RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1025, 16 July 1930, Page 7

RADIO AND ITS RECEIVERS

Conducted for THE SUN oy

R. F. HAYCOCK.

PROGRAMME TIT-BITS

N.Z. AND AUSTRALIAN ITEMS At IY'A this evening a new combination, the “Monte Carlo Concert and Dance Orchestra,” under the direction of Mr. F. K. Cunningham, will contribute items. There will be no silent day for 2YA this week. During the Radio Exhibition the station will be on the air from 10,30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m., resuming again at 11 o’clock to present “Hawaiki Calling” this evening for the benefit of overseas listeners. The official opening of the exhibition will take place this evening at S p.m. This will be followed by a half-hour’s entertainment' by the Maori party. “Hawaiki Calling” will also he broadcast by 3YA and 4YA. Tonight from 2BL “Dancing Y'our Way Through Life” will he discussed by Miss Mary Stevens, who Is well known as a ballet dancer, having appeared in several musical comedies.

The presentation from 2FC tonight has a direct appeal to music-lovers, a feature being items by the National Broadcasting Orchestra. During lY'A’s programme tomorrow evening the Orchestral Octet, under the direction of Mr. Eric Waters, will play the following numbers: “Potted Overtures” (Engleman), “Intermezzo Pixie Town” (Flynn). "Pierrette’s Wedding” (Jordan), “Suite, a Doll’s House” (Engleman), aud some of the latest novelties. Mr. Dan Flood will be heard in further selections from his repertoire of humour. 2YA will be on the air again at 10.30 a.m. for the second day of the Radio Exhibition. The evening programme will consist of three sessions of Maori items relayed from the Radio Exhibition, interspersed with numbers from the studio by the Salon Orchestra and assisting artists. The programme from 3Y"A will be mostly of a classical nature. The Bondi Beach Concert Band will appear from 2BL tomorrow evening, and will present several popular numbers including “The Lone Girl Flier,” and “D’ye Ken John Peel.” The musical director of the band is Mr. James O. Compton, who has conducted tile Toowoomba Municipal Band, the Lismore Citizens’ Band, and the No. 1 Command Band, A.1.F., which performed by command before His Majesty the King. “Little Nellie Kelly,” written by George M. Cohan, will be produced by Laurence Halbert from the Little Theatre through 2FC tomorrow evening, will be relayed to 3AR. This popular musical comedy had a long run at the Sydney Grand Opera House some time ago, when Mamie Watson appeared in the leading role. On the vocal side of lYA’s entertainment on Friday evening, Mrs. M. Cantwell (soprano) will be heard. The programme will also include a lecturerecital by Mr. Karl Atkinson who will talk on “All Sorts and Conditions of Choirs.”

From 10.30 a.m., 2YA will give studio items until 2.30 p.m., when items by I-laydock’s Orchestra will be relayed from the Radio Exhibition. The evening programme will consist of relays of Maori items from the Radio Exhibition, interspersed with studio items by the Salon Orchestra and assisting artists.

From 3YA all the solos will be of a popular type. Miss Lily Kinsella will give three recitations aud humorous songs will be sung by Mr. Reg. Lamb. “The Birds Go North Again,” “The Captive Lark,” and “Whatever is, is Best,” are to be sung at 4Y’A by Miss L. de Clifford, (soprano). Miss Tui Northey will recite excerpts from Jerome's famous humorous work, “Three Men in a Boat.” “Football and our Fathers” is the subject of the “Storyteller’s” tale from 2FC on Friday evening, at 10.15 p.m. New Zealand time. In this talk he will give an account of the origin of the Rugby game, with stories and reminiscences of the great game in earlier days. A feature of the programme from 2BL on Friday evening will be a presentation of “The Story of the Marseillaise,” prepared by Captain Fred Aarons.

lYA’s programme on Saturday evening will be the relay of a concert to be given in the Town Hall by the Auckland . Municipal Choir. 2YA will again be on the air at 10.30 a.m. for the final day of the Wellington Radio Exhibition. The studio items in the evening session will comprise numbers by the popular Melodie Four, Mr. Will Bishop and Reno aud Arta, the Xylophone Duo. Variety also marks SYA’s programme on Saturday evening, when there will be items by the Rose and Thistle Duo (singing at the piano with ukulele), tenor solos by Mr. James Shaw, and baritone solos by Mr. W. H. Inkster. There will be humour by Mr. George Titchener. This programme will be relayed to 4YA. The programme from 2FC on Saturday evening will include items by the Professional Musicians’ Union, descriptions of boxing contests and dance music. From 2BL on Saturday evening, a new comedy combination, Craig and Graham, will be lieard at 9.37 New Zealand time. New Plymouth must be a happy hunting ground for the DX enthusiast. Mr. V. S. Pruden, of that town, has in his log at present a list of 119 stations received, including 57 American. He has recently picked up KFOX, Long Beach, also KNF aud KNOX California, at good speaker strength at 4.30 on several Sunday afternoons during bright sunshine. About three weeks ago, he logged KGMB Honolulu (227 metres, 1320 kc) signal strength was almost equal to IYA at New Plymouth. Another American station recently heard in New Zealand is WFAA Dallas (Texas) on 800 kc., testing out a new 50,000 watt transmitter, and asking for reports on reception from distant listeners.' Other unusual stations recently heard in favoured localities are:-* KGU Honolulu, KRLD Dallas (Texas), WLWL New York, IvSOO Sioux Falls, WEAR Cleveland (Ohio), VK-4LW Rosehill (Queensland), VK-3CM Footscray (Victoria).

ALL-ELECTRICS

COSTS OF RUNNING SETS “Yes, but how much will it cost me to run?” This question often arises in the mind of the listener who is considering the adoption of an “all-electric” wireless receiver—that is, a set in which the valves as well as the hightension supply get their current by plugging in to the electric housemains. And the answer to the question put by the listener is “Astonishingly little.” The average two-valve alternating current all-mains set will give (roughly) a fortnight of three-hour jjrogrammes for one unit of electricity. You know what you yourself are charged locally for current a unit. It may be as low as a penny, it may be sixpence or more, but the price of one unit will approximately cover your running expenses for two weeks. A fouj-valve set will need nearly (but not quite) twice as much electricity from your mains, and should therefore give at least a week’s running for one unit. Some of the cost will depend on the consumption by different types of valves, for there is the difference between .25 valves and .1 valves to remember. A set with a total consumption of 30 watts an hour will give you 33 programme hours a unit of electricity. A receiver using 60 watts will amuse you for over 17 hours a unit. TEST WITH LAMP Just as a rough test, switch on, say, one 40 watt lamp for an hour when there is no other demand for current on your mains. Mark the fraction of a unit consumed as recorded by your meter. Then switch on your set for an hour and compare the readings. In very many cases the single lamp ! and the full set will nearly balance I each other. At any rate, there will ; not be more than a two-to-one difference, and it is remarkable how often the electricity needed for the whole set will represent the consumption required for just one extra lamp. It is a simple sum. In the case of radio-gramophones with electrically driven motors, the cost may work out at slightly more than the working expenses of running the wireless side of the set. Still the electric “pick-up” gramophone ought not to cost more than one-tenth of a unit au hour even with the most elaborate instruments. Therefore do not be afraid of the running costs of an all-mains receiver. What you save in accumulator charging costs alone will soon pay for the extra cost, to say nothing of the recurring expense of providing expensive boxes' of high tension under the old system.

IYA COMMITTEE MUSIC WEEK PROGRAMMES The IYA Musical and Dramatic Advisory Committee met at the studio on Friday. Mr. F. McCallum (Little Theatre Society) presided. The question of the subsidy offered by the company to local musical societies was fully discussed and a sub-committee was set up, consisting of Mr. C. B. Plummer, representing the Auckland Choral Society; Mr. L. E. Lambert, representing the Bohemian Orchestra; and Mr. F. M. Price, Aeolian Orchestra, and instructed to bring down a report before the next meeting of the committee. General satisfaction of the company's attitude was expressed, and it was decided that the question be taken up as early as possible. Special consideration was given to the music week programmes to be given at the station in conjunction with the special music week to be held in Auckland, and it was reported that various prominent musicians in the City would be speaking from the station during that week, and that performances would be given by' the Municipal Choir, Municipal Band, Orphans’ Club Orchestra, and the IYA Broadcasting Choir. It was also pointed out that at IYA Station the classification of nights is as under: Tuesday, operatic; Wednesday', band; Thursday, popular; Friday, classical; Saturday', vaudeville. When the Municipal Band performs on the Saturday night, the previous Wednesday is given over to a miscellaneous concert. Many valuable suggestions were brought forward in connection with informative lecturettes from the station and with reference to the general programmes. The report from the sub-committee set up in regard to the “song-writing” competition will be brought down at the next committee meeting to be held on August S. With the opening of the new relay station at Newcastle, New South Wales, some time in August, it is estimated that a population of about 300,000 will be brought within “crys-tal-set” range of broadcasting. The number withjn valve set range will, of course, be enormously greater, as the transmissions are expected to reach as far as New Zealand. Further relay stations are planned for Rockhampton and Albury, and soon Australian country dwellers will be served as well as the cities of the States. It is suggested that it is going to be a difficult problem to balance the programme to suit both country and citylisteners. The number of radio licences taken out from April 1 to April 30 of this year was 40,000. It is expected that the total of 54,813 in force at March 31, 1930, will show a great increase by the end of March, 1931. The licence fee is 30s a year, and licences cannot be taken out at the beginning of the season for periods less than a year, but the sum of 2s 6d a month is deducted when application is made after the commencement of the radio year; consequently a licence taken out on June 1 would cost 255. Under the method now adopted by the Post and Telegraph Department, it is only necessary to fill in a small form and pay the fee and a licence will be issued.