The Radio World

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 147, 11 June 1930, Page 9

The Radio World

NEWS FOR LISTENERS

NEW PACIFIC STATION

A special message to the Auckland “Star” states that a Pacific wireless station sufficiently powerful to breadeast to practically all the countries in the Orient will be erected on Lulu Island, just outside Vancouver, during this winter period in New Zealand), according to an announcement by Lieutenant Commander C. P. Edwards, of the Dominion Government Department of Radio Telegraph. The new station will have a code range of from 5000 to 10,000 miles, and will give direct touch with all parts of the Pacific. It will be of particular value to Pacific shipping. A special plant designed for short wave, long range transmission is now also being constructed. It is planned to have British Columbia in touch with all ships on the Pacific at all times. Commander Edwards is also conferring with the aids to navigation committee of the Chamber of Shipping regarding the provision of special wireless service between Entrance Island and the British Columbia mainland. This island is at present entirely isolated except by boat.

A MODERN SHIP A SCIENTIFIC WIRLESS INSTRUMENT. Sydney, Muy 18. The motor ship Leverkusen o); the N.D.L. and Hamburg Antcrika Line (7300 tons), which sails for Germany, via Antwerp, to-day, is furnished with remarkable scientific devices. There is on board a wireless direc-tion-finder operated on the Tele tunken principle that has occasioned much interest in shipping circles, tor it serves a threefold purpose. It will tell accurately the position of the vessel at sea. By means of the submarine bull system, which has been perfected sense the war, it can “hear” the pcsi lion of another ship up to a distance of about eight miles, thereby minimising collision risks, and delays, in foggy weather. Depth soundings are tilso’ “heard” xvhen a newly-inverted miniature torpedo explodes on contact with the sea floor. The speed of the torpedo is known in varying currents sr that a stop-watch gives a prec.se loading und eliminates the old-fash-ioned lend swinging. An other interesting aparatus is what may be called the “Hold smeller,” which is also operated from the brideg. It is the duty of the officer on each watch to switch on a compressed air motor, and place his nose in a special nose bag. By various switches, he is able to actually smell the air in the separate he.tds. An additional device to the instrument is a series of blow pipes wh’ch will blow out samples of air from the bolds. It is, therefore, quite a simple matter to localise and effect a cure should any hold catch fire or become laden with dangerous gases.

ELIMINATING THE HUM

Mains-driven, or electrically operated sets, still have a tendency lowards one fault, in the form of an a.c hum. At one time it was distinctly a fault, but now it can be said to be no more than a tendency, in some receivers. Beyond a certain point qual ity or cost is by no means the deciding factor in this respect, for under seme conditions the most elabuiate cutfit will develop the same tendency ar the small home-made job. Up to a point, again, no a.c. set can be said to be absolutely silent. By very close listening, hum will be detected in the best receiver made, but it has a long way to go beyond this before it becomes objectionable, or even noticeable. Normally it should not obtrude above the set-noise or station back-ground. There are many ways of eliminating or minimising it. In a commercially built receiver it is, of course, more difficult to make any alteration than in the set made at home, whose parts are more accessible. And the commercial outfit should have all the chance.? of trouble fully covered iu 'lie first instance, without the .loopholes that t'.e amateur-made outfit exhibits. In the set whoso “works” can hurt ly be approached at all, is is always worth while changing the plug about, for, although there is no pos. five or negative, one side of rhe mains is earthed, and this sometimes makes a difference. Make sure the earth is a good one, and that none of the leads, either from the earth or aerial, pass close to the mains carrying the 240 voltage. If the noise is very bad, the chances are that there is a broken connection somewhere inside the set, or that a vital part, such as a condenser or transformer, has broken down.

If the trouble, of course, proves too stubborn, a line voltage which is exceptionally high or low should be suspected, while council sub-stations and elevated transformers are the Cause of more trouble of this sort than is generally believed.

A FUTURE POSSIBILITY

A fascinating possibility in the future of wireless is the use of wireless services in place of tranmission lines for the distribution of electrical power. Prospects of accomplishment are certainly not promising at present, but, on the other hand, they appar to be no more remote than world wireless telephony seemed 20 years ago. With this development is associated by the production of the “death ray,” of which so much was heard shortly after the war. Reputable engineers have already evolved what appears to be a physically sound principle for generating such rays, but practical difficulties have so far prevented the mnnufaetnre of certain of the <-quii"so il ui'H'ssfiry. EveryI king p-iii■ s ' ■ ’ -i: 1 lies- dif lilill”'-,: will 1 •: I th.' Hut diifiant I't:. a ■ ei.i

which must be reserved to the more distant future is the perfection of a practicable system of television. ;In the- last five years it is probable that more than £1,000,000 has been spent on this work in the laboratories of the world, but despite experimental progress of considerable merit results have been distinctly disappointing. Inherent difficulties are enormously greater than those of any other fqrm of electrical signalling. In the light of present knowledge there is little hope of real progress until some entirely new discovery of principle is made. At the very best, a practical system of television does not seem likely for the next 25 or 50 years.

SPONSORED PROGRAMMES

What has been termed the “backbone of American broadcasting” has made its appearance in Australia. This is the “sponsored” programme, which consists of an arrangement v. herein the advertiser buys a whole evening, an hour, or half-an-hour, from a station, and undertakes to provide the programme for that time. The system is entirely different from the present method of adverlist ing used by Australian stations, which is almost unknown to most of the important stations in the U.S.A.. I< is designed to remove the disadvantages of “direct” broadcast advertising, which is often so objection able to listeners. An announcement at the beginning, and perhaps at wide ly- spread intervals, concerning the sponsors of the programme, are the only times that listeners are reminded that an advertiser has anything to do with their cncrtainment. In this way the sponsored programme becomes confined to the larger business houses, to whom alone this method < advertising is worth while. The “Columbia Hour” and “Ever-rondy Hour” have almost become American institutions. The Australia lead in this system have been made by 2UW, Sydney, and Mr O. Anderson, manager of the station, states that already muuy evenings have been bought by by .different firms. The effect, it is claimed, will be to eliminate many small advertisers. thus increasing the standard of tho programmes.

THE HASTINGS STATION

Considerable improvement has been effected by testing operations at the new wireless station in Hastings. The first test was conducted on Saturday afternoon and was somewhat disappointing, the tone and volume being good but the transmission erratic. The' second test on Sunday morning proved to be little better. However,- as a result of certain adjustments, the third test on Sunday afternoon showed that great improvement had been made; the transmission was almost perfect. The constructors are not yet satisfied, however, and further tests will be made When the station is operating entirely satisfactorily application will be made for a call sign; a license to operate has already been granted. Hastings will then have a broadcast station equal to any in the Dominion for tone, quality and clarity.

PROGRAMMES FOR TO-NIGHT

IYA, Auckland.—s p.m. Children’s session, conducted by Uncle Tom. 7: News and market reports. 7.40: Talk, Madame M. Milne, “Health and Diet.” 8: Selections, Auckland Watersiders’ Silver Band, (a) “March,” Bovey, (b) “H.M.S. Pinafore,” Sullivan; mezzo soprano, Miss H. Atkinson, “Hindoo Song,” Bemberg; novelty trio, Snappy. Three, (a) “Somewhere,” Davis, (b) latest hit; cornet solo, Mr. R. Tipping, “11 Bacio,” Arditi; Band, (a) “Prelude in C Sharp Minor,” Rachmaninoff, (b) “Down South,” Myddleton; talk, Mr. T. Boyce, “Bridge for Beginners”; selection, Baud, “Irene,” Tierney; mezzo soprano, Miss M. Atkinson, (a) “Love Was Once a Little Boy,” Lehmann, (l>) ‘-When the Roses Bloom,” Iteiehardt; xylophone, W. Byrne and W. W. Bennett, “The Two Imps,” Alford: novelty trio, Snappy Three, (al “Honey,” Wliitin, (b) latest hit, (c) selected; Band, “Humoreske March of the Mannekins,” Fletcher; humour, Mr. T. T. Garland, “A Fireside Chat”; xylophone, W. W. Bennett, “Dancer of Seville,” Grunow; Band, (a) march, “Auckland Civic," Bovey, (b) “Musical Switch,” Alford. 2YA, Wellington.—Silent day. 3YA, Christchurch.—s p.m.: Children’s session, conducted by Uncle John. 7: News session. 7.30: Addington stock market report. 8: Vocal excerpts from “A Country Girl.” 4YA. Dunedin.—s p.in.: Children’s session, conducted by Big Brother Bill. 7: News session. 7.15: Talk, Mr. C. Barnes, “The Railway and the Farmer.” 8: Selection, Savoy Orpheus, “Lido Lady,” Rogers, record; baritone. Mr. L. H. Stubbs, (a) “The Lute Player,” Allitsen, (b) •[’ll Sing Thee Songs of Araby,” Clay; fox trots, Novelty Syncopators la) “The Love Parade,” Schertzin.ger, (hi “The Blue Hills of Passadene,” Wallace; recital, Miss N. Ruswell, (a) “The Glove and the Lions,” Hunt, (b) “Old Grey Squirrel,” Noyes.; soprano. Miss A. Guy, “Have You News of My Boy Jack?”; waltz, Novelty Syncopators, “Dream Lover,” Schertzinger; fox trot, “Gotta be Good,” Schertzinger; tenor, Mr. S. Paris, “An Evening Song,” Blumenthal; piano, novelty, Mr. M. Wilson, “All of a Twist,” Mayerl; light vocal, Mr. N. I). Scurr, latest hits; fox trots. Novelty Syncopators, “Button Up Your Overcoat,” Do Sylva; baritone, Mr. L. H. Stubbs, “Why Shouldn’t I?” Russell; waltz, Novelty Syncopators. “Pal of My Sweetheart Days.” Davis; recital. Miss N. .Ruswell. '■[.<>! raine. Lorr: " Kin sley ; sopraiio. Miss ,\. Guy. iii'i "[ Shall Not Pass Again This Way," Effuignr,

(b) “Butterfly Wings,” Phillips; fox trot, Novelty Syncopators, “Happy Days arc Hero,” Yellen; tenor, Mr. S 'Paris, (a) “In Late September,” Barker, (b )“Spirit Flower,” Tipton; fox trots, Novelty Syncopators, “Goblin Blues,” Carlo; light vocal, Mr»N. D. Scurr,, latest-hits, giarnophone dance music.

2ZH, Napier.—o.3o: Children's session, conducted by Uncle George; la) birthday greetings and competitions, (b) fairy story, Three Frogs, (c) educational. Gold Mining, (d) story, The Night Express, 7.30 to 10.3 Q,: Relay of selected gramophohc records.