RADIO REVIEW

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 82, 17 January 1941, Page 41

RADIO REVIEW

Contributed by

N.Z. DX R.A. Inc.

Address all Communications: P.O. Bor 437, DUNEDIN.

Five. Famous Firsts Among those who gathered at the New York World’s Fair on Radio Pioneers’ Day was Dr.. Lee de Forest, who first put a grid in the vacuum tube Dr. de Forest is known to Americans as the " Father of Radio." Next comes Dr. Ernst F. W. Alexanderson, inventor of the Alexanderson alternator and other components, Major Mack Horton, United States Army, retired, inventor of the trailing antenna for aeroplanes was also there. Major Horton was Dr. de Forest’s first chief operator. Also present was Frank Conrad, Pittsburgh, whose early broadcasts gave the American radio industry its real start; and finally, Dean Gleason L. Archer, of Suffolk University, author of the first history of radio. Television for Militia During recent war exercises in America a fully equipped mobile television unit was used by the " defending army." Images were clearly received and generally the tests gave experts and military leaders an idea of how effective a part television can play should war actually come to America. America Speeds Up The U.S. communication system has been improved by the project to install twin all weather telephone cables between Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado, a distance of 660 miles at a cost of 7,635,000 dollars. The previous largest job of this kind was the 2,815,200 dollar Kansas CityJoplin, Missouri cable. The dual Omaha-Denver cables will be ploughed underground simultaneously-storms have caused interruptions to aerial cables in the past. To Aid Police Radio Following negotiations between American radio "authorities, amateurs and police cornmunication ‘officers several frequency exchanges, effective from November 1, 1940, were made to help police -radio telegraph operation. ; to It was found that American police stations had no frequencies which are.useful for long distance daytime communication. To-day the United States has more than 1000 police radio systems operating approximately 6,300 mobile units. Places in the News Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa, is now using two frequencies for its daily broadcasts-11.97 rag sec 6 to 6.25 a.m., and 11.67 mc. from 6.30 to a.m. A new station on the air as a result of the war ‘is ZNR at Aden, Arabia, broadcasting daily from 5 to 6 a.m. on 12.115 me. in Italian and English. * A French station believed to be CNR at Rabat, Morocco, is audible with good strength from 5.30 to 5.50 p.m. on 8.035 mc. The programme seems to consist only of news in French. ae