Radio Digest (Oct 1923-July 1924)

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RADIO DIGES T— Illustrated October 27. 1923. Radio Digest REG. U. S. PAT. OFF. AND DOM. OF CANADA Published by the Radio Digest Publishing Company, Inc. 123 West Madison Street Telephone: State 4843, 4844, 4S4S Chicago, Illinois E. C. RAYNER, Publisher Chas. F. Smisor, Editor Evans E. Plummer, Managing Editor H. J. Marx. Technical Editor M. W. Thompson, Associate Editor Eastern Representative, Jacob Miller, Times BIdg., Times Square, New York; Telephone Bryant 4909 Pacific Coast Representatives E. J. Wood, 251 Kearney St., San Francisco Telephone Kearney 1472 H. M. Morris, 417 Western Mutual Life Building, Los Angeles Telephone 12011 Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations 58 PUBLISHED WEEKLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES Yearly in U. S. and Possessions and Canada, $5.00. Foreign postage, $1.00 additional. Single copies, 10 cents. Vol. vn Chicago, Saturday, October 27, 1923 No. 3 Are We Coming to This? Heat, Light and Power May Be Plucked from the Air AN ENIGMA that has been a scientific dream for rears is the transmission of power through the medium of the ether. This means that the electric light ■wires and long distance high tension systems eventually will be done away with and the subscriber will be able to take his lighting current directly from the air. We may be very near that time or very far from it, but should this happen there will be a considerable saving for most of us. Hydroelectric power may thus be developed in any part of the country and sent by Eadio to any other part. The first cost of the generation of the power will be comparatively small, and. with the upkeep of an expensive transmission line eliminated, electricity may be furnished for almost nothing. Some experimental trials have been made with pleasing results. Power was sent through the air for a short distance. This shows that the scheme has, at least, the earmarks of possibility. Give Your Applause by Letter Comments on Broadcast Programs Appreciated THE BIG season for Radio reception is now with us and in making up programs for those who listen the directors of various stations are largely influenced by the letters they receive commenting on the artists and their programs. If those who listen in nightly to the various stations would only take the time to write to the manager or artist and tell their wishes and desires, it would guide and enable the manager to give them the kind of programs and the kind of artists they are eager to hear. It would also help in varying the programs. Telephone calls are appreciated, but it is the written word that is passed on to the artists who perform over the Radio that helps most. This written applause is tangible evidence to them of the Radio audience's appreciation of their efforts. It is not easy for an artist to stand before a microphone and give the best he has to an unseen audience, knowing that when he has finished there is not forthcoming a welcome applause that he would receive from an audience visible to him. Artists who come to a station and give their services and their talent are affording pleasure to millions of people. It would seem little enough to ask of those who are enjoying this entertainment, with no cost whatever, to write and state their pleasure at what they have heard. Drama for Broadcasting Who Are the Greatest American Playwrights? WHAT is the greatest American drama? What are the ideals of America, and what is Americanism f The great play of any age is that play which crystallizes most artistically the dominant ideas of its time. The soul of a nation is revealed in its art. A poem, a novel, a painting, a drama becomes popular because it touches sympathetic emotions. In spite of Nietsche the great test for value remains with the popular voice. Not that momentary applause of the mob — which lasts but a day, to be sure — but that perpetual approval of well balanced human intelligence is to be considered as the popular voice. Many and many a monumental work of art did not become popular overnight. There is a form of patriotism which is more heroic than that displayed on the battlefield. It is that form which endeavors to create from the noblest sentiments of a nation's soul a living philosophy of every day existence. And when an artist is able to portray in his work characters actuated by such worthy aspirations, he has caught the spirit of his times and placed his name amongst the very rare, but nevertheless true historians. Who, then, are the great American playwrights, and at are their best works? Radio may bring the unknown to the front and. into the limelight. RADIO 1ND1-GEST The Rhyme of the Rabid Radiot (In tiro parts. Part Two will appear next week.) The snow was falling, flake by flake, The hour was half-past eight, And 1 was trying hard to make My crystal oscillate. No sound disturbed the wintry air Except the ticking clock, I tore my locks in deep despair. When — Hark ! 1 heard a knock ! Then quickly to my door I ran, , I opened it, and lo ! In came an aged, aged man — His gait was stiff and slow. "Old man," cried I, "What brings you here?" He answered slowly, "Fate !" I started, and he said "Draw near, I've something to relate. "Long years ago I bought some wire — " He smiled, "I'll not forget — " Drawing his chair before my fire — "My home-made crystal set. "At first — it's best to take down notes — I wound my coil — now hush ! Upon a box of Quaker Oats, But all I got was mush. 4 "And every night and every day I toiled at it in vain — ■ , At last I threw my junk away, And started in again. "This time I bought a vacuum light, Some dials, condensers three, A socket too, but still each night Was silent night to me. "I bought a variometer And wired it to the plate, And then I was quite certain, sir, It would regenerate." (To be concluded.) Ann Tenna. A-B-G Lessons Chapter XVIII for S Indigest Beginners We Always (?) Get Passes BY GOSH IS for the shows Tou never go to see, But hear them all by Radio, Because the seat is free. Our Own A. & Q. Dept. Dear Indi : What mesh screen do you use in the Stebbins Souper Degenerative? Answer : With the Stebbins Souper Degenerative we per sonally use a smoke screen. Lotta Moss. Witty Sir: What to do when my B battery goes dead? Answer : Inform the lodge it belongs to and hold a funeral. Vera Good. Dear Indi : How much change should I get back out of a fifty dollar bill after purchasing a two step amplifier? Answer : None after you get the loud speaker, extra tubes and batteries to go with it. Kay D. O. Honorable Sir : One of the ladies living in my apartment building hangs her washing on my antenna just when I want to listen in. How can I overcome this trouble? Answer : That's easy. Move into another building. Iva Dial. "Gone But Not Forgotten" Loud the wailings and deep the moans, For the departed one in the House of Jones. Into the corner of every room, Seemed to creep the terrible gloom. On the table the casket lay, The spirit gone, forsaken, away. 'Twas no wonder the family could but weep. When they found their "A" was fast asleep. H. K. C. INDI-GEST KINKS? SEND A DOLLAR— THERE are many little Indi-Gest kinks worked out in the home that would hamper your fellow Radioknut and cause him much worry. Indi-Gest is very much interested in securing such material and is willing to accept a dollar for each kink printed. Send a stamped envelope so rejected copy may be returned. Under no circumstances will the dollar be sent INDI-GEST KINKS DEPARTMENT No Grid Leak My girl keeps a Radio pinned to her pinny. With a high wire clothes line she calls her Aunt Tinney, A screw-driver shoved in the top of her boot. And a brace of drill bits with the brace that they suit. When she talks it's of aerials, flivvers and coils. Of feed-backs, inductances, static that spoils, Of shunts, microfarads, of meters and dials. Of hook-ups and circuits, and Radio trials. By day she's too busy with solder and wires, At evening so quiet her company tires. She meets my advances with unfeigned reluctance And likes all her loving by distant inductance. Oh! woe unto me while this Radio lasts. My heart for companionship hungers and fasts. For once when I asked her if she'd be my bride, She answered, "My Honey — comb coil beats the slide." Step-down Bill. A PIONEER SET THIS IS STATION U.S. AT VJtSTPORT ,MO. BEAMER. BIU ^\»-l NOW Wk ONCROSStNG THE J^>%-- WAUBEOPV TAKE vCARE.0 VURf" vrrrC3j;oNT lev eny tin cahs LAY'NG ARO'NO ATERYERLEV I /VS TW RED SKIN* ^LJL f*NP. pm' a no rou.EP.Yee.. WHENYU GrrTUOREGANi Condensed By DIELECTRIC Members of the A. E. E. L. decided to contest with Old Sol recently in getting from the east to the west coast of the United States, with the gratifying result of beating the sun to it. This is quite a feat when you stop to consider that the average daylight range for amateur transmitting stations is hardly more than one hundred miles. D. MeE. Parsley, operator of station 4FT, at Wilmington, N. C, made an early start with the rising sun, reaching Los Angeles with his message just one hour and twenty-five minutes later. It was only necessary to relay the message twice on its trip across the continent. The longest Eadio circuit in existence is now in operation and it is said to be more efficient than many circuits covering much less distance. It is more than one-sixth the way around the world between the New York station and that in Warsaw, Poland, yet communication is had direct via Eadio. To Poland this means much, as she is now freed of relying on messages relayed through other European countries; politically advantageous as well. We are in direct touch with most of the civilized world through the use of this modern medium, bringing with it a feeling of closer contact, socially and commercially. It really begins to seem like old times when you can move the dials and bring in speeches and music from some banqueting hall where noted speakers are addressing groups of men and women. The other evening WEAF broadcast Lehigh University's alumni meeting in Xew York City, which included addresses by Schwab, Wickersham and others and a splendid musical program, giving it also to Eadio audiences of WOO, KDKA and KYW. This feature of relaying a broadcast program is one of the very great attractions to Radiophony. _ It enables thousands who cannot attend, to hear what is said by prominent leaders in letters, science and industry. Think of the educational value of that. Tests of remote control of airplanes and autos by Radio are made every little while with complete sn< in practically every instance. One of the latest demonstrations was made at St. Louis during the army, navy and marine flying contest, at which time an auto, built to resemble a bug, was made to move all over the field at the will of the Eadio operator. The importance of this amusing exhibition is easily seen when its application to army maneuvers is considered. Without a pilot and directed solely by Eadio, an army plane was made to fly over a field at Dayton, O., being brought safely to earth again when the test was over. If the same thing could be applied to small boys, we would not have to lose half a program hunting up our lost progeny. What has been suggested in these columns as a possibility for the future appears to be drawing nearer all the time. We all know that certain stations are able to reach listeners in at some distance nightly and in a very satisfactory manner. Many smaller stations are less reliable in this respect. The first mentioned may consider that Eadio audiences will wish to depend on them for entertainment, so build other powerful stations to cover adjacent territory. Scores in the world series have been given us by eral stations so that we could follow the progress of this exciting sporting event, for millions are interested who never actually attended a single one of t tests. Station KYW. in addition to giving this fe.. and the city baseball series, will broadcast from S Field, University of Chicago, the resr, :ball game played there and announce the outeorne of tests on other gridirons. I can always depend on a call from a friend of mine Saturday ev»nings 6 re port of football games. One more season aud heT. ;i set of his own.