THE WIRELESS WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19270, 6 September 1924, Page 16

THE WIRELESS WORLD.

NEWS AND NOTES. (By Maqma Vox.3 [ltems of news, comment. suggestions, •to., will be welcomed by '"Magna Vox.’3 The intimation by Mr F. J. O’Neill, of 4YA, that he proposes to discontinue regular ■ transmissions of concerts after next Wednesday evening will come as a shock to thousands of amateurs throughout New Zealand and Australia. In the course of a conversation with the writer. Mr O’Neill said that next .Saturday week would bo the third anniversary of hia commencing broadcasting, and that during the whole of that period he had received very little support. As he had gradually increased the power of his station till he now used 500 watts, the cost of maintaining the plant had become correspondingly heavier, and the lack of support was enough to discourage even such an enthusiast as he was. “I have treated lue public fairly,” said Mr O’Neill, ‘‘but I find that the time has come when I do not feel willing to continue regular transmissions for the benefit of an unappreciative public. During August I was obliged to replace three valves at a cost of £25 each, and the expense of broadcasting during that month amounted to close on £IOO. In the three years that 4 i A has been broadcasting I have received £23 from amateurs desirous of helping to defray the cost of transmissions, and of that sum £8 8s was given by one local citizen.” In spite of the fact that Dunedin possesses the most powerful station in New Zealand and that this province has long had a wide reputation for the excellence of transmissions, this city is the only centre where the trade does not contribute towards the upkeep of the broadcasting station, and these traders are doing a big business in wireless goods, their sales being very largely due to the high-class concerts from 4YA. Although Mr O’Neill has received hundreds of letters from amateurs scattered all over New Zealand and Australia, bearing testimony to the excellence of the transmissions, support of a more substantial nature has not been forthcoming and it would be unreasonable to expect Mr O’Neill to continue , regular transmissions entirely at his own expense, when wireless enthusiasts and the trade generally treat his station as though it were a public institution, Mr O’Neill holds a license for an experimental station, and ho will continue broadcasting at his own convenience, and not at that of the public, as he has done in the past. When listenersin find that 4YA has ceased transmitting regularly they will realise the debt they owe to ‘Mr O’Neill, and will probably take steps to prevail upon 4YA to resume broadcasting. A tribute to the high-class programme broadcasted by 4YIA was recently paid that station by the Wellington _ Broadcasters (Ltd.), which altered its nights of transmission so that listoners-in in the north might enjoy the concerts from Dunedin. If the wireless public of New Zealand and the local radio dealers permit 4YA to close down wireless will receive a severe setback, a* Dunedin possesses the only 500-watt station in the dominion. EASIER LISTENING-IN. A promising advance in the transmission of wireless programmes commenced recently when the first tests were made from SXX, the British Broadcasting Company’s new high-powered station at Chelmsford. This installation, working on a wavelength of ICOO metres with at least 15 kilowatts in place of the li kilowatts usually employed for broadcasting, is by far the most powerful broadcasting station in the world. The present tests are of special interest, and importance to users of crystal sets—the vast majority of listeners-in —since the aim is to enable the crystal-set public to hear up to 100 miles and even more from the transmitting station. Their reports as to strength and quality of the signals that may reach them will accordingly be of great value to SXX. It is, however, necessary to remember that the great bulk of receiving sets, both crystal and valve, at present in use must be altered to receive this longer wave-length. An effective reception by the cheapest sets at this great range in our comparatively small island would of course give a tremendous impulse to the use of wireless in all directions. Wireless as we know it to-day, and enormously popular as it is, ls‘ a mere instalment of the extension which may soon be available. Already the ideal of speech, song, and music in every home and in infinite variety is largely realised—to the great increase of intellectual enjoyment. Broadcasting, the good fairy of science, has done what was never dona in the world before —it has banished the lonely hour. CONCERT PROM KGO, Dear Magna Vox—ln reference to your paragraph in the notes of August 30 stating that KGO would broadcast a special programme for New Zealand from 8.30 to 10.30 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, I think your information must have been erroneous. I listened to KGO that night, getting his band faintly at 5.55 p.m. I heard him continuously from then till 8.31 p.m. when he announced “KGO, Oakland, California. KGO closing down. It is now 1.2 " in. Pacific Zone (? coast) time. Good morning.” I heard no mention of a special message to New Zealand or Australia, but of course I may have missed it as I couldn’t distinguish all the announcer’s words. However, lam certain that KGO closed down as usual at 8.31 p.m. New Zealand time. I may say that his band (Henry Halstead’s Jazz Orchestra, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco) was beautifully clear from 7.30 to 8.30 p.m. When KGO dosed I heard the Sydney Metropolitan Band from 2FC, which station closed at 10.45 p.m. New Zealand time. — Tours, etc., DV2. Mr C. G. Clark, Balclutha, writes as follows; “I was listening-in to 4YA Dunedin on Saturday night and at about 9.15 p.m. I thought I would see what else was in the air. I was very surprised to pick up KGO and held them right through a beautiful concert until 10.30 p.m., when the announcement was made that KGO was closing down, Pacific standard time, 3.20 a.m., “good morning.” This leads me to believe that the special concert for Australia and Now Zealand was received hero on Saturday night instead of Sunday, as advertised. To back this up I- listened to KGO again on Sunday and it was transmitting dance music and closed down at 8.30 p.m. New Zealand time, stating their time was 1 a.m. Sunday. Mr A. Trotter, Herbert, writes stating that after 4YA, signed off last night (Saturday): I quite accidentally picked up KGO evidently operating in the test you allude to. There wore a number of vocal and instrumental items, including the Arion trio. Before signing off, the announcer asked all listeners-in to write to KGO and that the reeults of the test would be transmitted at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1 (I think). There was considerable fading and the music at one time waa quite inaudible. At its best it was as loud in the loud speaker as IYA Auckland normally is here. I have a detector and two stages of audio frequency amplification. In reference to the above “Aerial” of the Dominion, Wellington, comments as follows; “Listenors-in all over Now Zealand who possessed efficient receiving sots were treated last Saturday evening to a highclass radio concert transmitted by tho General Electrical' Company’s broadcasting station, KGO, at Oakland, 10 miles across the harbour from San Francisco. The programme commenced at 8.30 p.m. and concluded at 10.30 p.m. The numbers comprised vocal and instrumental items of exceptional quality. It would appear that farther improvements had been effected at KGO which has long been hoard in New Zealand, and, in fact, throughout tho Pacific Ocean. The transmission, which was announced to be a tost, was louder and clearer than over, a circumstance that was also conspicuous last. Sunday evening when the customary dance music transmitted by KGO by moans of a lino from the Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, was heard with unprecedented volume and clarity. In Wellington in several homos parties were entertained on both evenings by tho American music by means of loud speakers. Through a misconception as to tho dates many wore under tho impression that the test concert would be hoard on tho Sunday evening instead of on Saturday evening. However, as there was a doubt about tho matter, several look tho precaution of listening-in on Saturday evening and wore rewarded. The letters which I have received and “Aerial’s” comment show clearly that there was an error in the dates given. It will be recalled that during an American test, some months ago a similar misconception arose, which was due to confusion whether Pacific Const or New Zealand time had been given in tho times of transmission.

should thou receive the Western Australian broadcasting with considerable strength. Owing to difference in. time between New Zealand and Western Australia those who desire to hear the broadcasting from 6WF will have to wait till after 11 o’clock at night for that station to commence its evening programme, A New Zealand listener-in, y at present on a visit to Sydney, writes that any type of circuit for receiving purposes is now permitted in Australia. With the broadcasting stations ; n Sydney now using high power there is no interference through howling Valves. He adds: “ The New Zealand regulations restricting certain typos of circuits will prove to bo quite unnecessary when the four big broadcasting stations are established. The howling valve bogey is completely eliminated over here now. Recently the Auckland station IYA performed a very creditable feat in most successfully broadcasting the orchestra of the Lyric Theatre, Auckland, Many difficulties had to be overcome, and the achievement marks the culmination of .about throe months of experimenting. In the theatre microphones had to bo placed where they would not obstruct any view of the screen, and there was no possibility of effectively damping any echo from the walls. Such echo the human car automatically adjusts itself to from mero habit, but a reproducing machine will not do so, and it is more apparent in broadcasting than when actually occurring in a hall. Despite these drawbacks the reproducton was such that very favourable reports were received from many sources.

Mr R. J. Orbell, of Christchurch, an amateur transmitter, well known all over New Zealand for his records in radio, left Napier by the C. and D. Line steamer Port Curtis on Wednesday for London, where ho will join tho Peel-Connor Telephone Works, Coventry. Mr Orbell has obtained permission to install a short-wave transmitter and receiver on the Port Curtis, and intends to hold tests with Now Zealand transmitters on tho trip, which will be via Capo Horn, Tho wave-length will be somewhere about 110 metres, and two 5-watt tubes will be used. The transmitting panel has been considerably reduced in size, and now measures 12in by sin. Mr Orbell has rewound a special motor-generator set for use on tho ship’s 110 volts.