WIRELESS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18012, 24 November 1926, Page 3

WIRELESS FOR ALL AND SUNDRY.

NOTES ON PROGRAMMES BOTH NEAR AND FAR. BY "AERIAL." The following stations will be “on the air” to-day at the times stated. Where possible, details of the programmes to be transmitted are given. In the case of Australian stations. New Zealand time is given. 4YA, Dunedin, and 2YK. Wellington, will not transmit this evening. New Zealand Stations. IYA, Auckland, 420 metres, 500 watts.—Afternoon session, 3 to 4.30: news and market reports, 7.15 to 7.45; evening concert session, 8 to 10 o’clock. Programme:—Chimes; John Tait’s Madrigal Choir—Quartette, “Evening and Morning’” (Oakley), the choir; chorus, “God is a Spirit” (Bennett), the choir; recitatives, “Ye People Rend Your Hearts,” and “If With All Your Hearts” (Mendelssohn), the choir; duet, “Lore Dcirine” (Stainer), Messrs Marriage and Wright; chorus, “O Love That Will” (Nicholson), the choir: anthem, “The Radiant Morn” (Woodward), the choir; solo, Miss M. Anderson: solos, Mr R. Wright; duet, “The Day Is Done” (Lohr), Messrs Marriage and Wright: relay of orchestral selections from the Rialto Theatre; choral. “Joy and Sorrow (Sullivan) and “Brightly Dawns” (Sullivan), the choir; duet, “My Sweet” (Hcmerv), Messrs Marriage and Rosieur; part song, “Daybreak (Faring). the choir; glees, “Once Upon My Check” (Calcott), and “From Oberon in Fairyland” (Steren), the choir. 9.30 p.m.—'Cello, solo, “Star of Eve” (Wagner). Madam Vita: flute solos, Mr G. Poor; 'cello solo, “Volga Boat Song,” Madam Vita; flute solo. Mr G. Poor; ’cello solo, “Chanson Triste,” Madam Vita. IYZ, Whangarei, 250 metres, 15 watts.—B to 10 p.m., studio concert. 3YA, Christchurch, 400 metres, 500 watts.—3 to 4.30 p.m., afternoon concert session; 6.30 to 7 p.m., “Uncle Jack” and the children: 7.15 to 7.45, news, market reports, etc.: S to 10 p.m., studio concert by Mr Stan Kirk’s orchestra and assisting artists,and relay of selections by 'the Crystal Palace Theatre orchestra, under the direction of Mr Alfred J. Bunz. Australian Stations. The Australian stations usually heard in Christchurch will be “on the air” as follows: — 2BL, Sydney, 353 metres, 1500 watts. —4.30 to 6.30, afternoon studio session; 7.30 to 9.15 p.m., “Uncle Jack” and the children, an address, market report; 9.30 p.m. to 1.30 a.m., studio concert. 2FC, Sydney, 442 metres.—9.s p.m. to 12.20 a.m., address and studio concert. 2GB, Sydney, 320 metres.—9,3o to about 11.30 pm., studio concert. 2KY, Sydney, 2SO metres.—4) to 11.30, evening concert session, news, industrial lecturettes, etc. 3AR, Melbourne, 484 metres, 1600 watts.—3.3o to 6.30,. afternoon session, studio concert: 8.15 to 9 p.m., “Uncle Rad” and the children: 9.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m., market report, weather and studio concert. • 3LO, Melbourne, 371 metres, 5 kilowatts.—4.4o to 6.30 p.m., studio items; 7.15 to 8.10 p.m., children’s hour, news service, stoqjic and market reports; SAO pm. to 1.10 a.m., lectures, concert session and dance music. 4QG, Brisbane, 385 metres, 5 kilowatts.—B.3o to 9.15 p.m., Stock Exchange, weather reports, markets and advertising service; 9.30 to 11.30 pm., studio concert, weather forecast, latest market reports and news.

SCL, Adelaide, 395 metres, 5 kilowatts. —5 to 6.55, afternoon session, serial story, musical numbers, Stock Exchange and news; 8.30 p.m. to 12.25 am., bedtime stories, market reports, weather forecast, news and studio concert. 7ZL, Hobart, 525 metres. —4.45 to 5.45, afternoon session, weather report, markets, story from the “Illustrated Tasmanian Mail”; 8.45 to 11.40 p.m., children’s corner, the “Mercury” special Tasmanian news service, weather forecast, Stock Exchange, markets, address, musical items. Notes and Comments. Not much time to devote to distant reception last night. Tried 2BL, Sydney, which came in at good strength, but static was particularly heavy in short sharp bursts. The local station was good and the programme was well varied. Too busily engaged in furnishing answers to wireless correspondents to pay much attention: ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. “Aerial” will be glad to answer any questions pertaining to wireless, or give advice on the subject. Correspondents should give their names and addresses, not necessarily for publication. Some Queries. “Mast” asks i:— (1) “Which are the best batteries?” (2) “Which are the most economical ? ” “Wet” H.T. batteries (“B” batteries) are preferable to dry because (a) they can be recharged; (b) they last longer; and (c) they do not develop “noises” in the set the way dry ones do when they have lost about 20 per cent of their full voltage; (2) “Wet batteries are more expensive in first co.st, but are more economical in the long run. “Could I make the distance between aerial masts 100 ft and use 100 ft of wire looped back on itself for 20ft. to try out crystal reception, so that 1 can extend it the full 100 ft later on for a valve set? Would the double wire affect the crystal set?” 1 am afraid you have got it the wrong way! You need all the length (and height) you can get for crystal reception, whereas you will get better results with less than 100 ft when using a valve set (especially of the three, four or five valve variety). I am unable to say if the double wire would affect crystal reception, never having tried it. Don’t think it -would make very much difference.

“ (1) Would 23ft or 20ft lie O.K. for height? (2) What would be the best 1 could do with it? (3) Would it work a three-valve set? (4) Or would I have to go higher or longer?” Some questions, eh? Still, I’ll do my best. (1) For crystal sets and one and two-valvers the rule is the higher the aerial the better. (2) With ervs tal, you should get 3Y + A at fair strength. With a really good tl*ree valver you could expect the “ Aussies ’* in, during the winter, at audible ’phone strength. (3) Yep, if it was a really good set. (4) For a crystal, go the limit (that’s the sky if you like!) —see rule given in For a three valver, go up about 45ft for good results.

“ Could I take the lead-in from the insulator over the house of the same wire as the bare wire aerial to insulator on house, then spider an insulated wire oil to the lead-in wire?”

A bit involved, but I get you! Yes. Put in another way it is this: Use a

continuation (note that) of your aerial wire as your lead-in. Y ou can take

it right in to your set if you use a porcelain or ebonite tube in the win-dow-sash as a lead-in tube. Thus, from the far end of your aerial wire, to and round (note that—you can twist it round so as to make it fast) the insulator over the house, to the one on the house itself, then or through the tube right to the aerial terminal on the set is all the one length of ware, unbroken and thus not soldered. Quite the best type of aerial—lead-in to use.

“ (1) Does the gauge of an aerial wire make much difference, and (2j shculd the soldered on lead-m be of the same gauge as the aerial wire itself ?”

(1) Yes. It should be eithe'stranded (seven wires of No. 22 gauge, known as 7-22) or No. 14 s.w.g. bars wire or thicker. (2) It should be, at least, as thick as (it may be thickei than) the aerial wire, never thinner. Incidentally, this rule also applies to the earth wire. “Is it necessary to have the aerial drawn’ up tight and straight—no slack It is not only necessary but essential that your aerial should be tight and straight. In addition, it should not have an}' kinks, bends or knots in it (except at the insulators). Comparing Notes. “ M.A.8.” writes on November 19:--“Reading your chatty notes in the ‘Star’ and your pleasantly-worded ‘Answers to Inquiries,’ it has.seemed to me that you take a positive pleasure in answering and explaining rthings to correspondents. What I should like to ask you is quite an unimportant thing, but has always interested me. In tonight’s notes on Thursday night’s doings, you say that 4QG roared in. On that night, for the first time in weeks, I tried for some distant broadcast. I heard IYA, the last of the chimes from 4YA, and 2BL, all at good speaker strength; but could scarcely hear 4QG at all. I have often noticed, when comparing notes with a friend after a night’s listening-in, that he has heard certain stations at much .better strength than I, and vice versa. For instance, I can never get 3LO at good strength, and often have some trouble to locate them at all. Yet others seem to have no difficulty. Is there any explanation of these tilings, pr.is .it just summed up in the vague generalisation ‘atmospherics’ or ‘local conditions?’ As to programmes: 1 think 3YA does quite well on the whole. Although some nights are disappointing, others arc excellent. But one cannot help comparing with the apparently unlimited talent broadcast by the ‘Aussies.’ I think that more of the time could be profitably spent with orchestral relays, which, among all those that I know, are greatly appreciated.” Your bouquet is appreciated. You are not alone in finding 3LO difficult to tune in at times. No. I do not think “atmospherics” is the explanation. ,It probably lies in the exact control of II.T. voltage on your detector and R.F. valves. What type of valves do you use? Try reducing detector voltage to about 18 and R.F. to 45' or less. Also, suspect your earth system. Throw a bucket of water (in which a pound of salt has been dissolved) on your earth plate or pipe. Again, there is one other factor that, may account for loss in signal strength, and that is “screening.” Have you any high trees between your set and Melbourne? 4QG also varies considerably. Some nights he iS like a roaring lion; on others a cooing dove is a loud noise in comparison. Your experience is that of everyone during the warm season. You will find all these stations fairly clamouring at your loud-speaker when winter comes. Still, it’s the glorious uncertainty of wireless that is half the fascination for a lot of us! I agree with you regarding local broadcasting. To “J.N.11. ’V I *\vilf V endeavour to write something for the benefit of our Oscillating Oswalds in to-morrow's “Star.”—“Aerial.''