CLEAR SPEECH

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1937, Page 2

CLEAR SPEECH

TECHNIQUE OF ’PHONE USE

THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD

i • New Zealand ranks high in the world as a telephone-using country and its equipment for this purpose is kept thoroughly up-to-date. However, an efficient system will not produce satisfactory results unless sensitive electrical apparatus is used in the most effective way. The Post Office is, therefore, preparing some illustrated advice to be published in its telephone directories on how to make conversations clearer and easier.

The engineers having ' done their part in providing proper instruments and efficient transmission lines the user of the telephone can then get the best results only by speaking so closely into the transmitter that the lips almost touch it. Human speech causes sound waves which impinge on a diaphragm placed just inside the transmitter and thus electrical impulses are created which are carried along tne lines and turned again into sound waves at the receiving end. The more effective the transmitting end the stronger are these electrical impulses which must be turned again into sound waves. How important it is to speak closely into the transmitter in order to obtain the maximum of electrical effect is evidenced by the fact that the strength of the sound waves- which impinge on the diaphragm of the transmitter vary inversely to the square of the distance of the lips from the

transmitter. -In other' words, if the lips are half an inch away from the transmiter the strength of the speech ‘at the distant receiving point is excellent, but another half an inen away from the transmitter will cur down the strength of speech waves to a quarter of the original volume. Shouting into the telephone is not necessary in these days of sensitive instruments.. The greatest.’temptation to do so is . when the narties to a conversation are separated by hundreds of miles, hut if they realised that at intervals along New Zealand’s main telephone trunk lines are electrical repeaters ; which -boost up impulses the shouting tendency would . disappear. Sneaking close to the transmitter also gives the. advantage of reducing the effects of any extraneous noises. There is no danger to health involved bv the use of the same transmitter bv large numbers of people, for this point has been subject to careful bacteriological tests with completely negative resubs. Just as it is necessary to keep the receiver to the o'*tv it is equally neces-snrv-to brine- the tins close to the transmitter. Then the telephone conversation can co on in a normal vo*ce preferably not high-pitched. The rate of conversation is 110+ material if the speaker takes, trouble to articulate every syllable.