REDUCING STATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20080, 18 October 1928, Page 7

REDUCING STATIC.

SOME PRACTICAL WAYS. Tho complete elimination of static is a hopeless task, for tho obvious reason that tho waves so set up havo a family likeness to those transmitted by man, and tho receiver which reproduces ono class will also reproduce the other, if tho respective frequencies and intensities are similar.

However, a good deal may often be done to lessen the nuisance. Considerable improvement may sometimes be effected by loosening tho coupling between the aerial coil and tho rest of tho circuit and tuning the aerial circuit. Tho loosening of the coupling, of course, reduces the amount of energy both signal and static entering the secondary circuit; but tho tuning of the aerial circuit improves tho strength of the signal in that circuit. A crystal detector may be included in the aerial circuit in parallel' with the aerial coil. In this case tho peak crashes aro considerably reduced, but signal strength will also bo reduced, The use of tho loop and indoor aerial will improve the ratio of signal strength to static, but as the set itself has to bo more sensitive static is often brought up to where it would have been otherwise. Still, if one has a good set tho indoor aerial will effect a very considerable improvement. A long low outdoor aerial, especially if tho set has a coarse areial tuning arrangement, is preferable to the usual type. The underground aerial has been suggested as an effective means of counteracting static, but as it is highly directive a radial system is necessary. It has to be long and well insulated, and even then signal strength is lost. There are not many who could make use of this arrangement. ' ,

A high power transmitter appears to counteract static, because it increases the proportion of signal strength, but. it does not eliminate it.