Radio Broadcast (Nov 1926-Apr 1927)

360 RADIO BROADCAST FEBRUARY, 1927 of paramount importance. Why not select experienced radio announcers who, by training and experience, have learned the art of "getting over" by radio? Why the Poor Engineer is Poor THE Board of Investigation and Coordination of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, which has been investigating for three years, urges that a program of sweeping changes be put into effect in all the engineering colleges of the country associated with it. "The development of greater social insight and a large sense of social responsibility should be a definite objective of the engineering profession if it is to gain recognition for more than its technical proficiency," the report declares, and continues: "At the same time, it has need to prove its proficiency in dealing with problems of economy as related to the technical problems of engineering. The ability of the engineer to extend his influence .... appears to hinge primarily on his attainment of greater competency and greater recognition on the economical and social side of his work." The unimaginative style of writing of most engineers and their failure to translate their work and achievement in such terms that the public can understand and appreciate it is often mentioned as a primary reason for their small remuneration as measured by their service to the public. Many people assert that they can recognize an engineer when they see one by his introspective and concentrated manner. Development of greater appreciation of his social significance not only means greater recognition to the engineer but better adaptability of his work to commercial and human needs. When chief engineers, engineers, and sales managers get together, there is generally a battle. "Make it cheap enough to sell," says the sales manager. "Make it to today's latest specifications," says the neversatisfied engineer. Better appreciation of sales problems and the economics of industry would make better engineers. RALPH P. WORDEN Cleveland Radio Editor, the Cleveland News. Especially written for Radio Broadcast: " The increasing use of 'mixers,' by means of which the control operator in a broadcasting station can emphasise or subdue various sections of a large orchestra, places on the operator's shoulders a great responsibility. The orchestra may be directed by Damrosch or Stokowski, yet if the operator is anything short of a Damrosch or a Stokowski in his own field it is possible for him to prevent the artistry of the leader from reaching the radio audience. This is said, not in criticism of the leading stations, whose broadcasts have been above reproach at all times, but in explanation of the fact that large orchestras or bands 'on the road' often do not sound as well over various radio, stations as they do when featured at the country's leading broadcast studios." The Month In Radio EF. BEMIS, Electrical Division, Depart• ment of Commerce, announced the leadership of the United States in the export of radio apparatus. Its 1925 shipments were valued at $9,903,857, being nearly three and a half millions greater than that of Great Britain. British sales to Europe constituted more than 41 per cent, of the total British radio exports, while American volume is built up largely in Canada and Latin America. ANOTHER Department of Commerce statement announces a 60.4 per cent, decline in phonograph output in two years, the number of manufacturing establishments dropping from 1 1 1 to 68. The principal phonograph companies have gone into the radio business. AN APPEAL, seeking to upset the rejection of Claims 11, 12 and 13 of R. A. Heising's Patent 1603282 was unsuccessful in a recent Patent Office hearing, and the rejection of these claims was affirmed. An interference in connection with patent 789124, issued to one Ehret, was cited. IN A decision rendered in a federal court in * Pennsylvania, DeForest patent 1 507016 and 1 507017, for oscillating audion and feedback circuits were held prior in invention to the claims in Armstrong's 1 1 13 149 and Claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12 and 14 to 18 of the latter were held invalid. The suit was between the DeForest and Westinghouse companies. This decision is subject to further appeal to higher courts. MC. HOPKINS, whose patents 1275 127 • and 1275 129 have already been battled over with the Western Electric Company through the Lektophone Corporation, has appealed the decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals of September 20, 1926. His company has done likewise in a suit involving the same patents with the Brandes Products Corporation. AN AVERAGE of 500 letters a day is being received by the Radio Service of the Department of Agriculture which is broadcasting special programs for the farmer through numerous stations. Considering the antipathy which the farmer has toward letter communication, this is indeed a reassuring indication of the remarkable success of these programs GERMAN radio fans are petitioning the president of the Reichstag to permit the broadcasting of all debates of that body. Gluttons for punishment, these Germans. TWELVE minutes after the referee's decision in Philadelphia that Gene Tunney was the new World's Heavyweight Boxing Champion, the presses of the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg were printing papers containing the news. 2XAF, wgy's short-wave little sister, bridged the distance between the two continents. London newspapers published summaries of the announcer's description of the fight as heard by short-wave listeners. AN EXAMPLE of the value of radio compass bearings is given in an announcement from the Communication Division of the Office of Naval Operations of the Department of the Navy. Two merchant vessels, proceeding in a fog, in the vicinity of Hog Island Light, did not make use of the radio compass group located at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. One of the vessels grounded and then requested bearings. She was promptly told that she was on the edge of a shoal. The other ship overheard and escaped. Better late than never, but too late is futile. A DIRECT radio link between Nauen, Germany, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been established with a rate of 2.75 reichmarks per word. A WIRELESS ALARM FOR SHIPS This device, supplied by Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Ltd., is designed to respond to a scries of three four-second dashes, which is suggested be preparatory to the sending of distress calls. Ships thus equipped would not have to maintain a constant watch for distress calls. On the left is the four-second dash sender, which is connected to the main transmitter of the ship. The mechanism is wound up by the handle. Next is the tube receiver, and on the right, the selector unit for interpreting the signals and putting the alarm bell in circuit