BRITISH RADIO MEN CARRY OUT TESTS IN PACIFIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18187, 21 June 1927, Page 8

BRITISH RADIO MEN CARRY OUT TESTS IN PACIFIC.

P.O. EXPERIMENTERS MAKE TRIP IN HUNTINGDON. Prior to the departure of the s.s. Huntingdon from Liverpool on April 1G the Head Office of the British Post Office placed on board the vessel valuable instruments for wireless experimental work in the Pacific. Air G. Fames, an expert wireless engineer from the head office, and Mr G. Gregory, as his assistant, were placed in charge with instructions to make certain tests which at present they arc unable to divulge. A room attached to the Huntingdon’s wireless cabin was commandeered for, the instruments, which are of a very delicate nature. Mr Gregory, when approached yesterday prior to the departure of the vessel for Dunedin, gave some details of their work and the objects of their tests. He stated that he was not in a position to divulge the results of the experiments that had been carried out en route to New Zealand until Mr Fames submitted his report to Head Office at Home, but he could say that Mr Farnes’s experiments had resulted in some very valuable and useful data being obtained. Amongst the instruments they had on board was one for measuring the value of signals and static. They had made observations of various European wireless stations in both short and long wave signals and other technical aspects of wireless. Their work was being undertaken mainly in the interests of commercial wireless. Speaking of local reception, he stated that reception around the New Zealand coast was exceptionally good. Asked for his opinion as to the reason for the scarcity of British broadcast receiving sets in New* Zealand, he stated that it was hard for him to say, but one thing he had noticed was that the British receiving sets on sale were very antiquated. Taken all round, the British material used in building sets was much superior to what he had seen employed in the American set, perhaps with the exception of condensers. The transformers now being placed on the market by the Marconi firm were exceptionally good in quality of tone and material. There was perhaps another reason. Beginners were always inclined to obtain high-power sets for long distance reception. That was the case in England at first, but not now. Listeners had got ovfir that stage. Long distance reception generally meant distorted music and the wireless enthusiast at Home now demanded sets that would give purity of tone. “I think that you will eventually find that will occur here,” he said. It was suggested to Mr Gregory that a reason for few English sets finding favour in the Dominion was the fact that they appeared to be very much more complicated to operate. Mr Gregory, in reply, said that he thought that the reason for the English set having so many dials and controls was because the people at Home preferred the additional controls, but sets with simpler controls could be obtained. Speaking of the programmes submitted to British listeners, he stated that a great deal of money was paid to artists like Paderewski and Sir Harry Lauder. Artists of their standard would receive up to £IOOO for an hour’s performance. “Do you think static will be eliminated?” he was asked. “Well, it is very hard to say, but I understand that the Marconi and French experts have practically allowed the matter to drop and are now engaged in endeavouring to eliminate it by other channels.” With reference to television, he pointed out the obstacles being encountered by the inventors. The main trouble appeared to be the speed of light. However, he was of the opinion that it would not be many years before people at Home would be able to sit down in a hall and watch England playing cricket in Australia on the screen, and at the same time hear the remarks or cheering of the crowd.