RADIO TEST

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 89, 17 April 1925, Page 6

RADIO TEST

BAD CONDITIONS LAST NIGHT.

The announcement made in the cable news a few days ago that a special combined test was to be made last night by a number of high-pressure American broadcasting- stations., to try to reach Australian listeners, the test having some relation to the equinoxes (now a month past) aroused much interest among New Zealand wireless amateurs. It is not at all uncommon for American broadcasts from tho Pacific coast to be heard here, but most of the American stations have closed down by the time it is dark here, and are inaudible. ' . .

Last night's test' was liot a success so far as Wellington was concerned. Owing to the stormy weather,' which provided a mild thunderstorm, "static" or atmospheric electrical disturbance, was very severe, and this encouraged rather than discouraged the' injudicious use of noise-making circuits.' A few Wellington listeners caught brief snatches of music which were more or less definitely identifiable as parts of the test, but nothing like consistent reception was reported to "The Post" to-day. A Press Association message from Ashliurton, however, states . that a local enthusiast working under very adverse conditions, with water dripping on his set) ] la d no trouble m picking up KFI (Los Angeles) and WLW (Cincim.atti), while numerous other carrier-waves and fragments of music and E.T. speech were picked up but not identified. - '