Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1922)

RADIO BROADCAST yellow ship. Yet perfect stillness prevailed on board and even a pair of binoculars trained on the "lazy" crew failed to show the reason for the strange behavior of the craft. Meanwhile the speedy launch had turned about and was making for a large float about a half mile in the offing where considerable paraphernalia seemed to be centred, with a group of men moving about from one instrument to another. Slowly, the dashes were repeated, then the dots, then silence. Finally, a long dash was heard lasting fully a half minute, at the end of which the horror stricken operator saw a blinding flash dart from the centre of the yellow craft followed by a monster cloud of dense smoke, then a terrific explosion. The sails, mast, superstructure, sailors, and antenna were hurled high into the air and in a few minutes the smoke had cleared and the debris had settled near the spot where the doomed ship had been. 1 1 was indeed a horrible sight, a terrible tragedy. What had happened? Just then it occurred to the operator to train his glasses on the distant barge. What he saw now was three perfectly collected and calm individuals gathered about a man who was cranking away at a moving picture camera "shooting" the last scene of the ill fated craft's end. Another movie tragedy with radio playing an unseen role had just been enacted. Briefly, the yacht was painted yellow that it might better register on the film, the lazy sailors were dummies set up for local color, the barge held the directing party. A short distance away on shore was erected a portable spark transmitter which had sent the dashes and dots actuating a master relay and control drum on board the craft which in turn performed several functions, the final one that of igniting a powerful charge of explosive. The tramp steamer operator had witnessed a near drama assisted by radio, where the yellow craft had almost made its getaway with the millionaire pirate on board as part of the story's plot. Making Radio Sales Pay By ARTHUR H. LYNCH RADIO broadcasting has proceeded at such a rapid pace that we now find haberdasheries and drug stores going into the radio retail business. " This condition is not good for radio and it is doubtful that such stores will long continue to thrive as dispensers of radio products. Even some of the largest department stores, in the cities where radio broadcasting is being carried on, are not suitably equipped with personnel to render the proper serviee to their radio customers. A few days ago, while making a small purchase in one of these establishments, a radio man overheard a clerk in the radio department explaining to a customer that a certain receiving set could be used with a loop antenna for the reception of broadcasted wireless telephone concerts over very great distances. The customer appeared sceptical, so the enthusiastic clerk plunged into a long story, using a lot of technical words which actually meant nothing to the customer, but which he thought would make a favorable im pression. Unfortunately, the customer believed the clerk and purchased the outfit. Most of the technical language indulged in by the clerk was nothing more than hearsay, and his contention that the set would function satisfactorily over the long range he had mentioned was absolutely false. Barnum said the public likes to be fooled; perhaps he is right, but it would be pretty safe to assume that after attempting to secure the wonderful results pointed out as possible by the clerk, the customer who purchased the radio outfit from a reputable department store would return the outfit to the store for credit and the store itself would be in a fair way to lose a good customer. The importance of stopping such a course of procedure as this cannot be overestimated and those in charge of the radio merchandising departments, whether they be in department stores or electrical supply houses, should make every effort to be sure that the men behind the counter really know the possibilities of various