“HELLO, LONDON”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 14

“HELLO, LONDON”

NEW YORK RINGS UP SERVICE WITH ENGLAND Aucklanders who possess short-wave sets frequently hear the New York end of the New York-London commercial radio telephony service, but curiously enough the London end is not heard. Apparently at New York the ser vice is worked with a special telephone exchange similar to that in use here before automatics came into use. The exchange girl in New York is heard calling London and asking for certain numbers with as much sangfroid as if merely asking for a number in the next street. Calls, however, cannot be very frequent—and this can be understood in view of the cost—as often the station’s wave can be heard for hours without any voice coming through.

SYDNEY CALLS AMSTERDAM SHORT-WAVE TELEPHONY After the holidays 2ME Sydney resumed testing on short-wave with London. The conversation between the two stations was heard clearly in Auckland. On Friday evening the voice in London was nearly as loud and clear as that in Sydney. On Sunday evening Sydney was heard calling Amsterdam and a foreigner. presumably a Dutchman, was heard speaking from the station. The Ami sterdam station was not heard.

RADIO PROGRAMMES APPRECIATION OF DAILY LISTS It has become a regular custom for newspapers to publish daily radio programmes to be broadcast from the main stations. A point worthy of consideration is whether this valuable space given is appreciated at its full value, and availed of as extensively as the privilege given justifies. A broadcasting station in Chicago recently endeavoured to solve this problem by a broadcast request, asking listeners to indicate Whether they selected their programmes by referring to the newspapers, or whether they merely “dialled round” until they found something of interest. A thousand or more replies were received. which showed that 75 per cent. of the listeners referred to pro~ grammes printed in the newspapers, 20 per cent. used lists made up by themselves from published sources other than newspapers, four per cent. merely turned the dials, and one per cent. listened regularly each week to programmes or stations that were their favourites, and did not attempt to find new stations or new pro—grammes. -

PROTECT YOUR VALVES There are five salient points which assist to prolong ‘the lives of valves. If these are carried out, makers say that valves should have a useful life of at least two yearsz—(l) Care should be observed never to jarr the valves. While this will seldom destroy the filament or heater, it will often derange slightly the relative positions of the elements, which will change the amplification factors of the valve. (2) When valves are repeatedly shortlived in a. set the A, B and C voltages should be checked by an expert; and any error adjusted. (3) ‘Vhen noisy valves are suspected the valves should be removed from the sockets, and “the prongs cleaned with a nail file. (4) Be sure all valves are placed in their proper sockets. (5) Always turn off the set before removing one or more valves. Never have the power turned on unless all valves are in the sockets.