Radio IN THE HOME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18832, 21 March 1931, Page 13 (Supplement)

Radio IN THE HOME

WAVELETS. Back to standard time. Radio licenses will have to be renewed next month. There are about 63.000 licenses in operation in New Zealand at present. The reversion to standard time, and the cold snap on Monday evening, brought the “Aussies” in unusually early. 2BL and 4QG were quite strong at 7.15, and at 7.30 2FC’s children’s session was romping in like 3YA. 2NC’s relay of 2FC at the same hour was excellent. From now on, the A stations in the Eastern State will be available to most listeners from 8 o'clock, if they are not spoiled by the one and two-valvers whistling In. Australian listeners must get rather fed up of the relay system on Sunday nights. Chain broadcasting can be overdone. Last Sunday night 3AR, 4QCT, 2FC and 2NC were all putting out “The Belle of New York” at the same time, while 3LO, 2BL and SCL were rendering the same set of hynms and negro melodies. 2UE Sydney, is rated at 250 watts, but it comes in at times like a thousand-watter, and though it does some advertising it broadcasts excellent programmes. 3DB and 3UZ Melbourne, also are fine low-power stations, but the king of the little fellows is 2AY Albury on 50 watts. 3GL Geelong also on 50 watts is good for his i power. The worst of all the “Aussies” | is 2KY, Trades Hall, Sydney, listed at [ 1500 watts, but developing nearer 15 | if reception here is a guide. | The church services to be broadcast to-morrow evening will be as follows — IYA, Beresford Street Congregational; 2YA, St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral; 3YA, East Belt Methodist 'Church; 4YA, Church of Christ. A director of the Australian Broadcasting Company who has returned from a foreign tour states —“Considering the material and the amount of money at our disposal, I am convinced that our Australian programmes are better.” And the Roadio Broadcasting Co., of New Zealand, Limited claims that its programmes are better than the Australian. Radio listeners would read with interest a statement in the engineer’s report to the Power Board, that some portions of the wiring System in Waimate had been bound with marline, with the object of reducing interference with wireless reception. Waimate listeners are to be congratulated on having sufficient influence brought to bear in the matter. If the supply of marline is not exhausted, Power Board officials may find time to pay some attention to their system in the Washdyke area.

It is reported that the New Zealand B grade stations, the majority of which closed down at the end of February owing to the demands of the Performing Rights Association, have been allowed to operate without payment of copyright fee until December 31st. It is then hoped that they will be able to secure payment of the demand out of the license fees collected by the Post Office.

A body styled the New Zealand Radio Listeners’ League has been formed in Dunedin, and its “secretary” is now touring the Dominion with the object of forming branches. The title of the League seems to be a misnomer. B Grade Stations League would be more appropriate, as its main object seems to be to secure concessions for the B grade plants. Riunour hath it that permission has been sought to run advertising sessions, and it is desired also to obtain a portion of the fees paid for receiving licenses.

3ZC (Christchurch) is now transmitting on an extended schedule. The additional hours include a Sunday morning session, a lengthening of the Saturday morning session, and a daily evening service.

Holland charges no licence fees; but all owners of receivers must register with the telegraph authorities. Last October there were 233,314 licences in force, representing 2.98 per cent, of the population.

France claimed the highest broadcasting station in the world—3oooft. But La Paz, Bolivia, replies with a station at 10,500 ft.

It is perhaps not generally known how the loss of life at sea has been reduced since raido was applied to ocean travel. During the period 1871 to 1910 the average annual loss of life to passengers at sea was 231; for the period 1921 to 1928 the annual average was only 15, and in two of those years not a single passenger was lost!

This year is to bring about great developments of broadcasting on the Continent; the new Swiss transmitters will soon be testing; Warsaw is to come on with 158 kilowatts in the aerial; Prague, with 120 kilowatts; Paris, with 60 kilowatts; Toulouse, with ditto; and Germany is pushing on its scheme for nine high-power stations.

Bobby Jones is America’s latest radio talker. Sponsored by a mouthwash and toothpaste company, he is to give a series of 26 talks “about golf and his golfing career—the career that led him to 13 major championships in the last eight years and all the four major titles of the world in the year just ended.”

IZR Auckland is coming in with excellent clarity and volume in the evenings. Apparently the wattage has been increased. 7LA Launceston has increased its power from 100 to 300 watts, and comes in well between 11 p.m. and midnight.

The “earth” is a most important part of a wireless outfit. The lead should be short, and kept clear from any electrical appliances or wiring, as detailed for the aerial lead-in. The most important point;, however, is the actual contact of the wire with earth. A water pipe makes a fair earth, but it is most difficult to make a good connection to a water pipe. Soldering is futuile, as the pipe will not heat up with the application of the iron. The only effective manner in which the wire can be connected is by means of a metal clamp. The surface of the piping must first be thoroughly cleaned. After the connection has been made some vaseline or grease should be plastered over the joint to prevent rust or corrosion spoiling the effectiveness of the joint at a later date.

About 52 per cent, of broadcasting time in America is devoted to music; and 33 per cent, of this to Jazz. This compares with about 50 per cent, and 7 per cent, respectively in Europe. About 8 per cent, of the time is given to advertising. American churches get five times as much airing as European —5 per cent, against 1 per cent. American stations devote about 1 per cent, of the time to education, while European stations devote about 18 per cent. Drafha on both continents takes up about 3 per cent., and children’s hours 2 per cent.; America gives 1.0 per cent, to sporting broadcasts, and Europe .22 per cent. The Roman Catholic Church takes most of the church time in America, owning seven stations outright, and taking time on thirty others. Four national Jewish organisations use from ten to 13 stations in network, with 30 Rabbis broadcasting regularly from local stations.

Every once in a while we read that some genius has invented a method of extracting petrol from water, or has designed a gearless car, or has discovered a way of eliminating static. Static, however, presents a problem that seems to defy solution, and no static eliminator has as yet been evolved. Our only hope seems to be in avoiding, rather than eliminating, static. In this respect the use of short waves seems to be a way of avoiding the difficulty. In the tropics, where static disturbances are terrific, short waves only can be used with any degree of success, for there is much less static disturbance in the short wave length band than in the broadcast band. Commerical transatlantic telephony is also carried on with short waves, and in this case the receiver is not only made highly directional to eliminate a large amount of static, but also a beam transmitter, which i highly directional, is employed. Thus, more energy can be radiated in the desired direction. For broadcast reception the only practical way seems to be to increase the power of the broadcast transmitters, and this is actually being done at this time.