THE WIRELESS WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19102, 22 February 1924, Page 3

THE WIRELESS WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES. (Be Magna VoxJ [ltems of news, comment, suggestions, etc., will be welcomed by “Magna Vox.”} The Otago Radio Association is to be congratulated on at last making a definite step towards resuming broadcasting. At Monday night’s meeting opinion was unanimous that the association should once more broadcast for the benefit' of its members and it may now be expected that those amateurs who have become tired of the procrastination of the past six months will revert to their former enthusiasm in the activities of the association. The offer of Mr J. L. Passmore and the President (Mr R-. C. Jones) to purcliase the generator and motor required, , and to hold them till the financial year has expired, when they will be taken over by the association, was very sportsmanlike, and members should see that their offer has not been in vain by man: festing an increased interest in the doings of the association. Also, the work of transmitting should not bo left to the few willing members, as has been the case in the past, but should be divided among those qualified to operate. In view of the fact that Mr S. R. Stedman has offered the association free accommodation, to say nothing of a free telephone and recharging of batteries, there is no reason why it should not make great progress on again resuming broadcasting. An enthusiastic committee, with the loyal co-opera-tion of the members is what is required if the association is to enter upon a new era of prosperity, and it is to be hoped that the Otago Radio Association will be come one of the most successful bodies of its kind in the dominion. , At the present,time northern stations and amateurs are being picked up very clearly locally. At 8.15 p.m. on Sunday next 4YA will broadcast the greater part of “The Messiah” by moans of gramophone records. Mr R. Bruce endeavoured to secure these records in time for the sacred concert which was broadcasted on Cliristmas Eve, but they have only recently arrived. At the general meeting of the Otago ■Radio Association on Monday night, Mr Y. Larson, the secretary of the Radio Society of Christchurch, outlined the scheme of the radio relay league which the society is endeavouring to form in New Zealand on the lines of the Radio Relay League of Australia. The principal aim in New Zealand at present is to secure the co-operation of amateurs in the interests of wireless, and the amalgamation of the various radio clubs of New Zealand so that one representative body could be appealed to in case of any trouble arising. Moreover, in the event of any difficulty arising in connection with broadcasting in New Zealand, the Gov eminent would be more likely to listen bo the representations of such a body as a radio relay league than to those of a separate wireless society. The Radio Society of Christchurch, continued Mr Lar son, had received information from the Radio Relay League of Australia, and a committee had been appointed with a view to the formation of a similar bodv in New Zealand. , A correspondent writes that he has had the pleasure of “listening-in”' with, two well-known amateurs on several evenings recently. . . „ On Saturday evening a song by Mr W Stewart, entitled “Sylvia” broadcasted by the Sydney Broadcasters (Ltd.) Sydney, was heard very clearly. Another solo, end a number of instrumental items, were also very clear. The station signed off at 11.21 p.m. N.Z.M.T. There is no doubt that when the Australian stations, have reached the Standard of the New Zealand stations they will be received here regularly. The audibtron tube used was similar to that used by Mr Jordan, of Invercargill. On Sunday evening the same party “listened-in” on a detector and one step with an -audiotron tube as a detector. One station picked up announced 'himself as “Oakland, California.” The transmission was ■ from an hotel, but owing to the howling valves in the neighbourlmod the name could not be picked up. The announcement was as follows:—“We will continue broadcasting from the Hotel, Oakland, California.” The station then transmitted jazz music, rendered by a first-class orchestra, from 6 o’clock till 7.45 p.m. N.Z.M.T. After a, stop of 10 minutes the transmission was again continued, hut owing to a local station transmitting with broad tuning, further tests had to he abandoned. While listening to the Californian station the volume received was great enough to allow the ’phones to be placed on the table, and the music could then be heard quit© clearly. For this time of the year this is a record, as atmospherics are very troublesome. On Monday night my, correspondent again visited the two amateurs, on this occasion taking a reflex set with him. On bis arrival he found them busy “bagging” Americans. Their log book was a revelation. When using the two sets in conjunction manipulation became quite simple after a little experimenting, and a number of stations were brought m. Wellington was very loud, and many of the songs and orchestral items were also very clear, but after 9.30 p.m. static was very pronounced. However, up till “God Save the King” at 11.30 p.m. N.Z.M.T. a very interesting evening was spent. Sir Henry Jackson, Admiral of the fleet, who is chairman of the Radio Research Board in Great Britain, has written to Mr E. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited as follow's: “I have looked through the papers and licenses for broadcasting in Australia, and find so little to criticise adversely that I cannot hut feel vou are starting on a sound basis, and 1 wish your endeavour every success. In such a large and uncongested area as you will serve, the value of the information broadcasted will surely be great for those who listen in. In this you will contrast very favourably with Great Britain, and also with the United States, and I think you have probably very carefully considered the state of broadcasting in those two countries, and made your regulations after this study.” SEALED SET TESTS. During the week-end a series of tests of open and sealed wireless receiving instruments were conducted in a field near the town and finally on the premises of the Royal Hotel (says the Sydney Morning Herald of Wednesday, February 6). The Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, despatched a motor truck to Moss Vale loaded with a comprehensive supply of auxiliary gear necessary for conducting the tests with its various types of receivers. Some 20 to 25 wireless men were present, representing all phases of wireless work. An excellent opportunity was afforded manufacturers and experimenters to test their sets under identical con'ditions. Mr G. A. Taylor, President of the Association for Developing Wireless, was chairman. Although there is much commercial rivalry and competition, and strong and divergent opinions in evidence in such a company of wireless representatives, still the while procedings were conducted in a very frank and friendly manner. It Was generally conceded that co-operative tests of this character were determining factors in promoting the highest interests of wireless. As a result of the evidence accumulated at Moss Vale it was unanimously decided that it was unnecessary to carry out tests at Goulburn or other more distant centres. The storm centre of the wireless industry at present is the question of the “sealed Set.” At the Wireless Conference in May last this type of sealed receiving set was adopted on the suggestion of Mr E. T. Fisk (Amalgamated Wireless). The sealed set, when approved and sealed by the Postmaster-General, is strictly limited in its taming range, and if designed for 1100 metres, to receive Farmer’s programmes, yrill be quite incapable of receiving the other services on the shorter wave lengths. Conversely, those designed for short wave lengths will be useless on the higher wave lengths. Tliis sealing of the set and strict limitation of its tuning confines the use of the set to the particular broadcasting service fge _w4dch the usfir pays .his lee...

Consequently, if the ordinary householder wishes to participate in all the broadcasting services he would need to buy a sealed set for each service. Such a proposition is to the ordinary man absurd, and is not tolerated elsewhere. The present tests also indicated to some extent the probable range within which the broadcasting stations will be of any real service to the ordinary user of a sealed set. In spite of all the talk about bringing the outback folks within hearing range, a satisfactory service has yet to be consummated. That it can and will bo done we have no reason to i doubt. But the people outback are not “in it” yet. The practical difficulties are very real. In England similar difficulties did not exist. It was found that broadcasting stations of a maximum power of 1500 watts in all the larger cities would give a satisfactory service within a radius of 75 miles, and in this way the whole population could be assured a good service. But Australia is a land of tremendous distances, and so sparsely populated that broadcasting stations as a commercial venture can only be established in a lew coastal cities. These stations to give a satisfactory service to the country people, who need the service most, must be much, more powerful, and consequently much more costly to erect and maintain than similar stations in England. Judging by the unfavourable financial position of the British Broadcasting Company, there is reason to doubt whether commercial concerns in Australia will be able to maintain such a vast service as the geographical and social conditions of the continent require. In view of the peculiar conditions existing in Australia, it may be eventually necessary for the Government to assist in extending the broadcasting services to those who live in the remote inland districts.

Following the tests, Mr Taylor said that as the broadcasting regulations issued by the Federal Government confined the reception of broadcasted items to sealed sets, and as there was a great public desire that the field for wireless be given fullest opportunity, tests had been made at Moss Vale of sealed sets upon the 1100 metres wave-length. It was proved that of all the types of receivers tested on that wave-length none was as efficient as- a sealed set, whilst on the sets of 350 metres wave-length conditions were such that no judgment could be formed of the relative efficiency of sealed as against open sets. “The executive of the association for Developing Wireless in Australia New Zealand, and Fiji, under whose jurisdiction the tests were carried out,” said Mr Taylor, “decided at a special meeting that similar tests would be made on a multi-wave sealed set, so that it can be understood whether it is better to have sealed sets of single-valve or multi-valve receivers, or the open type of receiver, it being claimed by many that the sealing of a set weakens its receiving capabilities. The public, which naturally wishes to have the best instrument at' the earliest posiblo date, is awaiting with considerable interest the settlement of this problem in Australian wireless communication.”