Radio mirror (Jan-Oct 1923)

RADIO DIGEST March ?/, 1923 Kddio Digest Is « REG. U. S. PAT. OFF. Published by the Radio Digest Publishing Company, Inc. 123 West Madison Street Telephone State 4844-484S Chicago, Illinois E. C. RAYNER. Publisher Chas. F. Smisor, Editor Evans E. Plummer, Managing Editor Harry J. Marx, Technical Editor Eastern Representative, Jacob Miller, 2126 Broadway, New York Telephone Endicott 2390 Pacific Coast Representatives E. J. Wood, 251 Kearny St., San Francisco Telephone Kearny 1472 H M. Morris, 417 Western Mutual Life Building, Los Angeles Telephone 12011 58 PUBLISHED WEEKLY yearly . SUBSCRIPTION RATES $5.00 | Foreign $6.00 Single Copies, 10 Cents Vol. IV Chicago, Saturday, March 31, 1923 No. 12 Need for Radio on Aircraft Ruling in Denmark Forces Radio Equipment on Airplanes THE air traffic commissioner of Denmark recently rules that all airplanes must be equipped with Radiophones. This is held as an important advance in both aviation and communication in Denmark. It is a progressive step not yet taken in the United States. Although ships of the sea must be so equipped, aircraft do as they please. After manv accidents in aerial traffic over sea routes with some loss of life, two aerial navigation lines have voluntarily begun to equip their aircraft with Radio as a safety precaution. Rear Admiral Moffett, chief of the naval bureau of aeronautics pointed out the necessity of Radio equipment, ot at least pigeons on all aircraft, several months ago. All army and naval planes are Radio equipped at least when on long distance trips, and in addition carrier pigeons. The need of legislation for aircraft and aerial navigation is pointed out by many American experts, but a bill now before Congress was caught in the legislative jam and did not pass this session. Condensed Vital Element in Life The Audience Listening In on Radio Reaches Millions IN THE last year scientists and engineers outdid themselves. Ten years of ordinary progress was crowded into the short space of twelve months. Turn whichever way you will and Radio greets you. Open your paper tonight, and somewhere within its columns you will find a discussion of Radio and the Radiophone. The Radiophone is a fact, not a theory. It has already become a vital element in our domestic, industrial, social and political life. Radio provides the biggest show on earth at the present time. The Radio audience numbers millions and consists of people representing every country in the world. The cast of the Radio show is unlimited; all the world is the stage. World's Series baseball games, play by play, direct from the diamond; prizefights direct from the ringside, blow by blow, mingled with the sound of the gong and outcries of the crowd ; football games, direct from the gridiron, yard by yard, backed by college songs and cheers ; track meets, lap by lap ; and now the latest feature added to the program is opera, aside from the regular stock market quotations, weather reports, timely topics, etc. About Amateur Operators Canada Checking Up on Licensed Amateur Stations CANADA has 1,800 licensed amateur Radio transmitting stations and fifty licensed broadcasting and commercial stations. Every owner of a Radio set in Canada is required to have a license. The rate for a receiving station is $l.a yea* and licenses are obtained through the postoffices. In order to check the wavelengths of transmitting stations Radio inspectors are being appointed in every city with a population in excess of 15,000. Twenty-five of these Radio policemen, most of them ex-service men, already have been appointed, to see that amateur transmitters comply with the new regulations which forbid amateur dots and dashes of voices in the air from 7:30 to 10 p. m., the hours reserved for broadcasting stations. Amateur transmitters in the United States number 17,000 and there are no hours stipulated when these stations cannot send messages. In many instances the amateur gets above the allotted wavelength and causes interference from those trying to hear the concerts. Many persons believe that the amateur should be heavily restricted by legislation, but it must be remembered that because of the liberal rights granted by the government to the amateur there was a host of selftrained amateurs in this country, second to none in the world, ready to enter the army and navy as Radio operators when the war broke. Great Britain had placed restrictions on her Radio amateurs and the result was a great shortage of operators in war time. A few Marconi operators had to handle the service until others could be trained. Regulations in the United States have been such that encouragement has been given to the amateur to experiment. The result has been that many improvements have come from amateurs experimenting in the attics of their homes. By DIELECTRIC The American museum expedition was the first one in the history of big scientific explorations to utilize a Radio receiving outfit. With Radio the vast areas are within the touch of civilization, and the hitherto sensation of separation with its tendency to morbidness, is counterbalanced by the reception of broadcast programs. Not long ago I ventured the assertion that practically the entire world would be able to listen in to a concert from a single station in the near future. Some places were missing from the list of those successful in tuning in WOR, the Station of L. Bamberger and Company, Newark, N. J., when they broadcast a special program recently, but from all accounts a large part of the Radio world heard most of the numbers sung by Miss Bennett. The reception of her voice was singularly true throughout its entire range, which is something to be envied by many of the Radio singers. Not the least comforting feature as regards Edith Bennett is the fact that she is an American girl and received her entire musical training in the United States. Requests for encore numbers will be coming in from European fans if they can be assured of such rendition. Many instances of isolated communities and of individuals who, because of the peculiarity of their occupation, cannot enjoy the usual social privileges common to the rest of us, have found in Eadio receiving sets the secret to pleasures formerly denied them are on record. However, I believe the first time that Radio has altered the dread lot of a leper (banishment from society) is in the ease of Mr. Willett, a former state senator of Montana. For a man who has served in a public office to be absolutely cut off from his f ellowmen must be a very depressing experience. It is not difficult to imagine the feelings of this man — and his wife, who remains with him — when he can turn to his set and hear from several states various announcements and classes of music. Some financially able Radiophan could greatly enhance the possibility of reducing melancholia among these unfortunate outcasts by donating sets to leper colonies. The Radio Trust is ever with us, in one form or another, according to those who should be in a position to learn something of the facts. Whether such a thing actually exists or is in process of forming it is advisable for every fan to acquaint himself with as much information on the subject as he can acquire. Radio should never become the exclusive property of a single group, and that includes the manufacture and sale of sets and accessories as well as broadcasting. We are already familiar enough with the results of a monopoly of a very necessary adjunct to an efficient receiving set and such familiarity does not encourage us to see any further monopolistic encroachments. I say we should secure all the information available in order that our correspondence with national representatives may be intelligent. Every fan should make it his business to impress his desires on Congress. The city of Chicago has not been slow to make innovations either in the material broadcast or in the manner of its transmission. Now we are to have a station in this city which may compare favorably for ornate construction with any anywhere. This "crystal studio" is fortunate in its setting, for one thing, being installed in the Edgewater Beach Hotel and for another, the peculiar construction of the studio itself. It will be possible for those interested in the procedure to witness what takes place in a Radio studio, due to the walls being made of plate glass. This station is not on the air as yet, but when you hear an announcer give the call WJAZ you may know the crystal studio is broadcasting. We fans (some of us at least) have had access to first-hand information concerning several foreign countries, their mode of living, commercial advantages, presence or lack of progressive institutions, attitude of mind regarding this great country of ours and it has been presented through the popular disseminator — the microphone. On different occasions there have been broadeast "Italian, Russian, Japanese, Mexican Night" programs, consuming most of the evening's allotment of time, presenting some of the foremost artists and publie men, with music and addresses calculated to enlarge our knowledge of the world about us. It is quite possible, of course, that some statements to which we listened were polished up for the occasion, nevertheless, such informative features convey facts worthy of attention and tend to acquaint races with each other 's motives. It is rather important that we see the other fellow's point of view, not least of all when we turn our sets into trans-' mitters. Passengers by rail need be without entertainment only so long as the railroad companies fail to provide adequate means of listening to Radio broadcasting. On long journeys one tires of the usual means of diversion ordinarily supplied and wishes for a Radio set placed in one of the cars for the passengers ' use. Some trains on a few of the railroads have equipped the dining car with receiving sets and where this has been done it has been greatly appreciated. If you happen to be travelling on the New York limited from West Point, Ga., not only will you be provided with the means of hearing Radio concerts, but the railroads operating in that section will give you a full program during the evening. They have their own broadcasting station maintained for the express purpose of entertaining you. It does more than entertain the passengers, however, for listeners in many States have reported hearing them. I have many times listened to the announcer calling the train number and imagined the group gathered in the diner before the reciver, as the train sped north. Give us more trains equipped for Radio reception. RADIO INDI-GEST (This column is open to all aspiring Radioknuts who tender suitable contributions. Try to "make" the column if you can. All unsuitable manuscripts are turned over to the Office Squirrel who does not guarantee their return or anything else for that matter. — Indi.) Our Steno Sometimes Says Things at Her's Dear Indi. — I see where a French engineer claims to have invented a new machine for setting type, which has a special attachment permitting Radio copy to be received direct on the machine. Would like to know if any one has built a typewriter that will write out a letter when you talk at 'it. — Polly, "Sheba Steno." Yeh, Marconi and He Were Cousins You've run 'cross the chap who is sixty years or more. Who lives of the past — in the good old days of yore; He's the type of bug who just sits around to buzz 'Bout the great old Radio "ham" he used to was. — Squeegee. Marcelled Tonsils Are Also Cute When " phonographed voices" are sent by radio, the ladies will get the habit of manicuring their voices before having the photos taken, — Brownie. But Thinka Tha Shieks, Rita Dear Indigest — The static is said to be heavy in the Desert of Sahara. Radiophans should consider this before planning their summer vacations. — Rita M. Now You've Gone and Spoiled Our Whole Day Oh, Indi! — Some time ago a Radio amateur claimed to have reduced milk to an etheral state and sent it by Radio to a distant point and there restored it to its liquid form. What great possibilities suggest themselves for the transportation of — no, the thought is too terrible.—' ' Oley. ' ' And Insects Have Antennae Radio news is everywhere, It's on the press, it's in the air; It's in the homes and in the zoos, The latter have their Radio gnus. — Bald One.