Radio becomes Fully Established

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 35, 15 March 1929, Page 8

Radio becomes Fully Established

TPHAT the radio trade is now becoming an established business is evidenced by this noyel ‘Mullard’ traveller’s car. In every new industry the enthusiasm of those with progressive ideas often carries them oyer the bounds of

the possibilities which exist in that industry at the particular time. This phase of the radio industry has been passed through, first in America, then in England. Australia passed through it before we did, and settled down on to a solid foundation in 1927. There is no doubt that New Zealand has now reached that stage in 1929. The world has beeu culled over by manufacturers’ representatives, importers and agents to select the lines which are leaders in their respective classes; and sufficient time has now elapsed for the various lines which have been imported, into New Zealand to be tried out, and for the ascendancy of the tried and proven products to be established. The result is that today we have the culling process completed, and the world’s best lines are holding the ascendancy in New Zealand, as they do in other countries. The dealer can trade with more confidence and concentrate on the established lines, knowing that he is not going to be upset by some low-priced inferior article. Many times the dealer has been tempted to try out these products, and has learnt by experience that the standard lines are the only ones worth concentrating on. That is why the radio trade in’ 1929 can be said to have a really solid foundation. With the world’s leading manufacturers thoroughly established, the publie and dealers can purchase radio equipment with confidence. A typical example of the confidence now prevailing in the radio trade is the placing on the road of a unique traveller’s car by the New Zealand Mullard selling agents, Messrs. Spedding, Limited, of Auckland. This Mullard car is unique in both appearance and interior design. The actual body of the valve is 8ft. 9in. long, with a diameter in proportion to the length of a Mullard valve. The base of the valve provides the driver’s cab, and with the sliding doors pulled down, completely encloses the driver, making a very fine all-weather outfit, enabling the driver to proceed in any weather with absolute comfort, , :

The dimensions of the valve are identically proportionate to those of an actual Mullard valve. The inside of the van is practically square, the floor and sides having been squared off, which gives a considerable amount of space between the outer circumference and

the interior lining, in some cases @ depth of more than twelve inches. This space has been divided off into compartments, each compartment being numbered, which facilitates the quick location of any type of valve required. The interior space, part from these compartments, enables a large quantity of material to be carried, and it is hard to conceive any method of construction which could make provision for a greater amount of material in u similar space. A novel installation is housed m four of the rear compartments. This comprises a power amplifier, using the Mullard P.M.3 and P.M.24-5 electrode valve, and two Mullard transformers. In the compartment below is a gramiophone motor and electric pickup. ‘The other compartments are taken up with dry B. & C. batteries, and a lead frons the car batteries is taken to a plug-in terminal immediately alongside the B batteries. From two small plug-in terminals it is possible to demonstrate on any speaker the enormous ampiification of these Mullard valves. In the case of a dynamic speaker being pin the field current is taken from the in terminal mentioned above. This outfit has created an immense amount of interest as it has passed through the various towns in the North Island, and the same interest is being displayed in the South Island, of which it is now making a complete tour. The substantial cost of such an outfit touring through New Zealand is ample evidence of the confidence dis~ played in the future of the radio buslness in New Zealand. LT y