PREMISES FOR NEW TRANSMITTER

Evening Star, Issue 21706, 28 April 1934, Page 4

PREMISES FOR NEW TRANSMITTER

AUCKLAND TENDER OF £B,BOO ACCEPTED The tender of Watson and Holmes, of Auckland, has been accepted by the New Zealand Broadcasting Board lor the erection" of premises to accommodate the powerful new transmitter for IYA to be erected near Henderson, according to nil announcement made by Mr G. R, Hutchinson, Auckland member of the board. It is understood the price is about £3,000. the lowest of fourteen tenders received. The tendering was very close, the first live all being within £SOO of one another. The building will be 90ft by 94ft. and will comprise a transmitting ball, offices, an engine room to house emergency electric power plant, and an emergency studio from which recorded items can be broadcast if a fault occurs in the laud line from the studio. There will he a 1.000-gallon storage tank for the cooling of the-valves. Water will be obtained from a bore and from tanks.

The site for the tyuismitter is an area of loj acres near Lincoln Road Bridge, about two and n-half miles beyond the Henderson township, on the main road to Hclonsvilio. The fact that it is bordered by the sea and is adjacent to swamp country will unsure splendid earthing, which is more important than the former belief that high country was necessary for a transmitting station. . Work on the actual transmitting plant is well under way in Australia, the tender having been let in February. With a power of 19 kilowatts, which is twenty times that of lho present IYA, four times that of the new 3A r A, ami double that of 2YA. the new transmitter will bo as powerful as any Australian station, and double the strength ol 2FC and 2BL Sydney, and 3IjO and JAR Melbourne.

In addition to the emergency studio at the transmitting station, there will be an emergency transmitter at the new studio being erected in Shortlcnd street, so that, there will be two complete plants. It is believed the Broadcasting Board is considering placing one of the present 100 ft masts of IYA in Karangnbape road on the top of the new studio when it is completed. Good progress continues to bo made on Hie studio building, and most of tlm foundations have already been put in. The single 500 ft steel lattice mast for the new transmitter is at present under construction in Australia. Both the new studio and the transmitter will bo in operation before the end of the year.