RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 651, 1 May 1929, Page 14

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN by

R. F. HAYCOCK.

KNOWS HIS LANGUAGES There is an ingenious enthusiast in; a prominent Main Trunk town who! has constructed a short-wave set. by which he is able to bring in almost any world station, though not always with exact clearness. Naturally, he is delighted with his achievement, and on the first occasion when he listened iu to the other side of the earth he modestly explained the phenomenon to liis wondering work companions next clay. “It was great.” he said. “I could ( hardly believe my ears when I knew j . I was listening to the Japs talking their funny lingo. They finished up , by giving us some jolly good music, ; too.” One of the listeners asked him . the name of the station to which he j had managed to tune in. “Karlsruhe!” was the reply, given in perfect inno- ; ccuce. (

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT Radio (Franklin Road).—Your best plan is to buy a wave-trap. There are several varieties on the market. Get your dealer to let you try oue, as some are more efficient than others. The object of screen-grid valves is to reduce to a negligible amount the gi id-to-plate capacity that impairs the efficiency of the ordinary valve. In both the English and American types there is an extra “screen-grid” between the plate and grid. The chief use of these valves is for radio-fre-quency aniplification, but they may also be used with success in this urst audio stage. The screen-grid valves have an exceptionally high amplification factor, ranging up to SO or 90, according to the resistance of the circuit.

RELAY STATIONS COMPANY’S NEW SCHEME PROPOSALS ANALYSED The official announcement at the opening of the new station at New Plymouth that the broadcasting station intends arranging relay stations at provincial centres from which programmes from the main centres will be broadcast, requires careful consideration before giving it approval. From the point of view of the crystal set owner, the proposal is a good one, as it will certainly mean that more variety will be available to them, and it will also result in many people buying crystal sets. Those of limited means will thus be able to obtain the advantage of radio without much expense, and incidentally the Broadcasting Company’s revenue should be materially helped by the increase in licenses. On the other hand, it is doubtful if owners of valve sets iu provincial centres will give the proposal the same welcome.' At the present time there are few places in New Zealand where valveset owners are not able to receive the main broadcasting stations, and to them relay stations- in their respective towns would be of little use. In fact, they may, in some cases, be regarded as a decided nuisance, unless the set owner happens to possess a very selective set. Most people living within a short distance of a broadcasting station —unless their set is very selective —find great difficulty in cutting it out when they want to listen to other stations. Those living in the country, and owning valve sets, do not have this difficulty. They can hear any station they like, and are not compelled to listen to one. Listeners who have never lived near a broadcasting station do not know the disadvantages and may welcome the new proposal with enthusiasm, but let them use their sets in a broadcasting centre for a while, and it is doubtful if they would regard the scheme in the same light. To sum up, a better scheme would be to increase the power of the present stations so as to enlarge their sphere of usefulness, rather than to erect a chain of relay stations principally to benefit crystal-set owners.

SUCCESSFUL RELAY CONCERT BY TELEPHONE MUNICIPAL BAND DIFFICULTY The relay of the concert from Wellington by telephone line by IYA on Sunday evening was one of the most successful experiments the company has carried out. ' Being now in the position to secure first-class band concerts from other places it would appear as though the Broadcasting Company can now snay its fingers atl the Auckland City Council, over the latter’s demands in connection with the Municipal Band. While on the subject of the Municipal Band it seems extraordinary that the council should insist on asking the company to pay for what it and listeners do not want. The company says it wants only band concerts and offers a certain price for the privilege of broadcasting them. The council quotes a certain price for band and organ recitals, but will not give a counter-quote for band concerts only. Organ recitals admittedly are not popular with listeners; in fact, the small attendances at the Town Hall show they are not popular with anyone. Yet the City Council—many will say unreasonably—insists on the company having them or nothing. Broadcasting the band was a great advertisement for it, and many who had first heard it over the air made a point of attending performances when they had the opportunity. Country people who could not possibly attend actual performances were charmed with the broadcasts of it, and its fame spread considerably. The council, in its wisdom or otherwise, rejected the company’s offer, and there it remains for the present. Lis teners to IYA will all hope that a new council will be elected that will have more sympathy with those who want to hear the Municipal Band on the air again. If the new council i 3 unsympathetic it seems as if the company by relaying bands from other centres will still be able to supply listeners with what they regard as the most popular items broadcast. Jn passing, it may be mentioned it will take a let of pennies and threepenny pieces at band collections to make up the amount which the council has refused to accept from the Breadcasting Company,

AERIALISMS A beginner should never switch the current on to his set until he is certain that he has the A and B batteries properly connected up. If the latter is accidentally coupled up wrongly and short-circuited through the valves, they -will be burnt out instantly and there will be the expense of renewing them. It was near freezing in Kentucky at 3.35 o'clock one morning recently, when short-wave station W9JL, owned by the university there, picked up the amateur station, SWR, South Australia, owned by W. M. Richards. Then Allowed a two-hours’ talk, which is claimed to be a record for continuous two-way radio communication between United States and Australia. Arising out of a conference between an Invercargill committee and the New Zealand Broadcasting Company, a decision has been reached by which it is now intended to work for the establishment of a relay station at the Southland town, to be connected by the land line with 4YA, Dunedin. This, it is considered, is the most effective and most economical method of giving Invercargill a good broadcast service. A favourite 2BL (Sydney) feature is the “Peace Hour” between 8.45 o’clock and 9.45 o’clock every morning. A listener from the suburb of Manly writes to the station as follows: “I am only a housekeeper of a few months, but on the first morning I heard you say, ‘Now, I know there is the wash-ing-up to be done, the beds to be made, and a hundred other jobs waiting to be done, but I want you to leave them just for a while and sit down.’ Now, I thought, this is where I shine, so I selected a comfy chair and proceeded to enjoy to the full the ‘Silent Friends’ which you so eloquently create into living entities.” The music which characterises this session is carefully chosen, and provides a splendid antidote for early morning domestic fret and worry. Wireless apparatus was strongly represented at the recent British Industries Fair. The past 12 months has been a most important period with regard to wireless development, and no more outstanding example of this can be found than in the progress of the three or four-valve set. These receivers are not in any way to be compared with three or four-valve sets previously available. They are sets suitable either for short waves or ordinary broadcast reception. On the short wave they can be used for reception from practically unlimited distances. while by changing the “plug in” coils in a couple of seconds they can be converted to the ordinary i broadcast wave range. They owe i their success largely to the screened- | grid system, but instead of being more ; difficult to operate than the older

models they are, in fact, much simpler. This type of set can he procured locally. At the Japanese broadcasting stations the microphones are placed about two or three feet from the ground, owing to the fact that most of the performers are seated upon the floor when broadcasting. The microphone of 2BL (Sydney), was recently taken to the zoo at feeding time, so that child-listeners could hear a description of what was taking place, and could hear such animals as lions and panthers growling. This has been done at the London Zoo also, and 2YA, some time ago, broadcast a description of the scenes in the animal tent and performing ring of a visiting circus for the entertainment of young listeners. This is a suggestion that IYA might consider adopting in connection- with the Auckland Zoo.

IYA MUSICAL COMMITTEE The IYA Musical aud Dramatic Committee met at the Auckland studio of IYA on April 5 and 12. Present: Mr. K. Atkinson tin the chair), Auckland Gramophone Society: Mrs. Carr-Tibbits, New Zealand League of Penwomen; Miss D. Judson, Society of Musicians: Miss R. Walker. University Students’ Association: Mr. A. B. Chappell, Dickens Fellowship Society: Mr. J. F. Montague, Auckland Comedy Players; Mr. L. E. Lambert, Bohemian Orchestra; Mr. V. Trask, Athenian Club; Mr. G. T. Lee, Aeolian Orchestra; Mr. L. C. Barnes, station director at IY'A; Mr. D. Wrathall, programme organiser at IYA. Mr. Karl Atkinson was ro-elected to the chair for the ensuing year. It was reported that the Workers’ Educational Association lectures by Mr. N. M. Richmond, 8.A., would commence at 7.30 p.m. on May 2. Regarding the propo-~d IYA Choir, it was decided to ret » mend to the company that Mr. Len Barnes be appointed conductor. The University Students’ Association representative reported that it will probably be possible to relay part of the forthcoming “Carnival Play" and also that their lecture society would be prepared to give short plays and lectures at IYA.