BITS ABOUT BROADCASTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 201, 15 July 1936, Page 3

BITS ABOUT BROADCASTS.

A MYSTERY STATION. (By “Microphone.”) From time to time “mystery” stations appear and provide a tantalising puzzle until their identity is established. AVhat appeal's to be another such station was discovered on the slmrtwavcs on Sunday afternoon, and noted again on Monday (at the time of writting). Operating on about 31.20 metres —quite close to the frequency of H.J IABP Cartagena (31.25 metres) —this station, appears to be a new Cuban transmitter, “Havana, Cuba,” having been heard several tunes. Un Sunday it was held from 4.20 till 5.30, when it left the air with the “Good-night Waltz,” hut on Monday, it signed olf at 1.30. Each quarter-hour an interval signal of a light chime was sounded, followed by speech in Spanish. Mention was made of “experimental” during the course of the announcement, but the call could not be distinguished; at various times it appeared that “R” and “CO” were included. Spanish music was played ao fair speaker strength—at times it almost equalled FAQ Aladrid in volume —and announcements were frequent. It appears to be a new Cuban tiansmitter of entertainment possibilities. Noise level was high in the writer’s portion of the city, but other listeners may have distinguished the call. Any information as to the identity of tho station would be welcomed by “Microphone,” care of the “Standard” office. ONLY THREE WATTS.

It is nothing unusual for amateur station's to cover immense distances with comparatively little power, and actual reception at times proves how amazing is the feat. The 80-metre band is at present in excellent condition, and ea'cli ii'ght scores of contacts are being made with Australia. However, on Saturday night at 11.15, a test of an unusual nature was carried out by a 3-watt station, VK2IK Earlwood, Sydney. A directional aerial was employed and volume was at quite fair speaker strength until ZL2qjW AVellington, on an almost identical wave-length, drowned the signals. Gramophone records came over well, except for a rather rapid fade. The exact frequency was 3800 kilocycles. Possibly further tests will be forthcoming. From time to time the ranks of the amateurs are being entered by women operators, of whom there are now quite a number, and all are keen at their hobby. The latest in Australia, and the first in Tasmania, is Miss Joyce Crowder, who, though not' yet 20, is operating her own station 7YL from a hut in her back garden. Miss Crowder, who is a school teacher, was one of two successful, candidates for the ticket in a class of nine, the remainder being men. She also has her serviceman’s ticket, • and intends to become a commercial radio engineer. Ten-metre transmissions are making remarkable headway. It is reported that an Australian has logged

W6XKG, operating from Los Angeles, on 9.49 metres at noon. GENEVA BROADCASTS. • Since 2YA lias been transmitting recordings of the weekly broadcasts from Geneva many have become indirectly familiar with Radio Nations, the League's own station. Directly, however, short-wave listeners have been in very much closer touch, although conditions have been becoming more difficult. On Monday evening the noise level was very high, and iJLR Lyndhurst (Victoria) at. first had difficulty in obtaining a record. At first the signals of HBL were taken on .31.27 metres, but these proved too noisy and a change back was made to MBO on 26.<‘35 metres, which was quite clearly received here. The broadcast ended about 6 p.m. On this occasion Mr Cross, the usual speaker, did not officiate, but listeners heard Miss McGeashy, a Canadian member of the Information Section of the League. Of Scottish extraction, ■ and speaking with a slight Canadian j accent, her voice was adnfirahly suited for the broadcast. Miss Me- j ( .'ashy will probably be heard again j on August 9, when a special broad-j cast will be made from Radio Nations to school children. The station uses 20,000 watts over omnidirectional

aerials. OLYMPIC BROADCASTS.

Since List Wednesday further information lias been obtained concerning the broadcasts which will take place in regard to the Olympic Games, commencing in Germany on August 1. Mr H. N. Shaw, short-wave correspondent of Wireless Weekly (Sydney), has received interesting information. It has been arranged tliatj there will bo 30 direct transmissions and 38 recording installations lor. simultaneous use by the 35 countries! who will take the broadcasts, in addition, there will be in reserve 21) transmitter cars with recording apparatus. At the main arena there will be 20 speakers’ cabins with live to ten microphones, and in the umpires’ lobby there will be another twelve microphones. On the assembly ground there will bo facilities lor ten commentators, as well as others on high towers. At the swimming stadium 25 commentators will be able to give simultaneous descriptions, i and there will be 15 announcers at the hockey stadium and 10 at the cycle track. For the rowing events special plans are in hand. The opening ceremony by Herr Hitler will be broadcast in 15 transmissions and will he sent to all countries participating in the Games. THROUGH THE MICROPHONE. The last Canadian mail brought particulars of C-JRX Winnipeg, reception of which was recently reported. CJRX is stated to be the pioneer short-wave broadcast station in

Canada and the first to proivde regular daily broadcasts of concert programmes. It operates with 2000 watts on 25.60 metres, 11,720 kilocycles, from the studios in the Royal Alexandra Hotel, Winnipeg. The call was formerly VE9JR. Simultaneously CJRO (also operated by Jas. Richardson and Co.), formerly VK9CL, operates with the same power on 48.87

metres, 6150 kilocycles. They sign off at 4.30 p.m., which corresponds to II p.m. Canadian standard time. Incidentally, it is reported that the stations operated by the Canadian Com- ] mission (whose programmes these stations also take) do not. verify reports of reception. CJRX, however, sends a : fine card I XENT Laredo, Texas, is being heard lat fair volume from before 7 p.m. on 329 metres, 910 kilocycles, the same i location as 4RK Rockhampton (Q.). i XENT uses a power of 150,000 watts, and a letter received from Dr. Norj man Bilker, who operates the station, states that it is eight miles out lot Nuevo Laredo, just across the [boundary between Texas and Mexico. [ln the course of the letter lie requests [listeners to print their names and addresses, “bearing in mind that the names of the towns and streets are strange to us in U.S.A. and are hard to make out if written.” Definite advice has been received that the new Australian station 2NR at Lawrence, near Grafton, New South Wales, will ho officially opened on Friday night, although it will he operating the day before. Speeches will be made by prominent people and: a special •programme will bo broadcast. 2NR transmits on 429 metres, | 910 kilocycles, between 2BL and 2CO j and should he easily heard with a power of 7000 watts.