RADIO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 46, 18 November 1925, Page 15

RADIO NOTES

(By “

Aerial.")

Great disappointment awaited Wellington radio enthusiasts last evening .when enjoyment was anticipated from the broadcasting of the first concert from the Dunedin Exhibition. The reception in Wellington was painfully weak, and only those with th? most sensitive multi-valve sets were able to hear the music, and then only faintly, on their loudspeakers. The atmospheric conditions, too, were favourable for longdistance reception, the concerts from the small station 3AC of the Christchurch Radio Society, the Auckland station IYA, and 2BL, Sydney Broadcasters, Ltd., being received with good strength and with comparatively little static.

The Exhibition broadcast station is the first Installed and operated by the new Radio Broadcasting Co. of New Zealand. Great things were promised from the now station, but its failure, so far as Wellington reception was concerned, was only too apparent. The broadcasting as it was, heard in Wellington last night, was only about one-fifth as strong as the recently-closed Dunedin station, 4YA. Tho transmission being the initial attempt, however, some allowance must bo made for its failure, and it is hoped that an improvement will be made from the experience gathered. “Uncle Jack” and “Uncle George,” who tell tho bedtime stories for tho children at 2BL, Sydney, receive between 100 and 200 letters net day from children. The “uncles" broadcast brief and frequently amusing replies to their juvenile correspondents.

Bathurst, tho inland N.S.W. city, is erectin'; a bEjadeast station. It will be a “B class” station, and as it will receive no financial contribution from licensees’ fees it will be self-supporting. Complaints are reaching “Aerial" of interference to broadcast listeners in Wellington from a local allegedly short wavelength transmitting station. A suggestion is made by "Rheo" (Ilataitai) that a test be taken with a wavemeter or selective receiving set and the name of the offender bo published. In reply to “Yank” (Kelburn) the Oakland (California) broadcast, KGO, has only two late nights per week now. It should bo heard in New Zealand Wp Ifill 7.J9 o’clock on Friday and Sunday evenings. The. wave-length is 361 metres. Of late KG'O has not favoured Wellingtonians with its old-time strength. / "Interested" (Island Bay) writes: “I am not a wireless listener, and am curious to know whether radio messages sent by a person in Wellington io an inward-bound steamer can be read by thoso possessing wireless sets? Js there no secrecy?" Tho messages sent between the shore station and ships are in Morse code, but can be read by a considerable number of people who operate receiving sets. While radio licensees are bound by secrecy it is a fact that many of the ship and shore wireless messages are picked up and read out for the entertainment of evening parties. There is no method of. preventing this interception of private messages.

During tho latter half of last week long-distance audibility was poor. All Australian stations excepting 2BL, Sydney. have been relatively weak so far as reception in Wellington is concerned. Correspondents in various up-eountry districts agree that 2BL, Sydney,, is now the strongest. Before closing down last week, 4YA, Dunedin, was only faintly, audible in Wellirgton, tho power apparently having been reduced. An excess of wave characterised the transmission of 3AC, Christchurch, as heard in Wellington last Friday evening. Last Saturday evening the writer received the Commonwealth election progress reports from 2BL, Sydney, and 3LO, Melbourne. Tho latter station showed marked improvement after 11.30 p.m. The pianoforte solos played from each station between tho election announcements, were delightful.' Induction sounds from tho city caused a good deal cf interference until after 11 p.m. Static was rather abundant during last week, but on Saturday evening it was less intense. Tho Auckland station, I YA. is still much weaker than when at its best.

The Japanese broadcast station which used to bo hoard on top of the wave of 3LO, Melbourne, seems to have dropped out. The last reported reception of tho Japanese station camo from Dr. Alex. L. Casclbcrg, at Collingwood, Nelson district, who heard the Eastern station a few weeks ago quite clearly, after 3LO had signed off.

“Phonos," radio writer in the Auckland "Star,” says: . / “There is little of interest in local wireless circles to record at present. Those who depend upon local reception for their entertainment aro looking forward to the change-over in tho control of IYA on November 20, when the Broadcasting Company takes charge. However, there is little chance of much better fare hero till the new station commences operations. At present indications suggest that this will not eventuate till well on in next year; ineresting developments may arise when licensees are required to renew their annual permits after March 31 next. Those who have been paying 30s. more for promises than for performance, may object to continue payment, and there is a prospect of a temporary diminution in radio fees.”

“lAmp” (city) writes: “Listeners-m should not anticipate cause for dissatisfaction with the new broadcasting scheme. No broadcasting company, operating under their conditions of contract, could afford to offer poor faro to the listeners-in. The inevitable result of mediocrity of service would bo “poaching," for many a listener-in would refuse to pay a license fee when he could receive the broadcasting for nothing. We all. know that - an outside aerial is not essential, to receive broadcasting; tho loop aerial, also the appliance for plugging into an electric hR“t socket, and the winding of. insulated ■wire around an indoor electric lighting wire each affords easy means of secretly poaching the broadcasting. Tho company would bo faced with loss of revenue through a falling-off in license fees, and it would be practically impossible to detect the “poachers.” The Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand will not be at all likely to provoke “poaching," but instead will set out to. win tho good-will and co-operation of all by giving a high standard and liberal broadcasting service. “Thermion." radio writer for the Auckland “Herald,” states that at the Broadcast Advisory Board meeting, Mr. Harris, of the Radio Broadcasting Co. of N.Z., maintained that his company could give as good Yi broadcast service as the Australian company (Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd.). It is to be hoped that Mr. Harris will take immediate steps to substantiate his claim and that the Post-master-General will exert his powers and insist that the promised service materialise. There has always been a blight on New Zealand broadcasting., and although iho listener must pay an annual license fee of 30s. to indulge his hobby, ho has had as yet nothing in the way of a satisfactory broadcasting service in spite of the promises from time to time of tho ‘best service in tho world.’ An alteration of this unsatisfactory state of affairs is long overdue, and, since tho exhibition concerts offer a splendid opportunity for a decided improvement in the situation, the listeners throughout tho Dominion are demanding as their right that the promises made to them in the past bo now fulfilled.” From Mr. J. H. Owen, vice-president of tho Amateur Radio Society of Wellington, “Aerial” has received a letter describing tho former’s visit to the British Wireless Exhibition nt tho Albert Hall, London. Mr. Owen also forwarded descriptive literature from each of the various stands, and one cannot but bo gratified to note the progress made by the British radio manufacturers. Among many novelties nt tho exhibition was a tiny motor generator for supplying the plate voltage for receiving valves. Tho motor is connected to the A battery, and the one battery can bo made to supply both the filament and anode currents. Mr. Owen was completely enraptured with tho exhibition, and says it was a revelation to many. Mr. H. Spooner, of Martinborough, who has lately returned from an extended visit to England, informed the writer that the broadcasting by the Home stations received the highest prnlse from an American expert. The expert made a speech .which was broadcasted from one of tho English stations, nnd ho said he had been sent from the United Stares to investigate the standard of broadcasting in all parts of tho world. Ho declared that tho British broadcasting was far ahead of all other countries in point of excellence of transmission and quality of programmes. Mp. Spooner brought back an English five-valve set for use on his station in the Wairarapa.