THE BUZZER AS A NUISANCE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 16, 19 January 1924, Page 22

THE BUZZER AS A NUISANCE

The use of of a buzzer to test a crystal detector is regular and legitimateeven necessary,; but enthusiastic beginners should take precautions before-ihey use ibuzzers for practising Morse, code. When this is done the buzzer should'not be connected with the set; it is capable of being a considerable nuisance. A local amateur reports that last Saturday, when he was trying to get some of the broadcasts from other centres, his reception was completely spoiled by a constant, transmission of Morse, evidently the result of a beginner using a buzzer. He found it impossible to tune it out, and" that it was almost equally audible— and .considerably louder tlian the distant broadcasts—throughout the wave-length range of his set, from below 200 metres to above 600 metres. It is not generally realised that a. buzzer is audible for a considerable distance on . a sensitive re 7 ceiver, and is, in fact, a miniature spark transmitter. It is capable of being used so as to radiate comparatively strongly on a selected wave-length, but, as with all spark t transmitters, its signals are audible on each side of. the nominal frequency. Amateurs are not allowed to use ,spark transmitters ; and,the sole reason is that they cannot easily be tuned out. Buzzers at short range ; are just as, bad. When used merely for;testing a crystal they should not be,connected with the receiver aY all. . If a buzzer is wanted for practising Morse, it should certainly not be attached to the set; and if the operator wants to use the' 'phones to listen to it, he ought to disconnect the set from the. aerial while he is practising. If he has near neighbours who have receivers, he might well go a step further and reduce possible interference to the utmost by i: shunting the buzzer magnet coils with a condenser or a non-inductive resistance.