THE SHORT-WAVE ERA

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 10, 23 September 1927, Page 6

THE SHORT-WAVE ERA

MARCUSE'’S POWER HEAVY COST TACTOR. The principal difficulty Mr. Gerald Marcuse is evidently up against with regard to his short-waye Empire broadcasts is Jack of power. It is doubtful Whether be has one-hundredth the power at his station of what is employed by PCJJ, Holland, and WGY, Scheuectady, U.S.A. These luge short-wave broadcast stations cost a veritable mint of money, aud it is possible only for such huge concerns as the Pinlips Co. and the General Tilectric Co, to find the money for the erection of these stations and for the maintenance of the broadcast ‘services, ‘These stations bring in no direct monetary return, although, of course, they are invaluable for experi‘meutal purposes, and also as an indirect advertising medium. It is peculiar how folk differ with regard to short-wave reception. Writing of a recent sliort-wave broadcast by PCJ)J, Holland, a Melbourne listener says:-"‘3AR, Melbourne, had them picked up very well and gave a good rebrodcast, while 3L0, Melbourne, found them too weak for rebroadcastig. Several amateurs also complained that they were weak in their districts. Personally, I thonght PCJJ louder than I have ever heard him before, and his signals were several times louder than signals from WGY, who was also working for portion of the afternoon." Some Short-wave Freaks, While the carrying power, at long distance, of the higher radio frequencies (short waves) has been demonstrated most remarkably in the past year, even these are subject to severe fading. In recent tests at Keston, England, by the B. B. C. on reception from Schenectady, use was made of the fact that different waves fade at different times. ‘wo short-wave _ receivers were tune, one to 82.8 and the other to 22 meters, and their combined output was fed irto one loud-speaker, The transmission was thus made remarkably steady. ‘The drawback, however, 18 that the atmospherics ("static’’) were doubled in strength, However, the ‘experiment seems to indicate remarkable possibilities in the way of improving long-range broadcasting, It will be tested upon European chain stations; and similar tests might be made hy American listeners with two receivers upon the "network"? programnies,