WIRELESS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17905, 22 July 1926, Page 14

WIRELESS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY.

NOTES ON PROGRAMMES BOTH NEAR \ND FAR. BY AERIAL. The undermentioned broadcasting stations will be “ on the air ” this evening. In all cases New Zealand time is given. (M, wavelength in metres; W, power in watts or KW in kilowatts). New Zealand. IYA, Auckland—33om., 200 w. Will probably be broadcasting from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. 2YK. Wellington—29sm’, 12(h\\, 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m., studio concert, parties arranged by Misses Norah Burt and Gwen King, concluding with relay from Adelphi Cabaret of M. Ilvman’s Band. 3AC, Christchurch.— 240 m., 50w., relay from the ringside of a description of the boxing at Caledonian Ilall. About 8 p.m. Australia. All the Australian stations will be on the air to-night. Following are latest particulars received: 2YK, Sydney, 280 m., 4-6.15 p.m., 8 p.m. (children), 9.15-11.30 p.m. (concert session). 2BL. Svdnev, 353 m.. loOOw., 4.30-6.45 p.m., 7.30 9.20 p.m., 0.30-11.30 p.m. (concert session). 2FC, Sydney, 1100 m., 9.30 p.m.-12.30 a.m. (heard on specially built receivers only). . 3AR, Melbourne, 484 m., 9.30 p.m.12:10 a.m. 3LO, Melbourne. 371 m., skw„ 1.303.30 p.m., 4.30-6.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. (children), 5.15 p.m. (news service), 5.45 p.m.-12.30 a.m. (concert session). 4QG. Brisbane, 385 m.. skw, 2.25-3 pin.. 4.55-6 p.m. 7.55-9 p.m. 9.15-11.30 p.m. (concert session). SCL, Adelaide, 395 m., skw., 1-3.30 p.m., 4.30-6.30 p.m. S p.m.-midnight (concept session). Heard Last Night. Several listeners have reported on reception last night—for which many thanks. Cold night, foggy. Very little static. Fading about as usual. Town listeners troubled with interference from power lines, etc. 3A< ”s relax - from the Caledonian Hall was “not half bad” (says one listener), except that the announcer or someone kept on “cutting out” with the microphone switch. As the announcer knew something of what he was describing, the relax- was quite good. 4YA. Dunedin, is at the top of the class in New Zealand. Modulation—good; strength—up to Exhibition standard. The programme given last night was really enjoyable. “The orchestral music was up to the standard of the best Australian.” reports one listener. And that is saying a good deal. The Australian stations were heard at good strength. Now is certainly the .“season for Aussies.” It may not be so when the days lengthen out and their transmissions have a daylight zone to go through. NOTES. Meeting of the Christchurch Radio Society at their rooms, St Asaph Street, at 8 p.m. Visitors interested in wireless are cordially invited to be present. The receipt is acknowledged of broadcast programmes from 2YK, Wellington, and 4YA, Dunedin. Most of the sets used in the country, says an Australian contributor to a Home paper, employ three or four valves, with usually one stage of highfrequency amplification. Now it is a regular occurrence on a farm to see the family group together after the evening meal while the father or the eldest son tunes-in the desired station and connects up the loud-speaker. Although some theatrical companies decline to have their performances broadcast. many look upon it as a good advertisement, and so the rural worker of Australia is now brought nightly into the city, joins in spirit with his city brothers attending the houses of amusement, and feels that the monotony cmd solitude of life in the country is broken down for good and all. Broadcasting in Australia, it is predict-

ed, will do much during the next decade to attract population from the overcrowded cities to the broad and fertile lands which only await the hand of man to make them jirolific of wealth. Many people make a great mistake by using in their receiving sets variable condensers of large maximum capacity. One sees quite commonly aerial tuning coils with a maximum capacity of .001 microfarad and closed-circuit or anodetuning condensers of .0005 microfarad. These are far too large. Their only merit is that they enable one set of coils to cover a wide range of wavelengths. Against this must be set, first of all. the fact that a tiny movement of the knob makes a big difference in the capacity, so that very fine tuning is difficult if not actual!x- impossible. A large capacity in parallel with a coil is very inefficient. The aerial tuning coil should not have a capacity greater than .0005 microfarad, whilst from .0002 to .0003 microfarad is amply large enough for condensers in closed circuit. The location of a frame aerial in the house, and even its position in a room, often has an appreciable effect on the results obtained from a receiving set. Gas-pipes, water-pipes, elec-tric-light wiring, etc., all tend to deflect ether waves and may either act as a shield or concentrate the waves on to the frame, depending on their exact location in regard to the aerial. It is therefore best to try the frame aerial in several positions when testing a receiver. especially if results are not up to expectations. At times I dream a dream of dreams, Of knobs and valves it always seems. Of stations far across the way. That I may hope to get sonic day. Panels vast and gadgets strange, By which .1 will increase my range. Condensers, wires, little screws, By which 1 hope to hear the news. When all the earth my waves have crossed. I will proceed to regions lost. And “radio” the twinkling stars, Not forgetting dear old Mars. The moon shall have its 8.8. C., And I shall have the license fee Of all the people living there, Which ought to be a goodly share. But oh ! to wake and find that this Is only just a dream of bliss; That i am but a radio fan Who can’t do xvhat he thinks he can. J. Y. H.. in “The Wireless Magazine.” Flat lead-in strips tacked at the bottoms of window frames freqxientlv develop breaks because of the blows of the windows on them. A break at this point opens the aerial circuit am! the receiver then naturally eannol work very wclh The. strip is the. last point suspected of trouble, but if youi set should fail to produce music some night, for no apparent reason, look at the window first and trv bridging the strip with a length of wire. Never sav “A C. current 1 or “ D. C current.” “ A. C.” by itself stands fui alternating current, and "D. C.” foi direct current, so the repetition of the word “ current ” is foolish and un necessary. With certain audio amplifying trans formers the connection across the sec

ondaries of fixed resistors of about 250 000 or 500.000 ohms value xvorks xvonders in clarifying reception in general and in reducing the exaggeration of high notes. Fixed condensers of .0005 or (SO! mfd. in the same position have a similar effect, xejiile combinations of condensers and resistors often turn a hitherto poor amplifier into a , fairlv acceptable one. Resistances and condensers so rmoloved are not infallible cures for distortion due to bad amplifier construction or design, but in many cases they bring about enough improvement to warrant their cost and installation. ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. “Aerial” will be glad to answer any questions pertaining to wireless, or give advice on the subject. Correspond ents should give their names and ad dresses, not necessarily for publication. I K. savs: “Mv loud-speaker is a small one. and it is inclined to be harsh, and Denis. "'An I rrmedy r: thbri”" You "are either overloading vmr loud-speaker with too much xoltage from your “B” battery, or the valves may be distorting. Or you may be using a power valve in the last A.l stage. II so, change to. low-power valves in each audio-frequency stage, or at any rate in the last stage. Try connecting a laica fixed condenser across the loudspeaker terminals. A .066 should do, but, if you have them, try several capacities from .001 ui-> till you find the best.