Radio Review

Evening Star, Issue 19788, 11 February 1928, Page 18

Radio Review

-[By “HENRY.”]-

Flashes from Everywhere.

THE YEAR IN RADIO. I'JiN REVIEWED. Tho year 1927 has been one of wonderluJ achievement in the world of radio from the point of view of the listener with the everyday broadcast receiving set (says “ I .E.E., 1 ' in tho 4 Listener in ’). Twelve mouths ago —indeed, nine months ago —the great broadcasters of Europe were only names to all but the litiio band of enthusiasts with supersensitive sets attuned to special wave lengths. -Now everyone who listens, whether on a modest, crystal set that costs a pound or on an ornate multivalve super-something sold in a luxurious cabinet at a sum running well into three figures, has heard Rig Ren strike in Loudon, has heard a Rolshevik propagandist in Russia broadcasting , tho glad tidings of Communism, Ims heard Hilbert and Sullivan from that wonderful Italian station LMi, has heard a Erenchman talking at a tremendous speed in his own language Irom Radio Haris, a German speaking laultless English from Langeaburg, and a Dutchman at Eindhoven announcing one minute in Dutch, the next in Trench, and the third in English.

IS THE ELECTRON DIVISIBLE? Modern students of electricity have grown accustomed to regard electrons as the ultimate, indivisible particles of . electricity (writes Dr E. E. Free, in ‘Popular Radio’). All electrons are assumed to be alike. They are believed all to carry exactly the same electric charge. It is felt that no smaller electric charge than this could exist in Nature. On these fundamental principles arc based the deduc tions of all modern electric theory. For example, these principles underlie the theory of the radio vacuum tube.

During the past lew years, however, Professor Felix Ehrenhaft, head of the Physics Institute of the University of Vienna, lias been attacking this view. It is possible, he maintains, to detect fractional parts of an electron. Ho believes that the experimental evidence docs not favor tiie idea of uniform electrons at all. IF electrons exist they must be variable, he thinks, in the charge that they carry. Quito possibly elec lions do not really exist at all. Electricity may not bo composed of particles. Instead it may really be some kind of continuous “ fluid,” as used to he supposed before the electron was discovered. These arc his suspicions.

With the American announcer we have become, during the year that has passed, on quite familiar terms. Stations like WGT, Schenectady, and K.DKA, the pioneer of Pittsburgh, are now discussed yhenever radio listeners gather. And the listening puune is no longer content merely to hear these oversea folk; they expect them to be nearly or quite as distinct when rebroadcast by our local stations as tho locals themselves. If the foreigners arc not up to standard everyone who pays his modest listening in license lee considers himself perfectly justified in writing to the broadcasting station to say so. Quite right, too!

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of these criticisms to modern theories of electricity and radio. Were I’rofessor Ehronhaft’s conclusions proved correct it would bo necessary to abandon almost everything that we believe about vacuum tubes, about the electro-chemistry of storage batteries. about the structure of atoms, about the photo-electric cell and about a scoi . of other physical developments. Fortunately, it is the almost universal onint; n ol scientists that Professor Ehrenhaft is mistaken.

in connection wdth the publication of tho professor’s paper, Sir Oliver Lodge prints a note saying that it is impossible lo agree with Professor Ehrenhaft, but that bis paper is presented in fairness and in order that there may be no claim that a viewpoint has been ignored. Professor R. A. Millikan hintself contributes a review of the available evidence, with especial reference to tho conclusions of Professor Ehrenhaft. No valid evidence lias been adduced, Professor Millikan concludes, to weaken at all the idea that, all electrons arc indivisible and that they carry the same electric charge. So tar as wo know. Professor Elircnhnt't’s ideas have nob attracted the attention of radio engineers outside of Austria. But perhaps they will do so, and it is as well for tho radio public to realise that the professor's peers in the held of physics do not agree with his conclusions.

' RADIO ON THE FARM. j The use of radio on the farm in the United States has more than ! doubled during the last two years. This is shown by a survey recently completed by the radio section ul the Department of Agriculture. When a similar survey was taken in July, 1925, it was estimated that the total number of radio sets on farms was ,353,ULi;i. The information just obtained indicates that this number has grown to 1,232,Di1i. The 1927 total was 120 per cent, higher titan (lie 19-3 figure, and nearly four times as great as the total for 1021. Rut in spite ol the increased me of radio on the farm, it is estimated that only one in every four [arms is equipped with a radio receiver. It is the ambition of tho radio section of the Agricultural Department to see every farm in tho United States provided with equipment to receive farm and market reports as well as entertainment and instruction. ABOUT B BATTERIES. It is a known fact that the B battery voltage which is normally 90 on a receiver may fall to 67 volts, or possibly lower before the operator begins to notice any radical change in the volume of the music obtained. The voltage of tho battery gradually falls off with age and tho loss is so little each day that it is hardly noticed. Lately several cases have come up whore tho C battery was causing trouble due to the natural falling off of plate voltage. There is a certain amount of C battery to nso for any given plate voltage and tube. If the plate voltage is decreased without a corresponding decrease in the (J battery voltage, distortion will be evident even before the battery is completely exhausted. If it is desired to continue the use of tho B battery after tho voltage has fallen to a considerable extent, it is well to reduce the 0 battery voltage or else remove tho C battery entirely until new B batteries arc obtained. ANGUISH CAUSED. Radio is reported to be causing a great deal of anguish among the professional storytellers of Turkey. Recently members of tho time-honored art in Asia Minor banded themselves into a trade union to protect their interests against the competition of the radio broadcasters who had been regaling the Turks with reams of bedtime stories such as are usual with this new “abomination.”

A DOUGHTY CHAMPION. Sill HENRY WOOD AM) BROADCASTING. “ J am entirely convinced,” Sir Henry Wood, tho most famous of British conductors, said recently, “ that the future of good music in Great Britain is very largely linked tip with the future progress of broadcatsing. 1 say ‘convinced’ because I claim that this has already in great measure been proved, “Judging by the hundreds of letters I have received from all over Great Britain and the Continent, there lias been a far gienter public demand for really good music since tho 8.8. C. canto into being than thero ever was before.

“While, of couise, tho beauty of a composition and its rendering are bound to lose a little of their perfection when transmitted through microphono and loud speaker, broadcast music is a most excellent substitute for those who arc not able to he actually present in the hall where the concert is taking place.

—Removing a Reproach.—

“ Besides, it would lie quite impossible to find :t hall largo enough to accommodate tho lingo audiences before which wireless has made it possible for wo artists to ‘appear.’ “ While broadcasting is stimulating tho demand for good music, there is no doubt that it will also improve the quality of performance beyond measure. Because artists know that tho slightest fault in quality or harmony is magnified by tho microphone they will strive unceasing.y towards the most perfect technique and finish. “It cuts both ways, you see The quality of tho broadcast is heightened by Hie fart that tho performer is in his natural element, while tho audience in tho hall got tho benefit of tho concentrated effort which is always there when an artist knows that his potential critics are a million and more in number.” So much for tho antibroadcasters!—‘ N.Z. Radio.’

The irate professionals demanded that the Government put a fine upon all colfee shops, baths, and harems where the radio had been installed to their own detriment. Unless some check was put on the broadcasters, they declare, an old-time Turkish institution will be forced to give up the “ghost.” Truly, tho progress of the radio bedtime story is by no means a happy one.

WHEN ERECTING AN AERIAL. When erecting the aerial connections should be as few as possible. Try to have tiie aerial wire in one piece; this can be done by threading the wire through the end of tho insulator at the lead-in end, taking two turns around the horizontal wire and continuing on down with the same wire for the leadin. Keep the horizontal part of the aerial as straight as possible, without bends. This also applies to the lead-in wire; do not try to fit it around corners. When planning the aerial see that tho lead-in wire will reach tho set by the shortest way. The ground wire should also be as short as possible. For these short connections it is necessary to carefully consider the location of the set in the building and of the aerial on the roof.

SCHEME FOR -ENGLISH RELAY. The British Broadcasting Corporation is perfecting improvements of retransmission to listeners in Great Britain of broadcast items originating in foreign broadcasting stations (says the ‘N.Z. Radio’). The present proposal is to establish land line contact between a number of foreign stations and stations in London, and it is intended that transmission from such stations to this country should pass, as in tho case of simultaneous broadcasts in Great Britain, through both stations, where fading signals would be strengthened. Already a number of tests of selected items have been made with satisfactory results. It is the View of tho British Broadcasting Corporation that Imperial broadcasting will be achieved with greater success with land lines, where repeating systems can be used, and signals are thus protected from risk of distortion., ;?

•*Hewj" will be pleased to answer any questions through this column relating to the fascinating bobby. Each correspondent must sign his name and address (not necessarily for publication). Newsy items will be welcomed.

STRJKING IMPROVEMENT. The fact is that long distance transmission has improved amazingly. Broadcasting is practised on waves ranging from 15 metres to 30,000, and the technical men have had to li nd out by long and arduous experiment what is the best length for the different jobs. Even when they have it —or think they have it—the whole calculation might bo upset by the time of the year or the time of day, or because there has been a sand storm in Arabia or lightning in the Indian Ocean. But the laborious toil has borne fruit, and lately the big London station GSW has been hoard frequently from Australian stations between 10 and 11 p.m Also we have hoard Christmas carols in London, and station 2EC has sent back special broadcasts for British listeners.

“ London calling the British Isles ” —it is a strange announcement surely, for us in Australia to bear between items on the British programme, but it broadens our outlook and helps us realise* how radio has conquered distance. Besides, British programmes are real programmes—the best talent in the world broadcasts from 2LO. NOVEL EIRE ALARM.

A radio lire alarm system which operates automatically whenever an alarm is turned in at the familiar street corner lire box is a matter of civic pride with the city of Dallas, Texas. The alarm signals, which are not disturbing and are only on the air two or three minutes, arc broadcast on a wave length of I*l6 metres from equipment which includes a new 50-watt tube transmitter. Firemen off duty in their homes can thus be summoned when required to respond on the occasion of a third alarm, apparatus required from distant parts of the city, 100, in the event of a stubborn conflagration is quickly made available, as well as recalls sounded for those en route when no longer needed at the point threatened—these are additional refinements of service reported out of four years’ experience with the system. FIRST' OVERSEA BROADCAST, It was the Dutchman, PCJJ, who started this oversea broadcasting last winter, lie was first picked up by Millay Allsop, and robroadeast from 2BL. The first time we heard him fie sounded as if hall a dozen locusts were singing with him. It sounded very wonderful none the less, and the reports from Australia were so enthusiastic that that PCJJ rehroadcast the British station 2LO (London) for us to rc-rc-broadcast. Immediately a bowl went up both in Australia and England from people who wanted to know why London could not broadcast direct to Australia without the help of a foreign station. Then Air Gerald Marcuse, the famous British experimenter, started to give Australia a special programme. Wo liked him so wel ILhat the TTfitish Broadcasting Corporation, which is the controlling authority in the United Kingdom, took the job out of Mr Marcuse’s hands, Ala reuse protesting in vain. Hitherto the 8.8. C. bad been saying that oversea broadcasting was impracticable, but under pressure of public opinion the 8.8. C. hurried round and built a special transmitting station at Chelmsford. This station was christened SSW (S.W. for “short wave”), and now on several nights a week Australian radio engineers pick up SSW and rehroadcast him so that everyone with an ordinary receiver can hear.

Some nights SSW is very “ rough,” and on those occasions ho is soon cut off; but at oilier times be comes in ns sweet as stolen sugar, with musical items tho best that can be bought in tbo world.

All this has happened in the marvellous year 1027.

What has 1928 in .store for ns lucky folk who keep a radio receiver in the house ? So many and such wide achievements, 1 venture to say, that hy the time Now Year 1929 dawns every householder will want to have a receiver in the house. Already the signs are that the oncc-foaml “summer slump ” has been largely countered, and although there are several technical difficulties to he overcome hcl'oio regular Empire _ broadcasting becomes an everyday affair, the intensive research now being carried on by the large commercial companies will hear fruit this winter. There is a good time ahead for the broadcaster, the listener, and flic trader. TINNING A SOLDERING IRON. One of the chief causes of dry joints in soldering is a poorly-tinned soldering iron, and although we get tips from time to time on how to solder and tin the iron the novice probably still finds it a difficult job. Now, hero is a method of tinning the soldering iron which, although not adopted by the expert, will be found of assistance to the beginner. Procure a Jump of sal-ammoniac, gently boro a hole in this with the point of the hot iron, about a quarter of an inch deep; heat the iron again and clean the point with an old file; melt a bit of solder in the hole previously made in the sal-ammoniac, and give the iron a turn in it, and it will be well tinned. Jf any difficulty is found in getting lump sal-ammoniac small pieces may be powdered and pressed lightly in a small tin box. HERE AND THERE. The middle of a room is a poor place for the loud speaker. The vacuum tube was patented twenty-one years ago. Government schools throughout Soviet Russia are giving students instruction in the mechanics of radio. The silver lining in the modern vacuum tube is closely linked up with the evacuation method employed in the making of the tube. Radio instruments are classified as munitions of war in China, and are subject to confiscation, although many are smuggled into the country. Cheap hydrometers used to test the specific gravity of the cells of storage batteries often give improper readings. Floats in poor grade testers stick easily, or do not rise to the proper height, in accordance with the graduations.

Noisy tubes may be cured by placing a piece of sheet lead over the top. Cut the pieces of sheet lead in the form of a cross and bend the arms down so as to wrap them around the glass bulb. Broadcasting orchestral concerts over the radio weekly for 17,000,000 school children has been proposed by Mr Walter Damrosch, former conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra. Only 40 per cent, of all stations granted licenses since broadcasting began have’ remained on the air to date since the United States Government first started to issue permits. All owners of receiving and broadcasting sets in Greece must apply within fifteen days for the necessary license. Failure to comply with the law is punishable with seizure of the apparatus, up to twelve months’ imprisonment and a fine.