RADIO NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 302, 16 August 1932, Page 3

RADIO NOTES

fKathode.")

(By

The past week has been exceptionally good for reception of the YA stations. Static has been almost absent, and the signal strength from 1, 2 and 3YA has been sufficient to cover local interference. The American stations KPO, KGO, ICFI and KPRC have been coming in with good volume after 5 p.m., though noise level is always high on distant stations. Fading, with' distortion, is always noticeable on 1 and 2YA, though 3YA is usually clear and steady. The tone quality of 3YA still leaves something to be desired, but no doubt the transmitter will receive the early attention of the engineers. Conditions over the weekend have changed for the worse, heavy static ushering in cold and dull weather. The Australian stations 2FC, 2BL, 2NC, 2GB and 3LO have been coming over with' good volume, and 4QG has been strong though usually badly distorted. Static. Static increases with the sensitivity of a receiver for th'e same reason that the signal increasgs and as static is impressed on the carriers of distant stations, a sensitive set tends to emphasise it. Certain claims of static elimination have been made by several set manufacturers, but the claims are more or less unfounded. If static is present on the carrier, then it must appear in the audio portion of the receiver and he amplified along with the music and speech. Static is reduced by two methods in modern reeeivers, viz., (a) by selectivity, and (b) by using a tone control system, whereby the high frequencies are reduced or eliminated. This, of course, ruins natural tone and where claims of static elimination have been tried, it will be found that tonal qualities suffer. Improvement Plan. The essence of Captain Eckersley's plan for Australian broadcasting is: — 1. The immediate erection of six new long-wave regional stations, to be followed by two more low powered long-wave stations so located as to give service in rural areas and small towns in rural areas. 2. To leave existing medium-wave urban systems untouched for the present, but to suggest a gradual change over, whereby all A and B class m'e-dium-wave stations would be located at the same geographical point just outside the boundaries of densely populated areas. 3. To introduce th'e most modern transmitter technique in the changeover proposed in (2) and the new construction work as propused in (1). Ngonogtaha Tests. Two members of the Rotorua Radio Emergency Corps visited Ngongotaha a few days ago for the purpose of investigating complaints of had local interference in the vicinity of the town area. A portable battery receiver was taken and clear reception was possible from a point where interference was bad on an a.c. set. The ground contacts were poor, therefore owners of "mains" receivers in Ngongotaha should endeavour to obtain the best earth contact possible. In the area visited it was found that a great deal of interference could b'e eliminated by using a first-class line filter, and a really effective earth. Scientific Wonders. One salient feature which distinguishes humanity from the rest of the animal creation is the power they have gradually acquired through the eenturies of communicating their experiences to each other. Th'is power is the chief basis of education. The invention of the telegraph and the laying down of cables linked up the world in a way which was never experienced hafore and education went ahead apace. Then came radio telegraphy, followed closely by radio telephony — the greatest contribution of science to th'a cause of education. Not only information of the past is now accessible, but the living and daily experience of the present is also distributed to the four corners of the earth. Not so long ago the owner of a radio receiver was regarded as an experimenter, or "crank" — to-day, a radio receiver is almost a necessity in every home. The best there is to ofi'er in music and information now finds its way into the mighty lanes of the air, ready to he used by those who possess the modern Alladin's Lamp — a radio receiver. The fundamental principles of television wei'e discovered and used in practice many years ago and the main feature of modern television — the scaning disk, — is "as old as the hills." When using two or more speakers on one receiver, it is seldon satisfactory to connect them all in series or parallel and let them blast away regulated only by the volume control on tlia set. A volume control regulating each speaker is nscessary. Sing Sing Prison is now equipped with an up-to-date radio receiving system, which was installed by a convict in the gaol. There are 300 headphon'es and 21 loud-speakers distributed throughout every cell and building of the prison.' The new and old buildings cover several square miles, but all are connected to a central radio system. The increase in operating hours at 1YA, 3YA and 4YA to bring them into line with 2YA will probably take place during next month. This will not affeet local listeners to any great extent, as 2YA is the most reliable daylight station. One would reasonably expect Sunday evenings to be free of local interference, but this was not the case last Sunday. The broadcast band, from 1YA down, was smothered with power interference, while from 1YA up a scratchy background was always present. This type of interference has become rather general over the town area and steps should be taken to locate the trouble.