Notes and Comments

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 21, 5 December 1930, Page 11

Notes and Comments

B

SWITCH

[ED a.c. short-wave set is creeping into popularity in New Zealand. The adapter type seems to be giying place to the superheterodyne set which is placed between the aerial and the ordinary broadcast receiver. This enables tremendous amplification to be obtained, and "Switch" recently saw this system operated most successfully and without any difficulty. e * * BEcAUSE of the new beam aerial which has been installed at: PCJ, Holland, the transmissions heard on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which are primarily intended for Australia and New Zealand and_ surrounding territory, should be heard with increased strength. In Eastern Austra(Ha, however, signdls are weaker than formerly, and it appears as though the path of the focussed signals is not correctly directed. What effect, if any, have New Zealand short-wave listeners noticed in the signals from PCJ? ® a 2 AFTER a lengthy attack of static, which rendered long-distance reception unpleasant, the atmosphere cleared toward the end of last week and the overseas stations were available for entertainment. On some evenings lately, after 10.45 p.m., the Japanese station JOHK has been louder than any of the Australian stations. 2F0©, Sydney, has performed indifferently on relay on several occasions. There appears to be trouble on relay lines. s 2 N2W ZHALAND shortwave listeners will soon hear from the Australian beam station some mysterious shortwave splutterings which may seem like a Morse transmitter out of control. The noise will emanate from the Marconi facsimile apparatus for the regular transmission of still pictures from Australia to England. The apparatus is to be installed at each end of the beam service. m * * 8 A MELBOURNE writer says: "During the past two or three years dance music has progressed rapidly, until now the blare and wail of the early jazz bands seems a thing of the very distant past-fortunately. When jazz was first thrust upon the public vthe ambition of every dance band seemed to be to make as much discordant row as possible... ." Well, "Switch" would welcome the appearance of this reformation, but has not been able to detect any tendency in that direction, even when listening to the jazz band items broadcast from Melbourne. 8 x 2 HH B class station which is being erected in Wellington will not employ 500 watts power'as was first intended. The proprietors have decided to use only low power, and the transmitter is being built locally by two amateurs who have an excellent reputation for. technical skill. ® * * HE surf clubs around Wellington would add considerably to the public enjoyment of carnivals if they used powerful a.c. sets on such occasions and put on the Saturday afternoon programmes from 2YA, Wellington, A

Melbourne visitor informs "Switch" that at Frankston beach, a few miles from Melbourne, there is a powerful amplifier which is audible at a distance of over a mile. Programmes and announcements are heard by crowds spread far along the beach. A STATION which has lately improyed out of all recognition, as heard by "Switch," is 2HD, Newcastle. The transmitter has completely lost its former huskiness, Owing to its wavelength being extremely short, 2HD gen-

erally has an accompaniment of peppery static, which rather detracts from the fullest enjoyment. of the programmes. g % + AN Australian listener condemns the quality of the Australian broadcast programmes as follows :- "After discontinuing listening for five years, I recently bought a new electrie set, and was amazed to note the advance which radio engineers have made in the tonal quality of receivers. But, unfortunately, I cannot express the same appreciation about the broadcast programmes, They have improved +o some extent, of course, but in my opinion the artists have not kept pace with the engineers." x * . ISTHNERS have often remarked to "Switch" that static is much less obtrusive on the longer wavelengths,

in the vicinity of those of 2YA, Wellington, 2FC, Sydney, 3AR, Melbourne, and the Wanganui B class stations, An Australian listener has written to the Press urging that the more attractive programmes of 3L0, Melbourne, should be broadcast by 3AR, Melbourne, which is on a much longer and less. static-infested wavelength. He states that on the night after the Melbourne Cup 3LO came in with a battery of static, while 3AR had only an unobtrusive background of noise. "Switch" consistently experiences far more noise on the shorter wavelengths. * * HE desirability of using a powervalve in the last audio stage formed the subject of an argument between two Wellingtonians who are building their own sets. "A," who urged that a power-valve is practically indispensable, referred the matter to "Switch," as arbiter. "B" contended that an ordinary valve would accomplish all that was desirable for enjoyment of good tone and volume. "Switch" decided in favour of the power-valve. An ordinary valve will produce adequate volume for the average room, but it will not give quality because it must be operated too close to its peak loading. A power-valve insures quality under all normal conditions.

BS + (SHRISTMAS is now in sight, and radio traders are preparing for the gift season when fond parents purchase wireless sets for their children, or for the entertainment of the whole family. One Wellington trader informed "Switch" that he is going to make a special window display on lines shown in an American radio trade journal, * ‘ 4 * QGENATOR MARCONI recently conducted successful experiments with automatic radio telephony from his yacht "Wlettra’" at Genoa. He will shortly make large scale tests by connecting the telephone systems between Rome and Cagliari by two powerful radio stations, thus enabling a person in Rome to ring up a number at Cagliari, 250 miles away. The impulses will be transmitted on short-wave, and once the connection is established the conversation will be carried on in the usual way. It will be entirely secret, as the system is based on the super-imposition of wireless waves, which can be intercepted, though not understood without special apparatus,