AERIAL CUT

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 276, 27 November 1935, Page 2

AERIAL CUT

IZB Interfered With

POLICE ON GUARD

MR SCRIMGEOUR’S CHARGE

(Per Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Last Night.

luterferejice with the aerial at the transmitting plant of station IZB was discovered by 'i'iic operator shortly ■before the station was due to go on the air at 7 o’clock last night.' In view of the jamming of the station on Sunday night the operator made a careful examination of the installation when he arrived and found that the guy holding the lead iin from the aerial liad| been cut, allow,'.ng the aerial to niakl| contact with the ,roo.f of .the buildiifg. The operator slaid later that 1 had the power been .turned on for any length of time without the intcrferetiicc being discovered irreparable damage would have been dome to the plane. The repair was made and the police wore ijnifoirmed. A constable was in attendance at the tinansmitltejr while the broadcast was in ipjrogress last night. Following interference with radio staitioin IZB on Sunday and last night. Mr Scrimgeour this morning alleged that the studio telephone wires were tapped yesterday and practically evklry. conversation was interrupted by remitUrks 'Which, 'in male voices, suggested that the station would not be on the air 'lasd night, also that “Scrimgeour thought he was clever.” Mr Scdimgeour added that the remarks weha more or less of the same kind, slighting >a|nid sometimes of an insulting character. Responsible official- of the P. and T. Department denied that complaints of tapping had been made, as suggested by Mr Scrimgeour, declaring that thev ’know nothing about tapping. W OFFICIAL EXPLANATION ? (Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Direcitor-Gieneral of the Post and Telegraph Department has announced tn connection with the interference! with radio reception in Auckland on Sunday night that an experimental, osoillia.tto'r arrived ,at 'Auckland on Saturday morning last from Wellington and was installed that afternoon in a room at the Newmarket telegraph workshops. The apparatus, which ip hell equipped for transmitting telegraph .or telephone siginfals, was for use in making field strength measurements !n preparation for radio beacons and range fore aircraft communications. Tuning up took place from approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, when lappairenjt'ly i/t caused no interference to anyone.

On Sunday afternoon tho tuning up was continued until somewhere about 9.30 o’clock, when thio officer closed down. This was three-quarters of an hour after IZB is stated fb have closed down, but no report of .intarference elsewhere Jhgg, been irleceived. As it is an unmodulated osienjlllator listeners would not be aware itfhiaiti it was radiating except when its frequency approached that of another station. The oscillator is provided with nn auxiliary tuning condenser for thle> pudpoise of lowering the frequency to that used for aircraft comimiunic&ition.

Due Ito on inadvertence this condenser was not correctly connected, wii|tUi tlhe result that the oscillator operated imi the broadcast band. This was not. realised at the time, but it is now regarded as the source of the interference. After tuning up the oscillator was disconnected by. the officer, who was from Wellington and who ,I'eft Auckland about 9 a.m. on Monday to make preliminary arrangements for tlhe associated field work. When the matter came under notice: the officer was recalled to Wellington in an endeavour to ascertain the position,. He has reported that I,efcre.be left Auckland he learned that dfriuig itihe tuning on 'Saturday afternoon he had caused interference to a slight extent with transmission from IYA. This officer arrived at 11.30 this morning and this explanation is issued to account for the unfortunate happening. It its not likely 'that any further interference with any broadcasting station will arise from this source.