WIRELESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19443, 31 October 1925, Page 17 (Supplement)

WIRELESS

By The Gril

The Broadcasting Situation. Amateurs throughout New Zealand will have read with pleasure the long awaited statement by the Radio Broadcasting Company, which was issued to the press last week. It is somewhat exasperating to note that the apparatus for the new stations will not arrive until February next, from which it may be gathered that actual operation is unlikely to commence before March. This will be just twelve months after the imposition of the new license fee, which was extracted from amateurs under the promise that efficient broadcasting was to be provided without de- ( lay. However, there is now something more definite than the promises of politicians to go on, and we can all look forward eagerly to the reception cf the new service. The apparatus has been ordered from the Western Electric Company, a firm which has for some time been identuied with broad-. casting both in England and the U.S.A. The microphones used at many of the| large broadcasting stations in England were developed by Western Electric engineers. The important features of these microphones is the steel diaphragm of extreme thinness (about that of a cigarette paper) which is stretched under considerable strain in a heavy metal frame, contact being made with carbon granules on either side. The particular virtue of this instrument is that it is free from reson ance up to a pitch of several thousands per second, and consequently it will produce even the highest notes of a soprano without blurring. One of the earliest broadcasting stations in England was erected by the Western Electric Company at Birmingham, where it did excellent service for some time. In addition to this the parent company operates several stations in the U.S.A. it will thus be seen that the apparatus ordered for New Zealand should prove to be of a very high class, and capable of giving good service. From the published particulars it will be seen that the power of the stations to be erected in Auckland and Wellington will be 500 watts in the aerial. It should be noticed particularly that this is the output rating and not the input. The station at present operating in Dunedin, 4YA, is rated at 500 watts input, which is roughly one third of the rated input of the new stations. Other things being equal it should follow that the new stations will be considerably louder than 4YA. It is to be expected also that the quality of the transmissions will be vastly improved, since with the increase of interest which will follow the improvement in the stations, there will be an increase in the revenue, which will provide increased funds for programme expenses. We consider, however, that there is still considerable ground for complaint in regard to the license question. Until an effective crystal service is provided for the whole country it is obviously inequitable to charge the same license fee to everyone. Compare for example a listener in Wanganui with one in Auckland. The Auckland man can get excellent loudspeaker result* on two valves, with little or no interference from static or howlers. The Wanganui man, however, requires at least four valves to get anything like recent loudspeaker working, and he is greatly troubled with both static and Howlers. Is it in the slightest degree equitable that he should pay the same license fee as the Auckland man? It may be suggested that the license fee is the same all over England and Scot land, and it should be remembered that there the service is effective on the crystal for nearly ninety per cent, of the listeners, and furthermore the fee is only 10s and not £1 10s. It may also be suggested that wireless is a luxury, and those who can afford to purchase receiving sets will not complain at paying the license fee. We consider this argument quite unreasonable, as wireless has become almost a household necessity in Great Britain and America. We think it may safely be said that in a taw years’ time the farmers of this country will look upon their wireless sets as quite indispensable utilities. We hope that before long the Government will seriously consider the adoption of a zoning system for license fees, so that the country dwellers will receive more equitable treatment. What is the use of the parrot cry “Back to the land,” if when the people get on the land they are penalised in every way? Putting In A Set. The following description of the Lar rowing time spent by a now chum at wireless may interest those who have been through the same ordeal. ‘•The afternon the local wireless expert put up my aerial was one of the wettest I have ever known. We stuck at it (and in it) for a couple of hours in the pouring rain (and the mud), until we were wet through. I had to lend the expert an old suit to put on while his own was drying in the kitchen. After a meal, we connected up and switched on. The expert took the phones and the novices sat round him expectantly. “Shush!” said the expert, and we shushed. We were dying to hear what he was hearing, but the only answer was “Shush!’ Half an hour went by. Three quarters. An hour. Nothing but a frantic twiddling of the knobs anti a muttering of many shushes. Then the great man’s face lit up. He was connected to the accumulator. “Ah.” hr said, “got it :.t last.” And then came a ravage “Shush” Io the question “What?” Deathly silence for a whole minute.

Then, turning to us with satisfaction written all over his face, our expert remarked: “I’ve just heard Big Ben strike the hour.” “Nay, my boy, 1 don’t think you have,” said I to him. “That was little Ben, our hall clock, but he does sound rather like his illustrious namesake!”

Audibility Numbers. Quite frequently we are asked for details of the number system of indicating the strength of signals. The following table is that adopted by amateurs almost all over the world. R 1 Signals weak and not readable. R2. Dots and dashes just readable. R 3. Readable. R 4. Signals easily read if interference is slight. R 5. Clearly readable. R 6. Comfortably readable. R 7. Strong signals. RB. Very strong signals. R 9. Exceptionally strong signals. This table was originally compiled for telegraphy, but is now commonly used for telephony also. It may be said that it is difficult to judge the ciass into which any given signal will fall, but it is difficult to devise a better system unless elaborate measuring instruments are used. It is a case of half a loaf being better than no bread. A Cure For Howlers. A number of famous men in England were asked recently to suggest appropriate punishments to be meted out to the howler brigade. The reply from Compton Mackenzie, the famous novelist, is worth noting. “I have never yet had the good fortune to listen in without hearing the hideous sounds to which you allude. If this is caused by oscillators J can imagine no punishment sufficiently unpleasant for them, and if when all oscillators are 'exterminated I shall be able to listen to music unaccompanied by these hideous noises, why, then perhaps I shall like wireless as well as I do the gramophone. Meanwhile, as an outsider, may I suggest that you catch an oscillator, torture him slowly, and broadcast his shrieks of agony during the children’s hour as a warning to the young of this generation. It is dreadful to think of all the little oscillators that are being trained every evening to oscillate.” General Notes. Last week we congratulated '2BR on getting into communication with a Ist district U.S.A. amateur. Since then 2BR has been much further afield, and has worked an Italian amateur, lAS, on several occasions. Through the courtesy of another local amateur we were able to hear 2BR about 5.30 one evening get into touch with lAS and work him for some time. The remarkable point about the performance was the comparative weakness of 2BR \s signals. Jt was difficult indeed to realise that the messages we were hear >g were- at the same time being picked /p in Italy. The Italian ham reported the signals as K 5, which by reference to the table given above, will be seen to mean “clearly readable.” 2BR was using only one 5 watt tube at the time with 400 volts on the plate, so that his feat must be something of a record. We may say that the signals from lAS were heard by us on a small inside aerial and counterpoise, the set being a two valve Armstrong, detector and one stage of audio. We learn that the Tost and Telegraph Department is taking steps to

convert the Auckland station VLA from spark to continuous wave. This change will be very much welcomed by amateurs.in the Auckland district, who are greatly troubled by jamming from We notice that 2BL’s transmissions have been much weaker during the past few evenings. Have other amateurs noticed thus? This station is changing over to a new site, and perhaps is a little disorganised at present. We hope he soon comes back as he is easily the best station on the ether so far as we are concerned. Answers To Correspondents. “A.H.8.,” Marton. Sorry your letter was not in time for last week’s notes. You ask what type of set is becoming the most popular. We consider the Armstrong regenerative is easily the most popular set at present and is likely to remain so for some time. As to the most efficient type of valve, we consider the dull emitter is easily in the front, except for detection. The most efficient detectors are soft valves such as the Phillips detector, the Expanse B, the Audiotron and one or two others. These valves are hard to procure. however, ami wo recommend dull emitters throughout fur all round working . The extra efficiency gained by using a soft detector is counteracted by the much more critical adjustment required. As regards the four electrode valve, we do not think this will replace the three electrode valve for some time. It is really as yet only in the experimental stage and very few arc in use in New Zealand.