Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 53, 19 July 1929, Page 12

Notes and Comments

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MANY listeners still’ operate their sets without:a power valve in the last stage. The -writer has made several converts to the use of power valves, but occasionally he has met individuals who retain the idea that the ordinary atidio valve is sufficient to do the job well. The fact is that the on dinary audio valve fights shy of the lower bass notes. A prominent authority says: "Almost all modern Ameriean 'factory-built receivers are being provided with output valves, which permit an undistorted output of at least two or three watts, and often five! It is not that.five watts of. output are required to produce a normal volume of sound on the medium frequehcies, but that they are essential if the low tones are to be produced in proportion to the others without distortion,’ "THE dinner music sessions by 2YA, Wellington,. have made number of local listeners well pleased with the present broadcast service. The gramophone records are now better chosen than ever, and they are admirably reproduced.. As one listener put it to the ‘writer, it would cost ‘scores of puunds for a private person to purchase the ‘multitude of different records put across the air by 2YA, Wellington, in a year, and the license fee for broadcast listening is only 30s. per annum. ACCORDING to the details forward-"~-ed by "Neutro" (Kilbirnie) his neutrodyne set is causing howling and thus interfering with the pleasure of other listeners. The trouble has obviously been occasioned ,by changing the positions of his valves after his set was properly neutralised. Seeing ‘that "Neutro" confesses to being an utter novice

in radio matters he should obtain the services of a competent radio friend to re-neutralise: his set, which can be accomplished in a couple of minutes, Tinkering about with valves, changing their pogjtions in a neutrodyne set is a reprehensible practice which. spoils the efficiency of a neutrodyne and interferes with the pleasure of other listeners. FRIEND who has just taken up broadcast listening is somewhat puzzled as to what he should do. about his pet fox-terrier, who insists on howling when a soprano vocalist is heard from his loudspeaker. The dog enjoys all forms of music and lies blinking in front of the sitting-room fire listening to the radio, but as soon as a soprano starts he emits the most dismal howls. ‘ When he is turned out of doors he gets under the hotise and makes each soprano song a duet, but discordant enough to harass the soul of any true musiclover. At first the dog thought a

stranger was in the house when Mr. Drummond,. the: announcer at 2YA4, gaye jut the items, and "Spot" rushed from room to room barking excitedly. He got over this idea after a smack or two with a strap,’but he still. persists in howling with the sopranos. WHEN the, household canine. pet exhibits such bad form as to join in with the radio items the best plan is to hold the four-footed vocalist near the loudspeaker, and when he attempts to howl, discourage him with a -strap, After one or two smart flips with the strap the dog will be converted into respectability, and will observe the common decencies of the best-conducted families. ‘The writer hopes his friend with the howling dog will follow this advice andprestore the amenities of his household, J UDGING by the remarks heard by the writer from numerous listeners, the recent rebroadcasts by 2¥A, Wellington, of the shortwave descriptions of the All Blacks’ football matches in. Australia, caused all-round delight with the Broadeasting Company’s enterprise in making arrangements for the rebroadcast of 2ME, Sydney., One hears of groups of friends gathered round joudspeakers in many Wellington homes listening with intense excitement to the thrilling descriptions of the football contests. Not to have a radio set, nowadays, is to be behind the times... ISTENERS who were fortunate enough to hear the relay by 2YA, Wellington, of ‘the concert by the band of the German cruiser Emden last week wax enthusiastically over the delight it afforded. The writer knows of listeners who went to the Town Hall. t; hear the band, but being unable to squeeze in to the crowded auditorium returned home and enjoyed the conore per medium of radio, by the fireside HD amateur set-building competitions to be held at the forthcoming Radio Exhibition in Wellington, although conducted by the Radio -Society, are open to all listeners whether members of the society or not. A local "fan" has constructed a erystal set in a box not much larger than a safety matchbox, and the set works admirably. He cannot be induced to enter ‘it for the "novelty" set competition, being content to hide his light under a bushel, This is a case of undue modesty, besides depriving others from viewing a most interesting exhibit. HE lecture on moying coil loudspeakers given ‘at the recent general meeting of the Wellington Radio Society was: by Mr.-L, H, Wright, who .

made ‘his debut before the society .on . that occasion. Mr. Wright is a young Englishman, now resident in Wellington, who. is well steeped in radio knowledge both theoretical and practical. He has also a gift for imparting knowledge to hig listeners. Possibly, later on Mr. Wright may be ‘induced to give another lecture for the society. [tz was, indeed, a happy thought of Mr, Pat Hanna and his "Diggers" to broadcast their entertainment | in eonnection with the Returned Soldiers’ reunion at His Majesty’s Theatre, Wellington, last week. Many a digger and nurse who were unable. to attend the merry reunion must have felt. grateful to be able to -hear the splendid musical and elocutionary items which came across the air from the;2YA relay. RECEPTION from Australia has been yery fickle of late. Some transTasman stations excel on ,one night while others are indifferent and on the succeeding night affairs are reversed. And on some nights static has been intense so that it was anything but a pleasure to listen te the Australian stations. On a few nights the Japanese stations have been picked up by Wellington: listeners recently but even those stations have been. exceedingly uncertain. EGARDING the new programme service to be supplied to the Australian "A" class stations this month, the "Sydney Wireless Weekly" says: "For, by some méans,- the idea that something outstandingly new.in the way. of broadcast entertainment will be heard has been circulated. Its source would, perhaps, be difficult to trace, but no doubt in some quarters it was believed that. it would serve to evoke curiosity in the new programmes. ~ But it is one thing to stimulate pleasurable anticipation and another to realise it. And it is fairly certain that it cannot be realised in these first programmes, What new broadcaster can present a programme startlingly, outstandingly different? In the past 'five years of broadcasting every available artist and feature-has been. broadcast, and the most a new enterpreneur can do is to concentrate the best of the past features’ into the first few weeks." "PRAT" (Ngaio) writes asking to know whether he is likely’ to obtain erystal set loudspeaker reception of 2YA, Wellington. He says his masts are about forty feet in height, and -his aerial is about 60 feet in length, Seeing that a resident of Lower Hutt,. about seven miles from 2Y¥A. is obtfining very fair loudspeaker recepft'on with his erystal set, from 2YA, the chances of doing likewise at Ngaio are favourable, especially in the case of "Bat," who.says his masts are on ‘an elevated position. Providing ‘"Bat’s’’ erystal set is equipped with a good detector and his "earth" system is. good he should obtain londsneake. reception.