RADIO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 74, 20 December 1933, Page 9

RADIO NOTES

By

RADIO IN GERMANY Latest Developments • THE HAND OF HITLER It has been obvious for some time that there have been many changes in German radio organisation. The following, coming as they do from a man on the spot, is well worth reading: Since July of last year, when the German Government of the day decided to reorganise radio to obtain full control of the broadcasting system, keen observers have been waiting for the new organisation to settle down. Last November new statutes were issued, and almost simultaneously the Political Broadcast Commissioner resigned. Finally the complete reorganisation plan of the time was upset by the advent of the National Socialist Government, says S. S. Gulliland in "Popular Wireless.” On January 30, Dr, Krukenberg took over, and later started a big "cleans‘ing” action. This led to the resignation of some 300 persons hitherto, employed by the broadcasters. Everyone of the old programme directors and a great number of the managing directors and heads of departments were among this number. Wetltried National Socialists took their places. But the National Socialist broadcast-

ing experts were not content. German radio, they felt, was not wholly theirs. Traces of the old traditions remained. In June, 1933, the post of radio commissioner was abolished, an outward sign of the new relationship between government and broadcasters. Shortly afterwards Chancellor Hitler, in a decree dated June 30, put an end to the period of transition by officially placing the control of German broadcasting in the hands of the newly appointed Minister of the Enlightenment of the People and of Propaganda. A few days later this Ministry ob-

tained the control of all those organisations and persons closely connected with broadcasting which exists outside the broadcasting companies, vlz. t radio manufacturers, radio trade, ” radio critics, radio Press, television, listeners as far as they are, organised; A National Socialist "Reichs-Rundfunk-Einheit” (a “Unit”) was formed, counting the above organisations ■ as members. .•

And again, some two days later, Dr. Krukenberg was sent on leave, and Mr. Eugen Hadamovsky was appointed his successor as managing, director of the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft. This appointment sets tlie seal .on the old order of things in German radio.

Unlike Russian radio, German stations are situated in the centre of Europe. Whatever uses they are put to immediately affeet surrounding countries, and also the general development of broadcasting on the Continent. I Now German radio has become wholly National Socialist. Persons not embracing the cause wholeheartedly have been and will be. swept away mercilessly, for German radio has bemi given the most important job that any means of mass propaganda has ever been given: the task of winning over to the cause of Nationa’ Socialism those parts of the German people ; ' k wjiichi~have not 1 ' already/embraced m their innermost hearts the ! cause .of Adolph Hitler. The very fact that the countries surrounding Germany are opposed to the new rule as far as It would attempt to effect their ... nationals gives aniplo ground for present and future friction. Already Czechoslovakia has prohibited the listening-in to German stations outside the immediate circle of the license-owner’s family. Should he have guests in his house he must not switch on a German programme without making himself subject to prosecution. This is only one case in point. - BATTERY SETS Why Voltages Drop

It is sometimes a source of wonder to a great number of listeners why ’the dry type of high-tension battery fails to deliver its specified 'voltage after only a few week’s service, says a writer in “Popular Wireless.” In practice, of course, there are several reasons why a battery can drop below its'rated voltage after a comparatively short period of use, and the first of these is possibly due to the fact that it has had a long shelf life prior to being put into practical service. In this way the various chemicals used in the manufacture of the battery have been slowly deteriorating.

Another reason can be due to a fault in the receiver, itself, such as a leaky dielectric in one of the condensers causing a partial short-circuit across the high-tension battery; insufficient grid bias on one of the valves causing a high anode consumption, or a faulty valve.

In spite of the foregoing, however, perhaps one of the most common reasons for the life of a battery being short is due to the fact that when a replacement is necessary insufficient attention is given to the type required to operate the receiver satisfactorily. In this respect it should be explained that the primary consideration in the choice of a battery should depend upon the combination of valves incorporated in the receiver and the current required by them. For instance, if the total anode current consumption Is 15 milliamps the standard 10 milliamp type of battery would be unsuitable, and the use of such is not only inadvisable but uneconomic.

For the guidance of the listener the total anode current required cun quite easily be verified by referring to tiie characteristic curve pamphlets of the various valves used, or alternatively, this information can be ascertained by inserting a milliammeter in the H.T. negative lead.

A NEAT ARRESTER Here is a radio idea in the form of a lightning arrester which is quite practical in use and quite inexpensive. All that is needed is an old sparking plug, a strip of brass and a tin of suitable dimensions —a cocoa tin about 2Jin. diameter is quite suitable. The brass strip Is bent in L formation, length of base being lin., vertical portion 3in., a hole being drilled at the top and bottom for fastening on “plug” and lead-in tube, as shown. A hole is then drilled in the bottom of the tin, through which the terminal part of the “plug” is inserted. The brass strip is then clamped in between the tin and terminal head. A length of wire should be fastened round the base of the “plug” before insertion into the tin; this runs to earth. The device fastens on the lead-in tube, as shown, and a coat of paint given to the tin ensures a permanent and waterproof job.

”ETHER ”

TESTS CONTINUE The 8.8. C. and Television ACTIVE INTEREST A new television scare lias been started with the suggestion that the 8.8. C, fntends to discontinue television transmissions, says the “Wireless World.” The true facts are that there is an agreement between the 8.8. C. and the Baird Company, under which the B-B.C. undertakes to conduct transmissions by the Baird system for a certain period. This period and the agreement expire in 1934, and no Information has yet been given as to renewal or revision. Some people have therefore jumped to the conclusion that the 8.8. C. is abandoning television as from that date.

<Far from abandoning television, we can safely say that the 8.8. C. was never more actively interested in the project than now,' but we must move with the times and improve upon the present transmissions as technical progress justifies it. Even when a shortwave system comes into use for regular transmission with greater detail of picture, it is quite likely that the present 30 line Baird transmissions will also be retained as a stand-by and an alternative to the more promising systems now being developed, in particular by I the Baird Company. RADIO PLAYS Difficulties of Writing

And then your audience. .It is not a West End theatre audience; it is not an audience of so-miscalled “highbrows”; and, conversely, it is not a music-hall audience in the North of England, says Vai Gielgual, It is an audience which may well include on the same evening a duke, a dustman and the crew of a drifter in the North Sea, Anfl- though it is probably'the biggest dramatic audience in the world, it is, at the same time, in the strictest sense of the word, not an audience at all, but a.collection of individuals isolated from each other. This is important, because the ordinary play depends enormously for its effect upon the mass emotions of a number of people gathered together in a single place and simultaneously reacting in the same way, . One person laughs; the theatre bursts into a roar.

One person shudders, and from the back of the stalls you can see heads and shoulders moving like corn under the wind, But the radio play is entirely ’deprived of this mass reaction, and you are therefore writing simultaneously for an enormous number of people and for each one of them as a single person. \ CHRISTMAS FEATURES Holiday Reading in “Radio Record” There is a Christmas atmosphere about the latest issue of the “Radio Record” that should make it acceptable reading for the holidays. A special article deals with the Christmas features from the New Zealand national stations and the leading Australian ones; listeners will find it handy for keeping in touch with the seasonal broadcasts later in the week. Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” Is to be given from IYA on Christmas Eve and a full story of the opera—the tragedy of Cho-Cho-San and Little Trouble—will be found in the paper. A brief review covers the “Radio Record’s” activities for 1933 and gives a summary of the proposals for 1934. “The Imp” talks about Christmas parties while, at the back of the paper, is a special Christmas page for children. The usual features appear—full programmes, gramophone records notes and a Hollywood page.

UNUSUAL THEFTS Stealing Electrical Energy J notice that quite a large number of people have been prosecuted lately for stealing electrical energy from the wires of radio relay companies, says “Free Grid” in the “Wireless World.” In my opinion none of the defendants are deserving of any sympathy save one good lady who, according to a newspaper report, has parted with the sum of XI for “fraudulently extracting a quantity of electricity.”

If the good dame will take a spot of | advice from me she will appeal and, if neqd be, carry the case right up to the House of Lords. It may certainly have been wrong to tap the wires of the relay company and steal entertainment therefrom, but that was not the subject of the charge. I entirely fail to see how anybody can “extract” a quantity of electricity from the relay company’s wires, and she could, I think, successfully plead that the electrons which she took out were carefully put back by her, as they merely flowed out of one wire, trotted round her loudspeaker windings, and then went back to the company by the other wire. If the lady cares to take action she is assured of my full moral support. TESTING FOR QUALITY Those of us who are not blessed with a good musical ear are often at a loss to say precisely in what respects our receivers are deficient in quality of reproduction; we may feel certain that something is lacking at the upper or lower end of Mie frequency scale, or that there is a marked resonance, but are unable to form clear-cut opinions as to the true nature of the imperfections of the set. Now, it is useless to attempt a cure until the complaint is known, and, as an aid to diagnosis, it may be pointed out that, by listening critically at a considerable distance from the loudspeaker, it is generally possible to form a useful opinion of the trouble, even without any special ability in this direction.

If dull reproduction is due to severe high-note loss it will be observed that, as distance between the instrument and the listener is gradually increased toward the limit of audibility, nothing but low-pitched and unintelligible sounds can be heard when speech is being transmitted. Conversely, a serious deficiency in bass response is equally easily detected in a similar way.