THE RADIO WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 19345, 10 September 1924, Page 15

THE RADIO WORLD

LOCAL NEWS AND NOTES. (By “Reflex.”! 4 AR, Mr G. Wilkinson, Roslyn Heads, was worked by the Invercargill Radio Club during the week, both on Morse and on phone, though the latter did not give as good a result as might have been wished for. 2BC (Mr E. W. Bed, Hastings) was also worked satisfactorily on Morse, and also 2AO, an Opunake station, operated by Mr G. A. J. Brunette. Mr R. J. Orbell, holder of licenses IAX and BAA, left the Dominion some days ago on the Port Curtis, bound for the Homeland. With him he took a small transmitting and receiving set, and is hoping thereby to '<eep in touch with New Zealand stations. Ho is using sign 3AA, and 4AP last week heard several stations, notably 2AP, 2AA, 2AC, and 3AL attempting to establish connection with him, though with what measure of success it not yet known, no reports of communication having come to hand. The operators of 4AP are hoping to get him shortly. The 85ft mast recently erected for 4AR (Roslyn) was blown down by the recent heavy gales, and Mr Wilkinson has. decided to replace it by a 96ft lattice tower similar to that at station 4AA. In this he will have the co-operation of Mr Black. At present 4AR is using a wire stretched from the house to the stump of the mast, of which about 40ft is still standing, and local fans report excellent reception from this. The subject for discussion at last Friday’s meeting of the Invercargill Radio Club was “Aerials and Earths/’ on which Mr H. Macdonald delivered a comprehensive and interesting address, amply illustrated by graphs and diagrams. Several fans who attended the lecture apparently recognised, as a result, defects in their own sets, and spent the week-end “planting” new earths. The rain of the last few days will be greatly appreciated by them. Members of the Club will be pleased to hear that a storage battery has now been added to the plant owned by the institution, winch has been indebted to Mr E. Undrill for the use of his for some time. By the way, a talk on storage batteries will be given at the Clubrooms next Friday by Mr F. B. Shaw. The following syllabus of lectures has been arranged by the Club Committee for the next three months or so: September 12: “Storage Batteries,” by Mr F. B. Shaw. September 26: “Crystal Receivers,” by Mr H. Sutton. October 10: “Regenerator Receivers,” by Mr H. Macdonald. October 24: “Cascade Amplifiers,” by Mr E. Undrill. November 7: ‘Trouble Shooting,” by Mr A. E. Jordan. November 21: “Valves,” by Mr R. Connor. December 5: “Reflex Receivers.” Auckland station IAO (Mr R. G. White) has received advice of his reception in the United States five times last month—twice by 6CGW, and twice by 6CNU. Mr White uses two UV—2OIA valves, with 900 volts on the plate—a very good performance. On Sunday night 4AP took the air with gramophone and piano selections, and reports show that the various items were received well. Next Sunday it is hoped to take the air with numbers by an instrumental trio as well, and reports from amateurs in Invercargill, as well as in the north would be greatly appreciated by the local operators. N.Z. RADIO INSTITUTE. FORMED AT CHRISTCHURCH. Some weeks ago it was reported that a Radio Institute of New Zealand had been formed, the head office being in Christchurch. There is no doubt whatever that a body of this sort has long been wanted by the radio people of New Zealand to watch their interests when Bills are being put before the Government concerning radio regulations, broadcasting, etc. Since its formation the Institute has not been idle, for the proposals that are at present before the Government are in many cases right up against the amateur, and taking them all round not of any great benefit to listeners-in outside Wellington, and the Institute has made it its business to try and get everyone a square deal.

The Government officials in Wellington have often wished for a main body representing the radio public to be formed, as it is much easier to communicate with such a body than have to wait the opinions of all the various clubs and societies throughout New Zealand. ITS MAIN OBJECTS. Some of the objects for which the Institute is founded are for the association of persons interested in the encouragement and scientific development of radio communication in all its branches. To provide a centre of information, instruction, and advice on all matters pertaining to radio communication. To take over the effects and liabilities of the present unincorporated club known as the Radio Institute of New Zealand. To consider, originate, and promote reform and improvements in the law; to consider proposed alterations, and oppose or support the same to effect improvements in the administration of the law. And for the above purposes to petition Parliament or take such other proceedings as may be deemed necessary. THE EXECUTIVE. The first council and officers of the Institute are:—President and chairman of council, Mr A. R. Harris; vice-chairmen of council, Mr L. G. J. Slade, Mr E. W. England; council, Messrs H. S. Knight, H. P. V. Brown, W. H. H. Downer, B. Morton ; secretary and treasurer, Mr R. H. Graveston; solicitor, Mr D. H. Hall (Garrick, Cowlishaw, Alpers and Cowlishaw). The Institute is governed by a council of seven members, elected at the annual general meetings of the Institute. TWO GRADES OF MEMBERSHIP. The membership of the Institute is divided into two grades:— Members—who shall be bona fide experimenters or those interested in the scientific study of radio communication either professionally or otherwise who shall have obtained a second-grade operator’s certificate, or who shall have obtained such a standard in radio operating or experimenting as the council may from time to time prescribe. All full members must be 21 years or over. The second grade is known as associate members, and in this case applicants must be not under 15 years of age. Associate members are not entitled to vote or hold office in the Institute. All members must be of British nationality. The yearly subscription for members is two guineas, and for associate members one guinea, and an entrance fee of one guinea in both cases. The registered address of the Society is 10 Dundas street, Christchurch. An organising secretary has been appointed, and should anyone require information concerning the Institute they should get in touch at once with this gentleman, who will be only too pleased to give full information concerning membership, etc. Address, 254 Fitzgerald avenue, or P.O. Box 1007, Christchurch. WIRELESS WIZARDRY. SENOR MARCONIS SECRET. DISCOVERY THAT SCRAPS PLANT WORTH MILLIONS. Few people seem to have realised as yet the extraordinary nature of the communication made by Senor Marconi to the Royal Society of Arts (writes E. C. Bentley, in the Sunday Chronicle). His paper read on that occasion throws the world of wireless upside down, and scraps the work—very largely his own work

—of twenty years of research and development. It is not a challenge; it is a bombshell. As Professor Fleming remarked after hearing the paper read: “A great advance has been achieved by moving in exactly the opposite direction from that of previous research.”

Briefly, the continuous development of long-range wireless has been on wrong lines from the start. The principle of it has been the use of a very long wave-length with enormous electrical power. Senor Marconi has now given absolute proof that far greater ranges can be attained with far greater clearness and freedom from interruption, by the use of a short wave-length with a tiny fraction of the power hitherto used. And the less the power the less the cost. TO AUSTRALIA. It was with this short-wave system that Poldhu spoke to Sydney—a triumph far beyond the capacity of the biggest “superstation” in the world. Instead of 1,000 power units, 200 were used in the •transmission—and far less than that could have been used, as we shall see. The Senator told how, in his yacht Elettra, he had received signals from Poldhu 2,000 miles away, as clear as those he had received in Falmouth Harbour; the power used being but twelve units. This was overseas transmission; the results were just as good when the whole of Spain with its mountains lay between the yacht and the station. Midway in the war it struck Senor Marconi that wireless had “got into a rut,” owing to the fact that shore wave-lengths, at the outset, were difficult to produce, and believed to be less reliable in operation. He has now proved that the short wave-length, easily and cheaply produced, and thoroughly reliable, is the key to the future of wireless. But that is not all. He has demonstrated that wireless messages, instead of being broad cast, can be sent in a particular direction; as a beam of light is sent; and that the “reflector,” by means of which this is done, enormously increases the effect of the power used, just as the intensity of light is increased by the reflector of a searchlight. In addition, this “beam” wireless is practically proof against all kinds of interruption. BEAM WONDERS. The outcome of it all is that, with Senor Marconi’s short-wave “beam” system messages can be sent upwards of 2,000 miles with the expenditure of a single power-unit, instead of the 1,000 power-units required by the present system. Also, “beam” wireless gives far greater speed in telegraphy, and lar greater reliability. And that means that every high-power station now working is an immensely over-expensive and comparatively ineffective back-number. Many millions have been spent in every civilised country in setting up plant which is now shown to be out of date. Highpower stations are going up everywhere today costing ten times what the more efficient low-power station of the immediate future will cost. It is a complete revolution, leading to a vast development of better and cheaper and quicker wireless communication all over the globe.