WIRELESS NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 18809, 6 December 1924, Page 16

WIRELESS NOTES

[By Eleoteon.]

Tho recent transatlantic test by the 8.8. C. provided quite uniqu©_ time for English listeners. Listeners with crystal sets experienced a. great volume of sound, so much so that in a few cases those who had gone to bed and left the cats whisker on the crystal were awakened by “Hullo, America 1” When America responded a number of owners of valve sets heard the other side quite plainly. ANOTHER RUMOR. The English daily Press seems to have discovered a new scientific apparatus by which wireless messages transmitted some time ago may be recorded. Little thought is given to wireless waves after transmission, but really they travel on end on, getting weaker, of course, for an indefinite time. The new apparatus is so sensitive that it is supposed to pick up messages transmitted maybe months ago. Ihe listener-in of the future will no doubt be equipped with this instrument, and then it will he possible to repeat any tune—if he wants to! s.o.s. In a large number of cases the 8.8. C. has been the sole medium for enabling persons to get in touch with their relatives in cases of immediate changer, and not a few people are grateful for this prompt assistance. A short time ago a S.O.S. was sent out seeking a Mrs Calgill, of Bradford, whose married daughter lay dangerously ill at Croydon Infirmary, with the result that tho mother was quickly found. The name of the mother was Cowgill, not “ Calgill,” hub her husband immediately recognised the girl’s name, and the mother was able to go to her daughter immediately. ' DIRECTION FINDING. It is not widely known that there ore now three distinct methods of direction finding at sea. One method is to fit the ship itself with a direction finder for taking bearings of other ships or land stations. Then there is the direction finder on land, which gives hearings at the request of ships, and signals these bearings to them. Thirdly, there is the new method called the “ wireless beam,” which has lately been developed by the Marconi Company. With this method hearings given are within 2 per cent, of accuracy, and, moreover, a skilled telegraphist is not required to read tho signals. The navigating officer of tho ship may obtain his own hearings without the help of a certified operator. THE DEAF HEAR RADIO. One of the latest addicts to broadcasting is an old lady belonging to tho Birmingham Workhouse. Though she is blind, dumb, and hitherto thought to be stone deaf, when a pair of telephones were placed on her head, to the intense surprise of everyone present she made sighs that she could hear tho music. This is the first] time that she has ever heard music m her life, and now, thanks to radio, she will have something to brighten her life considerably in the future. A MESSAGE FROM THE AIR. Listeners on the 900-mctrq wave length reserved for airway communication on the commercial air routes often receive quite intimate communications from pilots of aeroplanes to each other or to the aerodrome. Recently (says the ‘ Aeroplane ) a conversation was overheard between two pilots, one flying over Boulogne on his way south, and the other about a thousand feet or more over Kent on his way homeward, bound for Croydon. The first pilot was heard imploring the other not < to leave Croydon without leaving his pair of silk socks which the second pilot had evidently borrowed to go to Paris 1 FOREIGN PROGRAMMES ON CRYSTAL SETS. Early in the year the 8.8. C. proposes to conduct British listeners with crystal sets on a radio tour of Europe. It is being arranged that we will hear programmes from various stations in Europe Paris. Moscow, Rome, etc.—and, indeed, from every town that possesses a broadcasting station. Tho proposal is likely to he looked forward to very much, especially from those who have never had the opportunity of visiting these countries. It is hoped that the foreign programmes received will bo unlike those heard in Mr Harry Tate’s sketch, ‘The Broadcaster. TOO MANY LISTENERS. Mr Allen S. Walker, tho popular lecturer at 2LO, recently gave a talk on bt. Margaret’s, Westminster, and the Houses i of Parliament, inviting any listeners-in who were interested to meet_ him and be conducted round the building. Imagine ins. surprise when at the appointed time o.UUJ j people were discovered outside the cliuicli. Subsequently they were conducted, round in batches, and the visit to the Houses ot Parliament hud to bs abandoned. FREE ADVICE. The broadcaster will always receive' plenty of advice from “those who know. and even here in. Dunedin we have many, listeners who arc confident that if they: had the control of broadcasting it would' be a huge success. Although a transmit- , tin”- station is only too pleased to hear the ■ ooinions of listeners about its trnnsmis-j sions, there are certain things that toe listeners do not understand, and which the transmitting station, is much better able to adjust from its own observations than from those of listeners. Recently at a transmission from SSC an organ recital was broadcasted simultaneously to all stations, and many congratulatory messages vcie received. One critic, however, assured the director that he made great mistake m attempting organ reciUiis in a vacant room, and explaining that echo would he entirely absent if an audience were present. Little did he know that 2.500 people were present during the recital. BRITISH BROADCASTING. A Dunedin lady recently returned from the Old Country ‘informed me that in her bedroom in London she had a crystal set attached to the bedstead, and could hear 2LO and SXX (the high-power station) splendidly. She heard first-class conceits, news, operas, lectures, and talks. ‘ WEDDING MARCH ’ BY RADIO. An American listener recently inquired of tho New York broadcasting station whether it would be good enough to play the ‘ Wedding March ’ the next evening, as

he was gelling married, and was giving; a little wireless party to his guests. The broadcasting olliciol who answered the phone told him that there would he no orchestra available that evening, and jokingly told him to postpone the ceremony. “ Hold the line a minute,” was the reply, and after a few minutes ho returned ami announced his intention of putting off the wedding for two days. The station duly broadcasted the ‘Wedding March’ on the night chosen for the event.