Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 11, 27 September 1929, Page 13

Radio Round the World

HE directors of the General Steam Navigation Company, Bngland, are to be commended on their recent policy of fitting their new ferry steamer, the "Crested Eagle," with an up-to-date wireless installation for the purpose of broadcasting concerts en route to Margate. When the "Crested Nagle" glided down the Thames on her maiden voyage she progressed to the accompaniment of gay and lilting tunes, stately overtures, and dashing melodies from the operas, interspersed with running descriptions of places passed. Although the programmes. can be heard with comfort in nearly every part of the ship, special provision is made for those who wish to enjoy the beauties of nature in silence. Presumably, in the event of stormy weather, this provision is also for those unfortunates whose one desire is to suffer in silence, and not to the ironic strains of "A Life om the Ocean Wave." A FURTHER instance of the educa- ™ tive possibilities of wireless is given by the University of Alberta, which is to broadcast free university lectures during the winter months for the especial benefit of trappers and others living within the Arctic Circle. These lectures are to be supplemented by books supplied by the Government "travelling libraries." . The idea is an excellent one, and should do much towards brightening. the lonely lives of those who live in the Far North.

QURELY one of the most remote of all remote controls is that fitted to the five-metre transmitter of WGY, Schenectady. To. avoid body capacity the tuning is done at a distance of one hundred yards from the transmitte: by means of a rope-driven vernier! PrOLLOWING the remarkable success of the rebroadcast in Canada of the Westminster Abbey Thanksgiving Service, listeners there have commenced an active agitation for more inter-Hm-pire broadcast programmes by the Beam method. The comments made in letters of congratulation to the com pany concerned, indicate that the qua} ity of the transmission was marvellous and quite up to the standard vf a first: class local broadcast. That the excellence of this transmission was ectirely due to the beam link is demonstrated by the fact that listeners who attempted to pick up the transmission direct found that their reception, owing to the prevailing conditions, was very poor. Reception on the beam circuit was, however, so good that the programine was passed on to Australia over the Canada-Australia Beam, and was successfully rebrodeast there. STEP in the right direction towards perfect radio-harmony would probably be effected. if each person taking out a wireless license, automatically hecame a member of a society which arranged its own programmes, traced and prosecuted pirates, and even issued licenses. This idea, though probably a good one theoretically, would scarcely be practicable. Its chief virtue would lie in the quietening of discontented listeners, because when they themselves could, if they wished. help in the choosing of programmes, they would be unable to complain against \anything not entirely suited to their own tastes. RECENTLY the Chinese Government announced its intention of installing:a very powerful station. The situa-

tion is to be Shanghai and the purpose is mainly that of communication between China: and Europe. In the contract there is a stipulation that all communications or entertainment relayed to Hurpoean eountries must pass through the French centre of SaintAssize. O pass away the long Polar nights, Commander Byrd and party listen to the broadcasting of very many stations. They recently stated that the stations of Siam, Japan, and of Australia were fairly well received, whereas those of America and Holland were 25 per cent. superior to those of any other country.

ANNUAL reports on the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa states that arrangements have been made for the erection of a new station in Apia township. ‘The building secured was formerly a school, and the grounds cover an area of over three acres. Apia radio now carries out point-to-point transmissions by continuous wave type signal, thus complying with the new regulations made at the International Radio Telegraph Conference of 1927. BUDAPEST was hitherto the only place where broadcasting was "laid on" to the ordinary telephone subseribers. However, Odessa has now adopted the device, and has linked up its telephone system with the local radio station, serving some 9000 subseribers. No radio receivers are necessary and suitable amplifiers and loudspeakers can be hired. A DOMESTIC servant who after being in Canada for one week was afflicted with such a bad attack °of home-sickness that she telephoned London by the trans-Atlantic service and spent the whole of her savings of £20 after five minutes talk with her people.

HYOLLOWING on lines similar to those of other countries, the Australian Broadcasting Company has decided to place in the programme of 2BL each day at 10.45 a.m. a short religious service for those who are confined to their homes or to hospitals. The churches have expressed their willingness to cooperate in supplying these short daily messages. \V ARQUIS MARCONI in a recent interview stated that the attempt to send messages to Mars was a waste of time, and that there was no need for Robots (mechnical men) as long as there are living men, and that we are not yet near the day of the pilotless aeroplane. (A BRMANY takes the broadcasting of ~* plays very seriously. The Press criticise all plays broadcast, and the whole of the 124 plays broadcast up te the end of 1928, received publicity in

the Press. Of this total, 57 were tragedies, 31 comedies, 7 special radio plays, 5 lyric dramas, and 24 other pieces. . THE Byrd Expedition carries with it no less than 500 wireless valves. 387 of these are for reception, while the majority of the remainder are for transmission. They have material for the construction of over 100 complete wireless receiving sets. Besides this apparatus, the expedition carries much material for experimental purposes. N° mercy is to be shown to unlicensed transmitters in Australia. According to the latest regulations issued by the Commonwealth PostmasterGeneral, the penalty for conducting -jllicit transmission will be a fine of £500, with or without a term of hard labour not exceeding five years. A NEW wireless police force is to be instituted in Paris after the style of the American Flying Squads. Experiments will shortly be made in communicating from the Wiffel Tower with the police of London and Berlin. It is stated that the "air’’ police will be recruited from the ranks of exarmy telegraphists. HE new Huddart-Parker liner Westralia, which recently sailed from the Clyde en route for Australia, has been fitted with one of the most modern and complete radio equipments of any vessel afloat. It comprises, in the main. a transmitter, an extremely compact

and light lifeboat set, a broadcast receiver, and a band "repeater." By.. means of the latter, radio programmes ~ or ship’s band concerts can be ampli-: fied and broadcast anywhere on the © ship. The efficiency of the transmitter is demonstrated by the fact that communication was effected with Perth on the voyage out, while the ship was still 4300 miles from that station. This is indeed record working for such low power (13 kilowatts) especially. as transmission takes place on the relatively high commercial frequency of 500 kilocyeles (600 metres). HE University of Alberta, -Canada, has decided to cater for the farmers, fur traders and others living in the far north by providing a free university course for the man with a radio reeeiver. Keen in the past to acquire knowledge, these listeners-in are ex-. pected to take considerable advantage of the course provided. ALF interest in the Columbia broadcasting chain in America has been purchased by Paramount Pictures, thus bringing together two leading amusement companies in their respeetive spheres’. The new co-operative effort combining radio, screen and stage talent is an epoch-making combination. It portends the early practi- _ cal broadcasting of motion pictures by television, according to information re--ceived. . . {®t is expected that jazz music will be _aekenned by all Australian broadcasting stations, following the appointment -of Professor Bernard Heinze, of Melbourne University, as director-general of wireless music of the company which has secured the contract for programmes in all States. Professor Heinze’s first act was to abolish the jazz band at 3LO. YiIcToRiA, with a drop of 457, is the only State in which the number of broadcast listeners’ licenses deereased during July. In all Australia, the new license issues exceed cancellations by 1993, leaving a total still in force of 303,192. Of the eancellations 8307 were in Victoria. amanda ax? 3