GIANT RADIO SET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20600, 26 June 1930, Page 3

GIANT RADIO SET.

COMMUNAL RECEIVERS. INSTALLATION IN LONDON. Wireless listeners may be interested to follow the experiences of those living in Chiltern Court, London, where a master radio receiver serves a great building which will ultimately house 200 flats, ranging in rent from £225 to £IOOO a i year. There are four valves in the ! master-set itself and another 46 valves to serve the necessary amplifiers for the flats. Every drawing room and every kitchen is fitted with "points" for a broadcast service, and either loud speakers or head-phones can be chosen at will. Each loud-speaker has a control which gives loud, medium, or soft reception at the option of the tenant. Although the master-set is a selective receiver which can pick up any large station in Europe, naturally only one programme can go out at the same time. Programmes are chosen by the steward of Chiltern Conrt. He seems to have solved the diplomatic problem of pleasing everyone. He said: " I never select anything which will interfere with the new 3 bulletin. As a rule it is either the National or the Regional programmes which I send out—whichever looks the more interesting. Tenants start using the j loud-speakers from 10.50 in the morning, I and by 10.50 at night they make it plain that nothing but dance music is welcome. ; The only talk I have been specially asked | for is one by Sir Josiah Stamp, and it j seemed generally appreciated. I had a request for the Frankfurt programme one evening, but that was not so popular." The installation is not affected by the nearness of electric trains, although wet weather produces some minor changes. Three or four tenants seem to prefer their own programmes ad have bought sets with frame aerials. These do not seem to suffer from the presence of the master-set. Other communal sets may be installed very soon in two large London hotels. The "idea is to have two programmes available in every bedroom. Head-phones only, of course, will be used. This means two master-sets and the guest, can choose which entertainment he likes. This hotel idea brings up an interesting licensing point. The Post Office has ruled that each tenant in a block of flats must pay his 10s for his loud-speaker, even although there is no individual receiving set attached. In tile case of a hospital one licence is sufficient, since the institution is regarded as one large home, no matter how many head-phones are employed. It would seem- at first giance as if the " one large home " definition would apply to a hotel.