History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Columns/Sparks from Radioland NSW/Notes

Sparks from Radioland Column NSW - Transcriptions and notes

1920s

1923

1923 08

1923 08 12

Front page leader for "Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923

SPECIALS IN TO-DAY'S ISSUE. Those interested in Wireless will find notes of vivid quality in a new feature introduced this week — Sparks from Radio Land. These notes will be found today as an addition to the second of our special Motor pages. They are written by an expert. . . .

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (First Part)

SPARKS FROM RADIO LAND. What Broadcasting Will Mean to Australia. IS THERE DANGER OF A COMBINE? Under the above heading, the Sunday Times proposes each week to supply latest information and comment on the developments of wireless. A technical expert will conduct the articles, and will gladly furnish any information desired by experimenters. Today's contributions deal with several important matters of general interest, as well as technical tips for amateurs.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Second Part)

BROADCAST REGULATIONS. Will They Be Workable? Will the regulations to govern wireless broadcasting in Australia prove workable? Many people say they will not, and a number of Melbourne traders endeavored to induce the P.M.G. (Mr. Gibson) not to gazette them without drastic amendment. Mr. Gibson knows nothing at all about broadcasting. He admitted that in opening the recent Melbourne conference. He did the only sensible thing under the circumstances, therefore, in taking advice from those who did know something about it. Mr. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., fresh from England, and who knew the shortcomings of the system in operation there and in America, submitted to the conference a constructive scheme calculated to avoid the pitfalls that had disrupted the ranks of radio enthusiasts abroad. When the conference got up, the oppositionists woke up. They told the Minister that if the regulation allotting a certain wave length to each broadcasting station were gazetted, it would kill the business in Australia. Mr. Gibson, after reminding them that ample opportunity to suggest better regulations had been open to anyone during the conference, dissented from their views. He promised, however, if time proved the regulations needed amending, they would be amended. It may be explained that the main objection to one wavelength for each station, and a sealed set to receive the programme from that station, is that persons desiring to receive entertainments from different stations will have to purchase different licenses. Well what if they do? When a person buys a ticket for Her Majesty's Theatre, it will admit him to no other. A railway ticket for the Blue Mountains cannot be used when touring the South Coast. Or, when a phonograph is bought, the right to an unlimited supply of records does not go with it. Then why complain if the man who wants to receive programmes from six broadcasting stations has to buy a set and a license from each.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Third Part)

Amateur Transmission. Mr. J. Malone, Controller of Wireless, officially announced at a meeting of radio enthusiasts in Sydney on Monday evening last that, under the broadcasting regulations, amateur transmitters would not be interfered with. The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm. Ever since the question of framing broadcasting regulations was mooted, experimenters have been fearful lest their activities should be seriously curtailed under the altered conditions. Radio dealers and supply houses are, on the other hand, seriously perturbed at the prospect of amateur transmission being allowed to continue. Their contention is that it will interfere with the operations of broadcasting companies by lessening the demand for continuous programmes, and, incidentally, detrimentally affect the sales of sets. The dealers and other houses concerned held a meeting on Thursday last at which the matter was fully discussed. Despite the fact that a resolution requesting the P.M.G. to disallow amateur transmitting was carried by only ONE vote, a telegram embodying same was immediately despatched to Melbourne. The N.S.W. Division of the Wireless Institute of Australia, and the Society for the Improvement of Wireless in Australia held meetings almost simultaneously with the radio dealers, and despatched resolutions to Mr. Gibson urging him not to depart from his attitude of allowing amateur transmitters to carry on as at present. That is the position at the moment of writing. It is impossible to forecast Mr. Gibson's decision, but it is hardly likely that he will amend the regulations without practical proof that freedom for amateur transmitters will adversely affect the broadcasting companies. His attitude right through has been to give the regulations, as they stand, a chance to demonstrate their practicability or otherwise. In this he has been strongly supported by the Controller of Wireless, Mr. J. Malone.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Fourth Part)

Radio to Report Forest Fires. The Minister for Forests in West Australia (Mr, J. Scaddan) is wide awake to the possibilities of radio telephony for notifying outbreaks of forest fires. Thousands of acres of valuable timber are destroyed in the West each year by fire. The grim destroyer is able to gain a firm hold on the dense undergrowth, mainly because the present means of notifying an outbreak — by transport — is hopelessly out of date. The cost of establishing wireless stations at different points in the forest area is estimated at £100 each. The American Government is employing a similar method to give warning of forest fires, with marked success.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Fifth Part)

No Broadcasting Combine in Australia. A mischievous impression has been created in Sydney by certain newspaper reports that a move is on foot to establish a broadcasting combine in Australia. The names of Amalgamated Wireless, and the Commonwealth Government, have been mentioned as the arch conspirators. Careful enquiry has failed to sustain the charge. The only union between Amalgamated Wireless and the Commonwealth Government was effected over 12 months ago, for the purpose of establishing a direct wireless service between Australia and England. The fulfilment of that agreement has been held up by the delay on the part of the British Government to grant a license to private enterprise to erect a similar station in England. The Commonwealth Government is not concerned with broadcasting, other than the framing of regulations to govern it. These regulations have now been gazetted, and they will provide for free competition in the broadcasting field. Any firm, or individual, who can give a satisfactory guarantee that a reasonable service will be rendered may set up and operate a broadcasting station, or may sell apparatus. The talk of a monopoly is mischievous nonsense.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Sixth Part)

LIFEBOATS SHOULD HAVE SETS. Government's Astonishing Indifference to Wireless. If the Bruce-Page Ministry would get a hustle on and immediately ascertain the part that wireless is playing in the protection of flesh and blood at sea in other parts of the world, it would not be the subject of bitter attacks for sea tragedies such as have occurred recently. In the case of the Sumatra wreck wireless, of course, could do little or nothing in the matter of effecting a rescue, but the harrowing and tragic story relating the hardships and ordeals endured by the survivors of the Trevessa will ever stand as a monument of Governmental "go-slowism" on the part of the present Ministry. Readers are thrilled when they are proudly informed that the remarkable journey in the Trevessa's lifeboats, midst the angry seas of the Indian Ocean, compares with any other seafaring achievement recorded in British history. If the Commonwealth Government had compelled the Trevessa — and all other deepsea vessels — to instal a small wireless set in one or two lifeboats, for the use of those who are forced to abandon a sinking ship, a dozen human lives would have been saved and the survivors would have been spared the hell through which they were forced to go before being washed up on the friendly shores of Mauritius. Small wireless sets are obtainable for small craft. If the Trevessa's lifeboats had been equipped with one it would have been a comparatively easy matter to have notified any vessel within a radius of 1000 miles of the whereabouts of the crew, and so have effected a speedy rescue. But even this simple suggestion doesn't dispose of the assistance the wireless can render and has rendered on such occasions. Had the lifeboats wrongly stated their positions, wireless science has devised a further protecting scheme — a direction finder — which is an apparatus employed for ascertaining the position of a boat in distress by the character of the messages received. When the Stavender Fjord, from Christiania, was first fitted with a wireless direction finder, distress signals were received from the Otta, which was drifting helplessly with her rudder-stock broken, and which indicated that her position was 275 miles away. When the Stav. arrived at the spot there was no sign of the Otta, but the direction finder of the rescuing vessel located the drifting vessel 50 miles away, and three hours later the rescue was effected. What might have happened had the Stavender Fjord not been equipped with a direction finder may be left to the imagination, which will not be unduly taxed in view of the recent experience of the ill-fated Trevessa. The Norwegian steamer Mod was so badly damaged in heavy North Sea storms that the crew was huddled together on deck for 36 hours in readiness for any emergency. Six steamers had responded to S.O.S. signals, but owing to the wrong location being given, none of them could find her. The British steamer Melmore Head though too far away to be of any assistance at once, found the signals of the distressed steamer getting stronger — just as a new chum lost in a coal mine, feels the air getting fresher when he turns towards a tunnel leading from the pit mouth — and the captain accordingly requisitioned his direction finder and located the Mod 78 miles away and in a different direction from the position she had sent out. The Melmore Head steamed straight for the spot and rescued the crew of 23 in time to see the Mod take a dive to the bottom. The master of the Rosalind encountered an almost similar experience with the distressed Thyra, which was drifting helplessly before a strong breeze.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 12 August 1923 (Seventh Part)

HINTS FOR EXPERIMENTS. A Simple Radiophone Receiver. Today there are thousands of people who, having heard of radiophone broadcasting, are desirous of listening in to the multitude of voices and musical items which are travelling about nightly through the ether. For those living within a five to ten mile radius of a transmitting station, it is an easy matter to construct a small receiver capable of giving very satisfactory service for a nominal outlay. The majority of radiophone stations operate with a wave length in the neighborhood of four hundred metres. What is meant by this is that the electromagnetic waves leave the transmitting station at such a rate that they are separated by a distance of 400 metres, or, approximately, 1300 feet. This greatly simplifies the design and construction of a suitable receiver, and if the following simple directions are adhered to, even those with a minimum of technical knowledge will be able to build a small receiver. First of all the aerial must be erected — after making arrangements with the postal authorities for a permit to do so. This aerial should be as high and as long as possible. A suitable size for the average suburban back yard is 25 to 30 feet high, and 100 feet long. The supports are left to the reader's discretion. For the tuning inductance, obtain a piece of cardboard tubing three inches in diameter and three inches long, and on it wind a layer of 50 turns of No. 26 double cotton covered wire. Give this a coat of thin shellac varnish to provide insulation, and to stick it firmly to the tube. Instead of a sliding contact or rotary switch to tune the receiver, it is more efficient and simpler to use a variable condenser of either 23 or 43 plate size in series with the coil and aerial. A crystal detector can be either purchased or constructed from two terminals, mounted in a piece of ebonite. In one terminal fasten a tie or paper clip to hold the crystal, and in the other a piece of springy wire of about No. 30 gauge. This detector and a pair of 2000 ohm telephone head receivers are connected in series across the terminals of the inductance coil. In addition to the aerial wire, a connection must be provided to the water pipe for an earth. After connecting both these wires to the receiver in the usual fashion, listen in with the telephones and adjust the contact on the crystal until loudest signals are obtained when Sydney Radio happens to be transmitting. An artificial testing station which will ensure having the detector always adjusted can be fitted up by connecting an ordinary buzzer in series with a dry battery. Leave this buzzing near the receiver, and at the same time search over the surface of the crystal with the contact wire until the most sensitive spot is found. This buzzer circuit, if fitted with a telegraph key, will also come in useful for practising the Morse code and it will not be long before the reader will be able to pick up weather reports, etc., from the local commercial stations.

1923 08 19

Front page leader for "Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 19 August 1923

SPECIALS IN TO-DAY'S ISSUE. . . . Our second instalment of Sparks From Radio Land is of the widest interest (page 5). . . .

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 19 August 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. Should Amateur Transmission Continue? SYDNEY TRADERS WILL UNDERTAKE BROADCASTING. Practical Hints for Experimenters.

The Sunday Times today publishes the second of its series of special wireless articles under the above heading. Our technical expert will gladly furnish information, technical or otherwise, to any readers who desire it.

May Amateurs Transmit? The Postmaster-General (Mr. Gibson) is pondering over the dispute between the wireless traders and the experimenters respecting the announcement by the chief manager of Telegraphic Wireless (Mr. Malone) that the Commonwealth would not interfere with amateur transmission in Australia. Some of the traders point out that Mr. Malone's announcement is a distinct contravention of the broadcasting regulations, inasmuch as under them the Government has stipulated that only amateurs engaged in bonafide experimental work will be allowed to operate transmitting stations without rendering themselves liable to conform in all respects to the obligations imposed upon broadcasting companies. It is contended that the transmission of nightly entertainment programmes as now carried out by many amateurs is not experimental work. Furthermore, if allowed to continue it is likely to discourage broadcasting companies from entering the field. This will defeat the whole object of the Government in framing the regulations, which were designed to secure for all the people of Australia the full benefits of a competitive radio broadcasting service. Whatever decision is arrived at by the Minister, the traders contend that either the regulations should be adhered to or scrapped, so that the trade may have opportunity of knowing where they stand. The point at issue is an important one, and it is hoped that a decision will be arrived at which will not in any way retard the development of wireless in Australia.

Traders to Broadcast. It is expected that at an early date a number of radio supply houses in Sydney will combine to erect and operate a broadcasting station. This move should prove a helpful one to wireless business generally. There is money in it for all concerned, if it is handled properly, and if anyone can do it, it should be the radio dealers. The Australian broadcasting regulations place no restriction on advertising by means of radiophone. Broadcasting companies will thus have an opportunity of reaping considerable revenue from business houses anxious to keep their names before the tens of thousands of listeners in who will soon be dotted over Australia.

Word of Warning. Excellent advice, which may be given at the present time to people desirous of purchasing wireless apparatus for "listening in" to broadcasting programmes, is "Don't." It must be constantly borne in mind that under the recently gazetted regulations, wireless receiving sets must conform to the Postmaster-General's requirements and obtain the imprimatur of the Commonwealth betore being employed for broadcast programmes. Until such time as the various broadcasting companies are established, and the respective wave lengths allotted, the manufactures are not in a position to turn out the exact type of receiver suitable for listening in on the various wave lengths. Till then intending purchasers are strongly urged to stand off; otherwise they will find themselves later with apparatus which the Government's Inspector may refuse to pass, and which, accordingly, will be useless. In any case there is no immediate haste in the matter, for it is not expected that any of the mooted broadcasting companies will be in a position to supply first-class programmes before the end of the year. Until the entertainments can be broadcasted under the most favorable conditions and "listened" to with the latest equipment, newcomers to the realm of radio should possess their souls in patience, lest a discordant or jarring note, due to faulty transmission, should discourage them altogether from following up and enjoying the delights of wireless entertainments. Ample notification will be given when wireless apparatus conforming to the P.M.G.'s regulations will be available.

Bouquet from Mr Fisk. "The Sunday Times" new feature, Sparks From Radio Land, is destined to accomplish a great deal in popularising wireless. In providing topical items of general interest it is making a direct appeal to the man in the street as distinct from the technical intelligence usually served up for students' consumption." In these words Mr. E. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.), Ltd., referred to the special article published in last Sunday's issue, which was the first of a series to be conducted weekly by our wireless expert. Mr. Fisk added that the Sunday Times lead in eschewing the technical aspect in favor of general topics for its readers, would probably be adopted by other journals, as past scientific discoveries had demonstrated that the general public cared little for the technical side of any new invention. "For instance," he said, "people enjoy a feast of good music from gramophones, or delight in motoring, or they even carry on telephone conversations without once pausing to ponder over the mechanism that enables them to enjoy such privileges. They know nothing about the ramifications of the inventions, and they care less. In the same way, when wireless shortly unlocks its wonderful gifts, the people will eagerly devour all that the Press may publish on the subject, but the thirst for the technical knowledge will gradually diminish, and be confined to those directly interested."

Keeping Clubs Alive. Many radio clubs around Sydney are faced with a serious problem. Prior to so many experimenters undertaking the regular transmission of entertainment programmes, it was not at all difficult to secure a maximum attendance of members at the weekly or fortnightly club meetings. Now the position is different. Most enthusiasts who have acquired a little technical knowledge lose no time in obtaining a license and installing a receiving set. The temptation then is to sit at home every night with the headphones on, and listen to the music which fills the air for a couple of hours. The club, which gave the experimenter his first grounding in radio knowledge, is neglected, if not actually forgotten. This should not be so. Radio clubs are necessary to keep experimenters banded together, and encourage them to work along progressive lines for the general advancement of wireless. This can only be secured if every member attends his club as regularly as possible. It is surely not asking too much to expect him to lay aside the headphones for one night each week or fortnight to attend the club meeting. The suggestion to have a common meeting night for all radio bodies looked at the outset like solving the attendance problem, but after examining the proposal, numbers of club executives decided against it. This is unfortunate, as, had the idea been adopted, it was intended to ask all experimental transmitting stations to close down on that particular night. There would then have been nothing to keep the "listening-in" fiend at home. The proposal is, however, not yet dead, and its supporters intend to bring it forward again at a later date.

Conference Needed. A prominent official of the Marrickville Radio Club recently expressed the opinion that frequent conferences of club representatives would do much to raise the status of the experimenter in Australia. His contention is that unity should be the first consideration amongst amateur bodies in the Commonwealth. This can be brought about only by a frequent exchange of ideas, and a determination to act unitedly when occasion demands it. The commencement of broadcasting marks a new era in wireless in Australia, and the interests of experimenters who have done much to bring the science to its present practical form are in danger of being submerged in the popular demand for entertainment programmes. Hence the need for united action on their part to preserve their identity and interests. A monthly conference of club officials to discuss matters of mutual concern should not be difficult to arrange. There are 39 clubs in N.S.W., and about 21 of them are close to the metropolis. Country clubs could nominate representatives of city clubs to watch their interests. In this way much good work could be accomplished. The idea is at least worth a trial.

Why Signals Fade. It does not take long for the beginner in radio to notice a very marked difference in the strength of signals received from a particular station during daylight and dark. The shorter the wavelength that the transmitting station is using the greater will be the variation between these times. During the daytime the sun's rays — which are rich in extremely high frequency vibrations, known as ultra violet waves — succeed in ionising the atmosphere. These ultra violet rays react so powerfully upon the atoms of the air surrounding the earth, that some of the latter become positively charged with electricity, and float about in the atmosphere. This is what is meant by ionisation. Normally the air is a very good conductor, and allows the wireless waves to travel through it with very little resistance, but when these minute charged bodies are floating about in it, it becomes a slight conductor. All those who have screened the inside of their receivers with metal foil to reduce induction realise that conducting materials possess the property of absorbing electrical fields to a greater or lesser extent. It will therefore be easily understood how these ions play a similar part. When darkness exists between the two stations the ionising influence of the sun's rays will be absent, and the air will become less conductive, with an improved transmission quality for the wireless waves. In addition to the above-mentioned cause, there exists another, due to a layer of permanently ionised gas known as the Heaviside layer, which is at a height of about 50 miles above the earth. During the night time the dividing line between this gas and the normal air underneath is fairly sharply defined, the consequence being that the vertically radiated waves are reflected back to the earth and add to the strength of the waves which travel along it. A difference will also be noted between the signal strengths obtained during Winter and Summer time. The decreased strength of the sunlight in Winter ionises a smaller quantity of air than that which is affected in Summer time. The discharges from these electrified bodies of gas cause disturbances known as atmospheric or static, which produce harsh, grating sounds in the telephones connected to the receiving apparatus.

A Coil-winding Hint. Experimenters who make their own tuning coils often have trouble with the windings coming loose from the tube soon after they have been put on. It is possible to hold them in place by giving a liberal coat of shellac or other varnish, but this is not to be recommended, especially for short wave work, owing to the big increase in distributed capacity and its attendant losses. By making use of the property of metals of expanding when heated and contracting when cooled, the wire can be put on tighter than it is possible to wind it by normal methods. Take the spool of' wire and place it near a fire or inside an oven until it is as hot as will just allow it to be held in the hands. While it is warming up get the cardboard or ebonite tube ready, and as soon as the right temperature has been reached commence the winding and try and finish it before the wire cools down. If this cannot be done, rewarm the wire. When the wire cools down it will contract, then grip the tube tightly. Be sure and make the ends secure when finished, or it is likely to creep back.

1923 08 26

Front page leader for "Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 26 August 1923

SPECIALS IN TO-DAY'S ISSUE. . . . Listeners-in, read the broadcasting position in Sparks from Radio Land (second Motor page). . . .

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 26 August 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. DEALERS AND AMATEURS DIFFER. Country Party Welcomes Broadcasting. PRACTICAL TIPS FOR EXPERIMENTERS. The Sunday Times Special Wireless Feature, entitled Sparks from Radioland, has provoked favorable comment from all branches of the radio realm. From week to week the Sunday Times will publish, for wireless enthusiasts, the latest developments connected with the science, including technical hints for amateurs desirous of erecting their own receiving sets in anticipation of the musical programmes shortly to be broadcasted by the various entertainment companies. Readers of the Sunday Times seeking knowledge on any aspect of wireless will be furnished with available information by our wireless expert.

The difference of opinion between experimenters and dealers over the wisdom and justice of the former being allowed to continue their regular transmissions should not prove incapable of satisfactory settlement. Amateur transmitters have helped to put radio on the map in Australia, and to that extent have a legitimate claim on the authorities. If the rights of experimenters were trodden ruthlessly underfoot, it would be bad business for wireless generally. The contention of the radio dealers that, if transmission of the present programmes is allowed to continue, it will discourage broadcasting companies from entering the field, is not altogether without reason. At the same time, it must be remembered that there is a limit to the volume and variety of free entertainment which will be provided. The cost of operating a transmitting station is considerable, and there are few, if any, experimenters in the game who have the inclination or money to enter into competition with an up-to-date broadcasting company. Hence it will probably be found that when broadcasting is in operation, the pull exerted by the free entertainers will be practically negligible. If the situation is viewed from every angle, it is apparent that, although at the outset broadcasting companies may show hesitancy in beginning operations if amateurs are allowed to transmit as freely as at present, the harm they will actually suffer once the die has been cast will be nil. If the P.M.G. wishes to settle the point at issue to the satisfaction of all concerned, he should consider doing two things: (1) Emphasise for the benefit of the public the superiority which broadcast programmes will have over the present amateur transmissions. (2) Consider the question of allotting each experimental transmitter the same wave length as one of the broadcasting stations, and allow the free transmission of entertainment programmes on that wave length only at such times as the respective broadcasting stations would not be operating. The first suggestion would not detrimentally affect anyone. The second would allow experimenters to transmit free entertainment programmes if they so desire which "listeners-in," without altering their sets, could enjoy after the broadcasting station had closed down. For purely experimental work, amateurs would, of course, transmit on their present wave lengths. Many thousands of "listeners-in" in America learnt to their sorrow that free programmes rarely lasted very long. When broadcasting commenced in the United States, numbers of stations began broadcasting free entertainment programmes. The public bought sets to "listen-in," and all went well until the philanthropic entertainers found out that it was too costly a business trying to keep pace with the broadcasting companies which collected subscriptions from their patrons. One by one they closed down, and their clients were left lamenting.

Mr. Bruxner, M.L.A., Welcomes Broadcasting. "It will be a great day for the farmer outback when wireless broadcasting is officially launched in Sydney," said the leader of the State Country Party, Mr. Bruxner, yesterday. "The members of my party are interested to know what wireless will mean to the settlers outback, not only in the direction of brightening their homes with first-class musical entertainment, but also in supplying them with necessary information respecting weather, markets, and other matters of importance. "Our influence will be thrown behind the broadcasting movement, which promises to be such a boon to the pioneers. In the city it is difficult to appreciate the hardships and solitude of the lonely bush. In the country some children, well in their teens, have never seen a picture show or any other kind of show." "The drift to the city has assumed alarming proportions. If radio broadcasting can brighten home life in the country, it will perform a service of incalculable value to Australia."

What's Wrong with Our 'Phones? The Postmaster-General (Mr. Gibson) would have been delighted and his critics confounded if they had been present at an experimental transmitting station near Sydney one evening recently. At the conclusion of the broadcasting entertainment the operator gave the studio telephone number to the "listeners-in," and stated that if anyone liked to ring up — on the land line, of course — and request the repetition of any musical item he would cheerfully oblige. The word "oblige" had no sooner left his lips than the studio telephone commenced a melody of its own not unlike an alarm clock early in the morning. The first request was for a repetition of The Mikado score, and as fast as one call was answered another tingle followed from a different direction. Apart from the prompt manner in which the "listeners-in" and telephone attendants acted, it was a new experience for the visitors to watch the operator talking into the dark, as it seemed, and immediately be assailed by so many hidden spirits.

Are Patents' Cost Excessive. There is one small cloud on the radio horizon at the present moment. A difference has arisen between Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.) Ltd. and a number of radio dealers in Sydney over the question of using patents. The company has announced that it is prepared to license broadcasting companies to use its patents for the transmission of entertainment programmes. The radio dealers contend that the sum asked is too high to enable them to carry out the free broadcasting they have in view. On the other hand the company claims that it is entitled to receive a fair return on the amount of capital it has laid out in purchasing Australian patent rights of all worthwhile inventions. The position has reached an interesting stage, but it is expected that a fair compromise is likely to be arrived at.

Hints for Experimenters. When building tuning coils and vario couplers, the supply of the necessary cardboard tubes is often a very troublesome problem. Those purchased in the various supply stores are either not the correct size, or are so flimsy that they distort readily when wound with wire. It is possible to make these tubes easily and cheaply, with little time and trouble. First of all secure a former of the approximate size that the tube is to be. This former can take many forms. A few suggested articles are: Glass bottles, jam, or other food-containing tins, rolling pins, or specially turned wooden cylinders. To construct the tube, take a sheet of thin cardboard, and from it cut a strip the width of the desired tube, and of such a length that when it is wrapped around the former it will make about three complete turns. On the surfaces where the cardboard overlaps brush on a thin coat of a good grade glue. When completely bound, tie some string around it, or hold it with some rubber bands to prevent it from unwrapping, and set it aside for at least twelve hours to dry. The former can be removed after this is done, and the tube given a coat of shellac varnish. A good imitation of hard rubber tubing can be made by painting the tube with Indian ink, or a solution of weak shellac varnish, and a small quantity of Nigrosine dye. If an attempt is made to use the tube in a radio tuner before the internal moisture has dried out, the losses introduced will be so great, that reception of weak signals will be almost impossible. It is therefore best to make sure that everything is dry inside by baking the tube for about half-an-hour in an oven before putting it into use.

Simple High-tone Buzzer. Experimenters using crystal detectors either for the first time, or in connection with the latest type of reflex amplifiers have noticed that there are spots on the crystals which give excellent signals, and others which appear almost dead. The selection of these sensitive spots is rendered an easy task if a small testing buzzer is used to generate a supply of artificial signals. Most buzzers obtainable in the wireless supply houses have a low, harsh tone, which is far from pleasant after listening in to the clear signals from the commercial stations. It is a simple matter to convert one of these buzzers or even an old electric bell, so that this defect is removed. Remove the cover of the buzzer or bell, and with a small rubber band bind up the vibrator spring to the iron armature. A drop of sealing wax or solder will make a permanent job of connecting these two elements together. In the case of the bell, the hammer arm must be removed before putting it to use as a buzzer. Now contact it up to a battery of one or two dry cells, and adjust the contact screw to just touch the vibrator. It will now be noticed that the armature vibrates at a much higher rate, and if one of the magnets are removed, and an adjusting screw put in its stead, the latter can be screwed up against the armature, and the tone of the buzzer adjusted to any note over a wide range. If the buzzer is to be used for testing crystals, a wire must be connected between the earth lead of the receiver and the vibrator screw.

Head 'Phones for Parties. When several people desire to listen in on the same receiving set, the usual practice is to connect up additional pairs of telephone receivers. If these are to be connected in parallel they must all be of the same impedance or otherwise the receivers with the lowest resistance to the passage of the current will absorb the greater portion of the signal. The best practice is to connect all the receivers in series, when the same current will flow through each. In the case of crystal receivers the strength will be reduced as each extra telephone is connected into the circuit, but with valve receivers, a few extra volts on the high tension battery will make up the extra energy required.

Alcohol for Crystals. The crystals in a detector often go on strike for no apparent reason. An examination of the crystal with the naked eye will give the impression that the surface is nice and clean, but what has actually happened is that a very thin film of oil or dust has collected on the sensitive facets of the crystal. A new lease of life can be given to the majority of detector crystals by immersing them in a bath of alcohol or benzine for about fifteen minutes, and allowing them to dry on a piece of cotton wool. The less the crystals are touched by the hands the better it will be for them, because a slight film of oil, from the skin remains on their surface after handling which interferes with the sensitive contact from the adjusting spring. Some crystals such as fused galena and other artificial compounds suffer a surface deterioration which is only remedied by fracturing the piece and exposing new material.

Repairing Ebonite Panels. Thin sheets of ebonite have the distressing habit of developing bends when allowed to lay about the workshop, and as a result are difficult to trim accurately to size. Take the warped sheet and heat it slowly before a fire, or, if this takes too long or is inconvenient, immerse it in a dish of water at a temperature of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. It will soon become fairly pliable, when it should be taken and placed between two flat boards with a heavy weight on top. Keep it there until it is quite cold, and it will be found to have a perfectly flat surface. When working with thin panels it often happens just as the finishing touches are being put on that a fracture occurs. This need not be a cause for despair, for a very strong cement can be made as follows: Take a piece of ordinary household gelatine and stand it overnight in a small quantity of concentrated acetic acid, then by the gentle application of heat melt it down and apply it to the edges of the damaged portion of the panel. Bind the two pieces together with tape and allow them to stand for several days to set thoroughly. To prevent warping and to ensure an even join, press the panel between two boards as mentioned previously. To cut a panel with a nice true edge is a difficult task for the experimenter not skilled in the handling of tools. By using a piece of board with a smooth straight edge as a guide, and a saw with a fine-toothed blade, a cut can be made which will be quite as good as that done by one skilled in the work. The wood and the panel should be clamped together to prevent relative movement during the sawing. A finishing touch with a fine file will give a neat appearance to the job.

1923 09

1923 09 02

Front page leader for "Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 2 September 1923

SPECIALS IN TO-DAY'S ISSUE. . . . Radio News (second motor page) gives listeners-in the most useful of information and suggestions.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 2 September 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. BROADCASTING STARTS IN DECEMBER. Amateurs Exempt From Extra Fees. TALK WITH EXPERIMENTERS.

The important event in the wireless realm this week is the announcement by Farmer and Co., Ltd., that their broadcasting station will make a start early in December, to dispense musical programmes by Tait and Williamson artists, besides other features. Other topical items are mentioned, also hints for experimenters on testing slider contacts of tuning coils, and an accurate winding method for transformers.

Mr. Fisk on Amateurs' Fees. "I notice in one quarter that Amalgamated Wireless has been accused of practically filching an additional 5/ from experimenters, in addition to the 10/ they are required to pay by the Government regulations," said Mr. E. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, yesterday. It is the policy of Amalgamated Wireless to make no such charge to experimenters genuinely engaged in research work. But persons engaged in commercial or publicity work or who purchase wireless apparatus merely for entertainment purposes are required to pay 5/ to cover the cost of issuing their licenses. "The charge is a reasonable one, and is recognised as such by all who use A.W.'s patents."

Listeners-in at Sending Station. A party of radio enthusiasts dropped their receiving sets during the week and paid a visit to one of the transmitting stations whose musical programmes had been giving them so much pleasure in their own homes. The visit was distinctly beneficial to those who previously were compelled to try and visualise from their homes the entertainment studio and apparatus which nightly supplied them with their musical entertainment. One of the visitors was invited to address a few words to the invisible and innumerable "broadcatchers" studded over various parts of the State. Aptly addressing the audience as "Ye members of the choir invisible," the speaker urged all to join their local radio club and become missioners in the cause of wireless. "If you haven't a radio club," he said, "get a move on and form one. It will be to your advantage. "See that your club affiliates with the Radio Association of N.S.W., which is doing good work for the experimenters generally. "Don't try to play a lone hand in the radio game. Get into the clubs and find out the why and how of things by association with others who are keen on the game." When the message had been delivered, the studio's land telephone tingled. It was the speaker's wife, who had telephoned from a distant suburb to say she had distinctly heard every word uttered by her husband. "Though we are miles apart, I can't escape my master's voice." This experience also amply demonstrates that women also can easily manipulate wireless apparatus.

Two Minds With But — In the first article under the Sparks from Radioland heading published three weeks ago, the Sunday Times emphasised the necessity for equipping lifeboats with wireless sets, with the object of preventing recurrences such as experienced by the crew of the Trevessa, during that memorable adventure across the Indian Ocean. It was also pointed out in the event of the distressed vessel or vessels drifting, that their whereabouts could be ascertained by means of a direction finder. According to the following Reuter cable message, received from England this week, the authorities abroad are earnestly grappling with the situation: LONDON.— Apropos of the movement, to which the arrival of the survivors of the Trevessa has given a fillip, for the devising of a transmitting wireless apparatus capable of being installed in lifeboats, the Marconi Company will show at the shipping exhibition at Olympia in a few days a compact apparatus for fitting between the after thwarts of ships' boats. The apparatus has a range of fifty miles, is equipped with a direction finder, and can be easily erected. Its aerial is surmounted by a bright light to guide rescuers at night.

Boosting Pleasure Resorts. The freedom allowed under the Commonwealth broadcasting regulations will probably induce various pleasure resorts throughout the country to use the radiophone as an advertising medium. The cost of erecting and operating a broadcasting station with a range of several hundred miles would be probably about £1000 per annum, but despite this outlay, it should prove a good investment for centres such as Katoomba, Manly, Bondi, and so on. The novelty of hearing a district's advantages as a health and pleasure resort extolled over the radiophone would undoubtedly rivet attention there with beneficial results. There should be something worth while in the idea, for the first centre sufficiently far-seeing to put it into practice.

Bush Wants Radiophone. Francis Birtles, the well-known overlander, recently returned from a 10,000 mile journey through the outback of Australia, firmly convinced that wireless telephony is an urgent necessity for opening up the country. "People outback," said Birtles, "know very little about radio telephony, but if it can be made available to them at a reasonable cost they will welcome it. "Big station owners have asked me for information concerning wireless, and with them it is not a question of cost, but utility. If it will give the service they require money will not stand in the way of obtaining it."

Dealers Turn Away Business. An indication of the keen public interest in broadcasting is furnished by the reports of various radio dealers, who complain that they are daily turning away business. "The public wants broadcast receiving sets tuned to certain wave lengths, and we can't supply them," is how one Sydney trader summed up the situation. The reason is, of course, obvious. Broadcasting companies have to apply for and receive their wave lengths before sets suitable for same can be assembled. The public may rest assured that those undertaking commercial broadcasting will conduct an extensive and intensive selling campaign in order to create a demand for their programmes when they are ready. The dealers, too, may be relied upon to have an almost unlimited supply of receiving sets available.

Wireless in Place of Caves' Guides. If aircraft is destined to annihilate distance, wireless — when its possibilities are extensively exploited — threatens to abolish labor or, at least, much that is not skilled or of a technical character. One of the latest proposals mooted in the realm of radio is the employment of wireless to inform parties visiting caves, of the formation of stalactites and stalagmites in place of the familiar viva-voce explanations by the guides. It is not suggested that the Tourist Bureau's officers at Jenolan and other caves throughout the State have not discharged their duties satisfactorily in the past, but, it is contended, in view of the weird and awe-inspiring environment, which the interior of the caves presents, that an invisible being satisfying the interest and curiosity of those making the inspections, would be more in harmony with such a mysterious visit. No doubt, if the likenesses to Sir Henry Parkes, Cleopatra's Needle, the Cathedral, and other well-known formations at Jenolan could explain, by wireless, how many years it took them to grow, especially if accompanied by appropriate effects, such as a speech from Parkes or chimes from the Cathedral, the trite term, "wonderful," which usually is associated with Jenolan Caves, would need to be jettisoned, along with the guides, in favor of a still more "wonderful" expression. The suggestion is presented to Mr. Oakes gratis.

Brightening Train Journeys. Wireless has been introduced on many long-distance express trains in the Old Country to relieve the monotony of protracted journeys. A loop aerial has been fitted out in the observation carriages, and with the assistance of a loud speaker, the bulk of the passengers have been regaled with some refreshing music by the big broadcasting companies. An effort was made to introduce the innovation to the Melbourne express some time back, but as the shortsightedness of the experimenter and the height of the outside aerial erected on the engine were no match for an inconsiderate tunnel en route, both hopes and apparatus were dashed to the ground. The Railway Commissioners could well afford to provide wireless programmes for the long-distance trains. They would earn the thanks of the travelling public, even if they did incur the wrath of stationers with packs of cards left on their hands.

1923 09 09

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 9 September 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. WIRELESS FOR VICTORIAN POLICE. BROADCASTING STIMULATING INTEREST.

The term "wireless" is beginning to appear in the daily newspapers with more frequency than previously. The preliminary announcement that broadcasting programmes would soon be an accomplished fact has projected the movement forward in one gigantic stride, and many are now waiting for later particulars concerning it. During the week the other, and more important, side of wireless was tragically brought home to the civilised globe by the achievement of one Japanese wireless station informing the world of the terrible catastrophe that had overtaken Japan. The speedy assistance and relief afforded by wireless at a time when the cables collapsed, contrasted with the delay that would have been occasioned had the news filtered through other channels, firmly establishes wireless as an invention or discovery from Heaven itself.

Wireless for Police. It was announced in Melbourne on Thursday that the Chief Commissioner of Police had inaugurated a system of wireless communication between police headquarters and various branch stations. This is just another evidence of the contagious habit wireless is developing. From day to day, fresh fields are being conquered by the wonder science which apparently threatens to percolate through every phase of human activity. In the detection of crime, slick and prompt action is essential. Police night patrols have been confronted with some difficult tasks at times, not only because of the darkness; but because of the inability to keep in close communication with their fellow-sleuths. The wireless system introduced in Victoria will now overcome this difficulty as police headquarters will be kept in constant touch with the men on duty, no matter how much they change their tactics. Bill Sykes, beware!

Radio Business to Boom. The announcement that the directors of Farmer and Company, Ltd., intend to establish a high-class broadcasting service with an effective range of between 400 and 500 miles will unquestionably give a great fillip to radio business generally. Ever since the question of framing regulations to control commercial broadcasting was first spoken of, it was contended by some that the venture would not be sufficiently profitable to induce big firms to undertake it. That this contention was all wrong is now apparent. It is expected that several other big firms — one of them a well-known music house — will shortly apply for licenses.

Where Will Stations Be Built? Some curiosity is felt as to where the commercial broadcasting stations to be operated by city firms will be erected. The general opinion is that Farmer's station will be on top of their city building, but expert opinion does not support this view. A station utilising the maximum power allowed under the regulations, viz., 5000 watts, will require masts about 200ft high, and it is hardly likely that such a structure would be attempted on top of a building in the heart of the city. It is highly probable that the firm will erect a temporary station, with a range of about 200 miles, on top of their Pitt-street establishment, and begin operations early in December. A few months of practical experience will provide much useful data for the bigger undertaking in the form of a station in one of the suburbs, with a range nearly three times as great.

Traders Form a Company. It was reported in these columns some weeks ago that a number of radio dealers intended to co-operate in the work of erecting and operating a broadcasting station. The first practical step towards that end was taken a few days ago, when a company under the name of Broadcasters (Sydney), Ltd., was registered with a capital of £1000. The names of a number of well-known dealers figure on the list of first directors. There is ample room for at least half a dozen broadcasting companies in N.S.W. It is fortunate that Australia's regulations provide for competitive services, because therein lies a public safe guard. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that the success of broadcasting depends more on quality service than low cost. If the programmes are worth while the great majority of people will want to hear them, and the money to buy a set and subscribe to a station will be speedily forthcoming.

High Power Station. The announcement made by the chairman of directors of Amalgamated Wireless (Aust.), Ltd. (Mr. Mason Allard), that a tender had been accepted for the erection in Australia of a high power station capable of communicating direct with England, is welcome news. It is nearly two years since the company entered into partnership with the Federal Government for the carrying out of this work, but nothing could be done until the English Government granted a license to the Marconi Company to erect a similar station in England. Now that the position is clear, an early beginning will be made. The location of the Australian station has not yet been made known, but it will be close to either Sydney or Melbourne — probably the former.

Freshwater's Police Aerial. The announcement that the police in Victoria are being provided with wireless apparatus reminds us that the police station at Freshwater (Manly) has been fitted out with wireless for some time past. The photograph shows the aerial mast in front of the station, and, no doubt, POLICE AERIAL AT FRESHWATER. (Photo Caption) many passersby from time to time have wondered what it was all about. When other suburban police stations begin to realise how wireless can help the force, other aerials will, no doubt, begin to appear as regularly as now witnessed on ships at sea.

Demonstration at Manly. Manly Radio Club had a fine gathering at the Manly Library Institute on Thursday night to hear a musical entertainment from the transmitting station of Mr. Marks, Rose Bay. Mr. R. McIntosh, a keen experimenter, who walked into the hall with the necessary apparatus in his suit case just before 8 o'clock, had the sets assembled in quick time, and surprised a number of visitors by the simplicity of the whole outfit. After Mr. Marks extended greetings from Rose Bay to the kindred enthusiasts at Manly, the former played a gramaphone record of the familiar Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Sheehan. Although Mr. Marks used only one rectifier — he burnt out his other one, and at present there are no others available — the volume of sound suffered slightly in intensity, but nevertheless the song was heard almost as distinctly as if the record was being played in the presence of the gathering. Mr. McIntosh explained whilst all who listened to wireless musical entertainments marvelled at them, said that was only one side of wireless. It was popular, and it invariably proved to be a bait to attract people, who then began to ask the whys, the whats, and the wherefores. They then became experimenters, and, the more experimenters they had in Australia, the sooner would they take their place alongside English and American experimenters in exploiting possibilities of wireless hitherto untouched by the old world. Mr. Marks flashed a number of other musical compositions across the harbor, and with the permission of the Postmaster-General, Mr. McIntosh erected a transmitting set, and several members indulged in a brief conversation with Mr. Marks.

Paraffin Wax as an Insulator. The present day tendency in experimental circles is to use all windings on receiving coils free from any insulating compounds or varnishes, owing to the increase in capacity caused by their employment. To a certain extent this is a very good practice, but, like most things, it can be carried to excess, and the original object defeated to a large extent. In the endeavor to keep the windings well spaced, double cotton covered wire is used. This wire in its dry state is very satisfactory when the humidity of the air is low, but when otherwise, the insulation resistance between turns is greatly decreased owing to the moisture absorbed. If correctly treated with paraffin wax the operation of the coil will be greatly improved, with but a slight increase in the distributed capacity. Paraffin wax has a specific inductive capacity between 2 and 2.5, therefore, when treating the coil, all excess material must be drained off while still hot. In addition to this property of making absorbent materials proof against the effects of moisture, paraffin wax also possesses the ability to expel any moisture which happens to be present at the time of impregnation. The temperature of the wax must be above that of boiling water to enable it to do this, but if raised too high its insulating properties will suffer, and, in addition, there is a great risk of the flame used for heating the wax igniting the fumes which arise. A thermometer is a great convenience when performing this operation. Be sure and get one which reads in excess of the temperature of boiling water. This corresponds to 212 degrees on the farenheit scale, and 100 on the centigrade. The article being impregnated will give off a copious stream air and steam bubbles soon after being immersed in the wax, and it should be allowed to remain there for about a minute after they cease to rise. The insulation properties of paraffin wax vary greatly, and to avoid trouble always purchase supplies from some reliable electrical firm or chemical supply house.

1923 09 16

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 16 September 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. BOY SPEAKS TO NEW ZEALAND. QUESTION OF FREE BROADCASTING. Howling Valve Nuisance.

The achievement of a young lad, Jack Davis, of Vaucluse, in speaking to New Zealand, and also in receiving New Zealand's signals, while using only as much power as would suffice to light the taillamp of a motor car, earned for him the first prize for a test recently organised by the Metropolitan Radio Club. The prizes were awarded at a wireless function during the week, at which Mr, W. T. S. Crawford, State Radio Inspector, paid an eloquent tribute to the work of the first and second prize-winners.

N.S. Wales — New Zealand Test. The remarkable success achieved by Jack Davis, a 15-year-old youngster from Vaucluse, in the recent N.S.W.-N.Z. radio test, indicates the possibilities of long-distance radio telegraphy on low power. Young Davis transmitted C.W. signals to New Zealand — an airline distance of approximately 1000 miles — using only .8 of a watt. This power is just about sufficient to light the taillamp of a motor car. The prizes to the two successful competitors in the test were presented, at a largely attended social gathering in Sydney, on Monday evening last. The presentation was made by Mr. W. T. S. Crawford, State Radio Inspector, who paid a glowing tribute to the performances of the first and second prize winners, Master Davis and Mr. Slade. Mr. Slade's log was only slightly less efficient than that of young Davis, who, in addition to his excellent low-power transmission feat, also received N. Zealand signals on 14 out of the 15 nights during which the test was proceeding. The Metropolitan Radio Club, which is about the third oldest wireless club in N.S.W., organised the test, and deserves every credit for its practical efforts to further radio experimental work in Australia.

Howling Valves. Interference caused by howling valves is a complaint common to every State in Australia, and, probably, in the world, where radio experimenting is carried out. It is due mainly to lack of care and experience in the operation of valve receivers. Inspector Crawford had a tilt at those responsible for the trouble, when speaking at a social function in Sydney a few nights ago. "Every radio experimenter should make up his mind to put down the howling valve trouble," said Mr. Crawford. "If something is not done within the next six months, the position will be serious. For the general good of the radio movement, I hope experimenters and the Press will combine in an effort to stamp out the trouble." It is to be hoped Mr. Crawford's words will not be lost on those experimenters who are so careless, or inexperienced, in the handling of their valves, as to cause the trouble referred to. The authorities have been generous towards experimenters in Australia, and it would indeed be a pity if the inexcusable actions of a few were to prejudice their freedom. Mr. R. C. Marsden (2 J.M.) than whom there is no more enthusiastic experimenter in N.S.W., has recently made several extensive country tours for the purpose of testing certain areas believed to be "dead" to wireless signals. In a number of instances, Mr. Marsden proved the belief to be erroneous. Speaking of the interest taken in radio matters by country folk generally, Mr. Marsden said that it was deep and growing. "I am convinced that the great majority of country people will soon become fascinated in wireless," he continued, "and their ability to receive broadcasting programmes will induce them to delve into the technical and experimental side of radio."

Excellent Transmission. Mr. J. S. Marks (2 G.R.) is generally regarded as possessing the best experimental transmitting station in N.S.W. He is "on the air" every night and, while the programmes lack variety at times, there is no doubt about the excellence of his modulation. Whenever a demonstration of radio telephony is being given at any of the suburban clubs, Mr. Marks is invariably asked to transmit at least part of the programme.

Free Broadcasting. The Postmaster-General (Mr. Gibson) during the week ear-marked a band of wave lengths from 250 metres to 550 metres for the use of persons in Victoria and other States who have announced their intention of conducting free broadcast programmes. About five individuals will have the use of the band for transmitting purposes which, on the face of it, seems somewhat inconsistent in view of the Commonwealth's determination to encourage competitive broadcasting as against a monopoly. Mr. Gibson could easily have allotted one wave length to each person desiring to broadcast free programmes, just as he proposes to allot one wavelength to each broadcasting company. The position is certainly an anomalous one and the sooner Mr. Gibson defines the Government's attitude on the matter the sooner will the radio realm be in a position to prepare plans for a competitive system or a monopoly, as the case may be.

Will Free Entertainments Stay? It is contended by many that the free programmes will share the same fate as the free entertainments in other countries, where the expense of conducting bright programmes proved too costly for the altruistic enthusiasts dispensing them. From one viewpoint it might be argued that, even if amateurs are unable to continue the financial strain which a broadcast service would entail, there is no harm in them continuing as far as they can. But the damage is not confined to the transmitter only. His listeners ultimately would be compelled to subscribe to a broadcast company, and to have their receiving sets tuned to the new wavelength. The necessity for transferring, coupled with the inferior service that the gratis service invariably provides, would tend to irritate rather than encourage a newcomer to the science. It is up to those who propose to conduct free broadcasting to disprove the slogan that "what costs nothing is usually worth nothing." Failing that, it would be better for them to hand over their wavelengths to a company with sufficient financial backing to do justice to the enterprise.

Fault-Finding Critics. Judging by the knocks that are being handed round from time to time to those charged with the responsibility of encouraging wireless, the casual observer would never imagine that the science was, as yet, only in its swaddling clothes, and dependent on the goodwill and co-operation of all amateurs to develop it. In the music world carping criticism is more or less expected, whether it is justified or not. This trait among many musicians, though prompted chiefly by jealousy, is attributed to an artistic temperament. Judging by a letter written to the Press during the week, in which the writer complains of the increasing criticism by many interesting themselves in wireless, quite a few of the fraternity must also be blessed with an artistic temperament. A familiar cry that is being repeated in parrot fashion is, "The ether belongs to Nature, hence it should be free to all." So does the land and water belong to Nature, yet people using both are compelled, for their own convenience and that of everybody else, to conform to traffic rules and regulations. Another complaint is that the Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., is retarding progress by insisting on its patent rights not being infringed. Mr. E. T. Fisk, managing director of the company, when approached on the subject, said that no conditions were imposed by the company on people engaged in wireless business, and no restrictions either, excepting, of course, that the company's patent rights must not be infringed. That, of course, was a natural restriction which would be imposed by a holder of a patent on any matter. "I will go so far as to say," concluded Mr. Fisk, "that the company is prepared to consider allowing the use of its patents on terms to be arranged mutually between the company and those desiring to use them. The most effective answer to the critics of the company is the large number of people who are pleased to do business with us."

Wireless at the Town Hall. The Lord Mayor announced to the Finance Committee on Wednesday that Farmer's and Co., Ltd., wished to have direct telephone communication from the Town Hall to their city premises with the object of broadcasting some of the lectures, speeches and other big functions which take place there to their subscribers in distant parts of the State. The proposal opens up a vista of possible consequences which may, or may not, rebound on the broadcasting company, according to the discrimination employed in selecting its items. If Madame Melba or some other distinguished artist is to be broadcasted over the State, no one will cavil at it. But if the policy speech of a political leader were to be transmitted during the height of a heated campaign, some of the opponents listening in might be tempted to shy ancient eggs at their receiving sets before they realised where they were. In America, it is quite a common occurrence to broadcast political speeches all over the States — each party making its own broadcasting arrangements. But is a questionable whether local broadcasting companies will touch political issues any more than do the theatres and music halls providing entertainments at present.

Control Over Masts. The increasing number of aerial masts which are springing up in mushroom fashion all over England, is dotting the towns with peculiar structures which the uninitiated mistake for overgrown moth-traps or such like. The authorities are calling attention to the added risk of fire and other dangers, especially as some of the rigging stretches from one side of a road way to the other. Regulations to control the erection of aerials are being framed, and no doubt the local authorities will shortly take similar steps with respect to the control aerials in this country.

Mercury Ballast for Crystal Cups. The best way in which to obtain a sensitive piece of crystal for your detector is to purchase a fairly large lump and break it up into several small pieces. These are individually tested, and the best piece selected. When doing this, there is a great risk of handling the crystals too much and ruining their sensitive surface with a film of oil from the fingers, especially when trying to get them in position under the clamping screw in the detector cup. The latter disadvantage can be overcome to a great extent by filling the crystal cup about two-thirds full with mercury, and floating the crystal on the top of it. Owing to the fact that mercury is over thirteen times as heavy as water, and the specific gravity of the heaviest crystal galena, is not more than ten, there need be no fear that any of them will sink. If it is desired to make a permanent mounting for a crystal, take a few drops of mercury and in it dissolve as much tinfoil as possible. With this amalgam the crystal is packed into place, and in a day or so the combination will be found to have set hard and firm. This method is to be preferred to soldering, for the heat used is liable to injure the rectifying properties of certain crystals.

Making Brass Washers. It often happens that a few brass washers of a special size are urgently required. These can be easily made by cutting out discs from a sheet of brass of the desired gauge, and punching the holes with a riveting punch and die. It may be necessary to hammer the washers flat after punching the hole, but, despite this, the process will be found a quick and easy one.

Cheap Labels for Apparatus. When carrying out experiments with temporary apparatus wired up on a piece of board or old panel, confusion some times takes place as to the identity of a pair of terminals amongst the mass of loose wires. This uncertainty can easily be overcome by pasting small labels near the terminals as the work proceeds. On the advertisement page of all radio magazines can be found many technical terms which are used to describe the apparatus listed, and if these are cut out with a pair of scissors they can be pasted into place where required, and a neat and legible lettering obtained for the different terminals.

1923 09 23

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 23 September 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. FARMERS' PARTY GETS BUSY. Speculators Thwarted by Man on Land. WILL WIRELESS APPEAR ON PROGRESSIVE PLATFORM?

A new and intensely important phase of wireless possibilities — radio for the farmer — formed the subject of an address to members of the Progressive Party by Mr. E. T. Fisk, managing director of Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., at the Royal Colonial Institute during the week. The Country Party members displayed the liveliest interest in the proceedings, and it is not unlikely that the party will make the wireless question a live plank of the Progressive platform. The leader of the Progressive Party (Col. Bruxner), in introducing Mr. Fisk, said Ada Reeve wanted to know "How are you going to keep 'em down on the farm?" but apparently the famous comedienne had not heard of the possibilities of wireless in the matter of banishing isolation from the big log fires out back of beyond. On behalf of the Progressive Party he welcomed the presence of a party of boys from the Sydney Grammar School, with their science master, for the wireless question was one which was essentially one for a studious temperament. In view of such advantages that wireless can offer the man on the land, he said, we would forfeit our title as rural representatives if we failed to co-operate in every way possible with the new discovery. (Applause.)

To London in 1-15sec. Mr. Fisk said that there would be one central high power station in Australia, and that would be connected direct with all the capital cities of the Commonwealth, and also with other centres, including Townsville, Darwin and Roebourne, in Western Australia. The messages would be received in any of these centres and sent direct to London, and the actual time in transmission between Sydney and London would be one-fifteenth of one second. "The station will have to be either at Melbourne or Sydney," he added, "but it certainly will not be at Darwin, where the British post office people would have it. If such a place as Darwin were selected," he added, "the whole of the present overland telegraphic communication would have to be diverted thence, and the cost would be tremendous. But by establishing a transmitting station at Sydney or Melbourne, or even within 100 miles of either of these places, there would not be any material difference in the overland telegraphic arrangements. "Although the station will be some distance from a public office," he continued, "the people will be enabled to hand in their radiogram, say, in Pitt-street. The clerk will take it into another room, where an operator will commence to type it out. Immediately he does so, the message automatically becomes transmitted to a high-power station and thence through ether to London, where it will be recorded on a tape in a fraction of a second. The station will operate for 24 hours of every day."

Financial Saving. In explaining the financial side of the project, Mr. Fisk said at the present time Australia was spending £1,500,000 in cable communications, and that money was spent in doing what was the ordinary business of Australia. If Australia had the means of communication that was necessary for business purposes, that expenditure would probably be more than £3,000,000. Assuming the reduction in price in wireless communication reduced the price of the cable communications, that would mean a saving to Australia of over £500,000 a year. Pointing out the benefits to the primary producers, Mr. Fisk said that it was imperative if Australia were to successfully compete against other producing countries that farmers should have instantaneous communication with the markets of the world. Next year there would be direct wireless communication between Australia and Great Britain and Canada. That would be followed by direct communication with the United States, South America, Africa and various centres in Europe and Asia. In fact, the world would be circled by the central wireless station of Australia. Mr. Fisk then explained by means of slides how it would be possible for the producers on the outback stations and farms to be in wireless communication with their local towns by a comparatively small expenditure on apparatus, and for the use of which there would only be a small license fee so that calls would be practically free, compared with the present telephone charges. He explained the necessity of having apparatus tuned to certain wave lengths, so as to prevent wireless confusion throughout Australia. It was also necessary, he said, to protect the users against those who wished to exploit them merely for the sake of the profit on the wireless installations, and all that was being provided for in the Government scheme for the control of wireless in Australia.

Lithgow Listens. Lithgow Radio Club has installed a receiving set, with which messages have been received from stations stretching from Darwin to New Zealand.

Timing Motor Contests. Wireless telephony was utilised by the officials conducting the recent motoring test on the South Coast. Time of despatch and arrival of the competing cars was recorded with successful results. It is incorrect, however, to say, as has been published, that wireless telephony was employed in connection with motor tests for the first time in Australia, for the Victorian officials conducting the Alpine reliability tests in the southern State have already demonstrated the advantages of wireless, especially when checking cars in the mountainous regions.

Duplicate Transmitters. People who desire to listen-in to the broadcasting entertainment programmes, soon to be flashed to every corner of the State, need not be concerned over the cable from England stating that experts predict early introduction of duplicate transmitters to counteract the "fading" complained of in connection with the British Broadcasting Company's programmes. If the intensity of sound varies in England, it is because the B.B.C. operates on a two-hundred metre wave length, which is considerably shorter than that to be employed in this country. Farmers & Co., Ltd., have been allotted a wave length of 1100 metres, and this is expected to escape all the ills experienced by listeners on the short wavelengths abroad. It is explained that the duplicate transmitters working on different wave lengths would give a stereoscopic effect, thus necessitating the use of duplicated receivers. The experiment will be watched with interest from Australia, not so much to ascertain whether both ears can be used independently, as to find out whether any new difficulties are encountered through the double transmission using two channels in the ether and possibly doubling the existing interferences.

A Variable Grid Leak. When experimenting with different makes of valves it is certain to be found that each will work to the maximum efficiency with some particular combination of grid condenser and leak resistance. It is an easy matter to provide the variable condenser element, but not so the latter, as it is hardly a standard form of equipment on the average experimental station. An easily constructed variable resistance of high value can be made as follows: Secure an old variable filament resistance of the rotary pattern which has the resistance element wound on a fibre or composition ring, and from it remove the wire. If the surface has a thread on it, a portion about one-quarter of an inch wide must be removed with a file, and on it rubbed a thick layer of graphite from an H.B. drawing pencil. It is best to put this on in several layers, rubbing each one smooth with a piece of cloth before the other is put on. This makes the graphite layer less liable to be rubbed off when in use. Connect one of the terminals of the rheostat to the fibre ring by binding on a few layers of tinfoil at the end, and then assemble the rotary arm. This should make a light contact with the graphite, and as it is moved around, a resistance varying from practically zero to several megohms will be brought into circuit.

First Aid for Ebonite Knobs. It often happens when using unbushed ebonite knobs for switches, that they are screwed too far on the centre rod, with the result that the thread is stripped. This should not be a cause for rendering the knob useless, for it can easily be made stronger than it was in its original form. Obtain a nut which will fit on the switch shaft, and heat it red hot over a clean gas flame. Next place it exactly over the striped hole in the knob, and without any delay place on top of the two, a weight of a few pounds. This causes the nut to sink into the ebonite, and upon cooling it will be found that the two have stuck tightly together. The knob can now be screwed on in the ordinary manner, and the advantage of a bushed job obtained.

1923 09 30

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 30 September 1923

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. MELBOURNE MAY GET HIGH-POWER STATION. Local Police to Use Wireless. EXPERIMENTAL SUGGESTIONS.

Word comes from Melbourne to say that there is every prospect of the international high-power wireless station, which is to link up Australia with England, being erected near Melbourne. No definite locality has yet been determined by the authorities, who have to weigh many physical advantages of New South Wales against the more economical working conditions obtainable in Victoria. The Imperial Conference will commence its sittings on Monday. It is expected that the Dominion Premiers will make a determined effort there to induce the Prime Minister of Great Britain (Mr. Stanley Baldwin) to adjust the differences between the British Postmaster-General's Department and the Marconi Company. A certain degree of optimism prevails in Victoria because it is felt that the comparatively cheap power available by means of the Morwell brown coal is an advantage that cannot easily be disregarded. On the other hand, the Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., must select an area of level country so that the messages will escape the disturbances occasioned by close proximity to mountainous country. With that object in view, Liverpool was visited during this week and much reconnoitring done with the object of testing its suitability for the station. Liverpool and surrounding districts seem to offer ideal physical advantages, for the mountain range in well in the background, whilst the locality is sufficiently inland from the sea to dispel any danger of mast corrosion as experienced by countries where the steel masts are erected adjacent to the sea, and where the salt air causes corrosion. It is understood that the high-power station will occupy a territory sufficiently large to provide for the erection of 20 masts. It will have a wave length of 25,000 metres — roughly 15 miles — and when linked up with Great Britain's high-power station, it will be capable of sending messages from Australia to London in one-fifteenth of a second.

Job for Dominion Premiers. The hitch which has occurred in England between the British Post Office and the Marconi Company — whatever its merits or demerits — is holding up the work of erecting the high-power station in England, which is to be the counterpart of the one in Australia. There is a tendency to cast blame on the British Post office, which has not earned a reputation for working smoothly with the wireless propagandists at any time since the advent of the revolutionary science. Australia is not concerned with fixing the blame, but it is concerned with the dispute that is holding up the English station. The matter will be placed before the Imperial Conference during the week, and no doubt the atmosphere will be cleared to enable the work to proceed.

Wireless for Sydney's Police. The Inspector-General of Police (Mr. J. Mitchell) is impressed with the necessity for equipping police stations with wireless apparatus to enable the police to more speedily communicate with each other when running down criminals. Mr. Mitchell says that installation of wireless depends upon whether the police can work on a special wavelength, which will prevent the public from "listening-in." With this safeguard assured, it is his intention to extend a wireless service to the police stations at Tamworth, Goulburn, Newcastle, Bathurst, Grafton, Albury, Dubbo, and Broken Hill. Police patrol cars and police launches in the metropolitan area will be fitted up as soon as the apparatus is completed at headquarters.

Value of Direction Finders. The importance of wireless direction-finders for ships at sea could not be more eloquently emphasised than by the tribute of Captain Watson, commander of the United States destroyer squadron, which ran aground off San Miguel Island, near the coast of Santa Barbara during a fog on September 8. Captain Watson says that had he obeyed the directional wireless the wreck would have been avoided, but he could not believe the directions of wireless against the figures of his own reckoning. He had to make the choice, and he took the chance under the belief that he was right and the wireless wrong. Directional wireless had advised him that he was north of Arguella Lighthouse, when he felt certain he was a few miles south of it. He thereupon gave the order to turn against the shore. The Sunday Times has already called attention to the importance of directional wireless and the part that it can play in saving life at sea. Instead of waiting for the idea to creep on them in a years time or so, the Navigation Department officials should immediately take steps to make use of this discovery as soon as it is possible to obtain it.

Manly Club's Evening. The Manly Radio Club has stimulated much interest among the people of the Village in wireless matters. The recent entertainment programme given at the Manly Literary Institute, which was conducted by Mr. R. E. McIntosh (2ZG), of Lane Cove, was highly appreciated by the gathering, both from the entertainment standpoint and the success of the experiment in transmission and receiving.

1923 10

1923 10 07

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 7 October 1923 (First Part)

SPARKS FROM RADIOLAND. ELIMINATING STATIC TROUBLE. Are You on the Wire — Practical Tips for Beginners.

Our wireless feature this weak deals with the static disturbances encountered last weekend by amateurs and experimenters. It is a reminder to experimenters that the whole wireless world is ready to kneel at the feet of whoever succeeds in combating or annihilating that enemy of the ether.

"Static" Trouble. The approaching advent of Summer brings with it the greatest of all difficulties to the successful transmission and reception of wireless signals and speech, viz., "static." Conditions last weekend proved so unfavorable that the majority of "listeners-in" hung up their headphones in disgust. This occurrence, quite unexpected so early in the season, was due mainly to the abnormal weather conditions prevailing at the time. The electrical disturbances in the ether which are responsible for the trouble often present themselves when least expected. The elimination of static provides a fruitful field for experiment amongst students in radio research work. The difficulty should not prove incapable of solution, and it goes without saying that the man who devises a means whereby static can be rendered impotent will have his name immortalised in the radio world. Regenerative Circuits. The wireless authorities are determined to stop the sale and use of receivers which employ regeneration in the aerial circuit. Such receivers are prohibited under the wireless regulations except in special cases. Mr. J. Malone (Controller of Wireless) has appealed to radio dealers to see that no members of their staffs are guilty of selling regenerative receivers. The whole future of wireless in Australia is dependent upon the success of broadcasting, which, in turn, will be judged by the quality and clearness of the programmes. If "howling valves" make the ether impossible for efficient reception, the whole project is liable to crash, and traders who have staked their all in the radio business will lose heavily. Surely this fact should induce them to back up the authorities in their demand for peace in the ether. Experimenters who profess a deep love of wireless work should need no second asking to do their part in stopping the "howling valve" nuisance.

Radio Relay League. Many experimenters are asking what the Radio Relay League is doing. The League, on the other hand, is asking what experimenters are doing that a greater number have not enrolled as members. There should be a great future for the Radio Relay League in Australia, and every experimenter would be well-advised to join up with it. At some future date it is hoped to have a chain of amateur receiving and transmitting stations around Australia, which would be of great national value in times of national stress.

What Is Your Wire Number? It is a common inquiry in these days to be asked for your 'phone number, and, nearly everybody who is in any way concerned or interested in the important events of everyday life, contrives either to obtain one or live alongside one. But with the rapidly approaching system of wireless telephony the old query will have to make way for the modern question: What Is your wire number? Wireless telephony apparatus is being completed at present, and it is proposed to shortly instal the services outback where farmers and squatters may wire up each other just as their cousins do in the city by telephone. The effective range of the wireless telephonic system is limited — say to 30 miles — but it is confidently anticipated with the progress of the science, a greater range will shortly be practicable. Some potential wireless enthusiasts are laboring under the impression that a thorough knowledge of the Morse code — dots and dashes — is necessary before wireless messages can be sent through the telephone. Such is not the case. Communication is not carried on by signalling as with navigation messages, but by speaking through the transmitter just as the speakers would if sending their messages through the telephone. It may be mentioned, in passing, that dots and dashes for navigation and commercial purposes, will soon be relegated to the limbo of a forgotten past, for one of the latest inventions is a machine similar to a typewriter, the letters of which, when pressed, give the corresponding signal to the Morse letter for which it has been substituted.

"Sparks from Radioland" column (page) in Sydney's "Sunday Times," of Sunday, 7 October 1923 (Second Part)

TIPS FOR BEGINNERS. A Practical Hint for Cabinet Makers. It has been found that when an attempt is made to glue together two surfaces of wood which have been coated with shellac varnish, the strength of the joint is very low, and it is liable to come apart quite easily. This disadvantage can be overcome quite easily by sandpapering the varnished wood where the glue has to be applied. Those who have attempted to fix a repair patch on a cycle tube without the preliminary cleaning of the surfaces will realise the importance of the above-mentioned precaution. Looking After the Storage Battery. The storage battery used by experimenters for the supply of current to the valve filaments can be made to give many years of useful service if it is paid a little regular attention. These batteries are certainly silent workers, for they seldom show a marked reaction to ill-usage until they are practically beyond repair. The level of the electrolyte should always be kept about a quarter of an inch above the top of the plates. If any portion of the plate is allowed to be exposed to the influence of the atmosphere, corrosion will be rapid, and a heavy layer of sulphate will form. In time the top portion becomes very brittle, and the cell's active life will be considerably shortened, for the plates are liable to crack and drop to the bottom of the cells. Only distilled water should be used to restore the level of the electrolyte, for it is only this component which is lost when charging, although a slight quantity of acid is likely to be driven off in the form of spray if the charging is too rapid towards the end. A hydrometer is very useful to determine the condition of the battery. For use with the type of battery employed by experimenters the syringe hydrometer should be used. When fully charged the specific gravity of the electrolyte should read about 1250, and as the battery is discharged this figure will fall until it reaches about 1150. This reading is independent of whether the battery is discharging the current at the time of reading. The voltage of the battery on load is another indication of its condition. When this voltage falls to 1.8 per cell it is time to recharge. When recharging do not exceed the normal current specified by the makers. If too much current is passed through the cell the deposit of active material will be of a loose nature, and easily fall down between the plates, producing a conducting sludge at the bottom of the cell which is liable to cause short circuits.