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NOTES AND COMMENTS

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’ ‘The radio writer m the Melbourne "Arens" says that ‘‘Although interference from ship stations is not so serious in Australia as it is in Great Britain, where no parts of the country are very far from the sea, and where there is a concentration of shipping, it is often heard even in the large Australian cities. In centres round the coast, and some distance from broadcasting stations, a good deal of interference eccurs from time to time, and an improvement of the apparatus carried by all ships in Australian waters would improve broadcasting in many districts.’? New Zealanders are not free from the same trouble. | Dr, Goldsmith, who designed the 50,000 watt station WEAF, New York, predicts 1,000,000 watt stations in the near future. When aerials sizzle with this great power, the station would have to be situated a gvod distance from large cities in order to prevent "blanketing"’ of nearby receivers, and a power plant big enough to light a fair-sized town would be necessary to supply the electrical energy. Serious interference with broadcast listening can be created by X-ray apparatus. Old type X-ray apparatus used by many doctors mav cause interference to listeners within two city blocks. The latest type of X-ray plants is not a disturber of the ether. Where cotton-covered wiring is used the ends of the wire usually present a frayed appearance. A few drops of collodion painted over the end of the wire immediately after™ the insulation has been stripped off, will give the end a neat apearance, and prevent the objectionable fravine. BR SOCIO CS IOS SOS OC BL OS LOSI IS ICIS IS

iO MIKA AMI KAAAAAARAARAAAAAAS 3 The’ Radio Manutacturers’ Association of U.S A. has recently been successful in its contention that a storage ("wet’’) battery is not "an article of household use." ‘his is not propaganda for socket-power units, however, but was called for by an official constructron of a law requiring that a poison label or sticker he placed upon articles of household use containing caustics or corrosives. The DPepartment of Agriculture, accordingly, has ruled that batteries need not be so labelled for interstate shipment; bnt that the electroIvte should be, if it is shipped in separ. ate containers suitable for household use. Medals and silver cups rank among the prizes which are to be offéred by 2KY, the Sydney Trades Hall broadcast station, in an interesting competition that is being arranged ‘by that ‘station, Listeners will be asked fo vote for artists who entertain from 2KY, and the winners will receive medals. The eventual winner of winners will be presented with the silver cuiD, Among the worst causes of interference with broadcast listening are electric motors, A simple way to cut down trouble from: this source is to insert a filter between the motor and the power lines. Filters are now made expressly for this purpose, and may easily be connected in the circuit by any fan. Where a receiver nas to be worked, c. stored, in a damp atmosphere the interior of the cabinet may be kept free from moisture by a few lumps of calcium chloride placed in a suitable receptacle inside of the cabinet. A small bottle clamped vertically to the side of the cabinet will be found best, as the narrow neck will prevent tke chemical from being spilled. . The calcium chloride should be examined from time to time and renewed when necessary. The need for the renewal will be indivated by the fact that the solid lumps have entirely gone into solution with the moisture absorbed from the air, The capital cost of the Rugby Radio Station (Morse), in Mngland, is approximately £190,000, Expenditure per annum is rated at about £123,000, and revemtte about £57,000,

Ailsa Craig, the island rock at the mouth of the Clyde, where most good curling stones come from, is to be equipped with a wireless transmitter and receiver. Apart from the keepers of the lighthouse, the only other oc. cupants are myriads of seabirds.

DEDEDE TEETER ED In addition to the American shortwave relay stations which operate im connection with broadcast stations, some are equipped with transmitters for purely experimental use. Station WEHEI, Boston, has a portable 100watt transmitter of this nature, licensed as WTAT. When the recent floods took place in New England, this was tushed by truck to the scene of disaster to provide two-way communica. tion.

Severe static may often be almost eliminated by simply .connecting the aerial terminal of a loop aerial to earth, the earth terminal to an aerial. Further range and selectivity will be possible, and tonal quality will be excellent, Another welcome feature is that this arrangement causes tuning to be sharp. Until May, 1928, ocean travellers had to wait until they reached port before they could buy ® newspaper. Now, however, a newspaper is printed on board and distributed among the passengers, the news being wirelessed by an Australian wireless company. ‘This ocean newspaper was the pioneer journal of its kind, and was first published on British steamers in the Pacific Ocean. Publication was later extended to inter-colonial steamers trading between Australia and New Zealand, and also to vessels trading between Australian ports. The first ship to publish ove of these papers on board was the T.S.S. Jervis Bay, which ship recently oreated a long-dis-tance world’s record by keeping in touch with Pennant Hills VIS, New South Wales, for a great distance. More than 800 telephone calls from radio listeners were received at the WIEAF studios, New York, on a certain night regarding the unannounced failure of the station to broadcast the weekly historic episode known as "Great Moments in History" at the appointed } hour of 8 o’clock. ‘The change in the schedule was made that the final Aeolian concert might be broadcast from 8 to 9 o’clock. ‘The number of protests received brought out the fact that radio fans may tune it of) a programme regularly, but few write expressions of their appreciation. A small condenser connected between the make and break of a front door buzzer or bell, will prevent sparking, and.thus will keep the contact points from burniug out. Any capacity condenser may be used for this purpose, providing the capacity is small. The noise in many radio sets can frequently be traced to the sparking of the door buzzer, and hy connecting the condenser as explained above, this noise can be eliminated. re: leo ie: OT CO. ct ee es

SOHO eo ant SO 0 errr ere 4S] TRB BRS BRR TR ts } The Melbourne ‘‘Listener-In’’ says: "It is surprising the number of bad audio aniplificrs there are in existetce. The owners of receivers in which faulty amplification is installed become used to their receivers after a while and do not recognise the obvious distortion present, and which can be recognised by others." We have observed the same thing in New Zealand. New Zealand listeners are looking forward keenly to the forthcoming Australian grand opera season. It is understood that within the next two or three months two grand opera companies will be heard in Sydney and Melbourne, and one at least, probably both, will be broadcast. Listeners will remember the extraordinary boom in radio in Australia which was the result of the grand opera season of Toti del. Monte three or four years ago, when neatly everybody in Australia rushed to buy a radio set. Broadcasting receivers have improved immensely since that date, and althougli so many persons now have their homes equipped with radio that no ore expects a similar boom, it is believed that thousands in Australia who have never yet had a radio set of their own will become listeners within the next month or two. As a preliminary to the Australian grand opera season, ‘both the Sydney A class broadcasting stations are giving listeners something of grand opera. Station 2B, has been specialising in the works of German, Italian, and French composers, and 21°C now announces that the works of the great masters will be explained both literally and musically, listeners being. teld of the plot of the opera and the principal parts being played with full orclicstral effects. Station 2FC has engaged Signor A. Folli and Mr. Carlton Fay especially for the grand opera season, ‘These artists each have a distinguished career, and their work will. surely be appreciated hy listeners who, are lovers of high-class music, | Mr. Joe Aronson and his famous jaz band have concluded their engagement with 81,0, Melbourne. His company is now playing at a fashionable dance "! cabaret in Melbourne.

They have some weird ‘stunts’ over in South Australia. A report states :- "During the past year the Radio Poultry Club connected with 5CL, Adelaiae, has made wonderful progress under the guidance of Mr. A. M. Whittenbury, the president. A competition for hens was commenced this year, and next year a duck egg-laying competition is also to be inaugurated, in addition to the hen test which will be run at the same time, Recently the members of the club visited the site of the competition at Norwood, and were delighted with the conditions under which the birds are kept. ‘They also expressed surprise at the fine health of the birds. Visitors are welcome to visit the site of the competition at any time." "I have noticed with pleasure that the class of story told to children by the aunts and uncles of the various stations is devoid of the old-fashioned terror element. Still, I think, and, being -a school teacher, my opinion may be of help to you, that more time mfght ‘be spent on the fairy-tale, with its simplicity and sweetness. ‘There is a difference between the minds of kiddies of five and six and those of nine and ten. Most of the stories, I find, dwell on the adventures in the country of boys and girls of the older school age. I would like to see more tales woven around flower and tree life -the more poetic type. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Just-so Stories,? and a selection from Grimms’s ‘Fairy Tales,’ would be especially appropriate, I think. Perhaps some of the nncles could condense one or two of the ‘Arabian Nights’ Entertainments’ to suit the older juveniles."’ Sometimes an emergency alcohol lamp is needed where gas or electricity cannot be obtained for heating purposes. Such a lamp may be made from an old India ink bottle. The cork and moulded cover should be drilled, and a lamp wick inserted. A small quantity of wood alcohoi placed in the bottle then furnishes a _ satisfactory emergency lamp.

‘CRS, | eh) | | e's) ee An American observer writes :- "Church services by radio have had profound effects on the lives of many individuals. Not only have they brought incalculable comfort to many persons lonely or ill or despairing, but they have actually brought persons up from moral failure to moral success. Persons who had ‘not been inside a church for a score of years have, by radio, been led to see the value not only, of worshipping, but of worshipping with their fellows. Many aged, ill, and infirm people attend worship by radio regularly," ‘the editor of the New York ‘‘Wireless Weekly" writes: ‘Are battery sets obsolete ?-No. Battery sets will be in use for many years to come. Wherever there is an unsuitable suply of electricity, such as direct current, or 110-volt, 25-cycle current, or 32-volt farm-light current, battery sets will be used. Indeed, there may be, in time, a grand come-back of the battery-operated sets, Gue to the development of different tubes. We already have the doublegrid tube, which uses only a fraction of the current that other tubes take; Int its possibilities are yet more or less in the future." ,

This article text was automatically generated and may include errors. View the full page to see article in its original form.I whakaputaina aunoatia ēnei kuputuhi tuhinga, e kitea ai pea ētahi hapa i roto. Tirohia te whārangi katoa kia kitea te āhuatanga taketake o te tuhinga.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/RADREC19280224.2.20.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 32, 24 February 1928, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,954

NOTES AND COMMENTS Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 32, 24 February 1928, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 32, 24 February 1928, Page 6

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