RADIO NOTES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 41, 27 September 1928, Page 3

RADIO NOTES

(By “GRID LEAK.)

ERECTING AERIALS. (By “GRID LEAK’. ’) “Grid Leak” would again remind those who are erecting aerials that it is an offence to erect aerials, tied on to chimneys. The reasons for this ban are many. Idle main reason is that should the chimney catch on fire, there is a chance of it spreading to the aerial, besides if it fell down it may - result in some person being injured. At any rate, on e is Aviso not t 0 -take a chance. It is cheaper to put up your aerial properly, than to pay- a fine. WHAT’S WRONG WITH 2YA? Quite a number of local fans are complaining about the “mushiness” and roar from the Wellington station. There is something "very much wrong Avith tins station of late and it is certainly up to the Broadcasting Company to put the matter right. RELAY BY 2YA. Apparently the Wellington station Is again making an effort to test transmissions from distant towns. It is hoped that the experiments will he successful. “Grid Leak” will tell you more about it next week. “THE BELLE OP NEW YORK.” Last Saturday night IYA broadcasted parts of the abOA'e opera hoav being played in Auckland by amateurs. THE PEACE PACT. 3YA has the distinction of being the only Noav Zealand station to attempt to rebroadcast the account of the signing of the Peace Pact as replayed from SSW England. The attempt Avas only partially successful, but, cn 3YA’s part it was highly creditable, for it was purely due to extraneous circumstances that the speecehs Avere heard only in spasms. Many Canterbury enthusiasts sat up throughout relay, which Avas received in th e small hours of the morning. RACING BAN. The controversy over the racing clubs’ ban on broadcasting still rages. One listener raises a novel query apropos to the argument. “Has a broadcasting company any greater right to claim broadcasting privileges from a racecourse than it has from a theatre or concert hall?” In each case, he urges, entertainment is provided, admission is charged, and Press publicity and criticism ar e invited and given. Why, then, should racecourse privileges only be brought into question. Should not places of evening entertainment also throw their doors open to the microphone? The writer leaves the tracing of the analogy to his readers. IMPROVING 2YA. Listeners will be glad to know that the Broadcasting Company are going to make some further improvements to 2YA, the broadcasters are

about to install a now speech amplifier system similar to that in use at Christchurch and Auckland. At present th e apparatus used at 2YA is of British manufacture, while the new apparatus will he of American manufacture. THE BYRD ANTARCTIC FLIGHT. Messrs R. J, Patty and P. R. Stevens, of 2ZM Gisborne, have been asked by KDKA, the famous Pittsburg short-wave station, to prepare a special schedule with th e Commander Byrd Antarcatic flight project and endeavour to maintain communication the time the flight is to commence will be th e subject °£ further communication from KDKA. It is a striking compliment to these Gisborne amateur operators that KDKA have made this special request to keep in close touch with Commander Byrd’s Antarctic flight. THE JAPANESE STATIONS. The Japanese stations, (lOAK, Tckio, and JCiHK, Sindai, on 345 and 390 metres respectively, come in with good loud-speaker volume late in file evening. JOHK, which is just below the -wave-length of 4QG, Brisbane, was decidedly louder than the latter station' one evening recently. If one has the patience to listen to these Jap. stations for a while, some weird effects can be heard. The wailing songs, the strumming on a stringed instrument like a guitar an the beating of a gong with the timbre of a tea tray combine to produce a thoroughly Eastern atmosphere. The reason why some listeners have searched for the Jap. stations unsuccessfully is that the Jap. stations indulge in rather lengthy intervals at times. APPEAL TO DIGGERS’ FRIEND. The following letter, bearing sev-enty-five signatures, has been forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, by the inmates of the Sanatorium, Waipukurau:- — Dear Sir, —We, the undersigned inmates of th e above hospital, urge you to use your influence with the Racing Conference in getting them to remove the embargo on the broad-

casting of racing events. In stopping this we have been deprived of the one- fbrm of enjoyment which appealed, to all of us, and whilst it. lasted enabled us to forget oar troubles. As Hie races were' described we ■gave full' play to our imagination, and tire pleasure derived therefrom was swell as .to prompt us to beg of you \as the Digger’s Friend to have the , good work carried on.