This article appeared in What's on the Air, February, 1931.
Thanks to Jim Douglass for providing the magazine.
Sounds Like the Tower of Babel
SHORT-WAVE fans in the U. S. A. will have to become linguists if they
are to get much more than the thrill of distance out of their catch,
world-wide as it now is. The International Short Wave Club has made
available a list of stations using voice instead of code heard by its
members in this country during a recent month. Symbols correspond
(left to right) to wavelength in meters, location and hours (E. S.
T.) during which the station operates.
14.15 - LSN, Buenos Aires, Arg., 10 A. M.-2 P. M. 14.55 - PMB, Bandoeng, Java, Mon., Wed., Thurs., Sat., 5:40-10:40 A. M. 15.02 - LSG, Buenos Aires, Arg., 10 A. M.-2 P. M. 15.5 - VK2ME, Sydney, Austral., 2 P. M.-5 P. M. 15.55 - FTM, St. Assise, France, 10 A. M.-2 P. M. 15.93 - PLE, Bandoeng, Java, Tues., Fri., 5:40-10:40 A. M. 16.11 - GBU, Rugby, England, 6 A. M.-2 P. M. 16.3 - PCK, Kootwijk, Holland, 6 A. M.-9 A. M. 16.38 - GBS, Rugby, England, 6 A. M.-2 P. M. 16.44 - FRE, St. Assise, France, 11 A. M.-12 M. 16.5 - CGA, Drummondville, Can., 6 A. M.-2 P. M. 16.54 - GBW, Rugby, England, 6 A. M.-2 P. M. 16.57 - GBK, Bodmin, England, 6 A. M.-2 P. M. 16.82 - PCV, Kootwijk, Holland, 6 A. M.-9 A. M. 17.1 - G2GN, S. S. Olympic; G2IV, S. S. Majestic, 7 A. M.-2 P. M. 18. - LSN, Buenos Aires, Arg., 2-8 P. M. 18.5 - FZR, Saigon, Indo China, 11-12 M. 18.56 - GBX, Rugby, England, 4 P. M.-11 P. M. 18.8 - PLG, Bandoeng, Java, 6 A. M.-9 A. M. 19.56 - W2XAD, Schenectady, N. Y., daily, 5:10-8 P. M.; Sun., 2-8 P. M. 20.7 - GBW, Rugby, England, 1 P. M.-4 P. M. 19.72 - W8XK, Pittsburgh, Pa., Wed., Sat., 7-11 A. M. 20.79 - VPD, Suva, Fiji Islands, 3 A. M.-5 A. M. 20.9 - G2NM, Sonning-on-Thames, England, Sun., 12:30-2 P. M. 22. - LSN, Buenos Aires, Arg., 2 P. M.-5 P. M. 22.5 - G2GN, S. S. Olympic; G2IV, S. S. Majestic, all hours. 24.23 - G2GL, S. S. Homeric, afternoons, irregular. 24.41 - GBU, Rugby, England, 2 P. M.-7 P. M. 24.46 - FTN, St. Assise, France, 11 A. M.-12 M. 24.6 - GBS, Rugby, England, 2 P. M.-7 P. M. 24.9 - FZR, Saigon, Indo China, 11 A. M.-12 M. 25.1 - 3R0, Rome, Italy, irregular; tests. 25.25 - W8XK, Pittsburgh, Pa., daily, 11 A. M.-9 P. M. 25.36 - K1XR, Manila, P. I., irregular, 1 A. M.-9 A. M. 25.53 - G5SW, Chelmsford, England, Mon. to Fri., 6:30-7:30 A. M., 1-6 P. M. 25.6 - CJRX, Winnipeg, Can., 5:30-8:30 P. M.; Tues., Thur,., Sat., 10:30. 25.65 - KIO, Kauhuku, Oahu, irregular, 2 P. M.-8 P. M. 26.1 - KIXR, Manila, P. I., irregular, 4 A. M.-6 A. M. 26.22 - DHC, Nauen, Germany, irregular, 7 P. M.-9 P. M.. 26.7 - IBDK, Yacht Elettra, 3 P. M.-7 P. M., irregular. 28. - GBP, Rugby, England, irregular. 28.5 - VK2ME, Sydney, Austral., 1 A. M.-7 A. M. 28.8 - KES, Bolinas, Calif., 2-8 P. M., irregular. 30.15 - GBU, Rugby, England, 5 P. M.-11 P. M. 30.3 - LSN, Buenos Aires, Arg., 6 P. M.-10 P. M. 30.6 - GBW, Rugby, England, 5 P. M.-10 P. M. 30.88 - NRH, Heredia, Costa Rica, 9-10 P. M. 31.3 - K1XR, Manila, P. I., irregular, 2 A. M.-9 A. M.. 31.3 - PCJ, Eindhoven, Holland, Thurs., 1-3 and 6-10 P. M.; Fri., 1-3 and 7-12 P. M. 31.3 - W3XAU, Philadelphia, Pa., 8 A. M.-4 P. M. 31.38 - Zeesen, Germany, 3 P. M.-6:30 P. M., irregular. 31.48 - W2XAF, Schenectady, N. Y., daily, 7-10 P. M. 32.1 - GCA, Drummondville, Can., 6 P. M.-6 A. M. 32.4 - GBK, Bodmin, England, 6 P. M.-6 A. M. 33.25 - GBS, Rugby, England, 6 P. M.-6 A. M. 34.1 - G2GN, S. S. Olympic; G2IV, S. S. Majestic, all hours. 35.5 - WSBN, S. S. Leviathan, irregular, evenings. 36. - G2AA, Rugby, England, 6 P. M.-6 A. M. 39.7 - HKF, Bogota, Colombia, 5-7 and 11 P. M.-1 A. M. 42.9 - GBS, Rugby, England, 6 P. M.-6 A. M. 44.6 - VRY, Georgetown, British Guiana, Wed., 7:15-9; Sun., 5:45-9 P. M. 48.3 - HKC, Bogota, Colombia, 9:45 P. M.-11:30 P. M. 48.62 - HRB, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat., 12 P. M. 48.86 - W8XK, Pittsburgh, Wed., Sat., 5-11 P. M. 49.02 - W2XE, New York, 8 A. M.-12 P. M. 49.18 - W3XAL, Bound Brook, N. J., 5-6 and 10-12 P. M. 49.22 - VE9GW, Bowmanvilie, Can., 5:45-11 A. M. and 3-11 P. M. 49.3 - HS2PJ, Bankok, Siam, 6-6:30 A. M. 49.34 - W9XAA, Chicago, Ill., 7-8, 9:30-10:15 and 11-12 P. M. 49.5 - W8XAL, Cincinnati, 0. 49.5 - W3XAU, Philadelphia, Pa., 4 P. M.-11 P. M. 49.7 - W2XAL, Pointville, N. J., 9-11 P. M., irregular. 49.83 - W9XF, Chicago, Ill., 3:30-7 and 8:30 P. M.-1 A. M. 52.7 - Airport stations. 62.7 - UZA, Drummondville, Can., irregular. 65.1 - WSBN, S. S. Leviathan, irregular. 70.1 - RV1S, Khabarovsk, U. S. S. R., 3 A. M.-9 A. M. 70.2 - G2GL, S. S. Homeric, 3 P. M.-10 P. M. 72.7 - G2GN, S. S. Olympic; G2IV, S. S. Majestic, all hours. 95.4 - Airport stations. 130 - DDDX, S. S. Bremen; DDDX, S. S. Europa. Testing.
Meanwhile, on the regular broadcasting band, Spanish is clashing with
English on an increasing number of wavelengths. There are now
thirty-five broadcasting stations in Mexico, of which nine are using
one thousand watts or more; and, as Mexico has no assigned
wavelengths, all are operating in confliction with American and
Canadian stations.
Station XED at Reynosa, Mexico -- a few feet from the Texas border --
is operating at present on a frequency of 960 kilocycles (a Canadian
clear channel) from 12:30 to 2:30 P. M., and from 8 to midnight, E.
S. T. This station plans to increase its hours on the air in the
near future.
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