RADIO

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 9

RADIO

WEDNESDAY'S ELECTRIC STORM. LOCAL PHENOMENA. (By ‘B.C.L.”) A- peculiar phenomenon was noticed just after the thunder' storm on Wednesday night. Several Australians tried their best to emulate 2YA. They faded badly, and their transmissions were mushy. After a while the air cleared, and everything returned to normal, except for severe crashes of static at intervals. Previous to the storm, those v. ho were listening, found that early in the evening reception conditions were fair, but static started gradually to increase as the storm drew near, till just before the storm broke static was so severe it sounded like an artillery barrage. .NEW ORCHESTRAS. Following on the great and unqualified success of the 2YA orchestra, the Broadcasting Company have under cmsideration the formation of a similar orchestra for IYA. So far no deftnit! date is given for its appearance. Tat it£A orchestra has given some very fine performances during the week, and listeners everywhere are enthusiast! over Its performances. If the station we; > as good as its orchestra we shou.l indeed be fortunate. PCJJ’S SPECIAL TEST. ALL DAY TO-DAY. A special test is to take place to-day, Saturday, from PCJJ, Holland, on 31.4 metres, commencing at 10.30 a.m., and continuing till 6.30 to-night. Listeners hearing the station are asked to report to the manager, Phillips Lamps (N.Z.) Ltd., Box 1673, Wellington. Listeners are also asked when writing to express their opinion as to the best hours for future transmissions from this station. A?4ONG THE STATIONS. The Sunday afternoon session from 2YA on the occasion of 2YA’s attempt to relay 3YA, was not a great success. Fading was bad, with a chorus of howling valves in the background. The Sunday evening concerts, relayed t:om the Wellington Town Hall, are always well worth listening to, the one last Sunday being particularly good. General regret will be expressed at the news that “Uncle Sandy,” of 2YA, has severed his connection with that station. He was very popular both with children and grown ups, and his genial voice will be sadly missed during the early sessions from 2YA. The relay from the Town Hall. Wellington, of the boning match between Leckie and Melton was very much appreciated, and came through very well. This is an innovation that sporting listeners very much appreciate, and hopes are expressed that there will be similar transmissions in the future as opportunity offers. Station 3YA is to have a busy time from Saturday, May 25, till Tuesday, May 29, on the occasion of the Christchurch Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Various functions are to be put “over the air,” including a description of street scenes and the grand procession. Later a description of the military tattoos will be given. There is plenty of radio now in the early evening, and many listeners sit down to the evening meal to the strains of the Sydney afternoon programmes. 2FC is usually the louder about 5.15, but 2BL soon picks up, and comes in well on 4 valves (1 audio) by 6.30 p.m., when they close down. 4YA Dunedin comes in nt good strength these evenings, and some very good items have been heard. RADIO SOCIETY. Members of tha North Taranaki Radio Society are reminded of the monthly meeting to be held on Monday, 21st, when some interesting matters are to be brought before members. The latter part of the evening is to be devoted to a jumble sale.

EUROPEAN RADIO. HELPING THE LINGUIST. Evidence from Europe is proving that the operation of many different broadcasting stations using various languages in adjacent countries is leading to a wider knowledge of languages. This process of education, however, is much slower than most people expected, and the full value of broadcasting for breaking down language barriers will probably not bo realised until real international services are established. Rather striking work lias been done by amateurs in this field, and English has become the only language of international amateur wireless. This is due to a large extent to the fact that the majority of the tions working are in the United States of America, and stations in other countries have had to use the language of the majority. It is now possible to work by Morse code with amateurs in every part of the world in English.

AUTOMATIC RADIO. A SELF CONTROLLED PLANT. Lambeth Hospital, London, has. introduced automatic wireless to BritainIsolated in an old water-tower in 8 corner of the grounds stands an installation which switches on and off of its own accord and changes the programme from London to Davoutry “Junio' ” The apparatus, moreover, starts electric generators which supply the filament and high-tension current required by the seventeen tubes. Its total capacity is 2000 pairs of headphones and 80 loudspeakers. Actually it is supplying 400 headphones and 67" speakers. When the apparatus was first installed two nurses came to inspect it. They entered the old tower cautiously and peered at the banks of valves. It was as silent as the juave. But it was due to start about

two minutes after their arrival. The voices reverberating round the whitenurses talked in subdued tones, tl,etr washed walls and gloomy ceiling. With startling suddenness came a click, one of the generators whirled and whined into motion, the batiks of valves lit up as if by magic, and the two visitors screamed and ran.

The only human attention required by this equipment is the winding of two time-switch clocks, once a fortnight, a process which takes ..bout three minutes. These switch clocks are set to specified times at which patients are permitted to hear programmes; one controls, a receiver tuned to London and the other a receiver tuned to Daventry “Junior.” When the time switch “makes” it operates a self-starting motor generator and brings the receiver into action, and a little pilot lamp Indicates that all is well. Further, the amplifiers and generators may be used independently of the receivers, that is to say, for the pur--poses of broadcasting services from the chapel throughout the building or concerts from the dining hall, microphones having been installed at these points. It is possible for the steward to mako announcements from his room to all the patients. AH the essential apparatus is in duplicate, and the 'risk of a breakdown is said to be negligible. Each tube of the amplifying panel supplies one circuit only, so if a tube blows out only a limited number of headphones are affected. An additional advantage is that the high-tension current does not reach the line and patients are therefore protected from any possibility _of shock, while the absence of standing current also prolongs the life of the headphones and loud-speakers. Nine and a-half miles of lead-covered wire have been carried throughout the buildings to the reception points, and every patient has a pair of headphones over t.is bed.

A sum of £lOOO was raised through local subscription for the purposes of this installation. Lambeth Hos-p’tal is n Poor Law institution and a great part of the money was subscribed Hirough the pennies of visitors to the hospital.

CLEANING A STORAGE BATTERY. A storage battery which has been in use for a while accumulates a considerable amount of acid impregnated dirt on its surface. Clothes, coming in contact with the battery, are often mutilated by the acid burns. A convenient method for cleaning the top of the storage battery is to place it under a hydrant and let the water run over It. This, of course, with the vent caps in place. While the water is running over the battery, vigorously scrub the surface with an old scrubbing brush which will remove the acid and dirt. After the 'battery has been thoroughly cleaned‘with water, go over the battery again with a strong solution of ammonia or baking soda. This will neutralise any acid remaining. Flush it again with water and then set the wet battery in the sun or some place where a free circulation of air is available, where the excess of water will quickly evaporate.