Listen Him!

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 198, 21 August 1929, Page 10

Listen Him!

NOTES AND PROGRAMMES (By “Detector.”!

Conditions generally are very favourable for distant reception and on some evenings listeners with good multi-valve sets have been raking in some good logs of overseas stations.

2BL, Sydney, put »n an exciting wrestling match on Monday evening. The relay was so clear that at times the deep breathing of the wrestlers could be distinctly heard.

The local station, 2ZK, was heard very well on Sunday evening when a programme of popular musical items was put over the air. To-night at 2ZK a number of local children will give items at the children’s session which commences at 6.45 p.m.

Doubtless in another few months listeners who have only recently purchased a receiver will be thinking their sets are failing when D.X. stations that roar in at present can be heard only with difficulty. These listeners need not be alarmed. It is only the variation of atmospheric conditions with the seasons, Reception conditions at present at at a maximum.

According to Mr Robertsop, acting secretary of the P. and T. Department, a New Zealand lady recently requested his department to transmit a radio message to Mars. The message was accepted, paid for, and transmitted, but so far, no acknowledgement of its reception has been sent from our neighbouring planet.

The voice of complaint regarding programmes is likely to be raised again in no small volume if current conditions continue. We seem to be drifting back into the old sterotype mediocrity of programme which in the past was such a stumbling block to the extension of listening facilities in the Dominion. Australia felt this condition arising, and took heroic measures to remedy it. New Zealand has faced the problem only spasmodically. Some of the spasms, such as the Maori Pageant, etc., have been highly appreciated—as spasms. Majestic’s New Model.

Last year the tremendous Majestic organisation manufactured nearly two million Majestic Model 71 Receivers, over two thousand' of which were sold in New Zealand in three months. This outstanding record can only be beaten by the New and Mightier Monarch of thg Air Majestic. American and Japanese stations roll in like locals on the new Model 91 Majestic Set just released from the factory. An entirely new principal of power detection has been applied, and this, combined with four tuned stages of radio frequency makes Majestic again the leader for 1930. This has been applied in preference to fitting screenfed-grid stages as in its present form the screened-grid valve is not as satisfactory as the 227 type and is about half the cost for replacement.* A Cave Concert. It is announced that the Radio Broadcasting Company is making arrangements, in conjunction with the Tourist Department, for the broadcast of a concert from the Waitomo Caves. It is intended that the concert shall be performed inside one of the caves,,which are, of course, noted for their acoustic effects, and relayed by land line to IYA Auckland. The unique event is scheduled for September 20.

The drastic reductions made in church service broadcasts by thg directors of the new Australian broadcasting service have not pleased Sydney and Melbourne ministers. The plan of the directors was to give the best . programmes in the week on Sunday nights, but leading ministers have unreservedly condemned the new arrangement. Only one service will be broadcast from Sydney and one from Melbourng in the evening instead of one from each station, as in the past.

A Service Department. Make use of our Radio Repair Service. We specialise in Radio Repairs. Battery sets converted into all-electric. Bring your set in for an annual overhaul. Valves tested free of chargg. Visit Radio Specialties Ltd. who have the best equipped radio laboratory in New Zealand.* The Dinner Music. The 6-7 p.m. dinner music session instituted by 2YA has proved a very welcome addition to the New Zealand broadcasts during this winter. At a recent function in Wellington the general manager of the Broadcasting Company stated that the company was anxious to extend the existing service and to introduce as soon as possible dinner sessions of music at Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Just as soon as the company could see its way to introduce the dinner sessions at the other stations, it would do so. said Mr Harris.

On behalf of the Wellington radio trade, Mr C. J. Ralph has made a plija for the issue of a receiving license which shall have a currency of one year from the date of its issue. This system is operative in Australia where it seems to work most satisfactorily, and the only opposition to its inauguration here is possible from the P. and T. Department, which may find administrative difficulties in the way. Certainly it would be better from many points of view to have a regular monthly flow arid ebb of licenses than to have that most depressing flop which has come during the last two years after March 31—financially a most awkward date to make demands for license fees.

Engineers of WGY, Schenectady, announce that they have taken part in an interesting experiment. While they wore listening at Schenectady to a programme from the British Broadcasting Company in London, being relayed by PHI, Holland, the short-wave station of the General Electric Company picked up the rebroadcast, and put it on the air. Engineers of the 8.8. C. picked up the American broadcast, and put it on the air from SSW, Chelmsford, from whence it was once again received in America. The time taken for the series of three relays only amounted to one twenty-fifth of a second from the time of the first broadcast from London.

There would seem to be little connection between rabbitskins and broadcasting, but a correspondent of an Australian paper considers that the broadcasting authorities have grossly neglected the important rabbitskin market. "It is," he claims, “a peculiar thing, that for all the rabbitskins sold and their value 2FC and 2BL do not give the people in the country who are interested in this industry more particulars of the sales and announce them more often." Which all goes to show the immense variety of things demanded of broadcasting and the imitations of the powers that be.

The new studio at Dunedin for 4YA is nearing completion, and the station will be officially opened in probably tbg third week in September. The new station will be equal in power to Christchurch and Auckland, and probably in operation will prove to be more efficiently workable than any of the existing stations, because of the favourable layout. The whole of the studio and transmitting apparatus is housed on the one floor, *nus conducing to adequate and easy control. A special programme is being organised for the opening night, and as Dunedin is, so far as New Zealand is concerned, the special home of the Scot, it is not unlikely that ths Scottish element will constitute a feature of that programme. This will make the occasion memorable, not only to Dunedin residents, but to those of Scottish extraction throughout the Dominion.

Very Unreasonable. A certain Sunday newspaper, the name of which I need by this time not trouble to mention, is hedging in a delightful way. It states: "It is difficult to give the reason for anything in wireless." Just to show you how true this is I will propound a few snorters. 1. Why can we not usg glass as a screen? It is an insulator, isn't it? Why does copper, a fine conductor, act as a screen? 3. Why do we earth lightning conductors to let the electricity escapp, and our sets in order to get better signals? 4. Why does a filament glow in a vacuum and a lighted taper go out if you keep tse air from it? Steady, boys!

Experts Say— Overloading the H.T. unit is one of the most prolific sources of annoying A.C. hum.

It is a good rule never to draw from an eliminator more than about half or perhaps two-thirds of its rated current output.

Always remove the H.T. negative plug from the H.T. battery before altering the wiring of the set in any way.

Do not use ordinary 22 or 24 D.C.C. wire for battery leads, as the insulation is really insufficient for this purpose. The insulation of all battery leads should be absolutely faultless and above reproach, for it should be realised that they are a source of danger to thel set if neglected. If you use an H.T. mains unit you should always switch this off when you switch th e set off, and not rely on the on-off switch of the set to break both circuits.

Faulty switches in the house lighting circuit will give rise to clicks and noises in the loud speaker, owing to sparking occurring across the dgfeeI tive points.