Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 16, 2 November 1928, Page 3

Radio Round the World

(GON SIDERABLE interest in amateur radio cireles throughout the world Ths taken’ in a message-handling contest originated by the American Radio Relay League and conducted for a fortnight in May, 1927, The purpose of the contest was to determine the most reliable amateur radio station in each country of the world for contact with the American organisation, the home of amateur radio. Mr. D. W. Buchanan, operating the Ashburton station 8AR, was the New Zealand winner of this contest, with Mr. O’Meara, of Gisborne, operating station 2AC, as runner-up. A further. contest was held last February, and by radio Mr. Buchanan is advised that he has again won the honour of New Zealand Foreign Contact Station with 328 points, Mr. O’Meara being second with 274 points. The short-wave fra-dio-phone transmission of the Ashburton station is generally reported loudspeaker strength in Victoria and New South Wales, and has been heard much further afield. A CYCLIST was recently travelling along a. busy thoroughfare after having purchased two radio valves, which he hung from his handlebars. The surface of the road was greasy owing to rainfall, and at a corner he unfortunately skidded and fell, the package of valves flying from his bicycle into the centre of the roadway. A horse drawing a cart was approaching the scene of the accident, and the horse inadvertently kicked the package of valves a considerable distance with one of its forefeet. Fully expecting to find his recent purchase broken and useless, the cyclist dashed after his package and returned to the radio shop "¥& have the contents tested. To his surprise he found that the valves were not only unbroken but their filaments were ‘intact, giving results in no way different from their original ability. We, ‘however, would not advise him to make a practice of this sort of thing. VERY many complimentary references to the. broadcasting from St. Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday week have reached the New South Wales Broadcasting Company, Limited, in connection with the opening services at the Cathedral. The general consensus of opinion is that the choral and orchestral music throughout the morning reached a point very near to perfection, and that the elaborate installation in the Cathedral very fully justified itself. Both the liturgical and massed choirs gave a very fine rendition of the various works that were chosen for the : Mass, and the playing of the orchestra was a feature of the service. Telegrams to hand from inter-State sources also ' acclaim the beauty of the transmission. ~The speeches from the afternoon ceremony were also greatly enjoyed. \ | A REMARKABLE instance of the ‘ employment of several different methods of electrical communication occurred recently when a large dollarbond Qofation was made for Warsaw, Poland, simultaneously in Europe and America. A thousand-word . circular i on tl was compiled and sent by radio to Londoa and Stockholm. Quarter-page advertisements were then set up in London and proofs made and distributed by -air-mail to various Buropean capitals. The circular was cabled to South America and put into type there. In New York it was set up and distributed by telephone to cities as far west as the

Pacific Coast. Thus this international financial enterprise employed radio picture circuits, aeroplanes, telephoto, radio, and cable. in South Africa in regard to the future of broadcasting in that territory, and the manager of the African Broadcasting Company stated recently that he and his company were much more optimistic to-day than when they "started-in." At the time of the formation of the African Company there were about 11,000 listeners licensed throughout South Africa, whereas to-day there are more than 20,000, nad it is believed that if there were no pirates the number would be nearer to 30,000. The question of unlicensed listeners is causing the A.B.C. considerable anxiety, and efforts are being made to have the Radio Act amended so that this evil may be overcome once for all. According to the present state of the law under the Act, inspectors have liberty to examine licensed sets, but what the company wants to know in this connection is the number and the location of unlicensed sets! optimism prevails [JURING its session in Chicago, the Radio Division of the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Association adopted a number of important resolutions, particularly in view of the movement now afoot to curtail the licenses of many transmitters. Two amoung these show the trend of thought. The meeting resolved that "greater consideration be given to those stations which broadcast programmes satisfying a wide variety of interests or groups," and it condemned those which "now act purely as organs in selling merchandise for one firm or which exclusively broadcast programmes devoted to furthering the interests of some particular group, class or creed." ALTHOUGH the Admiralty is seldom communicative regarding the progress of improvements in any feature of the ships of the Royal Navy, the results which have been obtained in recent months with the use of shortwave wireless apparatus on battleships have been so striking that they were specially mentioned in a recent report. With the use of short-wave transmitters no ship in the Navy, in no matter what part of the world it may be, is outside the range of services in Great Britain, and the Admiralty can communicate with every ship at least once every day. Such results would never have been possible with apparatus using ordinary wave-lengths, and its value in times of crisis is obvious. CHAKESPEARH went on the radio in London recently when for the first time a more or less complete version of "Hamlet" was broadcast. As only an hour and a-half was available for the performance, there were necessary cuts, but a reader linked up the breaks in the play, and the main scenes were presented in their entirety. Whether the ghost of Shakespeare listened in on the spectral performance or not no one has hazarded a guess, but if he did the sounds of his famous character’s words coming from empty air probably succeeded in making "each individual hair to stand on end like quills upon the fretful porcupine."

WHEN daddy goes prospecting in Northern Ontario these days, he is not necessarily severed from his family as were those who preceded him in other days. The forest radio stations of the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests last year carried, free of charge, 52,000 words back to "ivilisation regarding the welfare of ijaddies, sons, and sweethearts, This vear it has been decided to charge 4 nominal rate for messages of importance. A RESIDENT of Seattle (U.S.A.j has applied for a license to operate machines that kill insects in the State’s fruit orchards. The apparatus is a high frequency radio invention, with aerials strung over the trees, and has been in use all summer until the radio supervisor here stopped its use because of lack of a transmitter’s ligense. He says the machine has been highly successful in eliminating the pests from the orchards, and means the saving ¢f millions of dollars to the country. | AN order given out by the Ministry of Communications, Italy, decrees that musicians and singers will be obliged to broadcast when requested. The chief stations of Rome, Milan, and Naples are under orders to provide

perfect rendering of performances, otherwise the performers will have the right to withdraw. FORTUNATELY located, Shanghai radio listeners are receiving broadcast programmes of an international character, according to word from those parts. While relay broadcasting has not been undertaken in Asia or Japan, broadcasts from neighbouring countries are being picked up constantly by average sets, Shanghai is within reach of direct proadcasts from Manila and Tokio, and other stations in various parts of Japan are heard frequently. Mukden Manchuria, is a popular and frequent entertainer. Occasionally come programmes from Australia, Hawaii, ang Russia. | ¢ YUESTIONNAIRES sent out by Finjand’s broadcasting station showed that lectures. of educational and cultural value and news topics were next in favour. Wisteners have expressed universal approval of the playing of the kantele, which takes first place on the music list. The kantele is an old national musical instrument with a beautiful tone. It is shaped somewhat like a horizontal harp. After thé kantele the listeners placed songs, Or chestra rusic, theatrical performances, operas and the the ‘teaching of languages. Church services are preferred LO ja".