Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 43, 9 May 1930, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

NOTHER attempt to transmit a radio signal to the moon will be made in the near future at the United States Nayal Reseurch Laboratories of Washington. The signal is expected to be back to earth in slightly less than three seconds. To be exact, the signal should be reflected back. to the Jaboratory in 2.8 seconds, this being the time necessary for it to: travel the 250,000 miles to the moon and return at a speed of 186,000 miles a second. A high-frequency wave, probably between 20,000 and 30,000 -kilocycles, will be ased. % BY Og "THERE have recently been two lawsuits in France, both concerned with broadcast reception, the verdicts in which have afforded considerable satisfaction to French listeners in general. In the first case the plaintiff was i. doctor who possessed a wireless receiver which the experts found to be of good, careful, and scientific construction; the defendant was a cafe proprietor, possessing an electrical gramophone used for dancing which experts blamed as the cause of the disturbances. The motor attached to this machine, however, could be replaced by a silent piece of mechanism which would cause no disturbance. The cafe proprietor was compelled, under a peualty of 50 frances a day, for a month, to cause the interference to cease and also to pay 500 francs damages to the doctor. It may be mentioned thut France has no official service to search for the cayse of electrical interference and to compel those causing it to take steps to prevent.such annoyances. In the second case, a tenant of Nancy who, as the result of an action brought against him by his landlord, had been ordered to pay damages and to forfeit his wireless set for troubling. his neighbour, has succeeded in having the ° judgment upset and transferring the liability for damages from himself to the landlord. This extraordinary result was produced, apparently, by the evidence of the neighbours, who stated that, far from being annoyed by the music proceeding from the loudspeaker. they were, on the contrary, charmed with it! * we x A CCORDIN G to a recent report, Professor BE. F. W. Alexanderson, the American physicist and radio engineer, has succeeded in transmitting wireless signals over a distance of 3500 miles using a wavelength of three metres. Arising out of his experiments, the particularly interesting fact was discovered that this long-distance transmission could be obtained only in a north-south direction. In a direction east-west, the maximum range was reduced very considerably and it is supposed that the difference is directly attributable to the earth’s magnetic field. In connection with experiments in the use of such short wares, the tests made by Professur Esau, in Germany, and Professor Mesny, in France, are recalled. These investigators successfully covered distances up to 250 mniles but, wheregs their transmissions were recelyed without any fading. Prof, Alexanderson is reported to haye expérienced considérablé fading during

his experiments, due, very probably, to the very great distance covered. * * * A NUMBER of technical problems of no mean order had to be solved in planning the receiving plant of the Beelitz Sanatorium, the largest German nursing home for tubercular patients. In fact, the particular demands with regard to the efficiency of a wireless plant of such unusual dimensions could not be complied with by merely providing amplifier systems of enlarged size. The central receiying station is installed in the doctors’ home, whence special cables lead to the seyen open-air cure halls and the two pavilions comprising open-air cure balconies, sitting-rooms, parlours, and dining-rooms. In each of the two pavilions there has been provided a switchboard and acoustic-intensity adjuster enabling the volume to be controled without resorting to the central station. Loudspeakers in the aircure balconies sick rooms and sittingrooms can be switched in and out from these switchboards. Wighty room loud-

T ey speakers, two high-power loudspeakers and a large number of headphones, all of which can be operated either simultaneously or separately,-hayve been provided in the various houses and halls, by means of which the broadcast programmes of German stations, as well as iny lectures or announcements by the nursing home management, can be transmitted. * * * FEW world notabilities at first de- . Clined to be broadcast, but one by one they have capitulated. Even Harry Lauder, who long held out, gave way. Now we learn that Rudyard Kipling, who has steadfastly refused to face the microphone, broadcast a speech in December on the occasion of the speeches at the dinn of the United Association of Grit Britain and France, held in London. Bg x x FEELING is running high in England with regard to the dullness of the B.B.C. Sunday programmes. It appears that Sir John Reith, directorgeneral of the B.B.C., does not believe in the slightest suggestion of gaiety on a Sunday, and as one: newspaper puts it, "In his view Sunday is an austere day-a day for Calvinistie sermons and perhaps (as a concession) a Bach cantata or an oratorjia by Handel." ?