WIRELESS NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19020, 15 August 1925, Page 22

WIRELESS NOTES

OUR AMERICAN VISITORS

[By Electron*.]

Local radio fans have not been slow in establishing friendly relations with the wireless staff on the American ships, and it has been most interesting and instructive to have first-hand information regarding the conditions ruling on the other side. One of the most objectionable features of broadcasting in America seems to be the largo amount of interference experienced from spark, C.W., and other broadcasting stations; and when it was commented, that the transmitters of'some of the American ships were tuned so near Sydney and Melbourne that we received the music accompanied by strong Morse signals, the reply was: “You chaps don’t know what interference is. How would you like to have to sift out half a dozen high-power spark stations, two or three adjacent broadcasting stations, and a few howling valves? Then, just as you aro getting on to what you want, have the whole lot come bark 011 hup ( ,f yon again.” Evidently there are disadvantages as well as advantages over there. Regarding the priem of radio goods, it was stated that owing to tie heavy slump in America, prices were ridiculously low in some lines, for instance, U.V. 2UIA valves could be obtained at a price equivalent to 2s <!d —just as cheap as electric light globes; and, since there were such a largo number of manufacturers flooding the market with their products, it seemed that prices would fall still lower. The most popular in America is the neutrodyne, and improvement is in progress along the lines of radio frequency neutralising on a similar principle to that of the nentrodyne. Both Ralph Slade (4AG) and Frank Bell (4AA) are well known to all the Yankee operators through their records in establishing communication with the States; and the visitors are quite impressed with our amateur achievements. Regarding broadcasting, however, they point out that there aro hundreds of boys in America who have in their basements bigger and better stations than we have in New Zealand, though they naturally appreciate the difference in conditions; and when it was explained that two up-to-date American stations were on order, they assured us that wo would appreciate the result of America's experience in broadcasting plants. LOCAL BROADCASTING. On Wednesday night a most interesting talk was broadcasted from 4YA by one of our visitors. This was excellently transmitted, and we wished for more. Again on Thursday night a splendid programme was transmitted from the same station, the items being supplied by the visitors, and included selections by the band and orchestra. The items wore of outstanding merit, rendered with plenty of “pep,” and sustaining interest to the end. The pianoforte selections were particularly well reproduced, and the whole programme provided quite a pleasant change for the listeners. At the conclusion both tlie American and British National Anthems wore rendered by the band. Wo hope to have an opportunity of hearing more of the musical side of the fleet before they return to their homeland. Listening to the 'programme on Thursday, one was vividly conscious of the strong bond of music. Although the performers wore of a .different nation, with different customs and habits, yet to hear the familiar airs brought homo the realisation ol how closely related our American cousins are. OTAGO RADIO ASSOCIATION. On Monday night the Otago Radio Association •is entertaining the radio personnel of the visiting fleet at the Otago Motor Chib’s room, Moray place. Any radio enthusiasts (whether members of the association or not) who wish to attend should get in touch with Mr R, Bruce, hon. secretary, and notify him, so that provision may bo made fur accommodation, etc. THE NEUTRODYNE. I promised last week to let you know where the trouble was in this set when the tuning was broad, signals weak, and neutralising difficult or impossible. In my case, after pulling most of the set to pieces and rewinding the coils, I found that the whole cause of the trouble was in the returns from the grid coils, which, when rearranging the wiring, were connected to the positive side of the A battery instead of the negative. Although such a simple fault, the internal wiring of the set and the way the outside battery connections made it impossible to detect the alteration except by following out each connection and reversing the A battery connections to the outside terminals, made no difference, so that it was not till a careful examination was made of the wiring and the connections checked that the trouble became obvious, The sot is now as good as or better than over; and, though 1 was beginning to think that the neutrodyne was too tricky to be reliable, I feel that after the pulling about that my set had, to come back to its original standard as soon as the A battery connections were altered and the grid returns changed, shows that the set is very stable.

2YM, GISBORNE.

Last Sunday 2YM put on a first-class programme, well transmitted, with plenty of volume. At the end ho announced that another programme would be transmitted nest Sunday (tomorrow), so I pass it on to those who feel like a little first-class entertainment. 2YM is using about 400 watts for special programme and 160 for the regular schedule. His wave is just above BYA (Christchurch) and below 2YK (Wellington). AMERICAN AMATEURS.

Lieutenant Scholl, who is travelling' with the fleet on the Seattle conducting special short-wave tests, states that wireless amateurs in America receive a : great deal of encouragement from the! United States Government, in view of j the value of their training in a time of i emergency. The result was that hundreds of the American amateurs were; members of the Naval Reserve, Lately! the American Army had also availed it-! self of the willingness of American amateurs to form reserve bodies. In America, by means of the American Radio Relay League, amateur operators had been so organised that in time of emergency between 4,000 and 5,000 highly-skilled operators could bo made available to the defence authorities at; short notice.