The Radio Listener

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 64, 9 December 1936, Page 15

The Radio Listener

(By

Ethek.)

Titahi Progress. It is no secret to say that the engineers are very pleased with the progress that has been macle at the new 2YA at litahi Bay. The mast is now a landmark from the main road north. To all intents and purposes it will project no further into the sky. So far a total of 610 feet has been completed, leaving only 60 feet before the mast is finished. The erection has been marked by no serious setbacks, except, of- course, those due to the weather. In fact, except for a broken insulator on a guy wire that caused a delay of a day or two, the mast has grown according to expected schedule. All the guys are now in position. Tests made during the recent gales show that even at the top the mast is perfectly steady. To the eye there is no perceptible movement even in the strongest blow so far experienced with winds up to and possibly over 80 miles an hour. Very satisfactory progress has also been made with the transmitting gear. Internal tests under power have already been made with the 5-kilowatt plant that is to become the new 2YC. The high-pow-er transmitter is also nearly completed and tests are taking place all the time on various units of this plant. Final tests depend of course upon the completion of the mast and the slinging of the aerials. It is hoped, however, to have the mast finished by the end of this week. In that case transmission tests will be made with the high-power transmitter coupled to its own aerial some time next week. These tests will be made after 2YA closes down, as the same wavelength is used. Christmas Talks. Arrangements have been made, to give a series of talks both before, during, and after Christmas time this year. A special series of talks dealing with holiday time will be given from now onward by varous speakers at the main stations. Special talks will be given on motoring during the holidays, including the planning of tours and the like. There will be talks on tramping and mountaineering given by men who have spent many past Christmases either bushed or balanced on top of some inaccessible peak. Mr. F. W. Vosseler is to talk on “Tramping” from 2YA on December IS. Experts from the Tourist Department will speak on the various attractions of this Dominion from a holiday point of view in time for listeners to change their plans and adopt the suggested itinerary. On December 16 Miss C. F. Hull will talk from IYA on the Christmas spirit, which it is understood will be so much in evidence. Her talk takes place from IYA on December 16. On the following evening Mrs. Lola Maries will give a talk from 2YA in which she will depict Christmas Eve in London.

The Test Match. Readers were not asked in the recent questionnaire to give an opinion on the merits of broadcasting sporting items. Of all types of sport, cricket appears to lend itself least to so-called running commentaries. The recent Test match has been broadcast ball for ball as well as one could hope that such an event could be broadcast. At the best, however, it is a

slow, tedious process permitting numerous opportunities for the commentator to intrigue us with lengthy statistics concerning bowling averages. One does not appreciate the gaps in a game of cricket when one is a spectator. The crawling commentary of cricket, however, gives one ample opportunity to appreciate why the Americans changed their game to that of an elaboration on the game of rounders. Possibly running commentaries are at their very best in horse racing-—the listener does get a run for his dialling. The Short Waves.

At tlie moment very poor results are obtainable on the 30-metre waveband during the early evening. The Empire transmissions on this waveband are often not worth listening to. Unfortunately before conditions improve this particular station is off the air. Fortunately better results may be had from the 19-metre band, and those anxious to tune to Daventry for news of Empire import should try for the shorter of the two transmissions. After about 10.30 p.m., New Zealand time, conditions on 30 metres improve on most nights. In fact, after 11 p.m. good signals come in all round the dial from about 60 metres down to about IS metres. Every night is, however, a condition unto itself. Normally, however, after 10.30 p.m. nt least half a dozen shortwave transmissions are available. The Germans on 19 metres or thereabouts are regularly strong and at the moment the Empire station is suffering a seasonal eclipse. Nirom.

'The Netherlands Indies Broadcasting Company primarily supply programmes for Batavia and Java. Their transmissions on the shortwaves may be heard in New Zealand, and listeners may be interested in details about the stations. The Nirom started broadcasting officially in the Netherlands Indies on March 31, 1934. .Until then only a few local stations had been in operation in the bigger cities, the cost being defrayed by contributions paid by the members of the local, radio societies. The societies etill exist. The Nirom started originally with four stations; in less than eighteen months, however, twenty-two stations were operating. Sixteen of them get their programmes over telephone lines from the Batavia Keystation; the remaining six broadcast local native programmes. The total length of telephone line connecting these stations is about 750 miles. The stations at Sourabaya, Bandoeng and Semarang also have full studio equipment, and when important events, taking place in any of these towns, or when special items, which can emanate only from these points, are transmitted, all the stations can be switched over to one of these three studios. For instance, Batavia broadcasts from 18.00 until 20.00. From 20.00 until 20.30 Bandoeng is keystation, while from 20.30 until 22.30 Sourabaya, with a special feature, operates as keystation.. Owing to unfavourable atmospherics existing in the tropics, no wavelength above 200 metres can be used. The long distance stations use wavelengths below 100 metres, local stations between 100200 metres. The Nirom long-distance stations are on the air Java time week-days, G.M.T. weekdays, 23.00-00.30, 03.3007.00, 10.30-15.30 or 16.00. Saturday till 16.30. Sundays, 00.30-07.00, 10.3015.30.

The long-distance stations are: — Call. Station/ Frequency. Wave-length. Power. YDA, Td.1. Priok 3040 k.e. 98.68 in. 10,000 wart (between 00.30-07.00 G.31.T. on 49.67 m. or 60-10 ke.). YDB, Soerabaia 9610 k.c. 31.2 in. 1,000 watt (between 00.30-07.00 G.M.T. on 25.3 m. or 11.860 k.c.). PAIN, Bandoeng J 0260 k.c. 29.34 in. 1,500 watt PLP, Bandoeng 1.1000 k.e. 27.27 m. 1,500 watt YDC. Bandoeng 15.15 k.c. 19.80 m. 1,500 watt PMH, Bandoeng 44.60 m. 1,500 waltt