Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 3, 2 August 1929, Page 14

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

f BetD HON. J. B. DONALD, Postmas-ter-General, proved himself an excellent .performer before the microphone on the occasion of his speech at the Town Hall, when officially opening Wellington Radio WJxhibition. His voice came through with good tone. and his enunciation was perfect. HE Wellington Radio Exhibition de monstrated to the man in the streei how phenomenal has been the advance in the design of receiving sets. Crowds pressed round the stalls watching the operation of the all-electric sets, and dwelling on every word of explanation., Many pertinent questions were plied, | and the attendants at the stalls. were quick to answer. The greatest wonder was expressed with regard to the simplicity of tunning the modern sets. One old lady, evidently from the country, remarked: "It’s easier than working our gramophone, and you don’t have to wind it either." A SMART-LOOKING man from "the land" turned to "Switch" after a demonstration with an all-electric soc-. ket set and said: "This is the very thing we’ve been waiting for. We live out of town, and although the electricity has been laid on to our place. we have jibbed at the idea of being bothered with batteries. This set is just the thing for the family. Just. plug it into the hot-point and away she goes. Our five-year son will learn to tune

this in a minute, I’m not going back: without one of these sets." "Q WITCH" must give credit to Master Wesley Chisholm, a fourteen: year-old Wellingtonian, who has exhibited unusual skill and resourcefulness as a. home. builder of radio sets. He has quite a creditable record, having already won a five-valve receiving set against scores of others in a local crystal-set building competi--tion. At the Wellington Radio Exhibition he won first prize for his most. novel crystal set and second prize for the best crystal set. This youngster, whe is attending the Technical

College, proposes taking up radio as a profession. He is an alert, manly little. fellow who converses on radio like a veteran. WITCH" cannot. resist an inclination to pay a tribute to the Wellington Radio Exhibition Committee, headed by Mr. A. J. Heighway, chairman, for the splendid management of the initial function. The affair ran like clockwork, and everything showed adept generalship. The exhibitors also deserve credit for their tastefully arranged stands and their eagerness to demonstrate to.the public.

THE Wellington branch of the New Zealand Amateur Transmitters had an attractive stall at the Radio Exhibition which had always.a crowd of curious folk around it. One of the best exhibits on this stall was the portable niorse transmitting set operated with batteries.. It required only a thirty-foot aerial, and was able to communicate with Australia, This is the very set suitable for following a Cook Strait swimmer. It could be Placed on a launch, and with the as: sistance of an amateur ashore the de scription of the swim could be passed along by telephone to 2YA, Wellington, for broadcasting. Mr. J. Johnston, builder and owner of the transmitter, stated to "Switch" that he would be willing to co-operate with 2YA. if desired on any occasion. [THE judge of the essay competition on "The Possibilities of Radio" in connection with the Wellington Radio Hxhibition was keenly disappointed with the essays received. Some started out fairly well and _ then slumped badly... Others slumped throughout. ‘The ideas expressed were frequently crude, but there was a lack of anything original. The composition was generally of the primary school Standard. There were convincing: reasons why the first prize was withheld. P-COUNTRY ‘colleges should take 2 . leaf out of the page of Solway College for Girls, near Masterton. A number of parents subscribed a suffieient sum for defraying the cost of an all-electric receiving set, a first-rate aerial, and three loudspeakers, which are distributed throughout the college. Connections to the speakers are made through lead-shielded cables. One speaker is. situated in the college assembly hall (a miniature ‘theatre), a detached building about 50 yards away from the receiving set. The shielded connecting cord is buried a few inches underground until it enters the assembly hall. The chief. New Zealand; seve-

ral Australian stations and a Japanese Station give good loudspeaker reception, At the Wellington Radio Exhibition "Switch" heard that a recently arrived Australian had stated that it is rumoured in Sydney that 2BL, Sydney, . is to have its power increased to 15,000 watts. This would make a tremendous increase in the number of listeners in Australia, where great distances have to be spanned to reach some ‘of the towns inland, STRANGD effect was created at the Wellington Radio Hxhibition when dozens of sets and loudspeakers were reproducing the music broadcast by 2¥A, Wellington. Music flowed in all directions and as the sets were all tuned to 2YA the music synchronised so that the air was flooded with melody. The multi-valve sets required no ae for picking up 2Y¥A owing to to the big: station, Some sets, however, were fitted with short aerials as they were so completely shielded that even the local station could fot penetrate. them without the aid of an aerial. (COUNTRY listeners flocked down to see the Wellington Radio Exhibition and "Switch" made personal acquaintance. with many. whom he knew only through the mediu. of correspondence. The displays were an eyeopener to these up-country visitors, and one, heard many resolutions to scrap the old battery sets or bring them up to date with battery eliminators. Several visitors said that the. A.C. sets had captivated them completely and they ran critical. eyes over the various exhibits, HETHER or: not. an artist has broadcast before will .not inftuence the Australian Broadcasting Company in making selections. for future programmes, This announcement has been made by Mr. Stuart -F. Doyle on behalf of the new company. "It would wa be highly ridiculous to turn an artist — down because. of inclusion in the programmes of the old regime," added Mr. Doyle, "as. listeners would: thereby be deprived of some of the best talent in Australia." It. is the. policy of the Australian Broadcasting. Company, however, to conduct auditions of every artist, whether previously broadcast. or not, so that the best production possible maybe procured for the microphone. "Presentation is everything," eoncluded Mr. Doyle, "and the best musical and broadeasting experts available have been engaged to conduct these auditions in a model studio and audi tion room specially constructed for thé purpose." SomME. exceptionally fine electrodynamic, loudspeakers were heard at the Wellington Radio Exhibition, their tone being a veritable ‘revelation in music reproduction. Visitors could be seen passing backwards and forwards from stall to stall endeavouring to assure themselves as to. which was the best. The most novel set was a neat little affair. with American A.C, screened-grid valves. throughout the radio stages, This was the very first of its kind landed in New Zealand. , The set could be carried quite.comfort- ' ably under an arm, "Switch" learnt from.a most credible source that this is a perfect marvel for’ long-distance reception,* Some great performances were accomplished with it recently in 4: » ‘Wellington suburb. ; =