RADIO NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 111, 10 April 1926, Page 6

RADIO NOTES.

, (By “Q.R.M.”)

MISCELLANEOUS. Messrs Farmer and Coy., Sydney, hope to be broadcasting at the enormous power of 10,000 watts output at the beginning of the ooming weok. Tests were to be carried out at the end of this week. 2FC will therefore become "first favourite” amongst the owners of small 60ts through!out Now Zealand, and should “roar” in on five and six valves. The Sydney Broadcasters’ station, 2BL, who wore to go on to higher power at the end of the month, will, all being well, be working on the increased power of 5000 watts output on Monday night. At this increased power both 2FC and 2BL will be heard by a good many New Zealand listeners with greater volume than any of the Dominion stations. Each valve in the big Ruby station costs £IOO and. there is room allowed for 54 such valvos, so the cost of running a station such as this one can bo imagined. The Christchurch station 3YA, which was formerly 3AC, increased its power last week to 50 watts, and comes in quite well locally. A new speech amplifier and an additional microphone have been added as woll as a separate microphone for the announcer. Mr G. H. Owen, formerly president of tho Amateur Radio Socioty of Welling, has returned from an extended visit to England. On Good Friday evening many good pro. grammes were being broadcast. The best station on the air appeared to be 3LO Melbourne. Tho oratorio “Elijah” was being broadcast, and it came in splendidly. The company consisted of 200 voices in the choir, and 70 members in tho orchestra, and their rendering of tho oratorio was magnificent. Local listeners aro reminded that all license fees arc ten days over due, and anyone who might be “poaching” is warned that the fee must be paid, failing which tho aerial system must bo dismantled. A number of listeners who have been obtaining free concerts havo been brought to court, in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The arm of justice is now moving northwards and should not bo long in “gathering in” a few local poachers; there aro quite a numbor of this variety in Palmerston North. Broadcasts from VLDN, the exhibition station, aro improving considerably, and some fine items by tho Highland Band havo been heard during the week. The piano player items coino in quite well, though one is apt to grow tired to too much piano solos. K. R. Rankin, Boundary Street Korang, Victoria, has just receivod his A.O.C.P. and is now on the ether, call sign 3KR O.S.L.’s will bo appreciated by Mr Rankin. G—2SZ has now a crystal controlled transmitter in operation on 45 metres. It is tho first successful crystal-controlled set in Europe, and is giving very good results. It gives a wonderfully cletsr and sharp note. NEW ZEALAND BROADCAST STATIONS. 1YA —the Radio Broadcasting Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., Scots Hall, Symonds slreot, Auckland, input power 200 watts, 330 metres, transmits Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, B—9, 9.15 —i 0.15 p.m. 1Y8—157 Karangahapo road, Auckland, input [lower 50 watts, 275 metres, transmits Sundays. 7 —lo p.m., and occasionally on week-days. IYC—N. C. Shepherd, Whangaroi,- input [lower 15 watts, 250 metres, transmits Monday, Wednesday, Friday, B—lo8 —10 p.m. 1YD —L. R. Keith, Gordon road, Mt. Albert, Auckland, input [lower 50 watts, 330 metres, transmits Wednesday and Saturday, B—lo8 —10 p.m. Occasionally transmits on Saturday afternoons. 2YF —The Palmerston North Radio Club, Collinson and Cunninghaino’s buildings, Palmorslon North, input, power 5 watts (to be increased to 15 watts shortly). 200 metres, transmile Monday and Friday, 7.30 —9.30 p.m. 2YK—Tho Radio Broadcasting Co. of Now Zealand, Ltd., room 3, fifth floor, Dominion Farmers’ Institute, Wellington, input power 120 watts (temporary), 295 metres, transmits Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, B—lo8 —10 p.m. 2YL —B. C. Spackman, 88 MacDonald street, Napier, input power 100 watts 190 metres, transmits Thursday, Sunday, 8 — 10 p.m. 2 VIM —The Gisborne Radio Company and Rulene road, Gisborne, input power 300-500 watts, 260 metres, transmits Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, B—lo8 —10 p.m. 3YA —Tho Radio Broadcasting Company of Now Zealand, Ltd., Christchurch, input power 50 watts, 240 metres, transmits Tuesday. Thursday. Saturday, Sunday, B—lo p.in., Friday 6.45 —7.15, 8 —9.30 p.m. (experimental night). [ VLDN —The Radio Broadcasting Co. of Mmv X.on]nr)A T.fiH TVJaw r /.ou.\arn\ a.rirl

South Seas Exhibition, Dunedin,, input power 750 watts, 280 metres, transmits normally every night. EXPERIMENTAL RADIO STATIONS. IXB—E. C. Gage, 23 Windmill road( Mt. Eden, Auckland. 1XG —E. 11. R. Green, 29 Liverpool street, Epsom, Auckland. IXl—Auckland University College. University College, Auckland. 2XA—E. A. Shrimpton, 38 Rongotai Terrace, Wellington. Theso tables should bo cut out and kept for future reference. “Q.R.M.” will endeavour to obtain a full list of New Zealand amateur stations for next week’s notes, when those of tho Auckland district will be given; those of the other districts will follow on in future notes until tho list is completed. NEW RECTIFIER VALVE. A new rectifier valve designed for use in “B” battery eliminators has been developed by C. G. Smith, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Dr. Vannevar Bu6ch, Professor of Electrical Engineering at tho Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is a full wave rectifier and is known as tho “Ravthheon.” The underlying principle is that any gaseous valvo which has one very small electrode and one large electrode is a partial rectifier, that is the current flows more readily when tho larger electrode is made negative than when it is positive. Scientists have been searching for years for insulators that will staaid an intense heat and will not break under extreme voltages or deteriorate with age. C. G. Smith, during his work on the development of a gaseous rectifier, recently discovered that the insulator was the very gas with which' ho was working. It was found that this and other gases would not conduct current between two electrodes that were close together. The “Raytheon” was built with this “short-path” insulator as the foundation. Among the advantages claimed for this new valvo are: No filament to burn out, high voltage output, high current, output, full valve rectification and long life. The valve can bo made to doliver, at the output of the filter, potentials well over 150 volts, especially adapted for uso with tho new power amplifier valves as well as with standard valves. It is possiblo to obtain over 60 milliamporcs without injury to the valve. Under continuous operation of an output of 50 milliamperos it is stated that there has been no sign of diminishing life in any valvos tested for 10,000 hours. Tho gas employed is helium, at a pressure of about 12 millimetres of mercury. The valvo depends upon ionization for its action, and therefore, the vacuum is not nearly as perfect as that used in common amplifying or detector valves. It is necessary, however, to evacuate the bulb thoroughly before releasing- tho helium gas. Only a very small amount of helium is employed in the manufacture of these valves and this is obtained in the production of liquid air. A quart of helium at atmospheric pressure is said to bo sufficient for 700 valves. THE WORLD’S RADIO STATIONS. It is officially estimated that there aro no fewer than 930 broadcasting stations in the world, of which number 566 aro situated in the United States. Great Britain lias 21, one very liigh-power station, nine of lj to 3 k.w. power, and 11 ordinary 500 to 1000 relay stations. Germany has at present 20, and she will liavp one of the most high-powered stations in the world shortly. France has 19, and Spain has so far 13 with five more projected. Although Russia lias only seven broadcast stations to-day, it is expected that she will havo about 30 at tho end of tho year. Some of these will ,bo high-power stations, Uzecho-Slovakia has 9, Holland 5, Finland 4, Denmark 5, and in Jugo-Slavia throe aro working and another is almost ready. Sweden has nino stations with another in erection. Canada has about 100 stations, of which 13 aro in Toronto, and 11 in Calgary. Australia has eight broadcast stations, fivo of which aro high-power stations. India has three working, and two being built. Ceylon has at least 10 stations, South Africa four, Canary I.slunds one, Hongkong two, and. there aro only two in tho whole of China. In Japan there are at present three stations working, although about 30 more arc shortly to be built by American contractors. New Zealand lias about seven, Cuba 36 stations, Mexico 16, Havana 18, and in Brazil there are nine. Buenos Aires claims 11 out of 12 in tho Argentine Republic, Chilo has two, Bern one, Uruguay two, and Venezuela has one. These figures hold good for the month of February, but stations aro being erected and dismantled overy day throughout tho world.