Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 14, 17 October 1930, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

THE British Broadcasting Company has decided to form an orchestra of 112 players, to cost. £100,000 ~ per aunum. . * * 7 DURING a recent "outside broadcast" of a German fete, a description of @& mannequin parade was given. Ludy listeners were greatly interested in a microphone description of "absolutely the last word." a x a BATTERY of 80 loudspeakers have been installed in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rome, so that the words of the oi can be heard by all those assemed. e Bd =z e HE German postal authorities recently made a very wise decision in permitting radio dealers to install receivers on approval in the houses of prospective customers for a period of eight days without license. % % Bd A NEW species of thief has made his surreptitious appearance in Wugland. A man visits « house---.generally during the absence of ibs lord and mas-ter--und intimates that he has been sent by a radio dealer to collect the set for a free overhaul The unsuspecting housewife hands it over willingly-and both "collector" and set yanish from human ken. Lad * 2 Pun wireless cabin, once regarded by those "who go down to the sea in ships" as the home of much useless "junk." is now one of the most important departments on a ship. Interesting figures ave published by the U.S. Lighthouse Service regarding the stranding of large vessels during a recent threemonthly period. There were 148 strandings and of these 85 per cent. were of ships not equipped with radio compiasses. An analysis of the remaining 15 per cent. showed that in only four instances the stranding took place in regions protected by wireless beacoms. bo] bad a {ULL arrangements were mide during the recent Radio Ixhibition at Melbourne to demonstrate the wonders of beam wireless to the public. Receiving apparatus was installed in the hall, and operated from Montreal and London, showing automatic reception of high-speed signals. Two sets of telegraph apparatus were also inuterconnec‘ed from one end of the hall to the other, enabling visitors to the exhibition to dispatch messages between them. ‘I -ese messages were handed in «ut either point, the sender calling a: the other point to receive his message, automatically recorded on a paper ribbon. A further demonstration consited of projecting a wireless beam across the hall, illuminating powerful lamps as it impinged-on a receiving point. ’

NE of the. most entertaining programmes heard’ from the United States was breadeast every .Monday evening recently from station KNX, Hollywood. It took:the form of half an hour with the "Radio Musical Deteective,’ who features in an ‘original way, the exposure of stolen melodies. first announces sonie melody he .encotte tered in his researches, and after his musicians have rendered the .number discloses that some up-to-date composer has "pirated" the tune. The truth of this is strikingly illustrated by the playing of the imitation. * % * qr appears that, for France, the month ef June created a record for stormy days. In 1878 a storm lasted six days, and this was unequalled until the eight in June. People blamed radio, and so fierce raged the arguments for and against this theory that the director of the meteorological department was approached and made a statement of intense interest. "Radio," declared he, "cannot have any influence on the phenomena due to atmospheric electricity, for the simple reuson thut the strength of the former is almost neg- 4 ligible compared with the latter. One. flash of lightning represents energy greater than that possessed by all the wiréless stations put together. It ‘is like a fly fluttering by a swinging pendulum of several tons and boasting that he can deflect it to either side by merely flying in the other direction." , ES CS BR. WALTER DAMIROSCH, of New York, advances the opinion that "yadio and the automobile are two opposing forces fighting for the soul of youth.’ = The car will disrupt family life; the radio tends to strengthen it. There is much to be said for either side. The former, though it sometimes encourages the attitude that home jis merely a place for sleep, it can be a mears of showing people the beauties of the land we live in. The latter can be either an unmitigated evil or wo kev to the gates of knowledge and, entertauinment. The choice rests with the users, 2 TPELEVISION received generous pub- "™ Jicity in Wngland recently when | the London Coliseum, Britain’s largest and most fumous musi¢ hall, announeed in August that a television item would be included in the regular programme three times a day. Notabilities in the social, political, and artistic world were "televised" from the Paird studios, situated about a + mile from the theatre, at the same time making a short speech or giving an item from their repertoire. The general public, critical though they are of such innovations, appeared agreeably surprised at the efficiency already * aebieved.- -° s 8 ce