Search Results for: Pacific

With grateful thanks to Cliff McCauley (Ben’s nephew), we have been sent copies of some of New Zealand DX Radio Association member, Ben Capedo’s collection of DX memorabilia.

By Bryan Clark

The ultimate long-distance DX for New Zealand DXers is hearing radio stations from Europe or North Africa in our local evening, meaning a signal darkness path that crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Americas and the Pacific Ocean to reach us!

My first longpath log dates back to Christmas 1974. We were holidaying at Stanmore Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, and I had lugged my weighty Eddystone 680X (plus a collapsible loop antenna) up from Wellington for a week’s holiday. CSB2 from Lisbon Portugal was logged on 1034 kHz over 6 nights , peaking around 0730 UTC, and I was rewarded with a nice QSL and pennant from Radio Clube Portugues 5 weeks later!  Next, RNE Sevilla Spain 683 was logged from 0540 till 0610 GMT fadeout in July 1976 and Madrid 1223 in November that year, for reception at 0625.

There have been a number of significant dates affecting NZ MW stations and therefore DXers, in New Zealand.

1919: the first experimental radio station started broadcasting in Dunedin, New Zealand when founder “Toots” Mitchell was presented with a triode amplifying tube by his engineer friend Edward Meining. The opening song was “Robin Adair,” sung by Mitchell’s girlfriend at the microphone while Meining pedalled his bike the three kilometres from the sending station to his house where he had built a receiver. The station later became 4XD. They broadcast intermittently until 1921, then started regular scheduled programming two days a week. Those broadcasts led to the start of the Otago Radio Association. 4XD is still broadcasting, now on 1305 kHz and 99.2MHz often using the slogan “We were here first.”

What is FM DX

Radio Fiji QSL. Thanks to Bryan Clark

FM DX is the pursuit of distant stations in the 87.5 to 108MHz FM band. It can be rather addictive as stations from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands can appear and disappear with short notice. FM DX is best from November to February with the season peaking around Christmas.

Southland Gives Antarctic Touch To Annual Convention

Back: Lindsay Robinson, Paul Ormandy. Eddie Mackaskill, Sutton Burtenshaw. Middle: Arthur de Maine, Steven Greenyer, David Norrie, Frank Glen, Tony Magon, Eric McIntosh, Bryan Clark, Peter Grenfell Front: Ray Crawford, Paul Aronsen

For over 30 years, nestled between the southern Pacific Ocean and the Awarua Bay lagoon on tussocky, swamp country, the house at Tiwai Point has been a mecca for DXers. For those who haven’t been there, it is an old farm house – made of concrete, with three bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, bathroom and a long drop outdoors. The nearest electricity is 5km away. A coal range heats the water. It is not as primitive as it seems, but that is not important – what is, is what can be heard from the house. Six permanent aerials radiate towards, Nth and South America, Europe and Asia, between 300 and 600 metres in length.

Despite poor reception the 1961 DX League Convention held at Long Beach was an enjoyable function which was attended by representatives from Auckland, Taranaki, Canterbury, Southland and Otago branches.

Radio Notes

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LII, Issue 8645, 28 July 1924, Page 2

By Rheostat

A new radio principle has been introduced in the latest American receiving set, known as “Unidyne.” The valves are operated without ‘B’ batteries, or without high tension current of any description. The invention is described as one of the greatest advances in radio matters within recent times.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette , Issue 2009, 4 September 1935, Page 3

THE HOBBY OF DX-ING.

(By J. Lloyd Ferris, Member of N.Z.D.X Club. Official Station call: DX-.131.0T.).

D.X. listening and compiling a complete list of stations heard is a hobby which is rapidly gaining ground among radio listeners.

The question is often asked: “What is DX-ing?”

From “TUNE IN” … Page 16 … August 1958

MEMBERS’ RADIOS’ & AERIALS.

Lloyd Claydon, Auckland. — Bendix Compass. — Long wires all directions.

Ted Manning N.P. — Homebrew/12. — Long wires SW & SE.

John Waugh, N.P. — Philips/36. — Long wire. Various.

John Edwards, Dunedin. — Atwater Kent. — Inverted L & Long wire 800’.

Don Colbert, Inglewood. — Eddystone 750. — Long wires. Various.

Ted Osbourne, Wanganui. — Columbus/7. — ‘Long wire, 300’.

Graeme Henry, N.P. — Philips 597. — Inverted L, 100’ x 22’.