RADIO RECEPTION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 September 1935, Page 8

RADIO RECEPTION.

REDUCING UNWANTED NOISE, MANY authorities COOPERATING.

The work of the Post Office radioinspectors in reducing- radio interference was recently described in thesccolunuis. There is another aspect of:-, tins matter of g Tea t public importance, Un can best he conveyed in tae question.* "Wliaf degree of freedom from interference with broadcasting reception should be aimed at?”' The great majority of radio listene? pflss through several well neonstaS«R - At first there is the thrill of novelty. It i s a .wonderful thing to bring into one’s homo, music ;ind talk from a station which is sending out powerful signals received within cat clarity. Then there comes a deslre t 0 “reach out” and bring in stations further afield. The search ram-es across the Tasman and even to the baited States, as a number of station* can be received from these countries on the broadcast band. H„t, when the

novelty wears off, the listener begins 1., be particular about the torn*, and m-Tes the discovery that if he is to really enjoy musical items over the air he must select a station giving good signal strength, when all the beauties of. the transmission wil] be reproduced by his mvn instrument. Finally, if ho' is not an enthusiastic radio amateur, ho settles down to local listening. Extraneous noises due to power lines and electrical apparatus constitute a bugbear to the listener who ranges the air and uses a high degree of amplification in his set. Consequently, a considerable amount of time of the radio inspectors throughout New Zealand is occupied investigating complaints from this class, and endeavour-

ino- to the noise level to a reasonable limit. They receive ready cooperation from the tramway autliorities, power boards, and the electrical traders of the Dominion. As one example of consideration for tin* radio listener, the Chief Engineer of Dunedin city, in calling tenders for electrification of Roslyn tramway service, specified that radio interference suppressors shall be fitted. Many other tramway authorities have incurred expense in fitting non-interference devices in the form of filters; and owners, of apparatus used in brunches of medicine are approached by the Post Office Engineers for the purpose of inducing them to fit similar devices, specifications of which are available free to anyone interested. Members of the New Zealand Electrical Traders’ Federation are cooperating to the fullest extent by asking manufacturers of electrical appliances to make them non-radio interfering as a matter of standard practice. The leading manufacturers in Great Britain arc in constant touch with the British Post Office for the purpose of utilising the best form of

j suppression device. Electricity is used in so many forms . that it is impossible to completely ; clear the air of noise liable to into.r- . fere with radio reception when a hitrir degree of amplification is used. llowr ever, Post Office officials have been . very successful in eliminating the , worst of the noises, and progress is I also being rapidly made in the most ' important direction of all—that of increasing the signal strength of New s Zealand's principal broadcasting stations, which will make interference . much less noticeable.