RADIO TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19558, 10 February 1927, Page 15

RADIO TOPICS.

CHIi ISTCHURCH STATION. THE OPENING CEREMONY. TO-MORROW'S ARRANGEMENTS. The C'hristchurch station of the Radio Broadcasting Company of Now Zealand will be officially opened to-morrow evening. For some weeks past the station has been working in a temporary capacity. Tho Postmaster-General, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, will perform the official opening ceremony, and other speakers will be the Rev. J. K. Archer, Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. J. M. Prentice, chief announcer of tho company, Bishop West Watson and Bishop Brodie. An excellent programme has been arranged. WELLINGTON STATION. Tho new broadcasting station to be provided in Wellington for the Radio Broadcasting Company is to be erected on one of the highest points in Roseneath, not far from the service reservoir, which supplies that district with water, and contiguous to Mount Victoria. So far a start has not been made with the work of erecting the building or aerial, but land has been acquired sufficient for both purposes, and an early commencement will be mado with the building operations. The plant will be erected by Messrs. A. R. Harris and Co., cf Christchurck The new station is to be provided with a 30KVA high voltage plant in addition to the power for broadcasting operations, and with such power it should be as easy to hear at Invercargill as in Whangarei. The new station should be ready about the middle of April.

RUN-DOWN BATTERIES. Operation of receiving sets at high efficiency is not possible unless all batteries are in the best condition. Some of the symptoms indicating that batteries are in a more or less discharged condition are too well known to require detailing here. Batteries in poor condition give rise. to a number of obscure and subtle effects causing poor receptions, and generally the fault is not attributed to the battery. When the filament lighting battery becomes half discharged trouble may be evidenced in several deceptive symptoms, particularly when the battery is connected to a receiver consuming two or more amperes through fairly high resistance leads (long leads, small wire or both). Although no change in filament brightness is discerned, there will be an increase in the impedance of the valve with effects seemingly unrelated to A-battery deficiency. A loss in the bass tones may be noted and during the latter half of the A-battery discharge reproduction will be metallic, lacking the round fullness of tone output by a good receiver under ideal conditions.

Reception will become noisy. Loud notes of a particular quality will induce rasping sounds daring amplification, often attributed to rattling in the loud-speaker. A high-pitched squeal, subject to modulation by touching different parts of the amplifier, is often a complication of a slightly low A-battery. The effect on reception by defective Bbatteries will be dealt with later in these columns. BROADCASTING CONTROL. The question of control of wireless generally and of broadcasting in particular is very prominent in Australia at present, according to a radio writer. The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the question is expected to favour tighter control by the Government. On the other hand there are very many people who expect that a very careful inquiry will justify the continuance of the existing system, or a slight modification of it. In America the question of control of radio is a very live one at present. The powers of the Government have been proved to be defective in law. The Courts have decided that any station may use any wave-length it likes. Several attempts were made by Congress to pass legislation to give the Government greater power, but the legislation was not passed. President Coolidge, in his message to Congress, said it appeared to him that Government control should be confined to the issue of licences, the determination of the power of the stations and their wavelengths. The other matters, such as who should get a licence, the operating times, etc., should be left to a board of control, nominated by the various interests concerned and the Government.

CONTROVERSY IH SYDNEY. A controversial subject in Sydney a£ present is the reception of the Auckland station, IYA. A recenl; statement to tho effect that on a set us;ng less than four valve 3, IYA could not be promised, prompted an enthusiast residing near Sydney to write to a newspaper as follows: "Why say that it would be rash to promise New Zealand on anything less than a four-valve set ? I happen to be the owner of a two-valve set, my position at Black Mountain being over 4000 ft. above sea level. I use the ordinary threecoil circuit - , with spider-coils and small 1 dull emitter valves, the detector using very low voltage. My results, with perfect clarity, aro IYA, 4QG, 3LO, 3AR and SCL, and New South Wales stations. As regards seasonal differences, so far I have had better results in summer than in winter." PRICE OP LICENCES. Many people have argued that tho owner'of a simple crystal set which costs £2 or £3 should not be required to pay the same licence fee as the owner of an £BO or £9O super set, says a Dunedin writer. At first glance there appears to be some logic in the argument, but, apart altogether from the fallacy which is observed after a careful study of the matter, the fact remains that there are considerable difficulties in the way of arranging for differential licences. The question has been raised in every country where licence fees aro collected and it has been proved that the administrative difficulties of the people who sell the licences and collect the fees would be too great, and a common licence fee is essential. There would be no means of determining, unless at considerable expense, whether the correct licence was obtained or whether a valve licence would be obtained when the crystal owner changed his set to p valve set. Consequently, the uniform licence is not likely to be changed. The conditions of licensing aro reasonable and generous enough in all conscience, and the facility for paying the licence fee in two instalments "gets over most of the financial difficulties feared bv people who are inclined to spend only a small amount of money on a cheap crystal set. For less than Id per dav a licensee and his family jire entitled to listen in to the programmes "of any station, and even if he confines his attention to his nearest station he gets very full value for his expenditure.

GOOD DAY FOR RECEPTION. Local reception was particularly gcoo last Sunday. Australian stations were heard with a remarkable absence of = tatic. After midnight on* amateur at Westmere tuned in successfully to three American stations. FW, Los Angeles, was heard clearly 20ft. from the loudspeaker.