Notes and Comments By SWITCH

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 27, 16 January 1931, Page 12

Notes and Comments By SWITCH

SWITCH

TILL another B class station is listed to commence broadcasting in Victoria within a few weeks. It is to be known as 8WR, Wangaratta. The power will be 50 ‘watts in the aerial, and possibly it will be heard in some favourable localities in New Zealand. The wave-length allocated is 288 metres (1260 ke.). The Heising system of modulation will be employed, and a erystal oscillator stage will be embod ied in the cireait. * * Mancont is still as enthusiastic as ever, and broadcast listeners may have further cause to thank him in the near future. Recently he said: ‘"Wireless-controlled machinery, or even television, will not successfully operate in a perfect manner for many years to come. But I do think that I have time and the knowledge for making wireless transmission better thun it is’ This reminds one of a remark made at a Wellington home recently when a radio novice asked petulantly, "What’s Marconi doing about this static? Can't he stop itr FALL New Zeiiland listeners who tunein to the Australian stations have probably heard the new station at Newcastle, 2NC. The studio is at the Strand Theatre, Newcastle, and the transmitting station is situated at Beresfield, 12 miles from the towa. Mr. Stuart F. Doyle, chairman of direetors of the Australian Broadcasting Co., states that a population of 200,000 in the Hunter River district, who previously had always experienced considerable difficulty in the reception of Sydney programmes, will be adequately provided for by the new station. * R. KHITH Grant, an ‘cxNew Zealand vocalist, sang "Could I Iixpress in Song" at the opening night of 2NC, Newcastle. . bed 2 "A listener reported o "Switch" that while he received ‘all on wavelengths below approximately 820 metres with good volume, he found that those operating

on wavelengths above that mentioned were relatively weak. ‘This appeared to be a ease calling for adjustment of the variable condensers in the set, and the listener was advised to have this attended. This was done and the trouble was thereby cured. This may serve as a hint to others who experience similar trouble. 7 = x [PAYLIGHT reception of the Wauganui B class stations has been exceptionally loud in Wellington of late. The volume has been double that of the past, and the tone has been excellent. Reception has risen well above the ‘usual electrical noise level which is very high in some parts of Wellington during the. daytime. * * % ISS MERCEDES GLEITZD, when she attempts to swim Cook Strait in February, will be accompanied by a launch with a shortwave radio telephone transmitter. The progress reports will be rebroadcast direct from 2YA, Wellington. This is the first broadcast of the kind to take place in New Zealand. ‘The shortwave operators, two well-known Wellington amateur transmitters, Messrs. Green (ZL2GR) and Dixon (ZL2BO) are to be commended on their undertaking.

HE Underwriters’ Regulations are quite definite on the point of the gauge of wire to be used for aerials and earths. Despite this, an insurance agent recently informed "Switch" that lately he had seen wire employed which did not come up to the requirements of these regulations. No attempt had been made at soldering the wire joints and the earth wire was casually twisted around a water pipe. This was done by an expert. "Switch" asks, "Is it fair to the purchaser?" x % 4 2 STRAUSS’S immortal "Blue Danube" waltz, which has delighted millions of people for generations past, is apparently still unknown to some adulis in this country. "Switch" heard a rumour that quite recently a couple of grown-ups, after hearing a delightful

record of "The Blue Danube" broadenst by 2YA, Wellington, were so pleased that they ’phoned the studio asking for the name of the waltz and the number of the record! Fact. % ¥% Ms "QWITCH" has met lately about half a dozen broadcast-listening novices who were keenly disappointed because their expensive a.c. sets had failed to reach the distant stations which were available during the favourable conditions obtaining on New Year’s Hve. "Switch" inspected some of the installations and found that the aerials were low and short, and the lead-ins zigzagged to chimneys or housetops. The greatest factor in obtaining good long-

distance reception, providing one’s set is efficient, is a high and well-installed aerial, ba * * HE latest radio sets are not necessarily the most efficient. "Switch’s" own 4.¢c, set was purchased four years ago. It has no screen-grid valves, nor the latest power valve. "he circuit is of the neutrodyne type, and has what is known as an "inductor," a gadget to ensure equal volume on all the usual broadcast wave-lengths. There are four stages of radio-frequency, one heater-type valve as a detector, two stages of transformer-coupled audiofrequency, one valve being of the 210 power type. x * * [uD writer’s set, which is quite a, ~ good performer, is not permitted to / work with worn-out valves. No one can reasonably expect good performances from the best of sets unless highclass. valves are used, and these must be tested occasionally to ascertain their efficiency. A thousand hours’ service is to be expected from the best valves, and if one uses a.set for three hours daily, a year’s service should be obtained from them. This set is operated about six hours daily, year in and year out. Hence not more than six months’ life is expected of the valves. % a * [THESD remarks concerning coe normal lives of valves apply to those employed as amplifiers or as detectors. In the case of rectifying valves, some remarkable instances of longevity have come under "Switch’s’" notice. His own rectifying valve, which is of a high-class make, has been in constant use for about four years, and when tested recently was only _ slightly "down" in efficiency. This type of valve is well known to last out two or three sets of the amplifying and detecting types. Ed = DURING the broadcasting campaign in Australia to raise the money for the Commonwealth conversion loan, New Zealanders were kept well posted in the individual amounts received by the various Australian A stations. The figures made available by the Commonwealth Treasurer show that 9 grand total of £640,140 was received as a direct response to the broadcast appeals, * s * RECENTLY the Australian Broad- "~" casting Company received a’ letter 7 from a listener in Queensland explatning a new use to which community singing could be put. A large snake was seen several times in the garden of a home in Mitchell, but no amount of strategy would entice the reptile into the open. Then, one day, the head of the house had a brilliant | idea. It was community singing night, and, remembering that snakes are attracted by music, he placed the loudspeaker on the lawn, tuned in to 2FC, and awaited results. For half an hour nothing happened, but when "Yip I Addy" burst forth upon the air the reptile could keep to its hiding place no longer, but came out on to the lawn, either to hear more distinctly or make good its escape-which, no one knows. Down came the stick, and, with "Yip I Addy" as its funeral march, the snitke’s spirit flitted to the happy hunting ground.