RADIO PARADISE

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2339, 8 January 1926, Page 3

RADIO PARADISE

WIRELESS IN JAPAN. Japan Is a llsteners-ln paradise, where radio supplies are ridiculously cheap. That Is one of the discoveries made by Mr R. C. Marsden, the wellknown Bellevue Hill amateur transmitter. who has just returned from a

tour of the East (says a Sydney journal).

Another thing that is learned was that, once a ship passes Thursday Island, it completely loses touch with Australian events, even those as important a the result of the Federal elections. There is no apparent reason for that, because Mr Marsden. using a simple two-valve low-loss set, was able to log Pennant Hills station in excellent strength while in Kobe, showing that constant direct communication with Japan is possible. The annihilation of distance by radio was demonstrated by Mr Marsden while ashore in the Phillippines. Using a short-wave transmitting set, he was able to call up Mr Phil Nolan, another radio devotee at Coogee, and have a chat until the latter was obliged to close down because Sydney broadcasting programmes were about to begin. All the short-wave radio work In both the army and navy in Japan,” Mr Marsden explained, "is being carried on by amateurs. Wireless is simply booming in Japan, and in Tokio a forest of bamboo aerial nlasts may be seen anywhere. Material is dirt cheap. A first-class American valve costs 9/11 retail, a low-loss condenser 6/1, and the best of head-phones may be bought in any shop for about 7/6. Yet they pay a duty of 20 per cent on imported parts and 50 per cent on made-up sets.” Broadcasting fr'om all of the big stations, Mr Marsden explained was carried out In both the English and Japanese languages. Each sentence was repeated. Electricity was universally used. The cost of current for a whole year through an ordintry household electric bulb was only about 1/ thanks to the utilisation of the water power that was available In abundance.