RADIO RECORD

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1934, Page 12

RADIO RECORD

NOTES FOR LISTENERS-IN

( By

“Reception”)

PROPOSED STATION AT SUVA. On his way .back to Melbourne from a visit to Fiji, Mr G. F. Palmer, managing director of the Australian B class stations, 3AK and 7UV, said that ho had been negotiating’ with the Postmaster-General at Suva for the establishment of a. broadcasting station there. Mr Palmer said that in Australia there were over fifty B class stations. They were all selfsupporting from the. proceeds of advertisements announced between the entertainment items. The proportion of advertising matter, was about 15 per cent of the total, programme. He added that if. he got permission to open a station in Suv.a he intended, to include in the broadcasts items contributed by the native singers, Who had beautiful voices. THE EARTHING REGULATION. Three E.P. and L. department inspectors have beeii busy lately inspecting the earthing' systems employed by set owners, And in several instances have instructed that the earth . wire on an electric receiver must be attached direct to the chassis, anil not to the “pig- tail” leading from the back of the set. There are two reasons for this.', The regulations covering the earthing of sets definitely state that there shall not be a join in the earth wire, which must lead to a water pipe where such is available. As a protection against the effects of the rectifying transJonner “livening”" this component must be directly eafthed bj r a thickness of wire, the resistance of which will allow the electric fuse to “blow.” The resistance of the “pig tail” is usually too high. There is, howevei, •-mother method of overcoming the difficulty of efficiently earthing the set, this being to- disconnect the .artli connection permanently.

Hie- following question is some'.inies asked: . When the reception ■arthiug lead is used for earthing, the metalwork of the set, is it compul;;ory for the supply authority’s inspector to test the resistance to earth of the reception earth? The a'nswer to this is, Yes, unless such carthing lead is effectively connected to the earth of a multiple earthed neutral system through the conduit, or through the consumer’s installation earth. . - r . This means that if a receiver io> earthed at all, it must be connected to an efficiently earthed water supply •.vstem, if available, or to the conduii of a multiple earthed neutral system. If neither of these is present, an artificial earth, efficient enough to blow tlie fuse on the circuit to which the set is connected, must be made.

3ZR PROGRAMMES. Tile Broadcasting Board has approved the following transmission hours for Station 3ZR, Greyniouth. Monday to Friday: 1.30 am. to 8..30 a.m.; 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; G .p.ni. to 7 p.ffi.; 7.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturd'aV: 7.30 a.m. to 8.30. a.m.; l.uO p.m., to‘s p.m.; 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; 7 p.m. to 9 P.m. Sunday 1.2 noon to 1.30 p.m.; 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The new schedule will commence on Monday next.-TO-DAY’S PROGRAMME

IYA AUCKLAND (650 Kilocycles). 5.0: Children’s hour; 6.0: Dinner music 1 7.0: News and reports;, 7.401 W.E.A. Session, Mr. H- D. Dickinson, “What is Western Civilisation?”:; 8.0: Chimes. Relay to IZII Hamilton. Special recorded feature. Superstition —a. dramatic presentation dealing with the fallacious superstition that if salt is thrown over the left shoulder bad luck will be averted; 8 14 1 Presentation by J. M. Clark and Co., of One Act Play, “The Banns of Marriage”; 8.44: Recorded Peatine. Glimpses of Australian life by .he Australian Sundowner; 9.0: Weather report and station notices; 9.2:, Talk, Mr Dennis A.. Neal, “The English Countryside—The Charm of the "Vll- - 9.20: Recorded Sympnonic Presentation; 9.36: Theodor Chaliapin (bass); 9.43: London Symphony Orchestra; 10.0: Music, mirth and melody,; 10.30: Dance music; 11.0: Close down. Alternative programme, IYX, 880 kilocycles. 2YA, WELLINGTON, (570 Kilocycles) 50: Children’s hour; 6.0: Dinner music; 7.0: News arid reports; 7.40: W.E.A. Session, Miss E. M. North, 8.A., “Modern Poetry.” 4—Achievements and Purpose; 8.0: Chimes. Recordings; 8.40: Talk, Rev. J. R. Blanchard, “Mary Watson of Lizaid Island”; 9.0: Weather report' and station notices; 9.2: Presentation of 8.8. C. Recorded Programme, “World’s Away”; 10.5: Favourites old and new; 10.30: Dance programme; 11.0: Close down. Alternative Programme, 2YC, 840 kilocycles. 3YA, CH.CH. (720 Kilocycles). . 5.0: Children’s hour; 6.0: Dinner music; 7.0: News and reports; 7.35: Talk—Mr W. G. Wright, “Industrial Rabbit Farming in New Zealand”; 8.0: Chimes. Programmes of Recordings; 9.0: Weather forecast and station notices; 9.3: Talk —Mr Leicester Webb, “World Affairs”; 9.20: Recordings; 10.0: Music, mirth, and melody; 10.30: Dance music; 11.0: Close down. Alternative Programme, 3YL, 1200 kilocycles. 4YA, DUNEDIN (790 Kilocycles). 5.0: Children’s hour; 6.0: Dinner music; 7.0: News and reports; 8.0: Chimes. A Ballad Concert. Debroy Somers’ Band, “Ballads We Love”; 8.10: Mr Arthur Lungley (baritone): “Harlequin”; “Sleep and the Roses”; “Maire, My Girl”; “Uncle Rome”; 8.20: Reginald Foort (organ), “Love's Garden of Roses”; “Chanson” (In Love); 8.26: Dora Labette (soprano) and Hubert Eisdell (tenor), “Come, Silver Moon”; “Marigold”; 8.33: Kiriloff’s Balalaika Orchestra, “Medley of Old-time Songs”; 8.39: Miss! Noni Davidson (soprano), “Love Everlasting”; “The Letter Song”; “Guiding Star”; “Has Sorrow Thy Young Days Shaded?”; 8.51: Frank Westfield’s Orchestra, “Kashmiri •Song”; 8.54: Gwyn Williams and his Welsh Singers, “Lullaby”; “Welsh Folk Song”; 9.0: Weather report and station notices; 9.2: Talk, Mr A. IT. Williams, “Great Men in the World of| Literature—Jean Jacques Rousseau”; I 9.20: Dance music;.ll.o: Close down. Alternative Programme, 4YO, 1140 kilocycles. y

REPRODUCTION QUALITY. What is the fundamental purpose of a receiver? There are two ways of considering the- problems. It may be designed for the reception of more or loss intelligible signals from far and wide to the detriment of its ability as a reproducer of high quality music or the object of its designer may be to provide an instrument capable of giving the maximum entertainment and musical quality, consistent with the shortcomings of transmitters and the disturbing effects of natural and man-made interference, without paying any more attention to sensitivity than is necessary to ensure reception of the required signals. It is unfortunately not easy to combine to the maximum degree in a reasonably simple receiver the three essential, features of ability to pick up very weak signals, of keeping out undesired very strong signals, and of providing a high degree of musical perfection. The three, or at any rate the first and last, are to an extent opposed, and undue prominence in one may detrimentally affect the other.

At one time there seemed a chance of competition resulting in the production, of large quantities of cheap sets in which musical quality was by no means the first consideration. The danger seems to have passed, but it is one which is never far away. When such a state exists it is an easy matter to blame the manufacturer, often unfairly, for the state of affairs. He may be partly at fault, but nqt entirely, as it 'is a primary task to supply what is wanted, and if the buyers, will accept instruments which are obviously wanting in fidelity of reproduction it is they who must accept the responsibility. The lure of cheapness is one that is difficult to resist, but if the' drop in price is achieved by affecting the set’s reliability or its fidelity it should be strenuously avoided. If it is the result of sound design or research it is, of course, to be encouraged. The time is long past that a receiver’ need be recognised as such bpcause of its peculiarities or poorness of qualitv. Neither should it be classed as having a “tone.” It should produce its sound naturally, nothing more and nothing less. NEW MARVEL. ENGLISH INVENTOR’S CLAIM. LONDON, June 7. Major Eckersley, who some time ago visited Australia, has successfully demonstrated an amazing relay system. By plugging a loudspeaker- into an ordinary lamp, socket, any. number-of different programmes can be heard. He says there is no limit to the number of stations to be conveyed through electric light mains without , interenc©. Major Eckersley is seeking Parliamentary sanction of .the scheme by which Continental statiojis can be received on- super-gear at ideal reception points and relayed to listeners, ■who simply pi-ess a button and hear the desired station with perfect quality and volume, which hitherto was not obtainable even on the most costly receiving sets. • ' Radio manufacturers who have sunk millions in’ plant are expected to oppose the scheme, as listeners simply require a loudspeaker. Major Eckersley considers that each country should reduce stations’ to two, using 1000 kilowatts, thus enabling a 20-kiloeycle separation and relieving the present congestion of the ether.