2ZR NELSON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 18 June 1932, Page 6

2ZR NELSON

UP-TO-DATE LOCAL STATION IN OPERATION SHORTLY “2ZR, Nelson, testing in Dunedin” is the radio call listeners in various parts of New Zoaland huvo been hearing almost every night after 11 o’clock for the- last week. The call has aroused general interest and many are anxious to learn the explanation of a Nelson callsign being used in Dunedin. The solution to the problem is not difficult to find, as recently the Rost and Telegraph Department issuAi to Mr N. Bruithwaite, of Dunedin, a license to operate a radio station in Nelson, and this outfit is being assembled, tested, and adjusted in Dunedin before being brought to this town. A young Dunedin man, Mr L. Bates, is responsible for the construction of the transmitter, which has an output power of 50 watts, and is carefully wired with 50 ump. copper strips instead of the usual copper wire. It is a most compact job housed in a light oak easing, which occupies the smallest space possible. A speech amplifier is built in rack formation, using its own power supply, and is of the very latest design. .Special instruments have been fitted to maintain constant balance of speech and music, while a mixing panel is provided to accommodate two condenser microphones. one Western Electric carbon microplione, and the gramophone pickup amplifiers. A special condenser mie. rophone lias been constructed in Dunedin, and it is considered by experts to he the best of its kind in operation in the Dominion. Twin turntables of the latest synchronous type have been purchased for the playing of records. It is interesting to note that these motors cannot uller their speed, there being no governors or regulators, so that all records must be played at the same rate. Two electric pick-ups are in position be. side the motors, and a special fading device enables the operator to fade one record out at the same time bringing the music from another disc in, all in the one operation. A special relay ampli.j fiur has been assembled for relay work. In order to overcome microphonic noises in this instrument, automobile valves have been inserted with the result that the roughest handling of this component when installed in a hall for relay purposes will fail to reproduce the slightest extranqous noise.

Since they have been testing with 2ZR, Messrs Bates and Braithwaite have received over one hundred letters from listeners from as far north as North Auckland and as far south as Invercargill, the majority reporting excellent reception. Distant reports are all the more remarkable when it is stated that nil tests have been catried out with a make-shift aerial, which stretches from a second floor window-sill to a tree very much lower than the window, and is almost completely shielded by neighbouring houses. It would seem that tlie best reception area is in Wellington city, where listeners have logged 2ZR at maximum strength.

A local station is a long felt want in Nelson, and will undoubtedly be a welcomo acquisition to this town. It will bo located in the heart of the town, and will open up here towards the end of this month. It is the intention of the constructors to complete tlie testing work in Dunedin, so that when 2ZR is installed in its permanent home it will be ready to commence regular broadcasting without any preliminary tests being carried out. The hours of transmission suggested are: —l2 to 2 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. daily, with two night performances weekly. On one of t.ho nights on which the station will be on the dir a children’s session will ho conducted by Uncle Doug, who has already established himself a firm favourite with ■Dunedin children with his sessions from 4ZB. It' is also hoped that arrangements can be made to relay a church service on Sunday evenings. The programmes will consist of all the best recorded items, while local artists will be given the opportunity of appearing before tlie microphone. The younger folk will be catered for with'special late dance sessions. 2ZR will operate on a frequency of 1369 kilocycles.