RADIO NOTES

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 17 December 1926, Page 2

RADIO NOTES

(By Audiotron.) NOISES IE WIRELESS SETS. Noises in wireless sets arc caused by arious agents, chief among these bong atmosxiherics, or static. It is prac.ically impossible to eliminate static, s this disturbance is produced by wireess waves of a very variable nature, ,nd may originate locally or at a great nstance. It has been observed that -■nger waves are more affected than hort ones, and that the heaviest statie ccurs during the hours of darkness. . arious devices have been employed to -ombat this nuisance, but so far little .ms been achieved. Loose connections rill cause ‘'home-made static,” and

ay be discovered by disconnecting the icrial (while the set is receiving) and appdng the set with the hand. No .vise other than the usual ound of the valves should be hoard, .ligh tension, or B. batteries, which ;re running down, will indicate themeives by peculiar squeals and machine

gun like pops when the aerial is disonnected. A test with a voltmeter -ill prove this unit faulty or othervise. Transformers do not last for vvcr, and soon get noisy if any moisure is permitted to enter the windings. Wireless sets should, therefore, never be jdaced in a damp position, .noises emanating from bad transform■rs are heard as a series of cracklings, .usually associated with a falling off in eception It is not sufficiently understood by machine can cause interference to wiremany set owners that any electrical loss reception—X-ray, violet ray, and :).C. generators are the worst offenders.

One has only to live in a city where use is made of electrically operated machines to fully appreciate the truth of this statement, and even in Patca we arc occasionally “treated” with

this type of interference. It is heard as a continuous buzzing sound, and has definite peaks of maximum strength. Xext week some of the causes of weak or irregular reception will be discussed.

GENERAL NOTES. Reception lately has been good, but on Sunday night static was severe, although the municipal band concert from Auckland Town Hall came through rather well. Eriday night the air was very clear, and Australian stations were heard to advantage. A very amusing item, entitled “The Trials of

a Husband,’* was broadcast from 2BL, Sydney. 3LO, Melbourne cannot be received with volume until after 10 p.m. This is mainly due to the effect of the sun’s rays partly absorbing the wireless wave transmitted, and the fact that darkness does not set dn in Australia until II to three hours after sunset hero. In the winter Australian stations may be received strongly from six p.m. onwards. IYA, Auckland, continues to fade badly, and apparently only an increase in power will overcome this serious defect in an otherwise good station.