Radio Round the World

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

Radio Round the World

AT is claimed to be the most ad.yanced radio equipment ever installed on a merchant vessel was carried by the American liner "Morro Castle" on her recent maiden ‘voyage to Havana. Beside the ordinary commercial apparatus, the equipment comprises a central receiving station of the sSuperheterodyne type and an eleciric gramophone.’ From these music, either broadcast or from records, can be distributed simultaneously to the pubiic rooms of the vessel. s Bd s WitH the idea of killing jazz and ‘ educating the public to appreciate fine. music, a Determination of Broadcasting Company has been formed in New York. The National Broadcasting Company has amalgamated with two prominent American. music publishing houses, with a combined capital of -£1,320,000, ~ These~ publishing houses will select.the works to be broadcast by the N.B.C. Apparently listeners in America ‘are to .have their musicai tastes improved, whether they like it or not. ; r * Fy STATION CFCF, Montreal, has more , than ten years of continuous broadcasting to its credit-a unique record, for this station was the first in the world :to. broadeast on a regular schedule. It commenced transmission in 1918 with a call of XWA, and its first audience consisted of a handful of experimenters. Month after month the transmissions continued, and each ‘week new distance-records were made.

A standard ship’s wireless installation was used, adapted’.for speech transmission, Sometimes gramophone re--cords were broadcast, at other times a player-piano was used, and- quite frequently. local. talent was . called in, These first broadcasters did not face a small "mike" as they do to-day,’ but a much less delicate, instrument was plugged into the small-end of a megaphone. . & Py * MERICAN commerce, agriculture, and navigation have greatly benefited during the past year tlrough increased facilities for radio communication. For years the United States Weather Bureau has issued frost warnings, harvest weather warnings, -warnings of cold waves, and forecasts’ of’ minimum temperatures which have been valuable to farmers and the rural populations. Now radio broadcasting makes these bulletins’ of: even. ‘greater. value, as weather reports may be dis-,

seminated with greater promptness. Navigation on the inland lakes and on the ocean is made safer because of the expedition with which news of hurricanes, storms, and floods is reported. Shipping interests are aided by these same reports and air transports are able to plan schedules for days ahead with greater confidence. e m * N America the Air Force is now able to transmit from an aeroplane in flight, over a distance of 'a hundred miles, a radio picture of a map showing the imagined enemy plan of attack. It certainly appears that the next war will be won in research laboratories. sts % % et HH International Broadcasting Union now controls 330 broadcast-. ing stations, which supply ninety million BHuropean listeners with pro-

aE. grammes. At a recent. mecting thi thé ° Union resolved to concentrate on improving reception conditions, paying particular attention to the problem of electrical interference. Ps * ee Wwe in New Zealand. are apt to be impatient at the relative weakness in volume of the Australian stations during the’summer evenings with their protracted daylight. For a brief period during midsummer in both southern and northern Finland daylight continues for 24 hours. Distant radio reception on wavelengths between 200 and 550. metres is then impossible. The Finlanders during this continuous daylight period have to be content with their own: 40 xiowats station at Lahti, which: operates on; wavelength of 1798. metres, ‘ s ee : a AN. ingenious device’ imown. as a "radio rifle" is now being adopted by up-to-date shooting galleries in America. When a ‘coin is inserted in the cabinet on which the rifle is mounted, an illuminated target is thrown on a wall or screen. When the trigger is pressed, an_ electric spark shows where a bullet would have hit. e % ® A CAREFUL check of the likes and dislikes of ‘subscribers to. the Japanese broadcasting service is used ‘as a. basis for the type of programmes selected. Usually, letters from listeners are carefully read and tabulated, and -when. adopting a programme policy, they are given careful. consideration. Meetings are held. for the selection of suitable broadcast fareand such men as university professors, hewspaper editors, doctors, . novelists and professional men in all -walks ‘of life are called in for their opinions. By such an exchange of ideas, the resulting programmes are. usually well balanced, and’ are much appreciated. St a a! HE wireless picture transmission service across the Atlantic has mo once again proved its worth in saving a bank at Berlin the sum of £12,500. According to an Wnglish daily, notification had been received from a New York banking house for presentation of a bill for this amount, and, as suspicion was aroused, a copy of the bill was wirelessed. It was found to be a forgery. soe eM WO Royal Air Force aviators were rescued from the wing of a damaged seaplane which overturned recently near Plymouth, an MHnglish coastal town. When the machine took off on a flight to Sweden, it was seen that one of the floats, probably struck by a heavy wave, was broken. Both the pilot and the wireless operator were evidently unaware of the mishap, and so warnings were wirelessed to them. The machine was then headed for home, and skilful piloting enabled it to be landed safely off the.Plymouth coast. Unfortunately, y ‘before help arrived, heavy seas turned the plane over, leaying its occupants clinging to the wings.