RADIO PROGRAMMES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 304, 21 November 1934, Page 3

RADIO PROGRAMMES

Radio programmes tor 10-niglit are as follow: IYA AUCKLAND (461.3 metres. 650 kilocycles).—s.o: Children’s session. 6.0: Dinner music. 8.0; Chamber music. 9.0: Weather report. 9.2: Reserved. 9.20: Dance music. 11.0: Close. IYX AUCKLAND (340.7 metres, 830 kilocycles).—s.o: Selected musical programme. 6.0: Close down 7.0: After dinner programme 10.0: Close down. 2YA WELLINGTON (526.0 metres. 570 kilocycles).—s.o: Children’s session. 6.0: Dinner music. 8.0:' Records. 10.3: Music, mirth and melody. 10.30: Dance programme. 11.0: Close, 2YC WELLINGTON (356.9 metres. 840 kilocycles).—s.o: Musical session. 6.0: Close down. 7.0: After dinner music. 8.0: Alternative concert programme. 10.0: Close.

3YA CHRISTCHURCH (416 4 metres. 720 kilocycles).—s.o: Children’s session. 6.0: Dinner music. 8.0: Chimes. Relay from the Civic Theatre of performance by the

Royal Christchurch Musical Society: “Belshazzar.” Soloists, Miss Lillian Hanham (soprano), Mr H. J. Francis (tenor), Mr John Thompson (baas). 9.0: Weatherforecast. 10.0: Dance music. 11.0: Close. 3YL CHRISTCHURCH (250 metres, 1200 kilocycles).—s.o: Light musical programme. 6.0: Close down. 7.0: After dinner music. 8.0: Alternative concert programme. 10.0: Close down. 4YA DUNEDIN (379.5 metres, 790 kilocycles).—s.o: Children’s session. 6.0: Dinner music. 8.0. Chimes. Relay from Town Hall Concert Chamber of concert by Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. 10.0: Favourites, old and new. 10.30: Dance music. 11.0: Close.

4YO DUNEDIN (263 metres, 1400 kilocycles).—s.o: Light musical session. 6.0: Close down 7.0. After dinner music. 8.0: Alternative concert programme. 10.0: Close dowti.

2ZF PALMERSTON NORTH (312.3 metres, 960 kilocycles).—6.3o: Children’s ■session. 7.30: Early musical session. 8.0: Relay of 2YA. 2FC SYDNEY (451 metres, 655 kilocycles).—B.o: National programme, front tiie Conservatorium Hall, The Musical Association of N.S.W. Choir, in conjunction with The A.B.C. (Sydney) Symphony Orchestra. 10.30: Dance music. 11.0: Close 2BL SYDNEY (351 metres, 855 kilocycles)—B.o: “Flags On The Matterhorn” —B B.C. recording. A drama of the Swiss Alps. 9.0: A talk. Interlude. 9.15: “Variety Vitamins.” 10.30: Close. Note. —New Zealand summer tune • is two hours ahead of eastern Australian time, and 12 hours ahead of Greenwich mean lime.

BITS ABOUT BROADCASTS.

SEVERE STATIC DISTURBANCE

(By “Microphone.”) Not for some months has static of such a vicious nature been experienced in the daytime as well as later in the evenings. Even before the electrical disturbance moved on to the district the ether was not clear for some days, but on Sunday and Monday nights the position was particularly bad. Whether or not it was a coincidence cannot be ascertained, but, when a little after 5 o’clock on Monday afternoon a particularly had blast of static from an adjacent electrical discharge spoilt reception, it was found that the power supply was momentarily interrupted and it was not restored for several seconds. It was then found that 2YA and lib had been silenced, the latter for quite a time. ’ . . . It is not often that Dominion listen-

ers are really seriously inconvenienced in this manner, hut in Australia a different story is often told. When the cables several days ago advised of the difficulty of finding Miss Freda Thompson, the aviatrix,. in Central Australia, it was stated that storms were interrupting communications. It is now revealed in news received this week that severe static rendered the usual radio service useless for some time. Wyndham, Camooeweal, Townsville and other stations were out of action, and messages had to be sent 7700 miles by cable and telegraph from Darwin through Batavia (Java), Cocos Island (the wireless station made famous in the war when the Australians captured a powerful German plant), and Perth, thence by continental telegraph to Melbourne.

Supplementary advice further to that published, last Wednesday regal ding the Royal wedding has been' received. It is learned that the actual ceremony will take place between 10.45 p.rn. and midnight (N.Z. summer time). 2EC Sydney will carry out a complete broadcast and at 1.30 a.m. will transmit an eyewitness account of the scenes. At 8.10 on November 30 (the next day) 2FC will broadcast a recording of the wedding description; this would he likely to furnish good reception if rebroadcast by the Dominion National stations.

Mr E. T. Fisk, chairman of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., in an address in New South Wales a few days ago, said that the British Empire to-day had the most efficient system of world-wide communications of all nations. He said that the system was the outcome of experiments conducted by himself at Wahroonga in 1918 and the Marconi station at Carnarvon (Wales). The results, after 12 months’ work, day and night, said Mr Fisk, demonstrated for all time the possibility of direct communication between here and England, and all communications, such as high speed beam wireless and oversea telephones, is the reeult of these experiments. Otherwise, the British Empire services would have been limited to a chain of stations operating over only 2000 mile steps, aud it would have been necessary to relay a message about six times between London and Sydney. The then Prime Minister (Mr Hughes) fought for direct communication, single handed, at the Imperial Conference in 1921.

An application by the Broadcasting Board for permission to place illuminated signs on the 100 ft steel tower which is to be erected on the new IYA studio building in Auckland was refused by the City Council last week. The proposal was for four golden “IYA” signs in neon tubing, extending 30ft. down from the top of each face of the tower.

Beginning on Monday next, the following alterations in the evening programmes of the Sydney national stations will take effect: —Each evening from 2EC at the conclusion of the children’s session, approximately 0.15, this station will broadcast dinner music until 8 o’clock, when the national relay will begin. By this arrangement, listeners are assured of uninterrupted entertainment for five hours. 2BL is to open each night at G. 5 instead of as at present, 6.15. The programme until 8 p.m. will be devoted to talks, including the national talk, sporting, market reports, stock exchange reports, weather reports, services of a practical nature, interviews with outstanding personalities of the. week,- women’s interests, gardening and-wool reports. (All times are two hours behind Now Zealand summer time.) Since the arrival of the Duke of Gloucester at Perth, the Australian Broadcasting Commission has relayed practically the entire tour, so that lis teners have been able to accompany His Royal'Highness, per medium of the air, over ltiis full itinerary./ Broadcast arrangements for the visit to New South Wales are most comprehensive and cover practically every function at which the Duke will be present. “All it consists of is bringing the ground up a few hundred feet, and the job up there is hauling things up and putting in bolts. It seems to be just something in the make-up which allows some people to work as fast and serenely up in the air as on the ground.” This, is the simple, frankly modest explanation of the requirements for constructing the tallest tower south of Mexico—lYA’s 500-foot aerial mast at Henderson —given by Mr William Ward, of the Dorman, Long Company. For the last six years he has done similar jobs in Australia, and recently at Christchurch, but none so high as the present narrow steel tower, which is his sixth wireless station contract for aerials. His only expression of-pride is from the fact that of the dozens of assistants who have “gone up” with him here and there, not one has so much as bruised a finger. The care which he lias always taken, not only with the growing towers, but also with every bit of hoisting gear is perhaps the secret of his success. For instance, the “bos’un’s chair” on which personal ascents are made on the Henderson mast, has been tested for a two-ton lift, yet the greatest number of men it will accommodate is three —one sitting and two standing. Auckland will now have an aerial more modern than any other at present in Australia or New Zealand. The mast is completely self-insulated, being in itself an aerial. It rests on seven cylindrical white porcelain insulators, one large one in the centre and the others grouped round in a circle, the outside diameter of which is about 3ft. Steel guy ropes, fitted at four points between the ground and the top, hold the structure with surprising stability, although in a strong wind there is perceptible sway. The lowest guys, 120 ft. lOin. from the ground, are 3Jin. in circumference. The top ones, 462 ft. up, are 4in., and weigh lGcwt. All the guys are insulated near the top and the bottom. Each side of the triangular | mast is only about Bft. Although this gives the impression of comparatively small wind resistance, the Public Works Department required guy anchors of 143 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. Two of this contractor’s radio aerial jobs in Australia were at 2CH, Dundas, Sydney, and 2CO, Corowa, N.S.W. The former has two 320 ft. four-sided girder masts, and the other has two “self-supporting” towers, similar to lYA’s present masts. (A picture of the mast appeared in the “Standard” last night).

“REMEMBER THIS RADIATION.” Remember that if the receiver unaccountably commences to tune unduly sharply so as to make operation difficult it is a wise plan in most instances to inspect the aerial and lead-in. Tlie partial or complete electrical severance of the system will cause the tuning to become unbalanced and shorten the effective range of the aerial. If the external system is not at fault there will possibly be a breakdown in tlie aerial circuit in the receiver itself.

NEW ZEALAND DX CLUB. MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Palmerston North branch of the Now Zealand DX Club was hold last week, Mr J, P. Cowlishaw presiding over a fair attendance, Mr H. Rowlands (technical advisor) who has been, an inmate of the Palmerston North Hoepital following a collision with a oar, wac. pres uni, and received a warm welcome,:

Mr McAneny, a member of the Auckland branch, paid a hurried visit to Palmerston North during the month, but was unable to visit many members owing to the limited time at his disposal. A letter was received from the secretary of the New Zealand DX Radio Association. advising the best entry received for the inter-club competition. This disclosed that the DX Club were again the winners and have now a commanding lead. It is proposed to pay an official visit to the Marton branch at an early date, and arrangements were made for a date early in December.. It was decided to have a special DX Christmas card printed and distributed to members on the fame lines as hast year. An invitation is to be extended to the Manawatu branch of the New Zealand DX Radio Association to visit the DX Club on a night to be decided. The result of the monthly competitions were as follows: . Overseas. Senior:—Mr G. Vining, WMBQ (U.S.A.) 1; Mr G. Dalefiold, WMPC (U.S.A.) , 2; Mr E. Seeley, Bari (Italy) 3 Overseas, junior:—Mr ,T. Todd, KRE (U S.A.) 1; Mr E. Seclev. VK3BW (Aust.) 2: Mr R. Lacey, KYW (U.S.A.) 3. - VK Competition:—Mr G. Daleficld. VK4JJ (15 watls) 1; Mr J. ,P. Cowlishaw, VKSRP (18 watts) 2; Mr C. Yining, VICSRP 3. The annual meeting of the branch is to bo held next month when the election of officers will take place, and the results of the six-monthly competitions will bo announced. A dainty supper was served aoad DX topic* discussed, till a. laie. law*.