ON THE BROADCAST BAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19626, 21 October 1933, Page 11

ON THE BROADCAST BAND

Tomorrow’s church services are as follows: IYA: 7 p.m. Baptist Tabernacle; Preacher, Rev. L. A. North. 2YA: St. Peter’s Anglican Church; Preacher, Rev. W. Bullock. 3YA: 7 p.m., Knox Presbyterian Church; Preacher, Rev. T. W. Armour. 4YA: 6.30 p.m., St. Andrew’s Street Church of Christ; Preacher, Pastor W. D. More. On Saturday morning at 1.30, 2YA was heard testing. Whether this was for DX purposes or not we do not know, but the name of the item and station announced was given after each number not before as during broadcast hours. This is the practice of many American and Australian stations and is quite a good idea. On the same night and tune Station 2ZL was heard testing and as most of the Aussies were off the air reception was excellent. Several nights during the week a Japanese station has been heard between 4 YA and 2FC on approximately 655 kc. As there w r as interference from both 4YA and 2FC the call was not heard, and assuming it was JOCG as listed thfe station must have been on increased power because 300 watts would not have given as great volume as signals to come in with the low amplification required for 2FC. . What has happened to 3ZM lately? Although in the daytime reception has not been bad, during the evening listening has been impossible owing to distortion and a strong low frequency hum. Perhaps some of his filters have broken down, or it may be ■the increased signal strength from 7UV Tasmania. Although these stations have a normal separation of 10 kc. a variation one way or the other by either would cause a very strong heterodyne. On Saturday morning news of Kingsford Smith's flight was received from 6WF Perth. This station was coming in with splendid volume and showed no appreciable fade. Even the Chinese station near 6 WF's wave length did not interfere with reception. The wrestling announcer for the Dunedin wrestling bout broadcast by 4ZL on Saturday is not in the same class as the ones from IYA and Wellington or 3YA either. Reception on Sunday practically all day was spoilt by noises, even 3YA being difficult to be heard. Any attempt to add volume was met with a deafening roar. The noises were not the same all the time different types taking turns in providing “entertainment.” A peculiar fact regarding static was noticed on Tuesday night. Up till eleven o'clock there was no trace of Aussies coming in in great style. At midnight however, only the more powerful ones could be heard as the slightest increase in amplification brought in a barrage of static. Cable advices from the Old Country state that opportunity will be given political leaders to make policy speeches over the 8.8. C. stations. It is to be hoped that we do not have to listen to political talks over the YA stations. The Australian radio industry is seriously concerned over the possibility of large importations of radio sets from Japan. Even despite the high tariffs, Japanese manufacturers, by employing the cheapest labour in the world, are able to land their goods at extremely low prices. The trade of course is split with dissension over the patent liabilities and until that is settled it will not be possible to counter with the only possible solution of the menace, i.e. produce receivers of such quality and performance as to eclipse all importations and also to convince the public of that fact: People generally nowadays are inclined to take the cheapest article whatever its country of origin. Radio is used to a very large extent in Italian schools, enabling not only educational courses from studios to be received but also permitting the principal to lecture to a large number of scholars in different parts of the establishment by means of loud speakers. The thirty shillings license fee charged to New Zealand listeners, although large compared with some other countries, is eclipsed by the fee now payable by French listeners. This country enjoyed free radio for a long time but the Government has now decided that crystal set owners pay 15 francs (approx. 12 ->, and valve set owners 50 francs (about £2> annually. At the present time Holland is the only European country where listening is free. Experiments are being made in Sing Sing prison (New York) with a lowpowered five metre transmitter and receivers for the use of wurders when on their rounds. The receivers are carried like a military pack and their total weight is only six pounds. By this means it is hoped that warders will always be in touch with the chief warder s office. In connection with the reorganisation of the Norwegian broadcasting system a second transmitter, designed to employ 20 kilowatts in the aerial, has been ordered for erection at Bcr-

Great dissatisfaction is being expressed in Australia at the growing tendency of the National Broadcasting Commission to relay items from all their stations. The policy of the authorities is to obtain high class and high priced artists and put them on the air from all the A stations at once thus reducing the cost of programmes for station. This may be quite all right provided the programmes are of national interest but “high brows” do not want "low brow" concerts and vice versa,, hence a host of letters of protest in wireless papers in the Commonwealth. It certainly must be annoying if one does not want the programme put over by. say, 2FC to tune in in turn SCL, SCK. 3LO, 2CO, 2NC, 4QG and 4RK and find the same broadcast. Small mica condensers which play an important part in the radio receiver are now so cheap that we are apt to overlook the amount of precise scientific work that goes into their construction. The days have long since passed when any old bits of tinfoil and mica sheet could be slung together and called a condenser. In these days the condenser is subject to the most exacting conditions in use. and accordingly it has to be subject to similar conditions. if not even more stringent ones, in process of manfacture. It is no exaggeration to say that a good-class mica condenser is really a precision comjxjnent, and it Is remarkable, having regard to the price, to what a degree of accuracy these condensers arc turned out. The condenser, for one tiling. inuri not vary In its capacity r.ppreciably with the lajx;e of time. It must not vary with atmospheric conditions, it must be “low-loss." and it must, as already mentioned, be reasonably accurate at the start, and remain so during its working life.