WIRELESS NOTES.

Shannon News, 12 November 1929, Page 2

WIRELESS NOTES.

An owner of a "Majestic'' radio in tire Palmerston North district has logged no less than 2S stations in a very short time. The list is only an average one, but interesting and demonstrates the capabilities of the set. Following is his list: Los Angeles (U.S.A.), 2 stations. 2YB New Plymouth, Dunedin (2), 3ZC and 3YA Christchurch, 2ZM Gisbcrne, IZB and IYA Auckland, California (U.S.A.), 2KY, 2UE, 2GB, 2BL, and 2FC Sydney, 3AR, 3UZ and 3LO Melbourne, Japan (3 stations), 4QG Brisbane, SCF Adelaide), 2YA Wellington, 2ZK Waiiganui, and 7ZL Hobart.

The wave-length of the new 4YA, Dunedin, is slightly shorter than that of the old 4YA. A Wellington listener who operates a set with knife-like selectivity was much perturbed when he failed to tune in to the new 4YA on the occasion of the opening night at that station. A slight movement of his dials, however, had the desired effect, and 4YA came in with, surprising volume.

The successful relay of the Melbourne Cup race by *th-e Manawatu Radio Club (2ZF) on Tuesday was appreciated by followers of the sport in aiul, around Palmersixm North. The club also put on the air a description of the steer riding competition at the Spring Show, receiving congratulatory reports from as far away as Pieton.

It is intended to instal an "inverter" at the experimental short-wave station near St. Cyr, in France. The object of this apparatus is to prevent telephone messages being picked up by promiscu'ius listeners, £.iul this ret« ih is achieved by inverting the frequencies of the speech sjuncjg, so that high notes become correspondingly low and low ones high. A specially designed receiving equipment re-converts the frequencies to normal. Wireless eavesdroppers, therefore, who may chance to pick it up will probably think IhVy have logged a Chineso station },roadcasting political speeches.

It is surprising to note how radio has advanced in popularity in Germany during the past yeav or s-i. It is nut very long ago that Germany was regarded as distinctly backward in the matter of radio broadcasting. However, according to figures published just recently, the number of licensed listeners in Germany at present is roughly 2,800,000, an increase during the past 12 months of over 6()U,000. In view if the fact that the Germans are rep ■ ;led as one of fcVc most scientific na ions in the this pas!, backwardness is surprising. The cause may bo found in the lack .M:' an efficientlyorganised broadcasting service.

It has been stated that in America, whore broadcasting is in the hands jf private enterprise, one panl aila/ concern spent a million pomijs in one year on programmes. American listeners, in spite of such enormous exp ■nditinv of which the above is an e.c.unph, are not required to pay any license fee whatsoever, whereas listeners in the majority of other countries provide revenue for the maintenance of a broadcasting service. It must be remembered, however, that enormous sums are expended by private companies in America on advertising per medium of radio. This outlay would obviously not be borne by the advertisers themselves, but would be derived by an increase of prices, an unfair system which taxes both listener and non-listener alike. Considering both methods, the distinct advantage of a ban on advertising is apparent.