Dunedin Amateur Radio to the Rescue With Test Broadcast

Grey River Argus, 19 July 1949, Page 6

Dunedin Amateur Radio to the Rescue With Test Broadcast

DUNEDIN, July 18 Tlie New Zealand Broadcasting Service explored every avenue and welcomed advice in its endeavours to ensure a favourable reception of the test match commentary. To make the assurance doubly sure, if possible, an offer of a “D-Xer,” with equipment at Long Beach, to place his facilities at the disposal of the service was accepted, and technicians from 4ZB set up their equipment there on Saturday night.

Long Beach is just over ten miles from Dunedin and is well removed

from tne sources of electrical interference and has previously proved eminently satisfactory for difficult receptions. It is also thought that the fact of Dunedih being about 400 miles nearer South Africa than Wellington would help largely to overcome the difficulties presented by the auroral zone which was responsible for the relay being made through Perth. The Long Beach statioh listened in to Wellington’s relay and also took a complete recording of the commentary on a tape recorder ,used a frequency which the "D-Xers” had preferred to the relay from Perth. The value of this measure was evident when the relay through Perth failed in the second half of the game. The + ape recorder was brought straight into Dunedin and shortly after 5 a.re. yesterday the broadcast was played over by 4YA and picked upon the recording apparatus at 'Wellington. This was used during the commentaries later yesterday and enabled the Broadcasting Service to cover the game, despite the conditions which made the earlier arrangements unsatisfactory.