RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 113, 3 August 1927, Page 14

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by LOCAL NOTES The Auckland Listeners’ League executive met last Wednesday evening and a strong protest was made with regard to the Postmaster-General’s speech at the opening of 2YA. It seems to be rather obvious that the P.M.G. is not a listener or he might have some sympathy with the complaints which are heard on every hand. Still, the Prime Minister has installed a big set and the enthusiasm for radio may easily spread round the Cabinet table, even to the P.M.G. In this connection it is interesting to note that the energetic secretary of the league has sent a membership form to Mr. Coates, who is a resident of the Auckland Province. In spite of all that is being said against Government control, it is interesting to see that the New South Wales Government proposes to instal a high-power station with relay stations on the English plan. Surely this step, in addition to the decisions arrived at in France and America, is sufficient answer to these critics. A RADIO OLYMPIA The writer, in company with Mr. G. Mcß. Salt, visited a large number of the radio dealers last week-end, in connection with proposed Radio Olympia, a radio show on the lines of the Motor Olympia, but smaller, of course. The great majority of the dealers were most sympathetic and promised their support. About three years ago the old Radio Association held a small show in the physics laboratory at the University College and even when the total number of licences in New Zealand was then only about 4.000 the building was crowded out on the three nights it was open to the public. The present hard times have hit the various dealers, but better times are already showing and such a show would be an auspicious event. The A.L.L. executive meets on Tuesday night to consider the proposal. THE RADIO RECORD This new publication, the second number of which is now in the hands of all listeners, shows a marked improvement in satisfying the wish of listeners for a good local paper. The paper is in rather a delicate position, as there is much evidence of dissatisfaction with the company’s administration of this national service, and the journal is very liable to be looked on as a propaganda sheet to portray the company’s viewpoint only. If the powers that be realise that it is the listeners who must be catered for. and at the same time give freely the future policy of the company, then the “Radio Record’’ will have a successful career. It has a very big advantage over other similar papers in its news of future developments of the company. its easy access to descriptions of the company’s studios and plants and its programmes for the week ahead. In this respect the daily papers are. the writer believes, partially, if not wholly, exempt from the copyright. This concession is, in the writer’s opinion, a just one. as many people in the country would r.ot get the paper until after the programme is over if the daily papers were limited to the programmes of the day of publication. CO-ORDINATION OF PROGRAMMES The co-ordination of programmes was to be part of the duty of the new liason officer of the company, who was to meet the listeners and discuss matters. (We have not seen him yet in Auckland in this respect.) On Tuesday last choir items were being broadcast from three stations. This is surely the quintessence of lack of coordination as the remaining station was silent. TRANSMISSION EFFECTS All listeners have noticed the difference between an item transmitted from the studio and an item from a large auditorium. The organ recitals by Mr. A. E. Wilson are a notable example of this. In England this realistic effect is got by a close application to the scientific side of acoustics. Here in our amateur radio station operators might take note. The pleasant effects are due to reverberation which, in a small studio, causes blasting in the microphone and other unpleasant effects. Draping the walls of the studio enables the artist to get further *from the microphone, but the pleasant general effect is lost. The problem has been partly solved in England by the use of an echo room. This echo room is undraped and contains a microphone connected to the transmitter and a loud speaker fed by a microphone and amplifier from the studio. A second microphone In the studio goes to the transmitter, where its current is mixed with the microphone current from the echo room. In this way the artist’s voice goes direct to the transmitter on the one hand, whilst on the other the voice goes through the second microphone and amplifier to the loud speaker in the echo room where the voice and its echo are picked up again and sent to mix with the direct pick-up. This echo room current is under control and can be adjusted by the engineer to give the desired effect. THE SCIENCE OF LISTENING Prolonged activity of the brain centres inevitably leads to fatigue and the British Broadcasting Company has given an interesting little statement as to why its talks are never more than 15 minutes in length. The seat of sensory fatigue is essentially and preeminently in the central nervous system and not in the end organs. The end organ is the microscopic organ in the ear which receives the sound waves and gives the impulse to the nerve system. True fatigue of this end organ is extremely rare. but fatigue of the central organ or brain centre is of familiar occurrence. This brain fatigue will come on the more rapidly according as the activity of the centre is the more prolonged, the more intense and the less interesting the theme. Obviously time is the prime factor and hence the 8.13. C. limits its talks to 15 minutes.

C. M. Taylor, B.Sc., A.M.I.R.E. SOVIET NEWSPAPER TO BE HEARD, NOT READ This radio newspaper is heard, not read. It has a complete news bulletin o:! 11 sections, the material being condensed. It has replaced many of the printed newspapers and is available to many millions daily. The service is limited to 5,000 words a day, so careful sifting of material is necessary. It has its own editor and staff of reporters. The 11 sections are news from abroad, from various republics, from Moscow, scientific and technical, books, theatres, workmen’s clubs, letters of criticism, answers to correspondents, sport, folk songs. The real value of this type of transmission is rather doubtful, as it was very marked in England during the last strike, when news was broadcast; that most of the people who walked to the various depots where the news service was written out and pasted up for the benefit of non-listeners; were people who owned sets, but had an unsatisfied feeling with the spoken word and desired to see and not to hear the news. AN ATTRACTIVE DISPLAY A newcomer to the region of Queen Street is the Federal Radio House in Darby Street and has grown from the radio branch of Messrs Firestone Tyres. The manager, who is just back from a trip to Australia, where he studied the question of radio sales, nas embodied the best of these ideas in his new premises. The whole atmosphere is not that of a shop with shelves of dull cartons and boxes, but more of an attractive showroom with carpets, chairs and everything to coax the purchaser. A novel idea used for demonstrating speakers and the tone quality of sets is an electrical pick-up from a gramophone which is plugged into the detector valve of the set in question and then to the speaker desired. This type of showroom was used effectively about a year ago by ’Tricity House in Queen Street, but few have taken the advantage of what may be called a snug and peaceful atmosphere in which to transact their business. HINTS AND TIPS Some valves, particularly some of the low consumption type, are prone to start a howl when jarred, due to microphonic noises picked up in the tube. Two simple methods of curing this trouble are: (1) Dip the valve in melted parrafin wax, keeping the base out and let dry. (2) Wind a spiral of lead wire evenly and tightly round the valve from top to edge . of the base. SPADE TERMINAL HINT These terminals sometimes come loose and get astray amongst other connections, causing trouble. If the ends of the legs of the spade are turned one up and one down with a pair of pliers the terminal cannot get away if the screwed nut above does get loose. SIMPLE CABINET STAIN One teaspoon potassium permanganate (Condy’s crystals will do) in a teacup of warm water. Apply with a brush, as many coats as desired, for the depth of colour. When dry apply brown boot polish and polish vigorously. An attractive old oak effect is obtained.