HELPING THE RADIO INSPECTOR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 18 November 1940, Page 8

HELPING THE RADIO INSPECTOR

WHAT THE LISTENER HAS TO DO < Contributed) My wireless set has not been be- ; having itself lately, so I wrote to the j Radio Inspector. I got a prompt reply and an official looking form which 1 i was asked to fill in. I spent a pleasant < half hour digesting it. It still remains I blank. It is headed “Radio Interference Re- i port Sheet.” It is a good start for a • ; choice document. The first 12 lines arc I taken up with questions about myself, my set, my dealer and my license. (A good job I’ve paid it). There follow 18 questions which look ' like an examination paper for radio operators. I had vision of myself, with pencil and paper, hooking and unhooking wires and gadget- at the back of the set struggling to find whether' i the interference decreases or ceases (a) When you disconnect your aerial; 1 (b) When you disconnect your earth; ; (c) When you disconnect both; (cl) 1 When you join the aerial and earth terminals together by a short piece of wire. Then 1 pondered over these: Is the disturbance continuous or intermittent? If intermittent, state whether it is heard during the day only, or night only. Give exact time it starts and stops for seven days if practicable. (Note: This is important), i That “Note” shook me. How could 1 I look the inspector in the eye if 1 1 1 didn't know the exact time on Tuesday i 1 morning or at midnight on Friday 1 ! when it stopped or started. ! The tabulation underneath hyp- ; notised me. It gave spaces for each day of the week like this: Sunday; • Starts, stops; starts, stops; starts, stops; starts, stops. I picture myself, haggard and wan, sitting alongside the } radio, all day and all night, scarcely stopping (or starting) for meals, fever--1 ishly jotting down the squeaks, grunts, ! blares, and rat tat tats I get on my set. 1 Perhaps I could get my wife to take a turn. I turned the page.

At what times during the day is your receiver usually in use? —That's

| an easy one. i If the noise is heard only occasionally, for what period in minutes per day does it interfere with your recep- ' ; tion? —Not again surely. Another I vigil? I skimmed over details like weather conditions, lighting of street lamps, and tram cars, and fixed my 1 eyes on the following sinister interro- | gation: Have you any idea what is | causing the interference? If so, what i do you suspect? Briefly state your reasons. Ah, that's it. Now we’re coming to j it. But I'll keep my suspicions to my- ! self. I asked the family to assist with the next one. Nature of noise (indicate by a cross): Buzzing, roaring, hissing, crackling, similar to static, hum, whistling, | clicking, morse. My wife said that it was a sort of buzzing, roaring, hissing noise, with t an occasional hum. My eldest daughter ' voted for the whistling, while young Fred mentioned morse. He suspects : Fifth Columnists. I went on. Is the noise present over a large por tion of the dial? Is it loudest at any : particular point or points?—Yes. What stations do you receive free from the disturbance? Day-night. I They left too must space for that i answer, and the next one too: On what ; stations is the interference not serious? . Ah, this is where I jean spread myself, I thought when I cam eto 16: Name I j the station or stations whose transmissions are interfered' with?

j But they only left me two lines of j space! I began to relax as I came to the last one. It would be of assistance if you would ascertain, while the trouble is on, whether any neighbouring listen-1 ers are being subject to the same in-1 terference. Should I consult old Speigel on the left? Unfortunately our relations have been a bit strained since our dog started disturbing his cat’s mealtimes. Then what about Miss , the elderly spin- ( ster, on the other side? The trouble is she is rather deaf and I don’t think she ever listens to any station apart from i 2YN, anyway. Finally, give the names and addresses of listeners concerned and state the result of enquiry.

I would like to put down what Alf, across the road, said, but like Norman Long “I can’t even record that!” Yes, I think I prefer the interference.