STATIC CAUSES TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 May 1930, Page 12

STATIC CAUSES TROUBLE.

IMPROVEMENT IN RECENT DAYS.

'(By 8.C.L.) With continued unsettled atmospheric conditions listeners have had a poor time for the past week. Undescribable static has been the cause of the greater 'number of sets being switched off at an early hour. .On Wednesday evening things started to improve somewhat and listening has become more popular than it was last week. It is on such nights as have been experienced recently that the greatest benefit is felt from 2YB. Had it not been for the New Plymouth station listening after dark would have been an impossibility on the worst nights of sta’tij.

The Donovan-Sarron relay, from Dunedin was a success, listeners being quite able to follow all the events of the contest. A far better line was available than on the occasion of the Byrd speeches, and very little line interference was noticeable. IYA 'was troubled by noises in the early stages, but these soon cleared.

Yesterday 2YB was on the air for the purpose of relaying the speeches at the opening of the Omata. oil bore, when listeners were kept acquainted with all that transpired on the site. The noise of the boring machinery could be plainly heard over the microphone, which by the way is the first time such sounds have been broadcast in Australasia.

Some particularly fine programmes have been heard from 2YB. lately and they reflect the greatest credit on those who participated. An Auckland visitor in conversation with “8.C.L.” said he was astounded at the very fine talent heard fromJiYß, which in his opinion was far superior to the average programme heard from IYA Auckland.

■ Many listeners have -wondered at the weird noises ,heard recently from 2YA after they had officially closed down for the night. These were caused by the making of certain adjustments to the transmitter. The .plant is now back to normal and operating satisfactorily. An interesting test was made from -2YB during the week when a special test record was put over which put out all the frequencies from 6000 cycles per second down to 100 cycles per second. This gave listeners an opportunity to test the reproduction capabilities of the response of their amplifiers and speakers. A perfect set and speaker would give an approximately even response right through, others would have given a thin and reedy note at the start with varying volume right through, a particularly loud part followed by a fading away denoting a peak in the amplifier or speaker, etc. Feeling is running high in England with regard to the dullness of the British Broadeasting Company's Sunday programmes, It appears that Sir John Reith, director-general of the 8.8. C., does not. believe in the slightest suggestion of gaiety on a Sunday, and as one newspaper puts it, “In his view Sunday is an austere day —a. day for Calvinistic sermons and perhaps (as a concession) a Bach cantata or n oratoria by Handel." Apparently the Auckland pro-gramme director is of a similar opinion, as nothiiiiinnHiimniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinninmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu

ing more doelful than the average IYA Sunday afternoon dirge can be imagined. How those responsible can imagine that the succession of “Spaghetti” items have anything of a sacred nature is beyond the comprehension of the average listener. Let us have something bright for a change; surely there is plenty of bright music available and it needn t be jazz either!

Another attempt to transmit, a radio signal to the moon will be made in the near future at the United States Naval Research Laboratories of Washington. The signal is expected to be back to earch in slightly less than three seconds. To be exact, the signal should be reflected back to the laboratory in 2.8 seconds, this being the time necessary for it to travel the 250,000 miles to the moon and return at a speed of 186,000 miles a second. A high-frequency wave, probably between 20,000 and 30,000 kilocycles, will be. used. ?■ ■ U’->' ‘