RADIO NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 23, 26 December 1925, Page 5

RADIO NOTES

THE AERIAL SYSTEM. (By “Q.R.M.”) There is an enormous amount of controversy lover what is tho best aerial system to employ for wireless reception. Some people regard tho single wire aerial with disfavour because it does not look nice; they want something, that is imposing and grand to look upon. These persons have yet to learn that there aro a great, many things pertaining to radio that might not look nice. A person will buy a hundred-guinea receiving set in a beautiful cabinet and expect it to give better satisfaction than, say, a set minus the cabinet of only half tho price. This is not always so, however. Often all the workmanship has been placed in the cabinet, or the set itself is so complicated that it would take an expert to work it. This applies even more so to tho aerial. It is not necessary that it should bo costly to be effective. Experience has showq that a single wire aerial is nearly always far more efficient than any other type, such as the cage or multi-wire ones. But wo require some standards against which to compare individual circumstances, and for this purpose we may take it that the following constitute the, chief requirements: A single wire aerial should contain from 100 to 120 feet of wire in all, that is including tho down-lead •up to tho receiver. The best all-round aerial of this type wiould bo one erected in a clear space, between two masts about 80 feet apart, and 45 feet high. Of courso much depends upon tho surroundings. If the site is shielded by surrounding trees or tall buildings, tho height should be increased and the horizontal length decreased. If, however, no shielding occurs from these sources, 45 feet high is quite enough. Tho actual masts themselves should be of wood —Oregon pine is good—though they may bo of steel. Metal masts have the disadvantage of having a blanketing effect upon incoming signals, especially if they aro DX signals. At either end of the aerial, two good insulators should be inserted. All stays should havo one insulator near the top. Tho down lead should not be soldered to the aerial, but should be a continuation of it. It should bo at least two feet from walls and other objects. If possible the aerial should point in the direction of the station which is to be most often worked. Tho down-lead should be on the side nearest the station. Tho aerial should be as taut as possible so as to obtain a minimum of swaying. If a singlo wire aerial is impossible owing to limited space, a double aerial having the same length of wire as tho single may be used. The two wires are stretched upon carefully insulated spreaders, the downleads being taken from each wire. The horizontal wires should be at least eight feet apart for best results. Tho earth connection is a most important part of the aerial system and should bo erected with as much care as the aerial proper. Tho wire need not be insulated, but should bo as short as possible. A soldered connection to a water pipe is by far _ the better. Another excellent method is to run a wire directly under and parallel to tho ' aerial, and buried about six inches in tho earth. Any sort of aerial system will not do; tho aerial is the most important part of a receiver. Therefore, the smaller the set the better tho aerial. MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Tho writer desires to take this opportunity to wish all readers of this column a prosperous New Year in the radio world, and on behalf of the listeners-in of this district to thank the local club for the excellent transmissions they have given us during tho past months when nearly every other station in New Zealand was received yo poorly. Listeners-in will be pleased to hear that the Gisborne radio station, 2YM, is now back on the ether once more with regular transmissions. Rumours come to hand that Wellington may be given a broadcasting station as requested. Amateurs should look out for the new private Auckland station which is to commence operations at the end of this month.

Farmers’ station, 2FC, Sydney, will give a series of band music programmes between January 21st and 27th 1926. Somo time ago Australia held a ballot ’to see what class of entertainment was most favoured. Band music topped the list. 2FC is therefore giving these special programmes . which will consist entirely of band items.

Tho high power station at Nauen, Germany, now broadcasts regularly news bulletins on 26 ; 27, 47, 70. 56, 76 and 100 metres.. This station has in addition to these different wave-lengths a series of call signs. It may be heard answering to the following calls: POF, FOW, POX POY POZ. ’

Wo understand that 2AQ, owned and operated by Mr Morton Coutts, Taihapc, has to go down to 37 metres. This will moan that very few New Zealand listeners will bo able to pick 2AQ up, and that, as far as most of the amateurs aro concerned, 2AQ might just as well close down altogether. This station has filled tho gap that the Government stations should have filled during the past few months, and it seems hardly fair that one of our best amateur broadcast stations should be literally kicked off the ether. The Auckland and Rotorua district amateurs aro requesting that the North Island radio clubs and listeners-in should club together and petition Parliament to give us back 2AQ. At a recent meeting of Auckland listen-ers-in Mr Salt stated that, because of the treatment, allegdly received from tho Broadcasting Company and Government, ho was determined to resign his position. The Auckland listeners-in would not hoar of .it, and rightly so. Mr. Salt has been doing his best for us, and wo hopo ho will stick to his guns. Ho may bo sure that ho will receive all tho support listen-ers-in can givo him. Tho new Rugby station has cost £400,000 to eroct. Tho plant sito covers li square miles, the aerial system is three miles long and the astounding height of 820 ft above ground. Tho wave-length used is 18,200 metres, and the call sign is GBR. It has a power input of from 500 to 1000 kilowatts. The writer hopes to give a description of this station at a later date. Tho auxiliary schooner Kuimiloa, fitted as a cruising yacht by Mr M. Ivellum, of Honolulu, is now in Auckland. This schooner has three transmitters. Ono U.S.N. typo, spark, one C.W. kilowatt, and on short wavo C.W. type also ono kilot watt. Tho short wavo transmissions aro carried out on 20 to 80 metres. Tho call sign for all work is KFUII.

SYDNEY LABOUR COUNCIL’S 2KY. The Sydney Labour Council’s radio broadcast station, call sign 2KY, has been in operation for some weeks now. Tho transmitter is erected in tho Sydney Trade Hall, and is giving good results in its trial transmissions. Tho scheduled wave-length for this station is 280 metres, but it does not seem to remain constant to that wave-length. Sometimes 2KY is right on top of 2BL, and at others 20 degrees on the condenser lower. On its second wave-length of ‘JO metres 2KY has already done some very creditable work, especially on DX work. The weriter picked 2KY up just before its official opening on November Ist, working on the 30 metre band. Tho transmission'oven then was quite good, the volume being very satisfactory, although the station appeared to be “swaying” considerably. This station is tho first broadcast station —it is of the B class—in Australia to incorporate two wave-lengths in this manner. The construction of 2KY has been in the hands of two Sydney radio men, Mr E. G. Beard and Mr L. N. Scliulty, the latter a well-known amateur transmitter.