RADIO >» AND ITS { r RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 161, 28 September 1927, Page 14

RADIO >» AND ITS { r RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by

C. M. Taylor, B.Sc., A.M.I.R.E.

COMMISSION'S FINDINGS The report of the special commission set up in Australia to investigate the radio situation across the Tasman has at last come to hand, and is a. scathing report on the activities of Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, of Australia. Some of the findings are printed below: “That the control of broadcasting operations should remain in the hands of the Postmaster-General, as at present, subject to the administration by an Australian .wireless committee as herein recommended.” This committee is to be constituted under the control of the Minister admir.istcrring the Wireless Telegraphy Ac t, and is to consist of the Director of Postal Services as chairman, a broadcasting officer, and a wireless

services officer. The duties of this commitee will be to supervise and coordinate all wireless and broadcasting activities within the Commonwealth with the exception of defence. It is to convene at least once yearly a conference between the committee and one representative from (a) A class broadcasting stations; (b) B class broadcasting stations; (c) Wirless Institute of Australia; (d) - radio dealers and manufacturers; (e) listeners-in. This committee and its conference, is along the lines of the; advisory board of radio broadcasting in New Zealand, a body now evidently defunct, as there has not been a meeting for many months and no hint of any meeting in the near future.

This committee has powers to deal with licences for relay stations and is instructed to deal sympathetically with such applications. Stress is laid on the necessity for research work by the Postal Department, and the commission recommends an appropriation from the revenue to cover the cost of such research work, and the results should be made available to the council for scientific and industrial research. And until such research is undertaken the commission does not recommend any more A-class stations. The wave-length problem is to be reviewed, also the location of all existing stations. In view of the review of the wave lengths it is to be hoped the New Zealand wave-lengths will be considered in the new suggested scheme.

Advertising is to be restricted by Aclass station where B-class stations derive their revenue from this source. All A-class stations are to submit balance-sheets to the departmental authorities. An important recommendation is a reduction of licence fee to the listener, in proportion to the reduction in the royalties to be paid by the broadcasting companies to Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., and the copyright authorities. The amateur transmitters are looked after in the recommendation for greater facilities for the exchange of non-commercial messages. The commission definitely defines what should be paid in copyright royalties—s per cent, of gross revenue received from licences or fourpen.ee per performance of each musical work. DETRIMENTAL TO DEVELOPMENT The commission is of opinion that—(l) The charges made by Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., on broadcasting companies are excessive and that they should be reduced to a royalty of 2s on each listener’s Licence; (2) that the charges made by Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., on radio dealers are also excessive and detrimental to the development of wireless services within the Commonwealth, and that they should be reduced to a royalty of 5s on each valve holder, such royalty to include one valve for each valve-holder. The commission also recommends that, should Amalgamated Wireless Company fail to comply with its recommendations, the Commonwealth should take steps to acquire the shares privately held in the company. It is also recommended that broadcastingstations should be encouraged to include advanced educational matter in their programmes. Suggestions were made by witnesses before the com: fission that dealers should pass an examination to qualify for a licence. If this were, so, the writer hopes that a short essay would be included, on the economic effect of a bellowing loud-speaker in contrast with a tuneful demonstration under complete control. A striking contrast is the number of dealers compared with the number of licences issued. Australia has 225,249 listeners served by 2,797 dealers, or about one dealer to every 80 licence-holders. This number compared with the number in New Zealand is surely an indication that many of the mushroomdealers will quickly drop out after the winter boom caused by 2YA. This particularly in the Wellington district.

The following table shows the purchase price of transmitting plant and

royalties demanded by Amalgamated Wireless in the year 1926:

Reference is made to the fact that the New Zealand Government has passed legislation which was apparently intended to invite Amalgamated Wireless to a contest on the question of the validity of the patents used in broadcasting stations, and the question is raised as to why the company does not defend its rights in New Zealand, as it is trying to do in Australia. From the foregoing figures our own company would be feeling very sick if it were in a like position to the Australian companies and it should be feeling very gratefuDto the people of New Zealand who, through their elected representatives, have so smoothed the po.th fo.r the venture. EDUCATIONAL RADIO A party of radio men and teachers attached to the Department of Education in Sydney carried out tests and came to the conclusion that radio for schools would be of general social va.lue and the smaller and more isolated communities would receive very great benefit from the broadcasting. It was pointed out that broadcasting offered possibilities of removing or at least substantially alleviating that sense of isolation occurring in small communities. As far back as 1924 the hope was expressed that co-opera-tion with radio would enable country schools to become social centres during the evenings. People unable to instal sets in their private homes would welcome the formation of school radio clubs, which would enable them to come together and hear the many benefits of radio. This prophecy has indeed been fulfilled in many country schools and .radio has proved a perpetual source of entertainment and instruction to children and adults alike. It has been found that radio is a valuable means of supplementing the endeavours of teachers. It was never intended, as some have supposed, to supplant them. It is also interesting to note in such schools the children have been helped to acquire a good pronunciation. Here the choice of both speaker and announcer is of the greatest importance and Australia is very fortunate in her announcers, all of whose voices and pronunciation is favourably commented on wherever heard. . Here one might mention the Universal approval of Mr. Barker as announcer at IYA, and the intense disappointment that will be felt if he does not continue from this station. PROGRAMMES AT IYA While' on the subject of IYA the improvement in the quality of the programmes is being generally maintained and listeners are speaking in terms of satisfaction at this improvement. A MEMORABLE BROADCAST By means of a land-line link to London the ceremony of the dedication of the Menin Gate Memorial to the 58,000 men buried in unknown graves around Ypres was transmitted through every station in Great Britain, and there is no doubt that the broadcast was the most impressive that has ever been undertaken by the British Broadcasting Corporation. To the millions who listened at Home, the pathos and emotion at the scene of the ceremony was conveyed by wireless as well as it was by the more elemental means to the thousands from all countries who were actually present. To old soldiers the addresses and the music delivered by phones and loud-speakers brought back memories of the Flanders battlefields, with all their wealth of intermingled sorrow and joy; and to older and younger generations it conveyed something of the supreme sacrifice so freely made. The concourse at Ypres was enabled to hear all that went on by the assistance of a public address system. A NOVEL EXPERIMENT An entirely novel and extremely successful experiment which opens up wide possibilities was recently carried out, on the occasion of the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen 1:o Edinburgh, when the P.rince of Wales opened the Scottish National Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. As frequently happens, necessity

was the mother of invention, as will be perceived from the following account of what took place:

In Crown Square* where the dedication took place, accommodation could be found for a limited number of privileged persons. By the use of wireless, however, the thousands gathered outside on the Castle Esplanade were able to hear and take part in the service, which was being conducted in Crown Square itself in front of the memorial, and was also being broadcast by the local station. This was achieved by the use of a receiving set whereby the officiating minister was able to pick up and repeat the prayers, and the conductor of the band was able to pick up the beat, so that the two services were synchronised perfectly. RADIO AMATEURS’ HANDBOOK Through the courtesy &f Messrs. Radio, Ltd., THE SUN was given the 1927 edition of this Bible of the amateur. It covers all phases of amateur radio work, from the definition of an amateur to the use of tables and formulae for the caluculation of capacities, inductances and other knowledge essential to the serious experimenter. There is an excellent chapter on the fundamentals of radio, but by far the best is the chapter on “Building a Station.” Here is contained every scrap of information necessary for the complete installation of short-wave receiving and transmitting sets. NEW APPARATUS Usually the home-builder considers his set far in advance of the factorybuilt one, and generally he is not far wrong; but when one has the reputation and enthusiasm of the amateur and theorist directing a commercial product the results are usually outstanding. This is the case with the Browning-Brake. This set, which is the most popular amateur-built set in America, and equally well known in New Zealand, is being produced by the Browning-Drake Corporation and is up to amateur standard. THE SUN has had the standard 5-valve model on test on several occasions, and the results have been almost equal to the old home-built 8.D., which acknowledges pride of place to no commercial set

whatever. The faclory-built set was almost its equal in distance, K.G.O. being uncomfortably loud at 5.30 in the afternoon on both sets, and using the same speaker it was only the ear used to the tone of the home-built set that could tell the difference. This set uses three stages of audio amplification (hence the five valves), and the quality was all that could be desired. A new seven-valve Browning-Drake, with single dial control, is coming to hand, and if it has the extra punch of two valves on top of that of the fivevalve set, it should be the set of the season. , A new primary battery has been on test during the week, and on a constant drain of .4 amperes with no period for recuperation, the ampere hourage exceeded 86 amp. hours. The cell is of the copper oxide type well known for its robust construction and steady output. The voltage is on the low side, about .5 on discharge, but its life more than makes up for this. To listeners where replacements of dry cells are difficult to get or difficulty is experienced in recharging accumulators, this cell has all to recommend it. One only needs to add water and leave it for a short time, and about, six months’ reliable service is at hand. This cell is the Waterbury Tele cell. More British B eliminators are coming to hand, the latest being the R.I. made by the makers of the famous R.I. transformers. This eliminator is of the usual R.I. type of apparatus. Massive, and true to the best ideals of electrical design and it, like the Milliard described last week, put that into the set which makes its owner feel that after all there is no other set in the world. CORRESPONDENCE F.S.D., Edendale. —Am answering your query by mail. F. Colclough, Te Kuiti.—Your tip cannot be traced. Would you please repeat. K.H., Pah Road.—With a crystal set, height and length, particularly length of aerial, are the factors that count. If you can get 150-200 feet you will be surprised at the results. Of course selectivity will go by the board. If any. the lead-in end should be the lower. The higher both are the better, particularly the free end.

Price of plant supplied by Amalgamated Station. Wireless. Royalties demanded or paid in 1926. 3LO .. £ 14,000 £12.235 2FC .. .. £11,402 £7.63S 2BL . £2,342 £3.524 4QG . .. £11,001 £3.974 6WP . . . £8,563 £601 5CL .. £7,240 £4,025