RADIO

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1930, Page 12

RADIO

NEW YEAR DEVELOPMENTS.

RAPID ADVANCE OF RADIO.

(By

“B.C.L.”)

With the birth of a new year one is led to wonder what, new radio developments we will see during the current 12

-months. . When it is remembered that broadcasting is only seven years old, the rate of development has, compared with even the motor-car, been phenomenal. The past year has seen the introduction

in a popular and reliable form of the all-electrie receiver, the incorporation of the screened grid valve to our broadcast receivers, while the dynamic speaker has been responsible for untold improvements in amplifiers and the general faithfulness of tone of our receivers.

There has now appeared on the market, a short wave receiver for- all-electric operation. Short wave communication has -made wonderful strides, and the research now being carried out in this connection by the radio engineers of the Byrd expedition should add considerably to the world’s knowledge of the vagaries of long istan.ee transmission and reception.

Radio vision, while still in the experimental stages, except perhaps the transmission of still pictures, will doubtless undergo considerable development, but “8.C.L.” does not think radio vision will be a feature of our regular broadcasts for several years yet. With the stabilisation of the radio industry in New Zealand prospects look good for the coming year. The only thing needed as far as New Zealand is concerned is the establishment of our own factories for the production of our radio requirements. Although considerable time and thought were expended over the establishment of the present broadcasting system in Australia, dissatisfaction

seems to be rife on all sides. So substantial have the complaints become that a special Cabinet committee of the Commonwealth Government has been set up to go into the whole question of the wireless policy in Australia. Certainly what the writer has heard of the Australian programmes since the Australian Broadcasting Company took over has not impressed him as being nearly half as good as those from our own stations. The programmes during the festive season have been of exceptional merit, every type of listener from the juvenile to the aged being catered for. The early afternoon sessions also did much to foster an interest in radio among those

frequenting the shops in search of seasonable gifts, and the license figures should be considerably boosted as a result of the Christinas trade. The relaying to 3YA and 4YA of the Timaru beach carnival gave a festive touch to the programmes during the week, while progress reports of big cricket and racing kept the sporting fans in touch with doings in all parts of the country. PRODUCING SOUND EFFECTS. The latest method of producing sound

effects for radio plays is to have records of the various effects required and to superimpose the sounds from the record on the sounds from the studio by means of a ‘mixer.” This method is said to bo very much superior to the artificial methods used at present. Although records of this sort will naturally be very costly the results should warrant the expenditure. The 8.8. C. is at present carrying out experiments in this direction and results are said to be extremely good.

The generator parts to repair the 2YB generator, which was struck by lightning a short time ago, have, not yet arrived but the staff is doing its best to make arrangements for transmission as soon as possible. Last Monday evening Taranaki listeners were pleased to hear Mr. Payne, who is in ‘Wellington, over the air from 2YA. Mr. Payne assisted in the children’s session.

On the same evening 2BL Sydney relayed 3LO Melbourne which was broadcasting a performance of the Humphrey Bishop company. The Humphrey Bishop company was the first company to be broadcast by IYA and is one of the few companies which allow their performances to be broadcast. The programme was carried out in much the same manner as those heard over the air in New Zealand.

Tho New Zealand stations stayed open to describe the street scenes on New Year’s Eve. A particularly lively evening was spent in Auckland, where the crowd attempted to tip up trams and throw small cars about. The announcer was nervous that some injury might be done. The crowd was pulling down the trolley poles of the trams as quickly as they were put up. A chain of high-power broadcasting stations across Canada is recommended in the report of the Royal Commission recently appointed to investigate Canada’s wireless problems. It is also recommended that a State-owned corporation should be set up, similar to the 8.8. C., and that funds necessary for the operation and maintenance of the service should be obtained from license fees and programmes sponsored by advertisers, together with a Federal Government subsidy of £200,000 annually for five years. As a nucleus of the broadcasting chain, it is suggested that seven 00-kilowatt stations should be erected to give reliable service over the populated areas of the Dominion.

THROUGH 200 FEET OF ROCK. Dr. A. S. Eve, of McGill University, in America, proved by an interesting experiment that wireless waves such as those' used for broadcasting can pass through at least 200 feet of rock. He accomplished this by installing a superheterodyne receiver in the Mammoth Gave of Kentucky. He found that the longer the waves the more rock they wore able to penetrate, but short waves (40 metres) could not be detected more than a few hundred feet from the entranee of the tunnel. Waves of 6000 metres bored through over 900 feet of solid rock.

Immediately following the musical numbers and messages constituting the

regular programme of broadcasting to the Byrd Expedition at "Little America,” which was transmitted recently by KDKA, Pittsburgh, listeners heard . a long-drawn-out "buzz,” which was maintained for five minutes. This buzz constituted the first of a highly important series of tests in which the radio experts of KDKA are co-operating with those of the Byrd Expedition. The object of these tests is to secure a better understanding of one of radio’s most mysterious phenomena —“blind. spots,” or "dead areas.” As most radio listeners are aware, there are many small areas where certain broadcasting stations can be heard only with difficulty, if at all, although the same stations come in clearly all around these areas. While some of these, “dead spots” are caused by peculiarities of hmd configuration, others cannot be explained away so easily, and many scientists now believe that the trouble is chiefly due to the so-called “Heaviside layer.” The “Heaviside layer,” according to theory, is a stratum, possibly magnetic in character, which surrounds the earth. Radio waves cannot pass through it, but are reflected back to earth by it, ■just as light rays are reflected by a

mirror. In some places, waves thus reflected are the ones chiefly received, and this applies especially to long-distance broadcasting; at other places, the waves sent out directly by the transmitter are the ones that convey the messages; but in certain places both sets of waves are received together, and it is due to the interference of these two sets that dead spots, and possibly fading,. aic thought to be caused. Tests indicate that the Heaviside layer encircles the earth at an average distance of 3<XI miles, but there is some reason to think that at either the North Pole or the South Pole, or both, this layer approaches close to the earth or perhaps actually touches it. Definite conflrma-

tion or refutation of this theory is the object of these tests. The tests are not merely in the interests of pure science, but also of defence measures as dead spots occur at sea as well as on land, and naturally interfere with naval operations, so that it is most important to secure as much information on the subject as possible. The investigative work at “Little America” is in charge of Malcolm P. Hanson, radio engineer of the Byrd Expedition, and the most important- instrument he will use is an ingenious and versatile instrument known as the “Osiso,” which was invented by the late Joseph W. Legg, oscillograph engineer of the Westinghouse Company. The Osiso makes photographic records of radio signals and other electric waves, and is so sensitive that it will measure time-difference of only a few millionths or a second. By means of the Osiso, Engineer Hanson can record the reception of both direct radio signals and their echoes, as reflected by the Heaviside layer, And by measuring th'e time difference between them, he is able to determine the height of the Heaviside layer near the South Pole. He has already done considerable experimenta. work along this line, and recently took a trip for this purpose with two companions ten miles outside of camp in weather so cold that the dogs’ noses froze. Hanson carried the Osiso on his back and packed the necessary dry batteries inside his shirt to keep them from freezing. On his return from this trip he radioed as follows: — “Osiso giving splendid results in temperatures down to 70 below zero, with ski and knapsack and dog-sled transportation. Suggest co-operate oscillographic study by sending special signals to us, co-opcrating with Dr. Taylor, oi Bellevue.” . . KDKA’s radio experts, having received Dr. Tavlor’s suggestions, arranged with Hanson to send him a long, powerful signal on exactly 25.4 metres, which enabled him to make more accurate measurements than was. possible with ordinary radio signals. This signal was also transmitted on KDKAs regular broadcasting wave, so that it couh be heard by listeners.

WIRELESS PROGRAMMES NEW ZEALAND STATIONS. IYA, Auckland.—3 p.m., afternoon session, selected studio items; 4, literary selection; 4.8, studio items; o, children’s session; 6, dinner session Columbia hour; Ketelbey’s Concert Oieshetra; Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra; pianoforte, Leopold. Godowsky, Halle Orchestra; viola, Lionel Tertis; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; 7, news session and market reports; 7.40, talk, Mr. W. G. E. Wheeler, “Esperanto.; 8, chimes; relay of concert from Lewis Eady Hall; organ solo, Reginald GossCustard; one-act play, Mrs. Zoe Bartley -'Baxter and Company; contralto, Miss Irene Frost; instrumental, btudio Trio; 0, weather report; pianoforte, Wilhelm Backhaus; one-act play, Mrs. Zoo Bartley Baxter and Company; ’cello, Miss Molly Wright; 9.31, contralto, Miss I. Frost; instrumental, Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra; oneact play, Mrs. Zoe Bartley Baxter; instrumental, .Studio Trio; instrumental, London Symphony Orchestra; 10.12, close down.

2YA, Wellington.—3 p.m., chimes'; programmes of gramophone items; 5, children’s session; 6, dinner session; waltzes, International Concert Orchestra; 6.30, Wurlitzer organ; mandolin band; saxophone, Rudy Wiedoeft; waltzes, International Concert Orchestra; 7, news session, market reports and sports results; 7.40, lecturette, Miss J. Dalton, “Girl Guides”; 8, chimes; overture, 2YA Orchestrina, under conductorship of Signor A. P. Truda; vocal duct, Harmonic Duo; Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards; bass, Mr. J. M. Caldwell; selection, 2YA Orchestrina; 8.34, soprano, Miss Jeanette Briggs, L.A.8.; ’cello, W. H. Squire; tenor, Mr. Will Hancock; selection, 2YA Orchestrina; weather report; 0, talk, Mr. E. Norman

Torry, the well-known lecturer and author, “How to Write Fiction”; 9.30, National Military Band; vocal duct, Harmonic Duo; bass, Mr. J. M. Caldwell; selection, 2YA OrChestrina; mezzocontralto, Miss Ngaire Coster; tenor, Mr. Will Hancock; concert waltz, 2YA Orchestrina; 10.4, close down.

3YA, Christchurch.—3 p.m., afternoon 4.25, sports results to hand; 6, children’s session; 6, dinner session—“ His Master’s Voice” hour; National Symphony Orchestra; 6.30, Royal Opera Orchestra; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra; 7, news and information session; 8, chimes; overture, Edith Lorand Orchestra; dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; baritone, Mr. Robert Allison; organ, Leslie Harvey; mezzo-contralto, M°s. E. H. Davies; march, Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards; 8.35, humorous recital, Mr. L. T. J. Ryan; dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; tenor, Mr. Arthur T. Couch; Grand Symphony Orchestra; 8.59, weather report; dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; popular songs, Mrs. Moana Lawrence; organ, Leslie Harvey; baritone, Mr. Robert Allison; dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 9.30, mezzo-contralto, Mrs. E. H. Davies; Hawaiian, David Kaili; humorous recital, Mr. L. T. J. Ryan; dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; tenor, Mr. Arthur T. Couch; 9.56, dance music, Bailey-Marston Dance Orchestra; 11, close down. 4YA, Dunedin. —3 p.m., - chimes; se-

lected gramophone items; 4.25, sports results to hand; 5, children’s session; 6, dinner session—“ His Master’s Voice hour; Piccadilly Orchestra; Kolomoku’s Honoluluans; Piccadilly Orchestra; 6.30, New Mayfair Orchestra; Waring’s Orchestra; Kolomuku’s Honoluluans; Victor Concert Orchestra; Piccadilly Orchestra; waltz, International Concert Orchestra; 7, news session; 8, chimes; overture, Celeste Quintet under the direction of Mr. Roy Spackman; baritone, Mr. L. North; instrumental, Celeste Trio; recital, Miss Nellie Warren; flute concerto, John Amadio; 8.33, mezzo-so-prano, Miss Mollie Fenton; instrumental, Celeste Quintet; tenor, Mr. L. E. Dailey; instrumental, Celeste Quintet; 9, weather report; chorus, Russian State Choir; viola and piano, Mr. and Mrs. C. Roy Spackman; baritone, Mr. L. North; recital, Miss Nellie Warren, 9.32, instrumental, Celeste Quintet; mezzo-soprano, Miss Mollie Fenton; instrumental, Celeste Trio; tenor, Mr. L. 15. Dailey; instrumental, Celeste Quintet; 10.3, close down.