Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 24, 27 December 1929, Page 13

Notes and Comments

By

SWITCH

be the proud possessor of a real rad. ’cello. Another notable ’cello which probably was heard by Lord Byron, is owned by Mr, Norman Martin, a cellist heard from 2BL, Sydney. When Mr. Martin purchased the ’cello it had not been played on for fifty, years. By an inseription on the instrument it was shown that it once belonged to the wife of the Karl of Blessington. She was a writer of note, and. a close friend of Lord Byron. Auckland musician is reported to t HE commercial tadio telephone service (on a short wavelength) between Melbourne, Sydney and Londen, is just about to be inaugurated. The Melbourne "Herald" has booked the first call, For the outset the calls are beifig put through a special box at the G\P.0., Melbourne, but early in the. New Year the system will be extended to the telephone network. From the beginning, however, any private subscriber in London may be called. The charge } fa be £9 for a three-minute conversaon. "SWITCH" wonders what the advocates of pure Hnglish would have said if they had been listening to a ‘small station which the writer heard testing the other night. A gentlemau with a nice foreign accent was giving listeners an example of "Hnglish as she is spoke." He was evidently testing in eo-operation with some listener, to whom he frequently spoke, The gentleman with the foreign aceent had some queer idiomatic expressions, but s excelled himself when he asked "Is at worser?" If anyone had been guilty f such English from a "YA" station there would have been a riot of letters to the Press. HE dissatisfaction with broadcasting as at present conducted in Australia, seems to have become substantial enough to stir the new Commonwealth Government, A Cabinet committee has been appointed to consider the whole question of -wireless policy in Australia. The committee comprises Mr. Brennan (AttorneyGeneral), Mr. Lyons (PostmasterGeneral), and Messrs. Beasley and Forde (Assistant Ministers). The committee has had a lengthy interview with Mr. H. P. Brown: Director of Commonwealth Postal Services, and has asked him to set out in writing his proposals for the future conduct of all phgses of radio. question put to "Switch" recently was: "Can I get loudspeaker reception of 2YA, with a erystal set?’ There are several listeners in and around Wellington who regularly reeeive 2YA on the loudspeaker per medium of a crystal set. To do likewise it is necessary (1) To have a firstclass sensitive crystal; (2) to have a high aerial absolutely unscreened from 2YA: (8) to have a good "earth." The earth wire should be thick, and as short as possible. It should be soldered firmly to a water-pipe or other good earth; (4) the aerial should be well insulated and led through an insulated tube (porcelain) in.o the house; (5) The lead-in wire should be insulated: 1 6) the loudspeaker should be sensitive; (7) the aerial should be as long $s possible, provided the crystal sef -ean tune up to its length, ADIO plays various pranks. Telephone subscribers in some parts of Evans Bay can hear 2YA, Wellington,

on their telephones, News comes from. Sydney that music emanating from the base of the 400ft. steel mast at the Pennant Hillis radio station, nears Sydney, proved an interesting attraction to a group of country newspaper proprietors who visited the A.W.A. station recently. All visitors to Pennant Hills examine this phenomenon, as it is really uncanny. The mast stands on enormous glass insulators, which prevents electrical energy induced into the mast from.escaping to earth. A switch is provided for the purpose of "earthing" the mast, and if this switch is nearly closed a spark leaps from the mast across the gap. The aerials hanging from the mast transfer to it energy from station 2I°C, which is only a few yards away. When the spark leaps from the mast it heats the air and produees a sound wave. QVER four months have passed since the Australian Broadcasting Company took over its first station, and with the passing of time it continues to develop its organisation. On January 14, 5CL, Adelaide comes under the company’s control, and on January 30, 4QG, Brisbane, which will give the company two stations in Sydney, two in Melbourne, and one each in Brisbane and in Adelaide and in Perth. These seven stations, so widely separated, have been placed under the superintendence of Mr. ©. F. Marden, whose duties will be to provide for a close coordination between the stations,. and ‘generally to establish and supervise a standard of broadeasting transmissions throughout Australia. Wor some weeks past the Australian stations have not been worth listening to, so far as New Zealand listeners are concerned. ‘"BaAcH" (Plimmerton) writes: "Please publish a few words to say how- much we enjoy the extended broadeast hours of 2YA, Wellington, and the news sessions. We have our receiving set with us, and I ean tell you it is a constant source of pleasure. Neighbours who have brought their gramophones with them are already .tired of their thirty odd records, and they come to us to listen in." A FRIEND who is fond of statisties estimates that if all the listeners’ aerials in New Zealand were connected up and stretched out in one straight line they would reach half-way from Wellington to Sydney-about 600 miles. A WELLINGTON dealer informs "Switch" that the Christmas season has brought an increasing demand for crystal sets. School youngsters who have not possessed a wireless set, he states, are tired of hearing from

their more fortunate comrades of their enjoyment of radio, and particularly the kiddies’ sessions, and this makes them decide to join the happy throng. Many of the youngsters around Wellington do not require to erect costly radio masts, 2YA comes in with such good volume that their aerials are merely run from a nearby tree or chimney to a small pole near the house. Now that the Australian stations are suffering an eclipse owing to unfavourable atmospheric — canditions, New Zealand listeners in general are concentrating on the "YA" stations. In Wellington, 4YA, Dunedin, is in big demand, and can be heard with satisfactory loudspeaker volume on any night. YA, Auckland, and 3YA, Christchurch, are both ‘available: with good volume. "THE Melbourne police have now one of the finest wireless-equipped systems of motor patrols in the world. There are five high-powered cars patrolling each night and day, each of which keeps in touch with headquarters ‘by radio. Bach car has an up-to-date Morse operating equipment with a radio expert continually listening in. These cars have been instrumental in eapturing many criminals and have had countless: chases after motor-car

thieves. On one occasion a police car touched 87 miles an hour in a thrilling. pursuit of thieves. **QWITO " has received a letter from a friend on holiday in the Marlborough Sounds who has taken his radio set with him. He reports splendid reception:of 2YA, Wellington, from its commencement each day until closing down late at night. He concludes: "This radio. adds to the pleasure of our holiday. Good luck to 2YA." [THE relays by 2YA, Wellington, -of the "talkies" at the Majestic 'Theatre have been universally appreciated, and "Switch" has heard numerous expressions of pleasure With the innovation. It is difficult at times to realise that one is listening to a "talkie" and not an actual stage production. The general cry is "Give us more!" **(jRAMO" (City) has sent a little note as follows:-‘You know there are frequently gramophone records which make a ‘hit. Let me add Malcolm McHachern’s singing record of ‘You Along O-Me’ heard from 2YA;° Wellington. This wonderful basso is well known as a member of the ‘Mr. Optimist and Mr. Pessimist" duo heard from Sydney on many occasions in the past. I beg to nominate him as the finest basso in this quarter of the globe. Any otler entries?" AN ingenious adaptation of radio as "" a means of increasing business was recently discovered in a Turkish bath establishment in Paris. The proprietor found that the average patron would not remain ‘in the steam room long enough to obtain the best results. This was largely due to’ the monotony of the procedure which does not permit of either conversation or reading. To overcome this monotony a special damp and heat-proof loudspeaker was installed with a radio receiver and amplifier located elsewhere,