POOR RECEPTION

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 24, 30 December 1927, Page 14

POOR RECEPTION

Many New Zealand listeners are inclined to condemn their reeeiving sets because they do not obtain such good results as other listeners who haye less elaborate outfits. It is now accepted by radio cngineers that certain localitics give exceptionally fine results and other areas, eyen adjacent, are particularly poor for reeeption, All this is mystifying to cxpert as well as lay minds, but the facts are well established, and more powerful sets arc necessary in certain localities. In and around the cilics the trouble in connection with poor reception of distant stations is most pronounced, The sereening effects of tall buildings of ferro-concrete structure is most seyere in the citics. An Australian writer says:-"‘These structures can absorb so much of the energy that an absolutely dead spot is ercated in some sections, and it is no wonder that we cannot reccive stations in certain dircetions. ‘She wonder is that he cat rTeccive anything at all" In the suburban sections this condition can also exist, even though there are uo bridges or tall buildings. The influencing factor there is often due tu ore deposits under ground. Loop sets are somctimes difficult to get operating, especialiy cith a stucco house. ‘his is because the stucco in most cascs 1s laid on a wire mesh, which acts as a complete shield for the incoming radio ayes, very little energy reaching the loop. ‘Therefore, we should not blame or coudenn a set as being @ poor one until we have given it a chance to work, The solution for this trouble on.loop sets is to place the set near a window or on a porch where the loop has a chance to pick up some energy The same applics to loop sets in stcel frame apartment houses or locations surrounded by such. "The season of the year is the third factor. Radio reception is always better in autumn and winter than in summer, While the range of a set in winter might be cight hundred miles, the 1ange in suminer will fall off to three hundred miles or less. This is not true of all sets or locations, as it is possible to get very fine results in summer. Conditions are variable and must be taken as they come." The recent wretched reception of the Austialian stations by New Zealand listeners is a good example of seasonable effects, These are inevitable, but, it can be said from experience, these intervals of bad reception are not lasting, and are just as often followed by periods of splendid reception ing eye winter reception,