SOMETHING NEW

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 669, 22 May 1929, Page 16

SOMETHING NEW

COSSOR MELODY MAKER 2FC IN DAYLIGHT By courtesy of Radio, Ltd., I hare had the opportunity of testing the “Cossor Melody Maker.” Before hooking up to my aerial I had heard most enthusiastic reports of this set, but it was with quite an open mind that I tested it out. The set is a 3-valre screened-grid outfit and is supplied as a kit, which includes a handsome' metal cabinet and valves. The components are of high quality and when the kit has been put together the completed article is most attractive. The kit can be constructed in 90 minutes, and so simple are the instructions and diagrams supplied that the merest tyro should have no difficulty in building the set. So much for the set; now for its performances. To be perfectly candid, I was astonished at what the Melody Maker will do. I have been handling; sets for some years now, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Melody Maker is the most e'fficient three-valve outfit that has come before my notice. 2FC Sydney was heard at good phone strength in broad daylight at Devonport, and the Dunedin station 4YA, which many are unable to hear at night, was also heard clearly on the phones in the afternoon, while I had even louder reception on the phones in the afternoon of 2YA Wellington and 3YA Christchurch. I think I am quite safe in saying that there are four and five-valves that cannot pick up these stations except at night. During the evening, when Auckland was operating, I found it possible to receive all New Zealand, and most of the Australian stations, except 2BL, without being interfered with by IYA. 2BL of course is rather too close to Auckland’s wave-length to be cut out.

Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, 2FC and 2BL and 2GB Sydney, 3LO and 3AR Melbourne, 4QG Brisbane and 2YB New Plymouth, came in at god volume on the speaker at night, and 7ZL Hobart, SCD Adelaide -were clearly, audible on phones. With a little more experience of the set I believe American and Japanese stations could be turned in. The set is easy to operate, cheap to maintain —it uses only two-volt valves —and is sold at a very moderate price. In my opinion the “Corsor Melody Maker,’ for its size, will take a lot of beating.