Liisten In!

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 140, 16 June 1932, Page 10

Liisten In!

*' NOTES AND PROGRAMMES

(By

“Detector.")

6000 Efforts. More than 6000 efforts at solutions of the music-lovers’ competitions conducted in the four centres have been sent in. The results are anticipated this week. All Blacks' Tcui. The chief Rugby football matches playe-1 by the New Zealanders in New South Wales, those against the .State, and the first, and third Tests, will be described through 2ME and rebroad cast by each of the four YA stations. Devotional Service. 2YA, Wellington now undertakes a short devotional service at the commencement of each morning session. The innovation was agreed to on the recommendation of the local Church committee, which is co-operating in arranging the taking of this brief service. Lang and Wireless. One of Mr. Lang’s headmen, Mr Voight, who is chairman of* the Trades Hall (2KY) Committee, declares that there is no need for A stations in Australia. and that the license fee should be reduced to 10s. The A stations, he says should be taken over by the Government, and used not for entertainment, but for the purposes of Govern-, meat Departments. New South Wales is getting more like the Soviet every day. End of A.B.C. This month marks the close of the Australian Broadcasting Company regime in Australia. The plan of “tendered programmes,’* much lauded at its inception, has not justified all expectations. and listeners in New Zealand, as well as those in the Commonwealth, will be interested to note the changes that occur when the State itself, per medium of a board, takes over complete con 4 rol of broadcasting on July 1. Wiring Regulations. The radio wiring regulations are to be gazetted this week, but at the time of writing are not available for comment. It is forecast that the regulations will place some definite and needed restriction upon tho manufacture and sale of sets, marketing being forbidden unless they comply definitely with condition laid down. There will also be a provision that no person shall continue to use any radio apparatus which fails to comply with the regulations. This will place upon the owner the responsibility of seeing that his installation complies in every way with the mandates of'the regulations. Actually, such conditions exist to-day, but they are very much honoured in the breach. It is likely that there will b , considerable activity in the alteration of power-point connections -.and even aerial arrangements, when listeners realise the full purport of the demands made upon them. A fine of £5 can be imposed for breaches of the regulations after their gazetting. Broadcasting Board’s Policy. One may expect that, with a definite revenue assured for the next twelve month and the report of the Coverage Commission shortly to be delivered, the Broadcasting Board will soon give some indication of the policy it intends to pursue in the future. It is hard to imagine, however, the manner in which certain important aspects of this policy can be formulated until tho hoard has a permanent head whose advice on future developments will be sought, and followed within financial limits. The questionnaire, now in course of official analysis, will give considerable guidance on non-teehnical matters, but the board is under a handicap in having no really qualified director of radio entertainment to formulate from the analysis, not only what the listeners want, but the extent to which their wants can be gratified. Six months of board control have already produced some reforms and improvements, for which listeners are uo doubt grateful, but they have not marked a new epoch, in broadcasting—and that is what listeners are awaiting. They have given the board surprisingly good financial support, and, while they do not expect wonders in return, many feel they are entitled to know, and know soon, what reforms are coming. Among the Amateurs. The average radio listener is not aware of the excellent service rendered by amateur operators. When first granted limited wavebands it was with tho thought that they were consigned to frequencies which .were useless for commercial purposes. With the exit of the old-time spark and the advent of the valve, the amateurs quickly proved that great distances could be covered with inexpensive outfits. The crowding of the commercial bands by wireless telegraph interests resulted in the shorter wavelengths being taken for general purposes, and amateurs had a hard fight to keep limited parts of the useful bands formerly exclusively used by them. This fight is still going on, and now amateurs are experimenting on the ten and five metre waves, though it is more correct to state that they have shown what can be done on ten metres and are now proving the worth of the five metro spectrum. Recent reports show that very successful results have been achieved on the 56 megacycle frequency band (five metres) Trans-Tasman Reception. r, ’he following table, compiled by our regular Wanganui East contributor, •hows the relative signal strengths at which the main Australian stations were received at 10 p.m. for the week ended Tuesday:— Signal Strength. Station. (Max. R-10) 2FC, Sydney .. .. .. 10 2CK, Adelaide 9 2BL, Sydney ....... 9 4Q(i, Brisbane ...... 8 Cotowa . .... s 2GB, Sydney ...... S '’AR. .viol bourne .... 7 3LO, Melbourne .... 7 2NC, Newcastle .. .. 7 7ZL, Hobart 6 4RK, Rockhampton OH 5 2CH. Sydney _ 4 5' I. Adelaide 9 ‘

Huge Revenue. The British Broadeasting Company’s nut revenue, which. Is derived from wireless licenses, has exceeded the previous year’s figure by over £200,000. The number of licensed wireless listeners at the end of the year was 4.330,732, an increase of 718,825 in the year. Interesting Talks. The Rugby talks by Mark Nicholls every Saturday evening are proving very popular. f; Mark’s” talks are quite interesting, and whether the listener is a follower of Rugby or not, attention is held until the finish. Power-Line Leakages. There have been continuous complaints from listeners during the past few months regarding the interference with reception of power-line leaks. Un fortunately, there is no real remedy for this interference trouble—none, that is, that is available to the ordinary listener. Power boards could effect a cure in every case but, as they were in business long before radio came in, it is little wonder they look to those in control of radio activities to recompense them for the cost of installing the devices that will cure the trouble. And onct it has been established that the cost of providing such devices is a fair charge against, the R.8.8.’s revenue, the way will be opened for a heavy drain on that revenue, with a corresponding curtailment of broadcasting activities—programmes, relays, new stations and so on. Thus, it can be seen, a question of ’policy is involved and as this subject of interference will, probably, bo dealt with in the Coverage Commission’s report (now believed to be before the board) listeners must just possess their souls in patience for a time in the hope that the announcement of the board’s policy will show an intention of dealing effectively with this most annoying (because preventable) form of in terference with broadcast reception. Unpaid License Pees. Some thirty listeners were dealt with at the Magistrate’s Court this week for not having renewed or taken out licenses. Many and varied were the excuses, but they had no case for they received ample notice. For a long period, beginning well before the license fees were due, the broadcast announcers repeatedly reminded listeners of the necessity for paying their fees so often, in fact, that many people thought it was overdone; and holders of current licenses were circularised by the P. and T. Department before March 31, with a straight-forward reminder of the expiry of the license and the need for its renewal. Is Your Set 0.K.? Make use of our Radio Repair Service. Radio is our speciality, therefore bring your repairs to the firm who specialise in this work. All and any classes of seta repaired. Valves may Le the cause of poor reception, so bring them in, and we will test them, free.— D. A. Morrison and Co.. Avenue.* A.C. Hum. There are several causes of hum in an A.C. receiver which are not due to want of sufficient filtering. Sometimes resonance of the cabinet or chassis is responsible. Occasionally it has been found that a transformer (power) is not tightly clamped, and then again, even when tight enough, vibration will be communicated to the chassis, and the remedy is the use of rubber cushions under the transformer. A particular table upon which a set was resting has been known to cause a disagreeable hum, which has ceased with the shifting of the receiver. Changing the location of a set to another room and the use of very long leads from the mains is another cause, but this is against the regulations, as the length of the leads must be kept . to a proper minimum. :: :: it } Metres and Kilocycles. The word kilocycle means thousand rings. To find the number of kilocycles for a given wavelength, divide the wavelength in metres into 300,000, when the result will give the number of kilocycles corresponding to that particular wavelength. By dividing a given number of kilocycles into 300,000 the wavelength in metres will I be shown in the result, e.g., by dividing 21.32 metres into 300,000, and ignoring the remainder, we get 14,07.1 kilocycles; obviously, by dividing 14,07.1 into 300.000 the result will be 21.32 metres, also ignoring the remainders. In respect of the higher wavelengths the kilocycles will be very much fewer, tho division, therefore, is taken to three decimal places e.g., by dividing 8.231 metres into 300,000 we get 36.447 kilocycles; by removing the decimal point we have 36,447 cycles or rings. N.Z. Radio Industry Growing. Manufacture of radio receivers is growing apace, particularly in Auckland, which i.s now finding an exten sive market in Southern centres as 1 well as in the city and province. One local factory has turned out no less than 1200 sets in the last four months. An average output of 300 per month from one factory i.s sufficient to show that the locally-built set has now got a strong hold upon public favour. The general opinion of purchasers of New Zealand-made sets is that they are in every way all that can be wished for, and there i.s no complaint regarding j the faithfulness of both material land workmanship in them. Presuming that 1000 New Zealand manufac[tnred sets are now being turned out | monthly t hroughout, the Dominion, it | may be safe to assert that a sum approaching £25,000 is now being ex pended in New Zealand on receivers locally made. Mere it not for public '-upport of the industry a great propor tion of this amount would find its way overseas, whereas only about 20 per cent, of the cost goes abroad, for valves and other parts not yet capable of local production on an economic

The Empire Broadcaster. ■Small wooden masts from 60 to 80 feet high will be used for the aerial circuit of the Empire wireless station at. Daventry, says a message to hand by this mail. In all there will be seventeen aerials, eleven to be of the reflector type and focused for transmitting beam-like waves in spec)lie directions. Six different wavelengths will eventually be used: 14. 17. 20, 25.6. 32 and 48 metres. It is anticipated that the station will be completed before the end of this year, and that it. will be able to commence operations l-y broadcasting Christmas greetings to | all. parts of the Empire. Valve Rated at 600 h.p. A British firm has manufactured a \alve which is rated at no less than half a million watts, or nearly 600 horse-power. Lt is said that any skilled engineer can dis-assemble the tube with a spanner or two, remove anv damaged clement, such as a filament, and have everything in going order again in two hours. There are about ten filaments, each with a grid, and 'he plate, is of steel. The water-cool-ing problem alone was a considerable task, but has been successfully overcome. There is no glass in the bulb, which is of metal. According to reports a continuous pumping system is employed to keep the degree of exhaustion correct, when the valve is in use. SOMETHING NEW IN RECORDS ■A type of gramophone records recently arrived at popularity is on the eve of reaching the public market in New Zealand. It. is a light, thin, flexible, and very durable record, consisting of a thin layer of very hard smooth composition on one side of a Ihin card base. So thin and light is it that half a dozen weigh no more than one standard record, and a large number can easily, be carried with a portable machine. The coating is so hard that it will stand an astonishing amount of abuse without damage, and the records are thus eminently fitted to stand the ■ough. treatment by which frequent '•parties” usually soon deface the ordinaiy kind. The mechanical properties of the “dnriuin” surface moreover enable the record to be made with its grooves much closer together than usual, as the intervening walls are not easily broken down by the needle. Eajh record, though coated only on one side, carries two tunes of the ordinary length with a brief interval between them. The smooth surface keeps noise at a low level, and the recorded, as indicated by a sample, is excellent. Any ordinary needle can be used. It appears that the Durium Products Company, which has its headquarters and work., at Slough, Buckinghamshire, intends to specialise in popular music, played by the best orchestras, and the records should bo very popular among lovers of dance music. THE NEW REGULATIONS SAFEGUARDING RADIO. Amateur builders of radio sets and people without electrical knowledge \>ho undertake installations will have to scrutinise their handiwork closely to satisfy themselves that they are not now liable to a fine of £5. Regulations designed to prevent accidental electric shocks and to eliminate the fire hazard were gazetted this week at Wellington, and the penalty named is provided for breaches. The new ordinance comes into force immediately, and radio sets already in use must be brought up to standard. Ordinary wet or dry battery apparatus is not affected, but. in addition to laying down safety specifications for 11 ail-electric’’ sets, the regulations cover battery chargers, battery eliminators, and other devices which are connected with the direct or alternating current mains. Bare Metal Staples. The regulations require that all ‘‘live” parts of receiving or transmitting sets which normally work at more than .100 volts shall be adequately insulated so that accidental personal contact is impossible. Several restrictions are imposed on the use of flexible cable or cord for connecting radio sets with power points. Bare metal staples must not be used to fasten the cord to a wall or ceiling, and the user of a set will be liable to a penalty if flexible cord, when fastened, is not supported with insulated screw eyes or other adequate insulators. It is an offence to join lengths of cord without an insulated coupling. Receiving sets may not be earthed to gas pipes or to pipes conveying hot water. Most people are familiar with the slight heating which occurs in some of the units in electric sets, and the regulations aim to prevent the con struction of apparatus which becomes unduly warm. In this respect various technical limits are specified, and the working temperature of resistances and transformers must not exceed 176 degrees F. when the atmospheric temperature is at 90 degree F. This, and further portions of the regulations which deal glibly with microfarads, reactances, condensers, and “a test pressure of 500 volts, root-inean-square value, alternating current.” will convey nothing to many radio users, but the onus is on the user to make sure he has not gut a dangerous instrument. Care Needetl When Purchasing. It is now an offence to sell any apparatus which does not comply with regulations, and while the purchaser need not worry in buying any reputable or substantially advertised

radio set, it will be wise to investigate the credentials of any vendor who assembles sets as a hobby. The established manufacturing firms are all known to the Government radio in Spectors, and inquiry will soon settle any doubts as to whether a sc/ is approved. Although not on the market commercially, certain sets made by skilled radiotricians may satisfy I hr regulations in every respect. In spite of the safety which the regulations seek to ensure, it is a very wise precaution to touch no internal parts of an electric set until the plug or adaptator is withdrawn from the mains. An instance of danger which may arise through inexperienced wprk on radio circuits is found in a fatal it } which occurred in Sydney about a fortnight ago. A 14-year-old boy was electrocuted while standing on an iron roof and grasping an aerial. The faulty connecting of an eliminator had electrified the aerial with the 240 volt current. TO-DAY’S PROGRAMMES. Following are th* prorammei of Australian and Naw Zealand ' ation* scheduled for to-day. In the case of Aiintraliaa rati on i» Australian time i« ifiven in each (netance which ia one and a-half hour* behind that of New Zealand.— 2ZK. WANGANUI. (500 Metres). Operates every evening from 7 p.m. till s p m. There are no transmissions on Saturday or Sunday. IYA. AUCKLAND. (875 Kilocycles). 12.15: Selected recordings. 12.30; Relay of Mid-day Service from St. Matthew' Church. 3.0: Selected recordings. Home Science Talk. 4.30: Sports results and close down. 5.0; Children's hour. 6.0: Dinner music session. 7.0: News and reports. 7.30: W.E.A. Session—H. C. Recroft, M.A.. "Psychology To-day—'The Great Mystery’ S.O: Chimes. Recording, Band Garde Republicaine, France. 8.9: Soprano, Valerie Peaencke. 8.16: Recording (organ). Ixjslie Harvey. 8.19: March, Selection, IYA Chamb r Orchestra, 8.28: Baritone. Robert G. Sim-

8.34: Piano, Phyllis Graham. 8.39: I'wo sketches, the Orchestra. 8.46: Recording (Yodellingl, George van Dusen. Soprano, Valerie Peacocke. 8.55: Recording. 8.8. C. Wireless Military Band. 9.1: Weather forecast and notices. 9.3: Talk. A. B. Chappell, M.A.. ‘‘Byways of N.Z. Story." 918: The Orchestra. 9.26: Recording. Charles Coburn anti Company. 9.34: Piam.* Phyllis Graham. 9.40: Baritone. Robert G. Sunniers. 9.46: Recording, Billy Leonard and Company. 9.54: Tho Orchestra. 2YA WELLINGTON. (720 Kilocycles). 1O.O: Selected recordings. 10.30: DevoLonal service. Lecturette. “Cooku g ‘i. L , I1:{7: Lecturette, Reresentative I lietilth Department, "Health Hints." 12.0Lunch music. 2.0: Selected recordings. 3.15LeeturAte. Mis, J. F. Meadows. - A Talk About Dismtcctinß." 3.30 and 4.30: Sis.rt, results. 5.0: Childrens session. 6.0: Pinni'lß'r session. 7.0: News and reports. 7 30: W.E.A. Session. Professor W. H. G‘>i‘l<l. "Development and Education—The I hinl Seven Years." Ji.o : Prwentation of Revuedevtlle." by the Wellington (»|x>rati. end theatrical Society, relayed from the Ha'l'l"" 1 Chan,ber ot 11,11 Wellington IV>wn 3YA. CHRiSTCHVRCH. 'OSO Kilocycles!. Gramophone recital. 3.15; TaffMiss 1, I'. Meadows, s.n: Children’s session. (>.O: Dinner music session. 7.0: News and i reports. 7.30: Talk, under auspices of N.Z. Forestry League. Chas. E. Foweraker. “Forestry. s.O: Concert programme of gramophone recordings. 4YA. DUNEDIN. (650 Kilocycles). 4QG. BRISBANE. (760 Kilocycles). ’6 p.m.: Music; shipping news, efe. KIBI < hildren s session. 6.45: Market and weather i reports. 7.0: Studio music. 7.23: ‘cwn service. 7.30: Talk arranged by Agricultural j Department. 7.45: Sporting notes; must*, time signals. ■'‘•o: A bright programme the Regnant I heat re. Southport. 10.0: I Final News Bulletin. 10.15: Slumber tunes. 11.0: Close down. 2FC. SYDNET. (451 M«tr»B.» 5.45 p.m • session. 6 4’: Ths A BC. Orchestra. 7.20: Sporting and news items. S.O. Studio concert programme 281., SYDNET. (353 Metres.) 6.16: Dance music. 7.5: C-entry a*>Mioa i i 50: Danes music. 6.0: Studio concert pro* gramme.