Radio Round the World

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 9, 11 September 1931, Unnumbered Page

Radio Round the World

"Lo prevent jamming by the criminal | fraternity, the Paris police have hit upon the ingenious expedient of using a prearranged order of wave-lengths on their radio-equipped cars, of which there are seven patrolling the French capital. Should interference be suspected, the ear communicating with headquarters immediately changes over to another ‘prearranged wave-length, and if necessary to a.third and fourth. ‘These lightning changes are effected at a preeoncerted signal sent by either station. ‘The police cars employ an aerial power of 50 watts with wave-lenzths from 140 to 370 metres. s a an iH LIVE short waves have been added to the two long waves granted by the Federal Radio. Commission to the American Radio News Corporation, a Hearst subsidiary, which is developing an automatic radio-typewriter system of news distribution ti newspapers in various parts of the United States. The System is. the inventien of William H. G. Finch, a well-known radio engineer, Who is supervising its installation. . + % Ed HAT an "Anti-Static Congress" is to be held at the Paris Colonial Exhibition this month by the leading French radio clubs is an indication of the grayity of the interference nuisance in France, The arrangements for the congress are the outcome of an alliance between the National Federation of Radio Clubs and the Central Committee of Wireless Associations, both bodies being determined to stamp out the "parasites." Apparently the tramways are the great creators of disturbance in the hig cities, due to the bad state of the rolling stock.

OR® than 22,000 manufacturers and dealers attended the recent annual radio trade show in Chicago. Although many new and interesting radio devices were introduced, the general trend on the part of manufacturers showed caution born of experience with sudden changes in the industry. A few years ago it was considered impossible to build superheterodynes and complicated multi-valve circuits.in small cabinets. . This year the midget set attracted most interest. Progress in valve manufacture has done much to enable engineers to design compact superheterodynes which have been fitted into very small cabinets at prices considerably below those ruling in former years. Loudspeakers are also much smaller. x % # URING his recent visit to America, Sir John Reith, Director-Generai of the British Broadcasting Corporation, intimated that the British Government would shortly issue a formal protest to neighbouring foreign countries, notably France and Holland, against the use of their broadcasting stations for the sale of time to British advertis-

ers seeking to reach the radio audience in the British Isles. Sir John stated that a few firms in England, finding the British radio not open to them for the sponsorship of programmes, because the British broadcasting monopoly carries no "commercial programmes, had gone to neighbouring countries where regulations against advertising do not exist. Their obvious intent, he said, was to attract the home audience to their programmes in order to advertise their products. * Re eR HH "hicks," or country cousins in America, haye been badly deceived by a radio manufacturer whose smart business methods might have spread to other firms but for the intervention of the Federal Radio Commission. Apparently innocent purchasers have been bewildered by sets which refused to work, and not until pathetic investigations have been made has the absence of "toobs’" been discovered.. In future, by order of -the Commission, the manu-’ facturers must display in type, as conspicuous as the price, the fact that the valves are-not included. .

THE City of Birmingham Information \ Bureau has inaugurated a scheme which could be adopted with advantage in this country. Amateur transmitters all over the world have a system of cards, which are sent out as a confirmation of long-distance communications. Amateurs in Birmingham are supplied with these cards free by the Information Bureau-at Birmingham, Hach card bears a’special Birmingham trade mark, and a slogan. As between two and three hundred cards are sent out every week by Birmingham amateurs to all parts of the world, the advertising value of such can well be appreciated. * * e THE American Navy’s latest dirigible, the Akron, which is now nearing completion, will carry the lightest, most compact, and yet most powerful radio installation ever carried by an airship. The Akron will have a high-frequengg an intermediate-frequency, and a di tion-finding receiving set. Two trai roll-up type aerials, 500ft. long and 150 ft..long, will be used. In addition, a fixed Wire. aerial will run along a longitudinal girder at the turn of the bilge, and will be secured between short struts extending out from the hull, This will eliminate the possibility of the aerial being fouled during landing operations, Power for the transmitting set will be obtained’ from the ship’s auxiliary power unit, consisting of two independent -gas engine driven generators. In tiwarding the contract for the wireless equipment the Navy ‘Department specified a‘maximum weight of 1400 pounds, ‘and offered a bonus for every pound ‘below: that weight, and also for speed ‘jin delivery. By the use of light materials,;the total weight has been brought 4lown. to 1000 pounds.