ENTERTAINMENT, NEWS, AND

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

ENTERTAINMENT, NEWS, AND

Wireless has passed the “luxury ” stage—it has become a home essential!

What is Radio ?

NO LONGER TECHNICAL TOY

Wide Variety of Sets to Choose From

TO every man, woman and child the forest of aerial wires which is daily increasing throughout the country, must naturally arouse a desire to get in touch with this new aspect of applied science. The very diversity of the nature of these overhead systems must arouse curiosity and the inevitable “why.”

There are still many who look on radio as a toy to keep the meddling | fingers of the small boy employed; j there are again many others who think that it is a device only giving results in the hands of a competent engineer. This may have been so a few years ago, but progress has marched ahead so that with the modern sets in the hands of the veriest tyro, one may jazz to music from another part of our empire, one may be devout with folks of other lands and other tongues, and one may follow the great contests of muscle or oratory in far distant countries. Kadio is now as much a part of the home as is the gas or electric cooker, the hot water system and the bath. Indeed there are many houses without all these esesntials of modern homes which still have a radio set of some kind or other. Hotels, apartment houses and hospitals are all installing this modern convenience, which all goes to show that no longer may radio he regarded as a toy or a complex piece of apparatus, but as a modern device involving no more understanding or upkeep than lots of other modern home accessories, in fact, one may reasonably look for new homes being wired and fitted with radio when they are built.

In most parts of the world no house is considered complete without a garage, indeed many now consider a two-car garage is the esential adjunct to the modern home. This aspect is showing in parts of the world where radio is better known than among ourselves, j and it becomes almost a set for each member of the family. SETS FOR ALL Let us halt for a moment and examine this rather ambitious project. Among the primitive peoples the one sleeping place, the one big dish of food sufficed and the general tendency of modern civilisation is toward individuality and exclusiveness; m other words, the "day of the famUy toothbrush,” of ribald song and jest, has gone for ever. The members of every family, be it only two. have individual tastes. Kadio is the cheapest of ail modern necessities; it is beyond the luxury class now, which allows expression of this individuality. The readers of THE SUN realise that modern journalism caters for this diversity of taste in its complete scope; there are notes for women, for worshippers, for financiers, the worshippers of sport follow their demigods far afield: even the children get their full allowance, and all this is in addition to the general news which the people formerly looked upon as the only reason for the existence of a daily newspaper. THE SMALL BOY There Is first of all the small boy who is bored with the alleged ignorance of Dad in handling the household set, and still more bored with the type of programme that appeals to his

parents. Tie wants to express his individuality in his gloating over distance obtained, even if it be marred sadly by interference. His type of humour finds expression in the thorough mixing up of two or three different programmes; he finds the effect of a demonstration of physical jerks plus, say, a cooking lecture, an excellent means of entertainment. And most

important of all, when his collection of junk is installed in his room, and Dad’s hard earned cash has been exhausted in supplying batteries, he is removed from the paternal DON’T TOUCH— a soul-satisfying state of affairs. THE TINY TOTS Even the tiny ones might be catered for. They have their own sessions carefully arranged and carried out for their benefit in a skilful and interesting fashion by a collection of aunts and uncles whose love for children makes their task a pleasant and interesting one. WHAT ABOUT THE OLD FOLK? Lack of interference is the keynote of most old people’s lives. They do not want to interfere with the younger ones, and often do not understand, and so resent well-intentioned interference from others. When “three score years and ten” comes nigh, physical prowess is often gone and loneliness oppresses. The

loud-speaker bellowing jazz by the hour to lighten the feet of seventeen will drive seventy to distraction. They like to listen to the old songs, and the serious lectures are often a balm for the weary hours. Religious transmissions are looked forward to, and the sermon helps them toward that realm of mystery which only religion attempts to explain. One dial is all they ask, and they ask it to be their own. THE YOUTHFUL STAGE The serious minded young man and young woman, attracted by the fascinating theory of radio, desire to experi- 1 ment along the lines of their reading, and the family set will hardly stand that; nor will the family! This means yet another set or the components whereby many different sets may be hastily rigged up. And so we see the complete radio home become not a dream but a reality. At any rate the two set home is as much the home of the future as is the two car home. OTHER USERS OF RADIO Apart from the city or suburban home where else has radio a place in the daily round? To the farmer in a young country liks ours, where there is often more or less isolation—particularly in the winter-time—radio has become the

chief factor in relieving monotony and giving its listeners a more cheerful outlook. Its value is not confined to entertainment, all the world over, and advice is being given by various experts of farming on what to do and the best way of doing it. Weather reports are most important in deciding the work for the days ahead, and may often result in a considerable saving of time and money. His daily touch with the great events of the moment will broaden his outlook and make him more tolerant of other people and their customs, and so open fresh avenue for the produce of a country such as New Zealand. THE HOLIDAY-MAKER Whether one is camping, motoring, boating or just out for the day, radio in its portable form is nowadays almost as necessary as the lunch basket. One certainly cannot get much of a meal from a radio set, but what could be more pleasant than lying under a spreading pohutukawa tree and being soothed off to slumber by the soft strains of good music issuing from the little box by one’s side? No jumping up to change the record —just a lazy snap of a switch when finished. The radio set is now part and parcel of the modern cruiser’s equipment, as may be seen by the numerous per- ! manent aerials installed on Auckland’s | mosquito fleet.

CHOOSING A RECEIVER j The history of devices for entertain- ; ing the genus homo has almost invariably been one along a rocky path strewn with, the pitfalls of amazej ment, disillusionment, and improvement. The gramophone and the camera have trodden this path, and are reaching their goals in the public’s favour. Each of these burst on a public ever seeking something new, and paying extortionate iDrices for articles of t doubtful value, whose chief asset was j I novelty. But that is now past. In 1922 the perfect receiver was not < obtainable, nor was there anything really worth while to listen to; but | the desire of the public for novelty, and the realisation that to sell radio there must be broadcasting, led dealers all over the world to assist in establishing a service that would* create a ' demand for their goods. The radio set purchaser is in a dif- i ferent category from that of a motorcar. The purchaser cannot make his choice by the simple expedient of i striking a balance between the depth ; of his pocket and the appearance of i his future set. There are many factors other than price to be considered, j There is the sentimental call of “Buy | British,” but one must remember that

conditions for which many British sets are built may be different from our own. We must first of all ask ourselves the question: Do we want to get stations other than the local station? If so, one comes to the multivalve class at once. If the local station is all that is wanted, a crystal set cannot I be improved upon, and if greater volume than the head phones is wanted there are various types of amplifiers which will work a loud speaker satisfactorily. THE PORTABLE SET This type of set, comparatively new to us in New Zealand, has come into its own in England and to a lesser extent in America. By portable one means a set self-contained, weighing, complete with all batteries, in the neighbourhood of 30 to 401 b. These sets contain a loop aerial sometimes in the lid and sometimes in a detachable cover which is placed on top of the set. This latter scheme is rather more convenient. and does not mean moving the set when changing from one station to another, as it is necessary to move the loop to get .its maximum directional effect. Portables under our conditions are set a difficult task, as they are expected to pick up the main Australian stations at speaker strength; no mean feat for so small a set where space is largely the determining factor and not

efficiency. Portable sets are largely imported sets, where the number of alternative programmes within their range is much larger than there is in New Zealand. In choosing such a set the buyer should express what he wants in the way of distant stations, so that the dealer may know just what his set is expected to do. A small nonspillable accumulator is a better proposition than a set of dry, but if weight is a big consideration, several C batteries in parallel give excellent results. The type of B battery fitted is necessarily of a smaller size, and must not be expected to give the same results in the way of life as do the larger types used at Home. For convenience at the beach, or in the car or camp, the portable holds its own, and the enthusiast on car or launch will use his battery equipment to work his portable set. All that is needed is a couple of long leads of flex as is used for house lighting, with battery clips mounted on each end, care being taken to identify each wire if the flex is of the twin wire type, braided or twisted together. Once a set has accompanied one on a trip it always goes in the future. and this season should see the open-air New Zealander going afield with his lunch in one hand and a portable radio set in j the other.

AN AIR PATROL CHASING THE PIRATE RADIO INSPECTORS So much has been written and said about the number of unlicensed listen-ers-in in the Dominion that the idea has become current that the post office officials are asleep and are doing nothing to remedy the evil of the situation. This, however, is not the case. There are, no doubt, a large number of listeners who have achieved their boyhood ambition of becoming a pirate, but their ranks are being depleted daily. Discussion in the past has centred almost entirely on the scientific apparatus used by the officials in their searches, and it is not well known that

most pirates are captured by simple means. A little explanation of the methods adopted may prove enlightening. The man with the outside aerial offers little difficulty. If no licence has been taken out, the post office official calls one afternoon and listens quietly while he is told that the aerial masts are actually twin flagpoles, and the wire is either a guy wire for the poles, a roost for the fowls, a support for a sweet pea or broad bean vine, or a private tight-rope for an acrobatic daughter. This explanation is accepted. The inspector becomes chatty and eventually asks on the conditions for reception in the neighbourhood. After the usual stories of how a neighbour left his window open and got Chile, or bought a tea-set and got China, the suspect tells how he received 2LO clearly one even-

ing on a. crystal. Prosecutions follow Great subtlety is sometimes needed to catch a person who conceals t aerial inside. Close watch is kept on the house of a suspect i>nd all incriminating signs are noted by a radio ir.l | specter, who may adopt most darinr I disguises during his vigils. The gari dener of to-day may be the purveyor o* i cat's meat of to-morrow, or one of the | rare race of pedestrians. One ~successful sleuth has even been known !to attempt to disguise himself as a gentleman. Incriminating Signs Several well-known signs are usually regarded as incriminating. In the case of a crystal set user these may be- | (1) a continuous trembling of the hand with which the crystal is adjusted; <*> headphonus elephantus, or fattened and enlarged ears; (3) a tendency to exclaim “Hush! Hush!” or assume an expression of utmost ferocity, when- \ ever a door bangs noisily, a valve set owner can generally be distinguished by; (1) a voice strained through unequal competition with a loud speakeri (2) elongated right arm. caused ! through carrying accumulators; (3) an i absent “turn it off" when a sopran-» begins to sing; or (4) a preference for i a dry cell when arrested on a charge of J battery. Persons having a calm, measured dei livery modelled on that of the local announcer, and a large fund of dog ; stories are also looked on with suspicion. A Questionnaire Should these methods fail, other i means have to be invoked. A quesj tionnaire, which has been prepared by j radio officials, can easily be added to tlte usual census paper without creating any suspicion. This could very well come between the questions, “What is the sex of your wife (if any),” and “How many bees have you?** and runs something like this. 1. Suggest names for three kittens. 2. What is the horse-power of yow neighbour’s howling valve? 3. If a station and a-half broadcast a relay and a-half every hour and a*half, how long are you going to put up with it? A good answer to the first question may prevent a pirate being prosecuted

i and cause him to be elected to a position as uncle at the local station. All other methods having failed, the ? last trap for unwary feet is laid by tha radio department. This is done by j means of a special lecturette delivered j from one of the broadcasting stations, in which the lecturer tells of his ad- ■ venutres while trout fishing on Lake Pukepukepupuke. This includes a new fish story of unusual character. An hour later a postal official, disguised as a fishmonger, calls at the house of the suspect, and, while exhibiting his wares, tells a sufficiently original tale of piscatory derring-do to challenge the attention of the man of the house. This gentleman thereupon lights his pipe, leans negligently against a door-post, and begins, “Now, , | when I was trout fishing on Lake Pukepukepupuke C.R.