Notes and News of the Day

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 16, 31 October 1930, Page 19

Notes and News of the Day

By

SWITCH

So many new listeners have sprung up all over the Dominion, and several have written to "Switch" lately asking him to inform them of point-to-point distances in this country that he asked the editor of the "Record" to republish the excellent map of New Zealand which appeared in this journal about three years ago in connection with the crystal reception competition promoted by the "Record." The map is duly included in this issue. s * s Som 800 or 400 broadcast listeners reside in the Upper Hutt district, and a local radio society has been formed. This is a commendable move and "Switch" offers the officials his congratulations and best wishes. ae By s , A RADIO dealer informs "Switch" that there are two or three: areas in Wellington where it is impossible to sell a multi-valve set owing to local electrical noises. He tested certain patches and found the electrical noises so loud: that there. was no chance of hearing any of the outside stations. Residents in these areas have to be content solely with local broadcasting. * * z QNE difficulty with regard to the installation of the multiple aerial System for short-wave reception is that a large area of ground is required. The aerials have to be spread well away from each other. The system is beyond the pocket of the average short-wave listener, but the time will come when it can be used for rebroadcasting by the "YA" stations. . . * Me. PRESTON BILLING, lecturing at the Wellington Radio Society’s meeting, would not commit himself as a whole-hearted believer in the ether theory for the propagation of radio waves. He favoured an alternative theory that the radio waves were conveyed through the earth’s magnetic field, a disturbance being set up in one magnetic line being passed along to the next, and soon. Thus the waves transmitted from a broadcast or a morse station were radiated round the world. > * = R. ARTHUR VARNEY, who has acted as cricket commentator for 2YA, Wellington, informs "Switch" that he carefully checks up "Switch’s" "Reception Table for Australian Stations," published weekly in these columns, and he finds that the average relative strength of each station men. tioned coincides with ‘his own experience, Mr. Varney resides in Hast-. bourne, some miles across the harbour from the writer’s house. He operates an all-electric set.

* "TNQUIRER" (Newtown) asks "Is it practicable to have my a.c. set altered so that I can use the later 250 last-stage audio valve-in place of the present 210? I understand that the 250 has a greater amplification factor and is able to handle greater volume without distortion." The set can be altered with relatively small cost to accommodate the 250. valve which posseses characteristics different from the 210. The 250 does give greater amp'™*¢a-

tion. and is capable of increased volume without distortion. ; Dal & = A READER of the "Record" writes: "I notice in last week’s ‘Record’. that a proposal has recently been made -n London that the British Broadcasting Corporation should devote a portion of its profits to the establishment and maintenance of a National Theatre. For cool audacity that just about takes the scone. The B.B.0. is not a private concern, and any profits it makes out of the listeners should go back into the broadcasting service and not to establishing theatres." ied s x s . MAYY New Zealand listeners have probably written to the humorous gentleman who acts as master of ceremonies at the community singing in the Ashfield Town Hall, Sydney. Mr. Charles Lawrence, who is the gentleman in question, mentioned the other night that he had received a letter from a listener complaining that he had not replied to his communication. Mr. Lawrence explained that as he received hundreds of letters from all over Australia and New Zealand it was quite impossible to answer them. Occasionally, however, he selects a few letters and replies to them over the air in his characteristic style. * * * QCCASIONALLY listeners living within the inner circle of the’city of Wellington obtain very fair reception of American stations on favourable nights. Ona _ recent Sunday night "Switch" came across a stranger on a slightly shorter wave-length than that of 2BL, Sydney. Signals were audible all over the house, and as dance musie was being played the writer had suspicions that the visitor was an American. During an interval the call came and disclosed the fact that the station was WENR, Chicago, Illinois WENR employs a power of 50,000 watts, The distance spanned was 7800 mniles, "Switch" held WENR from 7.40 p.m, till 8 p.m., when he signed off, o s = "DETECTOR" (Lower Hutt) writes: "Why hasn’t some member of Parliament asked the Postmaster-Gen-eral for a'‘return from his department showing how much money is received by the department for its share of all broadcast listeners’ and dealers’ licenses, and how much has been spent, and how, on attention to broadcasting matters-i.e., radio inspectors, searching for power leakages, ete. What service has the P, and |T. Department rendered for the money received from broadcasting?" aa * * "QWITCH" has had a number of instances lately in which listeners have grumbled at the quality of transmission of local broadcasting. Cases were investigated, and it was found that the said listeners were using antiquated equipment and wrong voltage on valves. In one instance an aileged expert had a loudspeaker which belonged to the stone-age of radio, and it should have been in the’ museum. Poor equipment cannot reproduce good, transmission,