WIRELESS NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19298, 10 July 1926, Page 17

WIRELESS NOTES

RADIO SUMMARY [By Eleoteon.] Wednesday, Juno 30.—Receiving conditions poor; listened to 2BL till 10 p.in. Thursday, July I.—Excellent programme from 2BL; distant reception poor. Friday, July 2.—4 YA relaying Savoy Orchestra; excellent. Australian stations all good volume. Saturday, July 3. —Static particularly bad; very poor night; Yank stations feeble behind noise; very little pleasure in distant reception._ Sunday, July 4.—Conditions improved, but not good. IYQ, Auckland, was going at 4 p.m, KFON started to come in at 5 p.m., and increased in volume as the night went on. KFSG and KGU were only fair, also KGO. 2YK, Wellington, was rather pleasant, .and 3AC. Australian stations were not particularly good, and, though better than previous nights, conditions were still poor. The relay by 4YA from the Cathedral and H.M. Theatre was splendid. Monday, July S.—4YA relayed Orchestral Society. 2BL was very good indeed, while IYA, Auckland, showed great improvement in volume. 2BL used its new transmitter this day. Tuesday, July 6.—Rather poor night. KFON was fair at 6, and became louder until at 7, just before lie signed off, the volume was splendid. The cornet solo. 1 El Braggio,’ was quite clear 250yds from the loud speaker. 2YK, Wellington, seemed to have too much generator hum, and 3AC was only fair. ‘ RADIO, NEW ZEALAND.’ Volume 1., No. 4, is to hand, containing an interesting summary of news and an article on Iho construction of a nenrodyno Tecoivcr that should interest many amateurs. The appointment of honorary radio inspectors is discussed, and local notes from all over New Zealand make interesting reading. WAVE-LENGTH CHART. ' I must apologise for inaccuracies that ,1 notice in the table of wave lengths .1 gave last week. Tbe.se wave lengths wore copied from a reputable journal, and I did not consider it necessary to chock them. On making out a calibration curve for ray own set from this table I found the values given quite incoiToct, and even after looking through all my papers and magazines I find that in every case tbo wave lengths given arc those allotted to iho station, but often considerably different from the wave length on which the station will be found. In tbo absence of published data 1 have bad to jtosfc every station with the wave meter, and the list 1 give below is approximately correct, and qiii’le suitable for making your calibration curve from. Starting from the lowest wave length and increasing, the stations will be tuned in the following order:—2Jß, Ilandwick, 200 metres; KFON, California, 233 metres; 2UW, Sydney, 249 metres; KFSG, California, 250 metres; 3AC, Christchurch, 265 metres; KGU, Honolulu, 270 metres; 2UE, Sydney, 275 metres; 2KY, Sydney, 280 metres; 2YK, Wellington’ 295 metros; SDN, Adelaide, 312 metres; IYA, Auckland, 330 metres; 2BL, Sydney, 353 metres; KGO, California, 361 metres; 3LO, Melbourne, 371 metres; 4YA, Dunedin, 380 metres; 4QG, Brisbane, 355 metres; SCL, Adelaide, 395 metres; 3AR, Melbourne, 485 metres. There are other fainter stations in between these, but I have loft them out so that the readings will not bo congested. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. In reply to an inquiry, I have received the following:—“Our broadcasting station, KZR-Q, broadcasts at a wave length of 370 metros with a power of 500 waits. We broadcast at 10 a.m. (Manila standard time! market reports, Exchance quotations, weather predictions, news items, and some music; and from 8 fo ID p.m. (Manila standard time) our regular studio programme, consisting of dance music from San Juan Cabaret bud the Manila Hotel. Hoping you will bo successful in picking ns up, very truly yours, Padio Corporation of the Philippines (Benito Raon, manager).” Aft ST r,a LFA N T.» ROG RA MM KS. “Havelock North ” writes; “L note that you publish in your paper programmes for radio .stations in Australia. Would you mind telling me how you get these programmes in lime P” There is great difficulty in obtaining those programmes. By having them posted it is possible to get about two programmes each fortnight from each station, as they are invariably late, even though posted a week ahead; and the method I adopt is fo use whatever information happens to arrive in time and supplement this by the resume of the next day's programme, which is given each evening over the air. Needless to say, this is a strenuous business, as one has not only to wait up for the resume (and no fixed time is arranged by any of ihe .stations for Ibis'), but fho programme is given so rapidly that it requires a fair degree of skill to copy if. However, we have been fairly successful in obtaining programmes so fai - . and since it is evident fhat they are appreciated we will continue- to do nur host fo maintain the service, which, as far as New Zealand is concerned, is unique. I may mention that all fho 2BL programmes published have been received by radio, as Ibis •station’s programme invariably arrives late. ■ HOWLING VALVES. This trouble is assuming serious proportions. There j s a|, least one particularly had offender who hangs alongside carrier waxes for sometimes half an hour. Every effort is being made in locate, some of the worst offenders, and the. radio inspector is not by any means idle. If Is suggested that every listener experiencing objectionable howling should record the time, the station on which the interference was beard, and the character of the howl. This information, if sent in by a. number of listeners, would assist in locating the frouble, and when the location was approximately determined steps could bo taken to examine all sets in Unit particular neighborhood. I notice fhat one firm in America .supplies a five-valve neutrodync set for 60 dollars, on which it allows 174 dollars lor a single-valve regenerative sot and more for two and thrcc-valve sets. The advertisement roads; “Keen the accessories. All wo want is your troublemaking set. All sets turned in will be destroyed.” It is a pity some company could not make a similar proposition in this country.