History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Publications/Radio in ANZ/Issues/1923 06 13

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Front Cover

Issued every second Wednesday — Sixpence

RADIO IN AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND — incorporating "Sea, Land and Air"

VOL I. — JUNE 13, 1923 — No. 6

(Start Graphic Description) Miss Edith Clifford, vaudeville artist, who undertakes daily weight-reducing exercises to radio music.— "Wide World" Photo (End Graphic Description)

Registered at G.P.O., Sydney, for transmission by post as a newspaper.

P.121 - Contents Banner

RADIO in AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Incorporating "Sea, Land and Air"

Managing Editor: S. E. TATHAM Associate Editor: M. DIXON

CONTENTS

Volume I. JUNE 13, 1923 Number 6

P.121 - Contents

CONTENTS.

• Radiotorial . . . Page 122
• Australia's Future Wireless System . . . Page 123
• Experimental Transmission Tests . . . Page 123
• Continuous Wave Transmission . . . Page 124
• Broadcasting Conference . . . Page 126
• Queensland Insurance Company Radio Club . . . Page 127
• Experimental Work at Manly, N.S.W. . . . Page 128
• Waves from West Australia . . . Page 129
• The Co-Relation of the Various Forms of Energy . . . Page 130
• Tasmanian Activities . . . Page 132
• Miss Lee White Entertains "Listeners In" . . . Page 133
• Transmitting Licenses in South Australia . . . Page 133
• The Experimenters' Corner . . . Page 134
• New Zealand Wireless Development . . . Page 136
• Radiofun . . . Page 138
• Queensland Notes . . . Page 139
• Club Notes and News . . . Page 140
• Queries Answered . . . Page 143
• Coastal Radio Service . . . Page 144
• Movements of Marine Operators . . . Page 144

P.121 - Publication Notes

Published by: THE WIRELESS PRESS, 97 CLARENCE ST., SYDNEY; 422-24 Lt. Collins St., Melbourne; Australasia Chambers, Wellington, N.Z.

PRICE, 6d. per Copy; Subscription Rate, 10/- per annum (26 issues) throughout Australia and New Zealand; Foreign Rate, 12/6 (26 issues)

OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES:

Canada and United States of America: The Wireless Press Inc., 326 Broadway, New York City

Great Britain: The Wireless Press Ltd., 12-13 Henrietta St., London, W.C.2

P.122 - Radiotorial

What the Conference Accomplished

It is yet too early to say whether the regulations to govern broadcasting in Australia, which were agreed upon by the recent Melbourne Conference, will achieve in practical operation the promise they now hold. Much depends upon how they are administered, and the extent to which those coming under them shape their activities. The Conference delegates set a good example to the rest of Australia by the whole-hearted manner in which they tackled the problem of framing regulations for the Minister's guidance. The difficulties confronting them were undeniably great, and few expected such a speedy and unanimous termination to the proceedings. It now remains for the result of their deliberations to be tested in actual practice. When that is done we believe that the scheme will reveal the fact that the regulations are the best possible suited to the peculiar needs and conditions of Australia, the army of experimenters, and the general public. Prior to the opening of the Conference the opinion was expressed in some quarters that special representation would be required to safeguard the interests of genuine experimenters. It was feared that unless this representation was forthcoming their interests would be subordinated to the purely amusement side of broadcasting by confining them to wave lengths practically useless for experimental work. Happily, this fear proved to be groundless. Without exception, the Conference delegates demonstrated their anxiety to do the best possible in the interests of all concerned, and a perusal of the regulations, as submitted for the Minister's approval, discloses that those who come under the heading of "experimenters" will in no wise have their activities curtailed. This is as it should be. In Australia, as well as in other countries, the experimenter deserves much credit for the progress made by wireless in recent years. It was not always as interesting and entertaining to dabble in radio, as it is at the present day. One does not require a long memory to recall the time when the man who put up an aerial and attempted to pick up signals was regarded in the light of a "crank." Much has happened in the last few years, and it would be a poor return for all the good work they have accomplished if the men who helped to "blaze the trail" were to be sacrificed on the altar of public amusement. No apprehension need be felt, however, that the regulations will operate to the slightest extent against the best interests of experimenters. The public will have its entertainment, the amateur his experiments, and the commercial possibilities of radio will be exploited to the fullest extent. That is the ideal which Australia must aim at, and there is no reason why it should not be attained. The Broadcasting Conference laid a good foundation.

When It Pays to "Go Slow"

Those who have been clamouring for the commencement of broadcasting in Australia are likely to have their desire gratified at an early date. The danger of a monopoly, which many people professed to fear, has proved quite illusory. When England lagged behind America in making use of the tremendous entertainment and educational possibilities of radio broadcasting there was the usual outcry from those who wish to imitate the "bull at the gate" act every time a new idea or invention comes to light. Fortunately, the authorities refused to be stampeded, and subsequent happenings have more than justified their apparent conservatism. England to-day boasts a broadcasting service, unquestionably not perfect, but far in advance of that which operated at the outset of the radio boom in America. True, the latter has since put her house in order, but only after she was taught a severe lesson. Chaos reigned supreme there for many months, and that the tangle was eventually straightened out is a tribute to the popularity of radio and its influence for good in the community. A discovery of lesser value would have gone under in the first few months, but radio emerged triumphant, and has since won its way into the homes of the people as a permanent institution. Australia now has an opportunity of enjoying all that is best in radio entertainment, and there is little doubt that the chance will be embraced with both arms. The broadcasting regulations will probably be gazetted at an early date, and all who desire to carry out the transmission of entertainment programmes will be free to proceed. It will, of course, be some little time before everything is working smoothly, and the highest point of perfection attained. That, however, need occasion no dismay. The future is ours to make or mar, and those who undertake to supply the public with programmes to its taste can be assured of an eager and appreciative audience. The stage is set, and Australia is eagerly waiting for the curtain to be lifted on the first act.

P.123 - Australia's Future Wireless System

Australia's Future Wireless System. Other Countries Point the Way. A Vision that will become a Reality.

THE average Australian, unless he be a radio enthusiast, has a very imperfect conception of what an up-to-date radio system is like, and how it works. In fact, few people realise that such a high standard of excellence has been attained in the application of radio telegraphy to the commercial needs of the different countries, as is the case in America, France and England today. In these three countries, and particularly the two first-named, there has been a very great advance in commercial wireless telegraphy during the past two years. There have been established in each of London, Paris, and New York, large central collecting and despatching offices for wireless messages to and from all parts of the world. In the heart of the city messages are being passed over the counter, and thence sent by automatic carriers into the middle of the telegraph office. Other messages are being received through telephones by expert telephonists, from all over the city and country to go by wireless. In . another section are automatic printing machines connected direct with offices of big trading firms and banks, 1r\1ich do a ]argc--amount of telegraphing; other busine:;;s houses are connected by the ordinary telegraphic ~ervice. By all these channels messages flow into the central traffic office. Jn the office there are tables where operators type out the messages on an ordinary typewriter keyboard. That automatically perforates a tape with the Morse code, and the tape runs through a machine at anything up to 120 words a minute. The machine, in turn, is connected to an over. land wireless transmitting station situated from 20 to 50 miles distant. At the transmitter station there is only a silent apparatus, with engineers who keep the gear running. The impuL,es coming over the land line at high speed operate the transmitter, sending the messages by ,vireless to a distant :;;tation. They come into the receiving station, anything between 20 and 50 miles away from a city-which station again contains 110 operators, but simply attendants who keep the apparatus in order-and with absolutely no sound whatever, are transferred on the landline to the addressee, or are received and telephoned into the city, where they are passed on by the land system for distribution at home, or by wireless to some other country. At the present time these high-speed circuits are working in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, France, Spain, and Germany . Services in other countries are being arranged now. In :B1rance they are conducting services to America, as well as European countries, and the new French station ( St. Assise) is designed to work with four distant countries simultaneously. · In addition to that they have got an intro-European station right in the heart of the citv where,' after the incoming wirelc~~ signals have punched holes in the t ape according to the. Morse characters, • the tape is run at high speed through a machine which converts the Morse characters into printed letters. These messages, as they are cut off and pasted on to slips, are passed along an automatic band-conveyor to what is called the unpacking room. In that room there are clerks ,vith card indexes containing at least 40,000 code addresses, and as these messages come in with code-indicator addresses they are marked for proper dist ribution, either by telephone or otherwise. Switzerland has a service with England, and is arranging extension to other countries. Germany has two services working with America, and an intra-European station for communicating within and without Germany, capable of working thirteen different stations simultaneously. One modern wireless service to-day is carrying more than 20,000,000 p aid word,; per annum, and the chairman of one of the big cable companie:,; iu an addres:;; la,;t year referred to the great proportion of traffic between Europe and America which is now going by wireless.

Experimental Transmission Tests

ln order to enable the hundreds of experimenters who possess receiving ,ets to conduct tests, arrangements have been made by Mr. E. T. Fisk, 1Ianagino- Director of Amalgamated Wireless 0 (Aust.), Ltd., for one of the company's experimental stations m Sydney to transmit a programme on a wave length of 400 metres. For the present transmission will be carried out on . Tuesday evening only of each week, between 7.30 p .m. and 8.15 p .m., and will con,;ist of l.C.W., C.W. and telephone speech signals. The tests will be continued indefinit ely, and the number · of nights per ,veek may li ter on be increased.

P.124 - Continuous Wave Transmission

Continuous Wave Transmission.

P.126 - Broadcasting Conference

Broadcasting Conference. Important Resolutions Agreed to.

P.127 - Queensland Insurance Company Radio Club

Queensland Insurance Company Radio Club.

P.128 - Mr. F. C. Swinburne's Up-to Date Station

Experimental Work at Manly, N.S.W. Mr. F. C. Swinburne's Up-to-Date Station. Long Distance Reception.

P.130 - The Co-Relation of the Various Forms of Energy

The Co-Relation of the Various Forms of Energy.

P.132 - Tasmanian Activities

Tasmanian Activities. (By Our Special Representative.)

Tasmania has long felt the need of a Radio Club, and at a recent meeting in Hobart it was decided to form one. The initial success has far exceeded the expectations of those behind the move. The meeting decided that the Club should be known as the Tasmanian Division of the Wireless Institute of Australia. Mr. Robt. Nettlefold was elected Patron. Amongst the members are a number of well-known enthusiastic experimenters. Some very fine work has been done both in transmitting on low power and the reception of amateur signals from the mainland. The most outstanding feature of this work is that of Station 7AA, in charge of Mr. T. Watkins. Some time ago arrangements were made with the Victorian Division for a series of tests, Mr. Watkins being detailed by the Tasmanian body as its representative. Code signals were used throughout these tests, and out of the seven transmitting stations in and around Melbourne, the log kept by 7AA showed that the whole seven were received. Considering the low power used (approximately 6 watts) by these experimenters, it is a remarkable achievement. The seven stations were all copied, and their telephony heard distinctly, although only one valve was used. Since these tests Mr. Watkins has been successful in linking Tasmania with the mainland by means of his 5 watt transmitting set. This test took place at the latter end of April, and word was afterwards received from Melbourne that the signals were heard. Fuller details are being awaited with keen interest by experimenters in and around Hobart. The work of erecting a transmitting and receiving station at the Institute's Club rooms, Trafalgar Place, Hobart, is now in full swing. At an early date it is hoped to be able to communicate direct with the various other bodies on the mainland. To enable the Institute to carry on this work it will be essential to have the co-operation of as many amateurs as possible in our own State. Judging by the many applications for membership that have been received, the Council feels assured of success. A movement is afoot in the northern part of the Island to form a branch of the division at Launceston. Complaints have been made regarding the delay in issuing receiving licenses. It is hoped that this will be obviated in the near future.

AERIALS AND AIR TRAFFIC.

The delegate at the Broadcasting Conference, who unconsciously brought the element of comedy into the precinct of a tense atmosphere, by requesting that homing pigeons be protected against the threatened multiplicity of aerials, stoutly braved the hilarity that he created. The four hours of accumulated suppressed feeling was released upon him in the form of cheers and laughter, and with a force and spontaneity of a Leyden Jar. The delegate asked for corks to be strung on aerial wires, but it was pointed out that single wire aerials were not so numerous in Australia as in England — the country from which the delegate drew his information.

P.133 - Miss Lee White Entertains "Listeners-In"

Miss Lee White Entertains "Listeners-In".

At Mr. R. C. Marsden's Experimental Station (2JM) at Edgecliffe, Sydney, one Sunday evening recently Miss Lee White and Mr. Clay Smith, together with Hector St. Clair provided an entertainment for hundreds of "listeners in" throughout New South Wales. Miss Lee White sang several well-known songs from her musical revue, "Back Again," and Frank Charlton also rendered several vocal items. To secure a permanent record of the event Paramount Pictures cinematographed the whole performance. Mr. Marsden subsequently received reports to the effect that the concert was heard in Armidale, Tamworth, Mudgee, Inverell, Mandurama, Goulburn, Newcastle, and even in far away Toowoomba (Q'land) it was picked up on a single valve. It will be good news to all who enjoyed the first concert, and to others who did not have their sets ready that Miss Lee White and Mr. Smith will give a repeat concert at a later date, of which due notice will be given.

(Start Photo Caption) A Quaint Pose by Miss Lee White and Mr. Clay Smith of "BACK AGAIN," taken while singing songs from the popular revue into the transmitter of Mr. Marsden's Station (2JM). The above picture is enlarged from a motion picture negative of the Paramount Gazette, which filmed the event with the aid of hand flares. (End Photo Caption)

P.133 - Transmitting Licenses in South Australia

Transmitting Licenses in South Australia.

• 5AC V. R. Cook, 57 John's Road, Prospect.
• 5AD A. R. Snoswell, Harris Street, Exeter.
• 5AE J. M. Honner, Alpha Road, Prospect.
• 5AG W. J. Bland, Buller Terrace, Alberton.
• 5AH F . L. Williamson, Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town.
• 5AV Wireless Institute, S.A. Division (C. E. Ames), 20 Grange Road, Hindmarsh.
• 5AW Adelaide University, North Terrace, Adelaide.
• 5BD F. E. Earle, 321 Fifth Ave, St. Peters.
• 5BG H. A. Kauper, Guiney Road, Dulwich.
• 5BI School of Mines (W. W. Honnor), North Terrace, Adelaide.
• 5BN H . L. Austin, 8 Parade, Norwood.
• 5BQ L. C. Jones, Carlisle Road, Westbourne Park.

P.134 - The Experimenters' Corner

The Experimenters' Corner.

P.136 - New Zealand Wireless Development

New Zealand Wireless Development. Marked Interest Displayed.

P.139 - Queensland Notes

Queensland Notes.

P.140 - Club Notes & News

Club Notes & News.

P.143 - Queries Answered

Queries Answered.

P.144 - Coastal Radio Service

Coastal Radio Service.

P.144 - Movements of Marine Operators

Movements of Marine Operators.