ON THE AIR

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12611, 23 November 1926, Page 9

ON THE AIR

I WIRELESS. NOTESj^

■By

" Static "

HIS LOUD SPE.AKEP?."

REPLIES TO CORRESPONDENTS. “H.P.,” Lower Hutt.—Yes, shift your aerial away from the trees (the leadin enri should be slightly lower than the other end), and take the lead-in through the wall of your house as close to your set as possible, and in a direct line from the aerial. “Wireless Bug,” Eketahuna.—Leave tlio “B” batteries alone; twice a month should suffice for charging your “B” batteries. The “A” should be charged in your ease about once or twice a week. Your set requires overhauling; disconnect the wires and use ammonia to clean the terminals. m • m "• “Friiizle,” Hataitai. —The noise you hear occasionally is caused through using your set too soon after charging the batteries. Shake the “A” battery and wait until the bubbling has ceased. * * * * “License,” Karori.—You can obtain the regulations from the Government Printer, Lambton quay, or any leading stationer’s shop, on payment of 6d. “Disgusted.”—Admitting that the writer agrees with your contention regarding certain statements which have appeared in the Press, it is not his intention to discuss the pros and cons of what another newspaper publishes from its correspondents. Every correspondent is entitled to his opinions. 2YK CRITICISED “Wellington Victim” writes: —“I am sick of the present unreliability of radio in New Zealand. . One gets tired of apologising to visitors for defects. Good items are spoilt by uarestricted interference from bowling, morse, and fading, and poor vocal items are broadcast that only disgust people with musical taste. Enjoyable orchestral relays are cut off to give place to a dreary singer or scratciiy gramophone record, whilst a tine player-piano is used as little os possible, or not at ail, though it odds much to the afternoon sessions. Good relays are hard to beat, and it should be an easy matter for the company to improve the quality of broadcast. What people expect is service, not excuses, and the sooner the company realises this, so much the bettei for the license roll.”

The writer offers the following reply tb “Wellington Victim.” The Government is making every eliort to clean up “howling"; additional inspectors are attached to tne radio inspector’s office, Wellington. Tlie interference problem is being tackled in earnest by the radio inspector. The broadcasting company depends upon license tecs to keep tne stations going; it is essential that the fees be paid. The new station when installed will materially assist in producing better programmes. The best artiscs cannot be expected to perform gratis; they must be paid; this will probably happen when the new. station is ready.

NUMBER 6f LICENSES TO DATE

When the new station opened- at Auckland on August Vth, the number of licensees in New Zealand was 4423; tlie present number is now considerably increased. The total number of licenses issued to date in New Zealand is approximately 9500. At the beginning of November there were 2874 in the South Island, and 6614 for the North Island—an increase of over 5000 tor the whole Dominion. The above figures include part-time or shortperiod licenses. These figures ar© encouraging. For some reason the South Island represents less than 50 per cent, of the total. • • * • RADIO SUMMER COMMANDMENTS Don’t expect to hear ordinary broadcasting from America in midsummer. Be satisfied to enjoy ■ the good progqimmes from the nearer stations most of the time. Don’t be disappointed if an occasional disobliging storm interferes with your summer radio evening. There are many fine concerts coming. You can’t expect to find a pearl in every oyster; nor to receive a recordbreaking concert every; night. If you want louder signals use more valves, higher plate voltage, more sensitive loud-speaker, and more careful regeneration and receiver adjustment. A pleasant signal, filling a moderate sized room, should be enough to give satisfaction, musically; such a signal is ideal. It is not worth while producing signals which deafen the neighbours. It is wasteful to insist on tremendous signals, which aro generally less pleasant than moderate ones, particularly during the summer. If your local station comes in too loudly and drowns others out, a smaller aerial will help in tuning him out, with a smaller condenser connected between aerial and ground; or a simple wave trap may do the trick. If all measures to get rid of the local station fail, why not enjoy his concert. He is working hard for you, and it is nobody’s fault that you are so close to him, and that you are bound to hear him. Broadcasting stations have to be closer to some people than to others. In selecting your evening’s programmes, try for the higher powered stations. Thoy are designed to give better mid-summer service, and you will generally find that they do. Always remember, however, that one and two-valve sets should not be strained to reach distances that they were never intended to reach. “PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE” A little paienco in learning to handle your receiver yields rich returns in satisfaction from fine signals

always. “Romo was not built in a day.” Keep on. getting more and more familiar with your set, and how it works. Do not listen to every one who advises you wliat to. do. Read a few radio text books or manuals or a good radio magazine. It helps you to know how your set works and keeps you up-to-date in the apt of radio. Information of this sort is an aid in getting the concerts loud and clear. Ask your radio dealer for his advice ; he can probably tell you what you want to know and will be glad to do so. The builder of your set IS also willing to help you get the desired, results from its use. Ask your deal-* er who supplied your set to hand you one of the booklets issued by the manufacturers of the set. Don’t forget to send your accumulator to be recharged when it becomes “run down.” The A battery needs care. Don’t leave it about in idleness when it has done its work; sent it to be recharged. Don’t use too much pressure or voltage from your high tension battery. The various types of valves are designed to take a certain number of volts. Should this number be increased excessively the efficiency of the valve is likely to ba impaired. CLEANLINESS AND THUNDER Don’t disregard th© importance of cleanliness as a factor in preserving the efficiency of a receiving outfit. Keep your instruments free from dust and moisture. Don’t leave your instruments connected to your aerial during thunThe electrical charges collected by your aerial may damage your set. It is advisable, therefore, to disconnect your aerial down lead from the aerial terminal and connect it direct to the earth wire. An aerial to earth switch can be purchased for a few shillings; this enables you to earth your set at a moment’s notice. Don’t use a frame aerial with a crystal set and expect to work a loudspeaker. You will need at least two valves to work a loud-speaker. Don’t use very high resistance ’phones if you are working with three or more valves. Don’t waste filament current unnecessarily when your set is in use. When first switched on a valve requires slightly more current than when it has been going a little while. In this latter respect you can liken the starting up of a receiving set, to the starting up of a motor-car. OPINIONS ON VARIOUS MATTERS Arising out of the meeting ef the Amateur Radio Society, Wellington, several matters require clearing up. It was reported to the meeting that the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand had only allotted about 4 or 5 thousand shares out of an authorised capital of twenty thousand pounds. On the face of it there is something radically wrong. It is a fact that the company is losing money every month, and, having started with too small a capital account, trouble must come to the company. Even supposing all listeners-in pay their fees, someone has to “carry the baby.” AVho is going to ? m m m m

The society’s request to tlie Postmas-ter-General to exercise his right to call upon the broadcasting company to install within six months a new and high power station in place of the existing one at Wellington, should be sufficient to get from the Minister a definite statement as to when the new station will ho installed. It is known that the various manufacturers of radio equipment have the specifications in their hands for arranging tenders. • « . WAVE-LENGTH TROUBLES Another suggestion made to the Minister, that new wave-lengths be allotted to prevent overlapping with Australian stations is a good move ; likewise the point made in regard to ship spark transmission. As to the resolution regarding inferior transmission from IYA (Auckland), also 3YA (Christchurch), and the poor transmission from 2YK (Wellington), the writer thinks that there is room for a qualified expert both in transmission and receiving, as part of the management of four stations in New Zealand. It would bo a good thing if the company sent an expert abroad, even to Australia, for advice and knowledge. It is questionable if the announcer from 2BL (Sydney) would understand transmission from a technical point of view; he may be a musician and splendid announcer, but an expert is wanted for each transmission station. By the way, Mr Prentice (announcer at 2BL, Sydney) has not loft Australia yet, his voice being heard from 2BL on Sunday night last. , * • * m, AMERICAN STATIONS Saturday evening was good for re. ception from American stations. Working a four valve Browning-Drake receiving set made by himself Mr Liddell, jnr., Lyall Bay, heard several American Pacific Coast stations. KFON came in at loud speaker strength. He also logged KFRC (Oakland) and KFICX (Westinghouse Company), Hastings, Nebraska (Central U.S.A.). • • * * SUNDAY’S FINE CONCERT Those within range of 2YK were treated to a fine concert given by the Wellington Municipal Tramways Band on Sunday ilipht, every item being thoroughly enjoyed, and reception in Wellington all that could be expected from the existing transmitting station. It is good news that this popular band will continue throughout the season in providing concerts fortnightly. Tlio troubles of those managing 2Y!v are manifold. Only money can remedy matters; therefore the sooner fees are paid up, and more people join the band of listeners-in, the better.