WIRELESS OPTIMISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1060, 26 August 1930, Page 16

WIRELESS OPTIMISM

CRYSTAL SET ERECTED ON LIMITED EARTH THROUGH WHEELS Disappointment was in store for tlie wireless enthusiast who was seeking amusement on the Limited express. While the train was at Marton, he delved into a bag and produced .several yards of wire. Carefully he led the wire from his seat, down the centre of the carriage and out of the door. His fellow passengers clustered at the windows to see what he was doing while he led the wire down the steps of the carriage and twisted it round a handy bolt on the axle box. The amateur then returned to his seat and twisted another length ct wire along the luggage rack and across the roof of the car until he was satisfied with the efficiency of his aerial. Delving once more into his bag, he produced a tiny crystal set and headphones. The wires were connected with the set and the optimist donned the head set and tinkered with his crystal while the others in the carriage, amused and interested, hardly dared to speak lest they might interrupt the tiny trickle of sound that might possibly be filtering through the set to its owner. There was, however, no result, and it was not until a sympathetic fellow passenger explained that the average range of a crystal set w r as only 20 miles and the train was more than 100 miles from a main transmitting station, that the listener-in ceased his efforts and dismantled his set.