Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 26, 9 January 1931, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

WHILE the time has not yet come ‘ when the farmer can milk. his cows by turning on his radio, a cow reeently was milked in America by wireJess control in a demonstration of uv special milking machine. The radio milker operated five times as fast as the ordinary milking imachine. The ‘radio-control set was equipped with an aerial four and one-half feet long, and a similar aerial was connected to the milking machine, ® cy we RADIO listeners in America recently heard a two-way ‘conversation between Senator Marconi, in Naples, and the’ president of the Radio Corporation .of America. This was conducted per: medium of shortwave telephony, Marconi speaking from his yacht, the WDlectra,. .and.-the: president of- the R.C.A. from Schenectady, New York. ‘A nation-wide network of stations carried the -conyersation to listeners throughout: America. * * * Fi Italian Minister of Communica: ‘ tions is proposing to make new regulations concerning radio, These forbid the installation and use of electric apparatus, except wireless receivers, other than that employed in authorised factories, business houses, schools and -by the Press. All vendors of electrical ‘apparatus must obtain a special permit. Inspectors will investigate any suspected violation of these regulations, and where abuse is proved, severe punishgent will follow. Further, should a

person be desirous of, importing any radio electric apparatus he must first obtain the permit of ‘the Minister of Communications, vised by the Minister for the Interior. * * * N Norway it was, until recently, the practice for aeroplanes to locate herring shoals for fishermen. This was not entirely successful, as it was frequently found that when the boats were launched and arrived at the spot indicated, the fish had moved away, Now the aviator is accompanied by a wireless operator who sends his message to the nearest port, which in turn broadcasts the news to the cruising boats. a * * T the present time approximately 20 per cent. of the aeroplanes in the United States are equipped with apparatus for receiving beacon signals,

and practically all of. the unequipped are privately owned craft. The majozity of the commercial and passengercarrying planes have, in.-addition to beacon apparatus, an operator for carrying on communication with the ground stations. bd : * * O sure means of locating submerged submarines has yet been developed, although various types of listening gear have proved moderately effective. Statements recently have been made, however, that the British Admiralty has developed apparatus for locating submarines at a distance. Such a device, if perfected, would mean the end of undersea fighting craft. However, the range of listening gear at present’ in use in all the navies of the world, so far as is known, is measured in hundreds of yards, rather than miles, so that, unless the sea were alive with scout boats, many submarines would

escape detection. A large proportion of the devices in use at present for locating submarines depend on the propagation through the water of beams of sound waves:too short to be audible to the human ear. They differ from audible sound waves in that they can be directed along a comparatively narrow path, and can.be produced from electrically excited crystals of quartz, similar to those, used in radio transmitters. These sounds are reflected as echoes from solid objects, and are picked up by delicate and highly-complicat-ed radio receiving apparatus, passed through amplifiers, and are finally interpreted by trained observers: s * rs ERMANY is waging a determined war on interference and threatens to severely’ punish those ‘who use. apparatus causing noise. Certain manufacturing plants which cannot avoid causing electrical -interference may only be ‘used: outside: the main broadcasting hours. . The. public.are also advised. that it is in their own interests, when buying electrical appliances to ask for the maker’s guarantee that it will not cause interference.

A§ a result of prolonged investigation ,into the methods of lining studios and rendering:them sound and echo-proof, the .B.B.C.. experts are introducing at the new Hdinburgh siation some fresh technical developmenis. A layer of felt-one inch thick-wili he placed on wooden strips about thfee feet apart, and over. that will be stretched decorative fabrics. When this new scheme is completed the echo will be reduced to almost imperceptible pro-portions-in fact, from four and a haif seconds to half a second. DJDURING. the severe earthquakes in Southern Italy recently, the wire- | less coach of the Italian State Rail- , ways rendered valuable service in maintaining communication with towns outside the affected area. The equipment comprises not only a complete telegraph and telephone equipment for attachment to telephone lines, but also a wireless installation consisting of three transmitters and three receivers. * 2 A OLEVER young German gg*ineer has devised a method wher¥yy foreign stations can be heard ax clearly as the local station, Large technically . up-to-the-minute receivers are to be installed outside large cities, each being designed to receive an individual for-: eign station. A special cable will re- -: lay this reception to a smaller trans~- : mitter established in the town, which will.give an amplified transmission, This system will permit a modest three valve set to pick up the most remote. _ stations. am * = . : J order that passengers using the ‘Danish ferries may get in touck . with the European telephone system, ~ special radio transmitting and receiv--ing apparatus has been established. Iv is now possible to speak direct from the ferry to any telephone subscriber in Burope. ‘