‘Wait And See’ Policy On Reception Urged

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30739, 1 May 1965, Page 19

‘Wait And See’ Policy On Reception Urged

Persons in the remoter parts of Canterbury were strongly advised by the Canterbury Televiewers’ Association not to rush in and buy television sets at present, said the secretary (Mr J. M. McKenzie) last evening.

“No expert can say exactly where the new transmitter and television tower on Sugarloaf Hill will give a clear and concise picture. Our recommendation is, wait and see. And waiting, in the deep fringe areas, will be longer because the transmitter will work on 50kw to start with, and then on lOOkw,” Mr McKenzie said.

“The public should under no circumstances employ servicemen to adjust the aerial or set until such time as the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation advises that the Sugar Loaf Hill transmitting station is working in full order.

“There may be trouble round the North Canterbury area, in such places as Cheviot. The new transmitter will certainly improve reception but there is no guarantee of the areas in which reception will improve. “Around Christchurch, the stronger signal could cause some distortion. When the N.Z.B.C. says the new transmitter is working at full strength, it may only mean turning the aerial to get the best reception, or the installation of a gadget called a resistance pad. This is worth 2s 6d,” Mr McKenzie said. . Mr McKenzie said the Sugar Loaf Hill transmitting station could make some translators in Canterbury, how used to “boost” the signal from the skw transmitter in Christchurch redundant. For example, the N.Z.B.C. had bought the translator serving Timaru from the South Canterbury Televiewers’ Society. It was expected the signal from Sugar Loaf Hill would give excellent reception at Timaru. The N.Z.B.C. planned to put the translator on the hills at Studholme to serve that area. •' Reception Praised

Mr A/.C. Mclntyre, of Waiau, telephoned last evening, said the translator at Hanmer Springs gave excellent reception in the WaiauRotherham districts. It had been put in by a Christchurch television retailing firm. “The signal from Sugar Loaf Hill may give a good

reception in many homes in the area. It could be that more expensive aerials will be needed to get a good direct reception from Sugar Loaf Hill.

“There will be television sets put in homes up here before the Sugar Loaf Hill transmitter is working, but only on condition that the prospective purchaser does not pay until he gets good reception.

“Another condition will be that the selling firm agrees to change the aerials if required. Any person buying a television set without these conditions is a sucker. On the other hand, firms selling sets without these conditions are adopting sharp practices —if they do it,” Mr Mclntyre said. “Poor or Nil” He said there were pockets in North Canterbury where TV reception was poor or nil. He thought such pockets would exist, although there might be fewer, after the new transmitter at Christchurch was in full operation. “It seems groups of farmers will have to club toge to get mini-translators, battery operated like the one at Hanmer, if they are to enjoy TV in such pockets,” Mr Mclntyre said. “It is problematical until the Sugarloaf Hill transmitter is working to the

satisfaction of the N.Z.8.C.,” he said.

Mr McKenzie said it might well be, in order to get round the Southern Alps, transmission from Sugar Loaf Hill might have to be by way of Nelson and down the West Coast.

He said that within five years of TV starting in Australia, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra had been linked with cables carrying live TV programmes, and offering a choice of programmes, over a distance of some 800 miles, at a cost of £5.5m. “By the end of 1966, 90 per cent of the population of Australia, a vast continent, will have TV coverage. The powers-that-be in New Zealand have been hesitant on the progress of TV from a coverage point of view. Choice Given Televiewers’ societies applaud the micro-wave link planned to give country-wide coverage. On thing, however, is most important—the multichannel system of linkage, which means the difference between one channel and the choice of channels. “Televiewers' societies have strongly supported national coverage before the introduction of a second channel, particularly if the cost of a second channel is to slow the rate of progress towards national coverage,” Mr McKenzie said.