ON THE AIR

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12617, 30 November 1926, Page 9

ON THE AIR

" Static "

VIRELESS. NOTES: By

Hlo LOUD SPEAKER,*

(By “Static,”) Last week vadio dealers sought information from the Government on various matters, including tho projected new station at Wellington. .\u enormous amount of capital is represented in the stocks of radio sets and accessories in Nmv Zealand. The fact of Wellington station being low power and out of date, affects dealers throughout the Dominion. Therefore, in common with listeners, dealers have a just grievance. • • * % It is understood the PostmasterGeneral has already given notice to the Radio Broadcasting Company of New Zealand, Ltd., to “get busy” with the new station. It was suggested at the deputation that probably the Broadcasting Company would put forth as a further excuse for delav in erecting the new station that the plant could not be obtained at short notice, but representatives o-f some of the larger manufacturing concerns contend that their respective firms could supply Wellington’s order at short- notice. • • * . Enquiries made amongst various dealers in Wellington disclosed that there is a lull in trade with receiving sets. This is seasonable; with the advent of a new station trade will revive. It did so in Auckland, and the same will happen in AVellington. A receiving set is a wonderful present to give anyone; several persons will ho the lucky recipient of a set this Christmas. • . « • American firms have designs on Now Zealand, and are enquiring about broadcasting over here. It would be a good thing if a substantial firm were permitted to open up four more stations in New Zealand. One representative from overseas may shortly make overtures to the authorities for permission to ereot at least one broadcast station in this country. Dealere will welcome any such movement. • * » •

TUNING A good deal of interference is caused by set owners turning the dials too quickly to-and-lro; in lact, - impatience 1 ’ sums it up in a word. Sudden turning of filament control is also a bad thing. Take things quietly, don’t jerk your pointers vigorously over the dials. Of late there has been an enormous amount of “howling and squealing”; in fact, the position is most acute just now. Sunday nigfit a droning sound was heard in Wellington; different, to the usual “spark” and most difficult to read, tl is presumed someone was playing the fool with a transmitter; or else a new ohum was trying his hand at sending.

AUCKLAND FADING IYA has been fading badly lately; even super-sets having difficulty in “holding on” to Auckland station. The relay of the Municipal Band Concert on Sunday by IYA was fine except for the fading. Jazz band items were relayed by IYA and 3YA respectively Saturday night; and IYA made good use of a player-piano. It is a pity the four stations in New Zealand don’t give listeners more music from playerpianos, instead of inferior programmes from gramophones, and so much talking. Great delay takes place between the items also. # • • * 4YA (Dunedin) has not been beard by the writer for some time. Those with whom I have conferred say the same thing. It was hoped 4YA had settled down to solid work, but Mr Webb’s voice has not been heard for some days now at night time. • • • • BAD TIME FOR CRYSTAL USERS With three stations “off the air” on one night, listeners with crystal s.-, or one and two valve sets, have plenty to complain about. However, where money is short, one cannot expect everything; and until the broadcasting company has more money to work on, we need not expect much improvement. At least one station in each Island should be working nightly. • » • « 2BL (Sydney) is coming through best of the Australian stations just now. A well-known land mark is visible in Lyall Bay again—an 80-foot aerial standard, built out of laths; standing well exposed to the southerly winds, close to the beach. This support came a crash recently during the gale; and it is hoped no one will nave the bad luck to get a knock on _ tho head at some future occasion sh'oulff the weather be boisterous enough to dislodge it. • • • • NEW ORGANISER FOR NEW ZEALAND Mr Prentice, with a reputation for clear enunciation, and a man with a knowledge of many subjects, iu fact versatile to a degree, has arrived, and made his preliminary from IYA (Auckland) last Wednesday night. Ho stated that lie admired Auckland, and was not so homesick as he at first felt on arrival. His mission would bo to give as good a service as possible to listeners. To hear his voice from IYA was a revelation. • * # . * 3AR (Melbourne) will be increasing its power shortly. This station has not been heard by the writer lately. The same applies to 7ZL (Hobart), SCL (Adelaide) is hard to pick up until late in the night. 2FC (FarmersSydney) has not been coming through too good either. • 4QG and 3LO aro only fair; the trouble being interference by shipping, and “howlers.” After most listeners have gone to bed, better reception is obtainable from “Aussie” stations. It would be reasonable to suggest to new-chums that after 10 p.m. the more advanced set owners should have a clear run on the air, without so much annoyance from “squealers.” 4YA AND IYA “Veritas” writes: —“I wish to have

an explaantion as to why, although Auckland is 70 miles nearer Wellington than is Dunedin, and has a greater output, the latter station gives good volume on loud-speaker in daylight, whilst Auckland can only just be made audible on the loud-speaker. The extra piece of land that the Auckland waves have to cross should be compensated for by the shorter distance. Is Auckland’s output aafcually 500 watts, as stated by the company, or is the full output only »*ed in the evenings?” * * # * Broadcast stations usually conserve power during daytime; both 4YA and IYA are supposed to be on 500 watts at night time. In wet weather, with the huge amount of bush in the North Island, reception would be weaker from IYA (Auckland), during daytime than from Dunedin. The trouble arises from two causes —bad operating at tho transmitting station or climatic conditions. Only the operator can answer for the first mentioned. * e « * A special article dealing with fixed condensers will appear in these columns next week. .... “Beginner”—Get a copy of the “Radio News,” or any radio catalogue on sale at leading booksellers. • • » » Extra officers have been detailed for duty at Wellington by the radio inspectors, and an enormous amount of work is being tackled by the staff. What is required is at least one inspector for night duty with the necessary motor-car and equipment for detecting “howlers.” An officer of the department cannot be expected to work day and night. Invitations will he posted by the Radio Society shortly to all listeners-in in Wellington inviting them to a special meeting iu Wellington, when addresses will be given by experts. Officials of the department will be invited. A deter, mined effort is to be made to assist the department to minimise this interference problem and generally to oclucate those who desire more assistance. and information about the subject of radio reception. SUMMER STATIC There is no phase of radio subject to more speculation as summer approaches than the origin of static and other sources of atmospherics that affect broadcast ru, ion. There has been much data c- -cted, many theories expounded, and quite a few exploded, but the actual causes of the ethereal turmoil remains as wrapped in mystery as ever. A speoial study of atmospherics from a radio standpoint, while-adding considerably to the knowledge of the characteristics of atmospheric disturbances, does not contribute very largely to solving tho fundamental question of static origin. In days gone by, static was explained as an accumulation of electrical energy coming in contact with another accumulation of opposite polarity. The crash was considered to be the energy liberated by the act of neutralisation of these two qualities of energy, • • • • ESCAPING ENERGY?

Engineers in these days explain the storing of the energy which was supposed to float around in the atmosphere, gaining strength from the reaction of the polarisation of the atmosphere from the sun’s rays. In cities where electric power is used, and quite a lot wasted, much of the static was considered to be this escaping energy being stored in various quantities in the partibulea of moisture in the air. It was supposed that these quantities float about aimlessly,- and eventually come iu oontact with aerials and other grounded metallic structures, and with a crash daßh to the ground. Static has newer really been dissociated with storms, and may still be traced to them. The British Meteorological Survey having located storms over a distance of 1500 miles by recording static crashes which were directive on sensitive radio receiving apparatus. • • • * . HIGH AND LOW WAVE LENGTHS Whatever the relationship. between storms and static, it is apparent from the data of all observers that it is more or less closely associated with the position of the sun. Recent scientific research reveals that atmospheria disturbances are stronger in the region of the higher wave lengths, except in the case of local storms, and are nearly always stronger in the afternoon and night, while for the lower wave lengths tlieir increase in strength is confined to the night alone, and are stronger in tho summer than in winter; also they are far more prevalent in the south than the north, and likewise stronger over land than on tho ocean. They are more or less directive, coming from storm areas, rainy sections, and mountain ranges. Long wave disturbances travel round, the earth with a practically vertical wave front very similar to signals; some of the disturbances are oscillatory and some nonoscillatory, and give rise to shock oscillations in the antennae at all wave lengths. Last, hut not least interesting, disturbances sometimes occur simultaneously at stations thousands of miles apart. * • • * FRENCH OPINIONS French meteorologists who have studied the problem of atmospherics in relation to radio, report that only 35 per cent, of the static disturbances are traceable to electric storms, and tbat tho other 65 per cent, comes from areas in which a change of temperature accompanied by rain is being effected. Atmospheric disturbances hare l>eeu associated very convincingly with the meeting of warm and cold fronts of air, the amount of static recorded being proportional to the change of temperature.