Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1926)

522 RADIO BROADCAST METROPOLITAN SHOWS SECTION OCTOBER, 1026 A SEVEN-TUBE RECEIVER The Rauland "Lorraine" houses a seven-tube receiver and loud speaker in its fine walnut cabinet and offers adequate space for the concealment of all accessories. It retails for ^33 5 stages of radio-frequency amplification with a loop receiver, reception down to the noise level is claimed by several makers of such sets. Precision manufacture in the production of inductances and capacities and the use of effective shielding has made possible the use of four stages of radiofrequency amplification, manipulated by a single or dual control. Freed-Eisemann, Bosch, and Priess have brought forward such models, while Fada has a two-control receiver with such a powerful radio-frequency amplifier. Three stages of radiofrequency with single-control tuning has been brought forward by Ail-American, A-C Dayton, and Perlesz. The five-tube receiver which held the dominant place in the field last year finds strong rivalry from the six-, seven-, and eight-tube receiver, but there are still a large number of well established manufacturers, realizing the satisfaction which the five-tube receivers have given, who have stuck to their lasts and continued with five-tube, three-contol sets. They have improved the appearance of their receivers and revised the audio-frequency amplification system to permit of the use of power tubes and a better quality of reproduction. A newcomer in this field is the Sparks-Withington Company, known in the automobile accessory field. Other manufacturers, presenting C models in this field, are the Blair, Freshman, and Splitdorf. The general appearance of receiving sets has undergone marked changes. The power house, switchboard type of receiver is practically a thing of the past. Neatly illuminated dials have at last replaced the "pie plates" of olden days. A few manufacturers have taken to ornate decoration so that the option of the buyer ranges from an appearance of utmost simplicity and dignity to the last word in new-art, fancy scroll work. The combination of loud speaker with set is no longer accompanied by sacrifice of quality of reproduction. Earlier attempts in this direction were all too frequently made at the sacrifice of true quality because small loud speaker openings and cramped, thin-necked horns were used in connection with high grade receivers. Microphonic effects, when extremely large volume is attained with the loud speaker too close to the receiver, have maintained the popularity of the two unit systems, in which the radio receiver and preliminary audio-frequency amplification is incorporated in one unit and the loud A COMPLETELY SHIELDED RECEIVER The chassis of the new Freed-Eisemann "800" neulrodyne. Copper shielding is used for radiofrequency stages and detector tubes. The audio stages are shielded in a steel compartment. The set is loop-operated and uses eight tubes SIMPLICITY AND BEAUTY Tuning this Ferguson receiver is simply a matter of setting the dial to the wavelength of the desired station. A volume control varies the output to the wishes of its listeners speaker and power amplifier in a second. The power unit is arranged so it can be placed sufficiently distant from the first to subdue microphonic effects. The familiar Radiola with the type 104 loud speaker is only one example where this system is employed. THE MARRIAGE OF RADIO AND THE PHONOGRAPH ANOTHER group in the field is the combination phonograph and radio outfit. Since the audio-frequency end of a receiver, comprising preliminary and power amplification and high grade sound reproducing devices, is useful in connection with electric phonographs, it has been a natural development to have this end of the receiver serve a double purpose. We find both Brunswick and Victor in comprehensive lines, involving Radiola receivers and power amplification systems combined with their phonographs. . While the outstanding feature of the show and the general trend of the industry is indicated by a consideration of the higher priced receivers, the manufacturers have by no means neglected the needs of those who wish to make a modest investment. The improvement in the lower priced merchandise is just as marked as that in the higher field. Many of the lower priced sets have been remarkably improved in appearance and convenience. Even a most cursory examination of the illustrations in this section of the magazine will bring this fact forcibly to the reader's attention.