RADIO

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1929, Page 13

RADIO

GOOD WEEK OF RECEPTION. IMPROVED PROGRAMMES. The past week has been one of the best experienced for some time for radio reception. Conditions have been such that all stations have romped in at good strength and D.X. fiends have collected some good bags of distant stations. In addition, the faro provided has been very good and has been generally appreciated. The new Australian Broadcasting Company has set itself a' very hgih standard to live np to in the future, and if this standard is maintained no listener will regret the change. The programmes have been splendidly varied, and many new voices have been heard. The absence of records lias also been noticeable. Listeners are most enthusiastic over lYA’s broadcast of the wrestling in Auckland on Monday last. The announcer handled the relay in a most able manner, and his humorous and witty remarks were a great source of enjoyment. 2YA has in course of preparation for presentation on August 8 a very comprehensive Maori pageant. It is hoped that lines will be available to enable land-line relays to be given by the other YA stations.- Perhaps the rumoured land-line relay in connection with 2YB will take place then. Nearly every country now rates the frequency of their stations in kilocycles, although they in tho past have been listed at certain definite wave-lengths, their official frequency is rated in kilocycles, and in the future will be listed as such. This will be a great convenience to a great number of listeners, as nearly all imported sets have their timing dials calibrated in kilocycles. Following ar.e the stations .usually received in New Zealand, expressed in

kilocycles:— Call Station' Freq. K.cs. 7ZL Hobarts7a 2ZK Wanganui 600 3AR Melbourne 620 4YA Dunedin 650 2FC Sydney 680 2YA Wellington 720 SC*L Adelaide 740 4QG Brisbane 765 KGO Califorma ...•> 7SO 3LO Melbourne 870 2BL Sydney 850 /-IYA Auckland 900 3YA Christchurch 980 2ZF Palmerston North 1050 2KY Sydney 1065 4ZC Dunedin 1080 4ZM Dunedin 1080 IZB Auckland 1090 2ZM Gisborne 1150. 2UW Sydney 1140 3ZC Christchurch 1200 2YB New Plymouth 1230

Radio is making great strides in- Sweden, and an order has recently been placed with an English company for the supply of a broadcast transmitter for Stockholm. This is to be designed for 60 k.w. in the aerial.

According to the Wireless Age, a giant high-voltage rectifier,- which is now practically complete, has been sold to Russia. It gives a power output of 750 k.w. a’t a voltage of 15,000, and works on the mcrcur’y-vapour principle. Eighteen rectifying valves are used to supply current to the anode of a radio transmitter. A contract Iras been made for the supply of a large amount of radio equipment, of which the abovementioned rectifier is part, and the other items include a 20 k.w. short-wave telephony transmitter, and several other high-power rectifiers. Radio developments are taking place very actively in Russia, and, as evidence of this, a party of Soviet engineers has gone to New York to engage in teennical conference with the engineers of tho Radio Corporation of America. It is anticipated that a similar return visit will be made by American engineers to Russia in 1930.

A new broadcasting station has been set up-at .Bratislava, in Czecho-Slovakia, with a power of 12 k.w. Broadcasting affairs in Italy are controlled by the Italian Broadcasting Company, and the latest addition to the system is a new short-wave broadcast transmitter for communication primarily with Italian colonies. A contract for this station has been secured by the Marconi Company, and the design will be generally similar to that of station SSW. The Marconi Company has also secured the contract for short-wave telegraphy and telephony transmitters on behalf of the Belgian Government. This station is intended for communication between Belgium and the Belgian Congo and also between Belgium and South America.

A great deal lias been spoken of the Prague scheme and -—about the rec-ent conference at which the 8.8. C. chief engineer was present. At this conference, which ended on Saturday, April 13, the agreement of various European Governments was obtained to a broadcast wave-length plan. This is known officially as the Prague Plan, and it follows upon the decisions at the previous Washington Convention. According to the latter, broadcast wavelengths may be dealt with only by ■Government action.

According to a London paper, 4000 television sets are now being manufactured by the Baird Television Company in preparation for the scries of experimental broadcasts which may with luck begin this month, or, if not then, when the Potter's Bar regional station is (Complete. The Soviet authorities, according to a, meesage from Riga, recently started a new propaganda wireless service in China from the station at Khabarovsk, which is situated on the Manchurian frontier. Any listeners who happened to pick up this station will probably have heard the propaganda broadcast, as the talks are usually sent out in

Chinese, English and Korean. A message from Minneapolis states that General Ilarbord delivered an address referring to the merger of cables and radio in Britain. General Harbord stated: “This new combined British communications interest will affect American relationships in every part of the world. There will hardly bo a port or principal city on the planet not in reach by British communications. American trade in every quarter of the globe cannot but be profoundly affected. General Harbord deplorer the White Act of

1927, which forbids the purchases of radio systems by cable companies and vice versa in the United States.

The last quarter of 1928 produced an increase of 301,314 listeners in Germany, making a total of 2,635,567 on January 1, 1929. Bavaria having a scattered peasant population, has inaugurated a scheme designed to increase listeners. Every listener who canvasses a new listener and gives his name and address to a certain radio paper gets a money prize equivalent to the value of a month’s radio license. France is going to institute .State control of broadcasting stations in France other than those belonging to the Government. This new radio department will be under the Premier, and, according to the Scotsman, users of crystal sets will pay a fee of 3s 4d a year, while 10s will be charged to listeners in possession of valve sets. To-day there are about SOO,-000 listeners in France, of which 600,000, it is estimated, have crystal sets. The 8.8. C. has built a room at the Brixton experimental station for tho sole purpose of measuring sound. This room is absolutely square, and has no windows or fireplace. Heavy felt and curtains of cotton waste drape the walls and ceiling. In fact, the room is dead in more senses than one. It is understood that a beam wireless station is to be erected in the new Vatican city, and that on great occasions the Pope himself will broadcast to the world. The Roman Catholic community is taking a great deal of interest in this new departure.

It is said that in the United States, where radio is in the hands of private enterprise, one particular concern spent a million pounds in a year on programmes. This compares rather curiously with the 1927 expenditure of the 8.8. C., which was only £500,000. American listeners get their programmes for absolutely nothing, whereas listeners in this country provide the cash for everything connected with broadcasting. 2YA Wellington has been on. the air tor considerably longer than usual during the current week. This is on account of the radio exhibition, which is being held in Wellington. The actual programmes are being performed in full view of the public at the Town Hall, and a considerable amount of interest is being aroused. On August 1 2YA is to broadcast the second concert of the Wellington Symphony Orchestra. Various works of Beethoven are to be featured, including the overture, “Prometheus.” This should be a treat for music lovers.

THRILLS IN PLENTY.

Following on the great success which attended the production of “Danger,” listeners are to be thrilled and mystified by a full-length “crook” play to be presented at 2YA on Monday. July 2n.

The play is called ‘"The House of Disappearance,’’ aud the author, Mr. Victor S. Lloyd, who is producing the play, has provided thrills in plenty. The play is in seven scenes and vocal and instrumental items will be given between each scene. This will serve the dual purpose of allowing a “breathing spell” for the artists and time for listeners to exercise their wits in trying to solve the mystery of “The House of Disappearance.” At the beginning of each scene after the first one, a short resume of the preceding scenes will be given to enable listeners who may have missed the opening scenes to pick up the thread of the play. The principal characters in the play will be taken by the same artists who took part in “Danger.” The vocalists for the evening will be Mrs. W. Fraser Morrish (soprano), Mr. S. E’ Rodger (baritone), and the studio orchestra.

The Melbourne Herald wasted no time after the Government’s decision regarding the new broadcasting contract was made known. It bought 3DB, a station hitherto inconspicuously running on the revenues of small advertisers. The station is to be run-on the sanie lines as the American stations, i.e., a big concern will lease the station for a night, and beyond tho bare announcement of the fact will not intrude itself into the entertainment further. Much of the galaxy of talent which inhabited SLO has moved over to the studio, and the new proprietors promise a first-class programme, including the engagement of distinguished artists, who were so rarely in evidence at the old address. A refreshing feature is that seasoned Williamsonian comedian Arthur Stigant as an announcer with a sense of humour. PSYCHOLOGY OF LISTENERS. To the student of psychology the radio listener is an endless source of interest. An ordinary, everyday person hears a good programme per medium of a friend’s set, and immediately becomes ! bitten by “the radio bug.” He cpnstilts all the radio fans he knows for advice, and of course is bewildered by the diversity of opinions he hears and in most cases follows none of it. He finally purchases a set and for the first week or so sits up till midnight listening to the more easily heard stations; then he usually gets stricken with that severe malady for which there is no cure—DX fever. He sits up till all hours and sends the light bill soaring. He becomes fretful while he strains, his cars, and very often his imagination, for the faintest sound that can be construed into , the call letters of a station. Then he frantically whirls the dials in 1 search of the next. In severe cases he writes long screeds to the Radio Record and defies other sufferers from the same malady to equal his exploits. He arrives at business haggard but triumphant and tells of his latest “bag.” As time wears on and the bag grows larger, he looks for other fields to conquer. He criticises all and sundry stations for their transmissions, forgetting the time when it did not matter what it sounded like so long as the call was heard. As lime advances even this begins to pall, and finally he parks nightly on the nearest station possible and for the first time enjoys radio as it should be enjoyed. The term “as clear as crystal” is peculiarly apt when the attractions of tho humbler sets are compared with the varied advantages of the valve set. Those who are content with their local stations can still remember that small items do much to keep even crystal reception, in its fool-proof way, at tho highest pitch. | The following hints, which should

only be reminders, may prove of interest and value:— When a crystal seems to have become insensitive there is no need to throw it away, for it can be broken in order to expose a liew surface on it. Good, clean contacts are especially important in a crystal set. If you use a cat’s whisker crystal detector be sure to keep the cat’s whisker sharply pointed if you want to get the maximum'volume of which a set is capable. WIRELESS PROGRAMMES NEW ZEALAND STATIONS. IYA Auckland, afternoon session, selected studio items; 4.6, literary selection by the announcer; 4.8, studio items; 4.25, sports results to hand; 4.30, close down; 6.0, children’s session; 7.0, talk; 7.15, news and market reports; 7.40, talk; 8.0, chimes; 8.1, relay of concert from the Lewis Eady Hall; 8.30, baritone solo, Mr. John Bree; 8.34, instrumental, studio trio; 8.43, contralto solo, Miss Madge Clague; 8.47, organ and vocal, Mr/Arthur E. Wilson and Miss D. Logan; 9.7, weather report; 9.9, talk, Mr. A. B. Chappell, M.A.; 9.24, pianoforte solo, Mr. Erie Vaters; 9.28, baritone solos, Mr. J. Bree; 9.35, organ and vocal, Mr. A. E. 'Wilson and Miss D. Logan; 9.55, instrumental, studio trio; 10.3, contralto solos, Miss M. Clague; 10.10, close (town.

2YA Wellington.—l2 noon, chinnes; 12.1, selected studio items; 3.40, relay music by the trio; 4.0, selected studio items; 4.30 and 4.50, sports results to hand; 4.55, close down; 5.0, children’s session; 6.0, dinner session; 6.15, violin solo; chorus; waltz; 6.30, orchestral; 6.45, orchestral, New Light Symphony Orchestra; bass-baritone solo; waltz; 7.0, news session, market reports and sports results; 7.40, lecturette, Mr. R. R. Money, late Royal Air Force; 8.0, chimes; 8.1, relay from the town hall of Radio Exhibition concert; 8.9, soprano solo, Miss P. Liddell;- 8.14, part songs, Wellington Harmonic Society; 8.22, selection, orchestra; 8.30, selected studio items; 8.50, instrumental, orchestra; 8.58, weather report; 9.0, part songs, Wellington Harmonic Society; 9.11, contralto solo, Mrs. W. J. Coventry; 9.15, humour, Mr. W. J, McKeon; 9.22, instrumental, orchestra; 9.30, selected studio items; Wurlitzer organ solos; 9.50, continuation of relay from Radio Exhibition; 9.58, tenor solo, Mr. E. W. Robbins; 10.2, humour, Mr. W. J. McKeon; 10.9, instrumental, dance orchestra; 10.14, bass solo, Mr. E. McLellan; 10.18, part songs, Wellington Harmonic Society; 10.26, instrumental, orchestra; 10.31, close down. 31A Christchurch. —3 p.m., afternoon session; 4.2-5, sports results to hand; 4.30, close down; 6.0, children’s session; 7.0, news session; 8.0, chimes; 8.1, overture, re broadcast of 2YA Wellington; 8.9, vocal quartette; 8.13, soprano solo, Mrs. Lucv O’Brien; 8.16, violin solos, Miss Irene Morris; 8.24, tenor solo, Mr. W. Bradshaw; 5.28, saxophone solo, Mr. Les Marston; 8.32, contralto solo, Miss Mary Taylor; 8.36, instrumental, Christchurch Broadcasting Trio; 8.46, baritone solo, Mr. E. J. Johnson; 8.50, vocal quartette, Valencia Quartette; 8.53, dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 9.0, weather report; 9.5, tenor solo, Mr. W. Bradshaw; 9.9, humorous Scottish song, Mr. Jack Lockhart; 9.13, dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 9.20, vocal quartette, Valencia Quartette; 9.24, Scottish song and story, Mr. Jock Lockhart; 9.30, dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 9.38, soprano solo, Mrs. Lucy O’Brien; 9.42, Contralto and baritone duet, Valetta Dun; 9.40, dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 9.54, contralto solo, Miss Mary Taylor; baritone solo, Mr. E. J. Johnson; 10.0, instrumental solo and dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; dance music by tho BaileyMarston Dance Orchestra; 11.0, close down.

4YA Dunedin.—3 pun., town hall chimes; 3.1, selected gramophone items; 4.25, 'sports results to hand; 4.30, close dowm; 6.0, children’s session; 7.0, news session; 7.30, lecturette, Mr. H. Greenwood; 8.0, town hall chimes; 8.1, overture, Mengelberg’s Concertgebouw Orchestra; 8.12, contralto solos, Miss Irene Horniblow; 8.19, instrumental, 4YA Broadcasting Trio; 8.27, soprano solos, Miss Eva- Scott, 8.34, violin solo; Mr. Frank Parsons; 8.39, recitals, Mr. C. Russell Smith; 8.46, organ solos, Regin-, aid Goss-Custard; 8.52, baritone solos, Mr. Les Stubbs; 8.59, weather report; 9.1, pianoforte solo, Mrs. Ernest Drake; 9.6, bass solos, Mr. Fred Kershaw’; 9.13, instrumental, 4YA. Broadcasting Trio; 9.20, contralto solo, Miss Irene Ilorniblow; 9.24, baritone solo, Mr. Les Stubbs; 9.28, ’cello solo, Air. P. J. Palmer; 9.33, recital, Mr. C. Russell Smith; 9.39. male choir, Russian State Choir; 9.48, soprano solo, Miss Eva Scott; 9.52, bass solo, Air. Fred Kershaw; 9.56, orchestral, International Concert Orchestra; 10.9, close down. AUSTRALIAN STATIONS. 21'C Sydney.—7.ls p.m., children’s session; 8.15, dinner music; 9.0, sports; 9.15, organ recital; 9.30, selected concert programme; 11.50, dance music. 2BL Sydney. —7.45 p.m., dinner music; 8.15, children’s session; 8.35, market reports; 8.50, news; 9.0, dinner music; 9.30, selected studio programme. 3LO Melbourne.—7.ls p.m., children’s session; 8.35, news, markets and Stock Exchange reports; 9.16, lecturettes; 9.30, selected concert programme. 3AR Melbourne.—7.3o p.m., gramophone records; 8.40, news; 8.50, records; 9.30, lecturettes; 10.0, relay of community singing from a suburban hall.

4QG Brisbane.—7.3o p.m., general news; 7.35, lecturette; 7.55, commercial; 8.0, children’s session; 8.30, news; markets and sports review; 9.30, selected cocert programme by Sydney May’s party, followed by dance music from Naval Drill Hall.