Notes and Comments By

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 42, 2 May 1930, Page 7

Notes and Comments By

B

SWITCH

eo ‘ABLES recently anziounced . that Marconi spoke from his yacht Dlettra in Genoa harbour to the people of Australia. It appears that his speech was rebroadcast by 2BL, Sydney, the Bastern Australian time being 4.30 pm. Thete was an entire absence of static, and Marconi’s'voi¢e was heard with perfect clarity. RSE * HOMAS ¥F, DILL, ‘United States Senator for the State of Washing-. ton, has stated in an article in the American Press that "radio will do more than anytHing. else to give us a world language, and..it will be the _ American-English language. "There are, besides innumerable disciples of Hsperanto and followers of other "international languages’ who are increasirig in numbers yearly, but many ’ public men believe that Hnglish will be the ultimate universal language. * , * HAT shortwave: reception from Englund is still by no means reliable was evidenced by the ‘ineffectual attempts in Wellington to :pick up 5SW, Chelinsford, England, for | the purpose of re-broadcasting, . by 2YA, the description of. the Oxford-Cam-bridge boat race. Obscure influences oceur at times..which weaken long- _ distance..feception, and this is. where identity the singer. there is abundant-scone for future investigation by. scientists who are now probing into the mysteries of static, ete. | io a * k T the "Oid- Time Night" broadcast recéntly by 8L0, Melbourne, and relayed alternately by 2BL and 216, Sydney; the writer heard a former Wellington resident, Mr. Syd. Exton, sing "When. You and I Were Young, Maggie." His voice came across very distinctly, and it was not difficult to * STATIC nis Beeti rather insistent lately, and ‘has somewhat interfered with reception of the Australian stations until after 11 p.m. The abnormal weather may have some connection with this ‘overdose of static. When winter sets in properly there should be a distinct decrease in atmospherics. * se

A WELLINGTON suburbanite asked "Switch" the other day why freception with his a.c. set is noticeably weaker on some afternoons A voltmeter test would show that there is a drop of voltage in his honsehold mains during’ certain hours. This, at least, was found to be the cause in one instance... m x F THE: new Canadian broadcasting ; scheme embodies the erection of seven ‘stations of 50,000 watts each, distributed across the Dominion. Before many months elapse New Zealand listeners should be able to hear one of these giants on the Pacific side of Canada. + Bo x "QWITCH" was much interested in ~ the report; published in last week’s "Record" of the nightly reception of 2YA, Wellington, far away in Valdez, Alaska. Valdez is exactly 7000 miles, in a straight line from Wellington. Unless there is a daylight saving . regulation in Alaska, when it is 8 p.m. in Wellington it is 10 -p.m. in Alasks. To give regular loudspéaker reception at a range of 7000 miles is a veritable triumph for any broadcast station.

STEADY demand for portable re‘ceiving sets is reported in Wellington, The vogue of the motor-car has rendered the portable a desirable accessory. Recently the Wellington "trade" was completely sold out of the 120-volt small block "B" batteries suit- ’ *.

able for portable sets, and customers have had to wait for the arrival. of new stocks. * * * "THE new transinitter for 2L0, London, located at Brookman’s Park, has a power of 80,000 watts. Of course, it is now difficult to tune out that station unless located at a considerable distance from it. As a necessity many listeners near London are now employing wave-traps. € * x A WELLINGTONIAN who writes that he has plenty of space for a counterpoise "earth," asks for advice on this systein. The counterpoise should be erected about 10 feet from the ground, and should run exactly under the aerial for nearly its whole length. The counterpoise should be as carefully insulated as the aerial, even to the lead-in tube through the wall of the house.or the window frame. It will give . greater selectivity, and will probably cut down interference from some kinds of electrical leakages in the neighbourhood. Soe ; * % [HH Sydney "B" class station, 2UW, which is only occasionally heard in Wellington by owners of the average

multi-valve set, is about to transniit on higher power. A much more efficient aerial system has also been installed,’ so reports of reception in Wellington should be numerous shortly. Dd x % HP Australian Commonwealth Government, in adopting drastic measures to combat the inequality between imports and exports, has now totally prohibited the importation of radio ‘receiving sets, assembled or even partly assembled, This has created a tremendous stir in the. Australian radio "trade," although lately fully 80 per cent. of the sets marketed in Australia have been manufactured in the Commonwealth. It is said, however, that ‘those who have been relying on imported sets are arranging to have their sets made in Australia. A hint has been published that the Radio Corporation of America will now establish a factory in Australia, ~ Ba * NID wonders whether anyone in New Zealand can beat this for a record. Recently Mr. Robert Hillas, who is more than a hundred years old, assisted at one of the children’s sessions at 4QG, Brisbane, recently. The old gentleman told stories of the bushranging days in Australia. xe k « ENTION was made in the cables recently that the British Government proposed to submit to the Imperial Conference a plan for a shortwave Empire broadcast station to take the place of 5SW, Chelmsford, so that good reception could be obtained in all the British Dominions. The station would, therefore, be much more powerful than 5SW in order to give a reliable service. The proposal is that the Dominions be asked to contribute to the cost of erecting the new station. It would not be out of place for the various radio societies and clubs throughout New Zealand to pass a motion commending the scheme, such resolution tv be forwarded to the Prime Minister. f % A BRITISH short-wave broadcast station which would afford a reliable service for New Zealand would be i. veritable boon for the people of the Dominion. Reception would be quite suitable for relaying by the "YA" stations, so that every listener in this country would be served. The "silken bonds" of the Empire would undoubtedly be strengthened by such a_ service. It is to be hoped that New Zealand’s representative at the Imperial Conference will, support the plan, ., bed at THE Home papers are publishing timely warnings to owners of a.c. sets not to touch the inside parts when

the cutrent is switched on. All up-to-date :.c. sets have the internal metalwork "earthed," but there is always some: risk of an electric shock if one tinkers With an a.c. set, when the current is passing through it. Even when the valves are switched off the current is still in the circuit’ unless the switch on the wall is turned off, = ee (RACKLING in a loudspeaker. may ’ be due to a most unthought of cause. A Wellington service man re-, cently struck what appeared at first to be a most difficult case, but on investigating the loudspeaker circuit he made a surprising discovery. Some dirt and fluff was lodged between the loudspeaker plug and the jack in the set. As soon as this had been removed the crackling ceased. , a a * N American visitor informed "Switch" that very few. crystal sets are now used in the United States. A erystal set equal to anything in the} world for results can be purchased in America for four shillings. Headphonés are used only with crystal sets, and by a small proportion of short-wave énthusiasts. Prices for "all-electric" sets range from £14 up to £50.. Gue very seldom sees a battery-operated set on sale in the American cities nowadays, the a.c. set having swept all. before it.