Listen In!

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 31, 6 February 1935, Page 10

Listen In!

H NOTES AND PROGRAMMES (By “Detector.”}

Background of Chinese Music. 2FC has been relaying grand opera lately from Fuller’s theatre. One night on which Asiatic stations came in unusually early there was a strong background of Chinese pipe music (from Nankin), for “Madame Butterfly. ’ ’ Signal Strength. Delayed automatic volume control is the most modern method of maintaining signal strength at a more or less uniform level and thus minimising fading on distant stations. In delayed automatic volume control the action of the control is retarded until the. signal strength has reached a certain level. By this additional refinement there is no automatic volume control when weak signals are being received and thus on very weak signals the receiver operates at its maximum sensitivity. In the earlier types of automatic volume control this was not so and in consequence receivers so equipped were somewhat lacking in distance getting. As an additional convenience several makes of re reivers, mostly of eight or more valves, arc equipped with a noise suj>p>ns.-i"n system. This does not suppress noise but enables the operator to so adjus‘l the receiver that it. is as sensitive as is desirable without being so much so as to bring in unwanted noise. Thus in localities where 'there is little extraneous electrical disturbance Ihe eeiver can be set very finet.v and in other localities where the “back ground” noise is loud and annoying the set is left permanently adjusted so that these noises are not. troublesome. World's Oldest Announcer. The senior announcer at. Budapest, Mr. Scherz, and probably the oldest announcer in the world, has retired. He was originally employed bv the Hungarian Telephone News Society which broadcast programmes tn listeners by landline in pre-war days. After 25 years before the microphone Mr. Scherz’s voice has finally given way and he is now acting as lil.uarian for the Budapest. Broadcasting Cum pany.

A New Valve. A still further development in valVe construction has been made in the 1 new eight element tube which has been designed for use as a combined oscil Jator detector for superheterodyne receivers. The valve is final in its construction and functions and has one plate, six grids and a cathode. It is daimed that the new series is decidedly quieter in operation 'than the 2A7 or 6F7 and is more sensitive and easier to keep “in line.” The valve is at present undergoing further tests and experimentation, but, will shortly be available. JI. will no*t. be interchangeable, ercept alterations are affected, in the components and circuit with the older septodes. Decrease in Licences. According to the latest returns supplied by the Post and Telegraph Department, a slight decrease in the total number of radio licences is noticeable. The figures for October 31 arc below those for September. The present totals are as follows: Receivers, 139,380; dealers. 1117; transmitting, <803; experimental, 3; free, 311; broadcasting, 26; making a grand total of 141,640. Complaints About IYA. Since the Henderson transmitter has bad its power output increased, there have been complaints about ’the room it takes up on the receiver dials and alsu about its powerful harmonic just

“below” lZM t states the New Zealand Herald. The engineers who installed the plant are very busy endeavouring to rectify both these defects and they have the transmitter

“on the air” a good many extra hours each week testing. Listeners will certainly expect the wave of 'the new station to be 10 kilocycles wide and very little more, as many will wish, as tl winter approaches, to listen on ace sions to 2FC. With alO kilocye “spread” lYA’s modulated carri would reach 655 k.c. and that of 2b 660 k.c., so that when IYA is held i the recognised limits it should be po sible for a good receiver to get. 2F without the local station chipping i Aerial Systems Experiments. Considerable experimentation wit aerial systems is being undertaken 1: the officials of the 8.8. C. station at Daventry, England, in a endeavour to give on each of the fi\ separate transmissions the maxima: in volume and clarity with a minimu: of surging. Short-wave listene should note that changes in wav lengths are also being made. At tl present time there is a change in tl middle of the programme, the fir: hour of which, between 8 and 9 eac evening, is broadcast concurrently o\< GSB on 31.53 metres ami GSB, 25. metres. Between 9 ami 10, howeve the wave-lengths are G-SD. 25.;“ metres, and GSF, 19.82 metres. Tl Empire short-wave station provides e: cellent two-hour programmes eac evening at no expense to IDominio listeners. An Outstanding Exhibit. Featured in the November issue ( the “T. and R. Bulletin,” the officii organ of the Radio ’Society of Gre? Britain and the British Empire ’!adi Union, is a six-page article on “ Tri - Tet Link - Coupled, Push- -Pu Transmitter, ” from the pen of Mr. < McLeas Wilford. The writer is tl author of the invention. The ediit of the, Bulletin states: “The I ri-t( circuit forms the basis of this ver modern transmi titer, and by a novel a rangement either crystal or master o eillator control may be used. It thereby possible to operate on a fixe crystal frequency in four amatei bands, or on any predetermined fi quency in Jive bands. Link coiiplin between stages ami a push-pull fin: amplifier contribute, towards makin this one of the most efficient transmi tors yet described in this journal. Th equipment was an outstanding exhib on the society’s stand at Olympia la: August.” Mr. Wilford is a. son of S Thomas Wilford. ex-High Commi sinner for Now Zealand. He is an <d boy of Wellington College, and is a engineer attached Io |hp staff of 11' Central Electric Board, Birmingham.

Man-made Static. America has launched an offensive against man-made s'tatic. The Institute of Radio Engineers, in collaboration with the Radio Manufacturers’ Association, is calling a committee of outstanding radio scientists to attack , the problem. The major effort will be to induce electrical equipment manufacturers to fit proper shielding devices in apparatus turned out from the factories. Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, the well-known engineer, has been designated chairman. One committee member will be provided by each of the following:—Federal Com munications Commission, Bureau of {Standards, Edison Electrical Institute. American Radio Relay League. Radio Branch of Department of Marine, Dominion of Canada, National Association of Broadcasters, Electrical Testing Laboratories, Institute of Radio Engineers, and the Society of Automo t i ve. Enginee r s. New Schedule. The New Zealand Broadcast mg Board will introduce the revised programme schedule, drafted at the recent conference of programme organ isers. on I’ridax. March I. The main olijcci uf (he now. schedule is Io pi" vide centraslitig types of programmes ••ach e\oning from the main stations, land to have a definite contras! in | types as well the main sin Linns and the auxiliary slati'ms. Re lays by < hrislchurch 'Io and from Dim-j edit, are to be eliminated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but will be continned on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays of pji'h month. Christchurch [will relay to Dunedin -me mouth, ami I Dunedin to Christ church the following month. Sunday programmes in Christchurch are to undergo some ro-arrange-nienl. Symphonic music will be moved from the second to (he third Sunday of the. month, ami operatic excerpts from the third Io the fourth. On the second Sunday o f the month, dramatic recitals and band music will be intro duced. ;: :; : i Controversy in South. In the South there has been a. further outbreak of controversy on the merits and demerits of the various types of music and on the allocation of times and hours of the YA stations isays (he New Zealand Herald.) Both sections appear to have overlooked the fact that i't is a function of the

Broadcasting Board to steer a middle course, and to award “lune on the air' as evenly as possible, according to the desires of listeners. Obviously, with such a wide variation in tastes prevailing, no individual can expect every programme Io be just to his liking. With the advent, shortly, of co ordinated programmes there should be fewer complaints. Most listeners look to radio for entertainment and will resent any obvious efforts at musical education through the concert programmes. Jf beauty lies in 'the eyes of the beholder, it is no less true that musical appreciation .is in the ears of the listener. “Indiscriminate Listening.’> In an address broadcast al the official opening of IVA the chairman of the Advisory Council to the Broadcasting Board. Mr. ,1. H. Owen, referring

to criticism of programmes, remarked that he was convinced that most complaints arose from what he termed ts “indiscriminate listening.” As was e pointed out in this column last week, 11 it. is the quality of many of the re(l cords played and the monotonous re’f petition uf the same, 'that annoys most il * complaining listeners. Here is an ex1 ‘ ample: Un Wednesday morning last, at *’ 7.5*2, IVA was playing a record ene' titled ‘‘Round the World Medley” by - r the Savoy Orpheans. Being heartily s sick of this piece, the writer switched ’■ over to 2YA. only to Jimi that 2Y.A. 1 ‘ at precisely the same time, was playy ing the same piece. Worse was to l'<d- ’’ low. IYA then played “f’olly Wolly ’’ (Doodle” (wo have heard it before). e Believe it o* not. 2YA played it, too. ’*■ It was not a question of changing the record over, because the two discs 0 were made by different manufacturers. i. A New Home. Station IYX will shortly be removed from the top of Lewis Eady's h building to a room in 'the new IYA studios in Shortland Street. The mast c having been erected on top of the n studio building and the aerial being e already in position, the change-over n will be made on Saturday night week. n after that day’s broadcast. Working ■ s all night and on the following day. the mechanics will have 'the transmitel ter in operation again by Sunday evene 1 in S ‘I :: :: :: From London To-night. Sir James Parr. High Commissioner fur New Zealand in London, is to broadcast a New Zealand Day speech ' from (he Empire shortwave station at Daventry at 9 p.m. (New Zealand l ( time) to-night. The talk will be rebroadcast, conditions permitting, by all the New Zealand national stations. Sporting Broadcasts. New Zealand daily: Sporting results f (if any): 2YA. 3.0, 4.0; IYA, 3.15, I 4.30; 3YA, 4.30; 4YA, 3.45, 4.45. All 4 YA stations between 7.0 and 8.0. 0 Australian: 3DB, 8.0; 3A R, 8.35; \ 2FC, 8.40 (Sat. 8.10 and 12.15); SCL, I 9.5; 4QG, 9.10 (Tuesday ami Salurf. day). r Tonight. * 2BL. 9.20; J. V. Menibrey will speak v on “Hard-court Tennis.” Tomorrow Night. | ' 'J.2'i; Charles Lucas will speak mt i I‘ l Boxing ami Wrestling. ” 1 3\R. 9.0: Sporting session. ducted b\ Wallace Sharlaiid. Selrc lions will be given by raring experts h f<>r the Williamstown races. ’ Saturday. - 3\ A. I p.m. (approx.): Relay from I I’iccarton Racecourse of Canterbury ii Jockey ('tub's summer meeting. c 2BL. 0.30; W. Oldfield wil] speak on •■The Tests of T.i:*. I.”

Blamed for Small Attendances. Opposition to the broadcast of “ball , to ball” descriptions of Sheffield 1 Shield cricket matches in Australia was recently expressed by cricket authorities in Melbourne, because they were blamed for lower attendances. The absence of the “Big Three’’— Bradman, McCabe and O’Reilly—from one game, was advanced in Sydney as the principal reason for reduced attendances. After the war, and before radio carried big cricket into the home, attendances at shield games were as high as 4<),000, whereas the biggest crowd in one day during the last series was 12,000. Some members of the \ iclorian (.Ticket Association hold the view that a certain amount of broadcasting is beneficial, such as the scores at luncheon and the scores and a resume of the play at tea. The large majority arc opposed to the “ball to ball” descriptions, which are keeping people away. Radio Repair Service. Make use of our Radio Repair Service. Radio is our specialty, therefore bring your repairs to the firm who specialise in this work. All and any classes of sets repaired. Valves may oe the cause of poor reception, so bring them in, and wo will test them free. — D. A. Morrison and Co., Avenue/ Erection of Aerials. Within the next few months regulations will be gazetted governing I lit' erection of aerials. I't was the intentios of the I’ublic Works Depart men’, to embody this in an amendment to the Public Works Act. It'll, but the departmen'l was prevailed upon Io re ••onsider this, and novv it is intended that the regulations will be brought down l»v <)]'l<;' in-( onncil. If is the intention at presen-l Io make these regulations much more rigid than those operating at present Special provision will be made governing the minimum distance from power lines for Ihr erection of aerial masts, 'the length of aerial used, and also the type of erec•lion to provide for windage stress. \ls<» the standard of all materials used in the erection of masts and nrrials w ill 1m nrrividpd for in the re