THE WIRELESS WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19204, 21 June 1924, Page 11

THE WIRELESS WORLD.

NEWS ANIJ HOTEa (By Magna. Vox4 [ltems of news, comment, suggestion*, #to., will bo welcomed by " Magna Vox.”J ACK NOW LE.DG MENT. The current issue of tho Now Zealand Wireless and Broadcasting Nows contains the usual number of interesting articles, which prove profitable reading both to the wireless amateur and the general reader. The special features include a. loading article on “’J he Broadcasting Scheme,” “Analysis of Transmitting Circuits,” “ Low Frequency Amplification,” and “Thu School Radio Club.” Mr Hope Gibbons, tho chairman of tho New Zealand Broadcasters (Limited), is at present on a visit to Dunedin, and Mr Gibbous is interviewing local traders on tho broadcasting scheme before tho Bill goes forward to Parliament during tho forthcoming session. Tho British Broadcasting: Company’s proposed 25-kilowutt broadcasting station is to operate on a wave-length of 1650 metres, so that it could not interfere with the present band of broadcast waves of 300 to 500 metres. A stir has been caused lately in England and America by an invention that adapts the ordinary- house fighting electricity for supplying current to radio sets for both filament and plate potential. It is reported to bo silent in operation. China has placed an embargo on radio broadcasting, the official opinion being that it may become a powerful weapon in the hands of opposition. An ambitious American firm announced that it intended to inaugurate a broadcasting service in China, but evidently changed its mind when the Customs Commissioner at Shanghai gavo out tho information that all such apparatus would be seized ns contraband of war.

By the aid of receiving sets and loudspeakers, 10,000 school children in 60 schools in and around London recently listened intently to an afternoon address ou “Music and School Life,” by. Dr air Welfare! Davies, broadcasted by tho big London station, 2LO. Some 25 boys and girls were seated in tho broadcasting studio behind the microphone, and were greatly interested in what they saw. As a result of this initial experiment addresses on subjects of interest to the children are now being given by radio regularly during school hours. A member of tho radio trade cites instances whore radions of lengthy expenei ce and possessing first-class tuning equip, rr. ent complain that certain amateur transmission is completely spoiling concert reception. The trouble threatens to become a set-back to tho industry, and unless some steps are taken shortly to remedy the evil the trade proposes to move in the matter. Evidence is available to justify tho complaints, and members of the trade arc prepared to afford a. test for the Post and Telegraph Department officials to witness for themselves.

Owing to the fact that the lantern was not working too well, Mr R. C. Jones (president of the Otago Radio Association) was unable to give his address on "Michael Faraday, His Life and Work,” To the general meeting of members on Monday night. As Mr Jones possesses a number of fine slides of somo of Faraday’s instruments, the originals of which are in tho British Museum, ho was reluctant to give tho address when the slides could not he Utilised properly. The lecturette will be given at a future general meeting of tho association. CONGRATULATIONS TO 4 TA. The success obtained' by_ Mr F. J. O’Neill, of Station 4YA, in “trying out” his new 500-watt set, is remarkable, and with the results achieved during what may be described as merely preliminary tests, one marvels at what will be the result when Mr O’Neill has gained a thorough knowledge of the little foibles of his intricate and high-powered plant. When Mr O’iNeill understands his new apparatus as ho did his previous highly efficient set results will undoubtedly bo achieved which will astonish even tho most export amateurs in ~ew Zealand, and it will be brought home to tne “man in the street” that, after all, tho potentialities of wireless are only just being realised, and that experimenters are only now touching tne fringe of the possibilitcs of the science.

In spite of tho fact that the six 250-watt valves lor the set did not arrive till _ 6 o’clock on the night of the first transmission, Mr O’Neill and his assistants had them affixed to the plant and wore ready to commence opeiations punctually at 8 0 clock. Owing to the great amount of testing and experimenting carried out In Mr O’Neill, the batteries commenced discharging at the rate of 25 amps, to the hoar, and tho result was that half-way through tho programme they had discharged to below working rate, and occasional stops had to be made in order to permit them to build up. In the course cf a conversation with the writer, Mr O’Neill said that a certain proportion of the local amateurs expected him to utilise (ho full wattage of 600 on the first Saturday night, but their ideas were foolish in the extreme. “If I had acted on their advice, ’ continued Mr O’Neill, “it would havo been injurious to my sot. Tho idea of utilising the full power on a new sei, which had not previously ueen tested, was a preposterous one. 1 was not frightened of my set, but such a lug..-powered plant required carolul handling, and it took me several transmissions before I thoroughly unuorstood its combination ot delicate apparatus. However, 1 am now thoroughly conversant wuli the plant, and the success of tho concerts has Peon marvellous. 1 havo received cablegrams irom Sydney and tho Ghauiarn Islands, and hundreds of lot tors from all over j,New Zealand and portions of -iustralia and Tasmania —in fact, my office stall' i 5 at present iargciy occupied in replying to congratulations from Australian and New Zealand amateurs.”

“I think 1 may safely claim,” concluded Mr O'Neill, “that Dunedin possesses the most powerful plant south of the ‘line. ” “Aerial,” ot the Dominion, Wellington, who uas achieved considerable success as an amateur, writes in the following terms of Mr O’Neill’s first transmission with the new set; “Congratulations on your phenorr.entnl transmission last night, It was positively phenomenal. 1 can honestly assure you it was louder and clearer than the local broadcasting when I opened out rny eight-valve suporhetrodyuo, but then it was too loud to bo bearable although my 2CCOohm concert type Brown loud-speaker wa„ 25tt along the passage from my receiving set in the dining room. I use a long flex cord for my loud-speaker. The tone was rich and quite natural, free entirely from any symptoms of distortion. 1 put one of your items through In land telephone line to young Shrimpton, the son ot the chief telegraph engineer, a distance of about two and a-half miles, and,although the loud-speaker was 20ft away from my end of the telephone, he reported the reception wonderfully loud and clear. T thought you had stopped up your power that evening. One regrettable circumstance wa s the interference caused to your concert toward the latter end by some miscreant operating an illegal circuit with a he* I like a broadcasting wave. As he twisted and twirled his knob ho swung backwards to amt fro across your “carrier,” making it “swing.” He was so powerful that ho created a kind of hotrodyning effect upon n few other valve howls, which, however, were not sufficiently loud to interfere with vour show. When he twisted he swung ill' the other howls with him. Can you explain the phenomenon? On the previous Sunday night lie did the same thing with the Auckland concert, and left your wave alone. As know, I use an indoor loop-aerial, and therefore it could not have been the swaying of rny aerial. Besides last evening 1 tuned in Auckland, and got him as steady as a lock, just as I did you on the previous Sunday night, when this “beauty” was interfering with Auckland. It is quite lime the air was policed. The radio inspector has to travel a.ll over his district collecting license fees and examining sets, and “while the cat’s away, etc.” Please convey my compliments to last night’s performers, and tell them their efforts were incomparably artistic, affording delight to innumerable hV.tcnors-iu round and about Wellington. The cornet solo “lifted the roof,” loud end clear as a hell. At one time I had two loud-speakers operating simultaneously on your concert —one in the dining room •ind the other 25ft along the hall. The effect was remarkable—there being no loss of power in either. One was a Baldwin “Standard,” which, with it s wood-pulp horn, gave forth a sweet, natural tone. You can hardly imagine the tremendous interest up here'regarding your venture upon 500 watts output. My telephone is being constant.lv called up for the latest news. The Mavor of Nelson (Mr W. Leek' has also written expressing his congratulations to Mr O’Neill.

On Sundnv night Mr O’Neill broadcasted a concert by tho George Wallace Revue Company and, as he was more familiar with tho set. very fine results were achieved. Tho Sydney Broadcasters (Ltd.) stopped their transmission in order to permit Australian and Tasmanian amateurs to enjoy tho concert from far-away Dunedin. The