighten the aerial. Fortunately the trouble had not been serious enough to necessitate the cleaning of the aerial itself. The work was difficult, carried out in a heavy hail storm which blew across the pass, but in five minutes the station v/as ready to transmit at full power again. During the period of the interruption a large number of listeners were unable to obtain any reception at all l l '™ ll 3YA. Some of them pictured the great 300-fect towers broken or fallen in a gale, but they were soon reassured when the _ new _ station came 011 the air again at its usual volume.