WIRELESS WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1923, Page 12

WIRELESS WORLD.

MUSIC FROM SYDNEY. HEARD AT NEW PLYMOUTH. (By "Honeycomb.”) Several good concerts were transmitted during the last few days, IYA (Auckland) and 2YB (Wellington) coming in particularly well. Some weeks ago the writer tuned in a station on ‘C.W. morse. The signals were very strong indeed, and came from a station signing himself 2AS. He was calling 4AG (Slade, Dunedin). At the time these signals were heard it could not be ascertained who 2AS was, these particular call letters not being on the writer’s list. It is now learnt that 2AS is- a station operated by Mr. Grigg, a Sydney amateur. Considering the strength of his signals, Mr. Grigg’s station must be a first-class one.

A New Plymouth amateur reports having picked up a station which he believes to be Farmers’, the big Sydney broadcasting station, which just recently commenced operations. No call sign wa* heard, "but music came in fairly well. The wave length was that used by Farmers’. It is to be expected that most amateurs are anxiously awaiting fresh developments as regards broadcasting arrangement*. Nothing fresh has been heard since the conference held in Wellington a short while back. It will be hoped that those concerned will speed things up a little, and arrive at some definite understanding. At present there is a good deal of uncertainty as far as intending purchasers of radio gear are concerned. These people are not going in for expensive radio gear until they know whether it is going to be worth while or not.

Taking things all round, New Zealand amateurs are very fortunate. When one compares the regulations governing radio amateur sets in this country with those existing in Australia this becomes apparent. 'What a squeal there would bo should the Government introduce the sealed and one wave length set which our Aussie friends have had forced on them! The latter are fully justified in strongly protesting, as they have done, against such an absurd arrangement.

LATEST IN BROADCASTING. Quite a novel programme was broadcasted by 2YB (Wellington Broadcasters Ltd.), on Monday, 3rd December. By special arrangement with Fullers, three members of the Linn Smith Royal Jazz Band, who have gained great popularity in Wellington, kind’ly consented to give a number of selections, which were greatly enjoyed by Hsteners-in. During the transmission a Featherston amateur rung up to say that the music was coming in as loud as if the band was in the room.

The latest 'French development in wireless apparatus is a penny in the slot radio telephone. This piece of apparatus is not unlike the ordinary telephone. For the modest sum of one penny one is enabled to listen in to anything that happens to be “in the air” at the time. At a novelty fair in Pari* 3000 of these instruments were disposed of. Broadcasting in various parts of the world has its eccentricities, and nowhere more so than in America. One station in the West reads a chapter from the Bible daily; another broadcasts a peal of chimes, followed by the psalm for the day. Another recent feature is the adoption of a slogan by broadcasting stations. A station at Oakland, California, open* it programme by describing the city as “The place where earth and water meet.” This description is followed by a locomotive whistle and a ship’s bell. A station at Tacoma, Washington, uses the slogan, “The Lumber Capital of the United States.” Another station calls San Francisco “the Commercial Capital of the Golden West.” A Canadian station is distinguished by the inflection of the voice of the announcer; he informs his listeners that the station is i* located at “Alberta-a-a. Canadaw.”

One of the most efficient one valve circuits for use on short wave is the “Variometer circuit,” employing two variometers, one in the grid circuit, and the other in the plate circuit. A local amateur who just recently constructed this circuit reports having obtained excellent result# from it, reception being both loud and clear. It also enables one to tune down to fairly low wave lengths. Those 'who would like to try their hand at this circuit should obtain a copy of the April, *19123, issue of the N.Z. Wireless and Broadcasting New*. Thi* copy contains a -plan and detailed account as to the construction of this circuit. It also gives instruction as to the operation of the circuit. Those contemplating the construction of a good single valve set would do well to adopt thi* circuit. It ia especially suited for the short waves used by broadcasting and amateur (stations. The amateur referred to constructed his own variometers from the information supplied in the above-mentioned magazine, and he report# that they give excellent result*, bringing in all the New Zealand stations, as well as quite a number of Australian amateurs with good volume.

NEW STATION IN AUSTRALIA. What is to be one of the largest stations in the Commonwealth is now under course of construction at Millswood, Adelaide, for the Millswood Auto and Radio Company. The studio equipment will be of the elaborate type used by the best American broadcasting stations. A service is to be given for seven hours each day, item* being broadcasted for one and a half hours, morning and afternoon, at lunch hour, and in the evenings. The continuous range is stated to be 500 miles, so there should be every possibility of hearing this station’s broad cast here, in the evening, and possibly even in the daytime. The programme will include weather and market reports, bedtime stories for the children, concepts, lectures and addresses, while arrangements have been made to broadcast special events, such as addresses in the Town Hall. This station is due to commence operations at any time now. Nothing definite is known as regards the wave length to be used, but in view of the station being a fairly high-powered one the wave length, as in the case of Farmers’ Ltd., Sydney, is certain to be well above 600 metres.

Mr F. Bell, of Waihemo, Otago, should take a lot of beating at reception. His log book contains accounts of hearing well over one hundred American amateurs.

Those who do much «-unc with distant short wave receptions will probably have had reason to quarrel with the stock type of rheostat, if fitted to the rectifying valve. Their faults become particularly glaring if the rectifier is a soft valve. The average 5 or 6 ohm rheostat has not a smooth enough action, and it does not allow sufficiently fine adjustments to be made. It pays to provide the rectifier with a really good rheostat, preferably with a “vernier” adjustment. The word vernier, by the way, is one of the most misused in

wireless; it means really a double sliding scale, by the aid of which very small fractions of a unit can be read off, t.d j,

it is frequently applied to instruments es.able of fine adjustments. H the i ■' ostat is harsh in its action it is ® o,t

unpleasant to work with, for it produces clicks that drown weak signals, whan it* ; j knob is turned.