Radio mirror (Jan-Oct 1923)

May 5, i9?3 RADIO DIGEST BOOTLEGGERS FIND PROFITABLE FIELD SMUGGLE "PEANUT TUBES" ACROSS BOUNDARY Detroit Fans Make Purchases of Scarce Apparatus — Ask No Questions and Say Nothing DETROIT. — A new kind of .bootlegging has developed between Detroit and Windsor. Ont., just over the International boundary — smuggling "peanut tubes" into the States. Just why a situation of this kind should exist is difficult to determine. although there are plenty of critics ready to offer explanations. However, the stealthy traffic here is a surprise to a great many people. Many are asking the question. "Is it because the North American market is controlled or divided? Is it made easy for the consumer to buy what the interests -wish to sell it, but not at all easy for the public to buy what it wishes when it wishes T' Can Get It Across the Biver It is extremely difficult here to .buy much of certain kinds of Radio equipment that the people are after. This comes in at infrequent intervals and even then one must have his order filed several days in advance before he can get it. However, it does not seem to be just the same across the Detroit river, a mile from the center of the city. There is little trouble over there it is said getting the very equipment that cannot be obtained here. Many, however, are not stopping to ask questions but make their purchases, put them away securely and say nothing. JEK of WOR Has New Test Given Aspirants Hears Violinist Over Phone Before Giving O. K. NEWARK, N. J. — You know, or perhaps you don't know, that every one who broadcasts from WOR must submit to a test being made of his voice, or playing. "When JEK, program director, made this rule, some of the other station managers thought that she would not be able to make artists come all the way to Newark for tests, especially since Radio programs are not paid for. But artists realize the publicity value in Radio, so they are willing to go to a little trouble to get on a program. Every day from 4 to 5 p. m. there is a steady stream of applicants, to make "try-outs." A novel one was made the other day, however. A very busy young violinist from New York had requested the privilege to broadcast and had been given the usual reply — that he would have to make a try-out. So he called up WOR and asked JEK if it would be possible to play without being he-rd by her beforehand. "No," said JEK, "I'm sorry, but I must hear you play before I give you permission to play for the vast audience." "But I can't possibly get over to make the try-out, as I am leaving on a concert tour in two weeks and I want to play over the Radio before that time." JEK put on her thinking cap — it's a cap she wears nowadays, more than her other hats, too. "I'll tell you what to do," said she. "Play a piece for me over the telephone. That would be so like the Radio that x can judge how you would come over the air' " "It's a go," said the young man, and played beautifully! And he played for the Radiophans, on Friday, April 13th, at 8:30 p. m. — Lindsley Lindy, who has given concerts in London, Paris and Berlin, and who plays on a real "Strad." Some big-hearted New Yorker anonymously contributed $100 for the purchase of a radio outfit for the leper colony in Porto Rico. WOO CONCERT HEARD THROUGH PARIS LOOP PHILADELPHIA, PA.— Station WOO has received a letter from Andre A. Marie, Electrical engineer, 4 Rue Richepanse recording the remarkable fact that Station WOO's transatlantic concert, broadcast March 15 with Marcel Dupre. organist of Notre Dame Cathedral at the grand organ, was heard in Paris on a loop aerial. This concert was heard simultaneously across America and across the Atlantic ocean. YOUNG BROADCASTER HAS NEIGHBOR TALENT HOUSTON. TEX.— Fred Mahaffey, Jr., 16-year-old high school student, claims to be the youngest broadcasting station operator in the world. He has regular programs daily except Sunday at 7:30 to 8 p. m. with his own violin selections, piano solos by neighbors and vocal numbers. Mahaffey's station is KFCV, 360 meters. He uses 10 watts antenna input and is heard all over the Southwest. RADIO FOOLS THE POLLIES Miss Marion Merle, pretty vaudeville girl, fooled her trained troop of macaws, cockatoos and parrots with a Radio instrument. The set she carries is made from an old newspaper camera box, but it works just as good as the best of them and the tropical talking birds got the thrill of their young lives trying to learn the source of the mysterious chatter © International American Legion Station Closed for Summer, April 1 OMAHA, NEBR. — April 1 marked the close of the American Legion Station, WGAT. The station will not be opened again before early in the fall. One of the features of WGAT has been simultaneous broadcasting in co-operation with Station WJAB. This was done by using a line and line amplifiers, which connected WJAB with the Legion studio. Both stations went out on different wave lengths, and the double broadcasting proved quite popular among the Radiophans. Bequeaths Radio Set The first case on record of a Radio receiving set being specified in a will was revealed when the will of J. J. O'Heir was probated in New York. He bequeathed a "Radio set and tools, valued at $500," to William Watson. ENGLISH STATIONS RELAY BROADCAST SIMILAR WAVE LENGTHS HAMPER TEST Success of Experiment Opens Big Possibilities for British Broadcasting Company's Stations MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. — A highly interesting experiment in Radio broadcasting procedure was carried out recently at the Manchester station of the British Broadcasting Company. For some time past the station has been relaying the Paris time signals, which are sent out on a wave length of 2,600 meters, then the officials endeavored to pick up and relay the London and Birmingham broadcasting stations. This they did, part of the children's "talk" from London and the "talk" and orchestral program from Birmingham being received on a special aerial, which is set some short distance away from the normal transmitting aerial on which the items were re-radiated to the Manchester area listeners-in. The great difficulty lies in the fact that the wave lengths of the stations are so similar — Manchester is 385 meters, London 369 meters, and Birmingham 420 meters, — so that a particularly selective circuit is necessary to avoid jamming by the re-radiated signals. This is the first time a direct Radio relay has been accomplished on the British Broadcasting Company's stations, and it naturally opens up big possibilities. If, as seems quite likely, the development becomes a thoroughly practical proposition, it may probably result in there being one big central broadcasting station only, say in London, where the best of the leading musical and vocal talent could be engaged, while in other parts of the country the auxiliary stations would merely relay the program for the private listeners-in in their areas. PHONOFILM GIVES VOICE TO MOVIES New Device Invented by Dr. Forest Given First Public Showing De NEW YORK. — The first public showing of Dr. Lee de Forest's latest invention, the phonofilm, was given at the Rivoli Theater recently. Many so-called "talking pictures" have been exploited in the past in which a phonograph supplies the sound, but this will be the first showing of a film that literally talks and supplies music. The phonofilm, as the name implies, is a combination upon the same film of picture and voice or music. The sound waves are photographed on the film at the same time the pictures are taken, thus insuring at all times perfect synchronization. In reproducing these sound waves are transformed into telephonic electric currents. By the use of Audion amplifier these currents are amplified 100.000 times and finally turned back into sound again through "loud speakers" located behind the motion picture screen. A most astonishing result is accomplished: a dancer appears on the screen keeping perfect time with the music supplied by the film; a singer appears from whose moving lips comes every note in perfect tone and synchronism; the bow of a cello player holds the fascinated attention of the audience, as every stroke brings forth the mellow strains of the instrument. Frisco Entertains New Orleans NEW ORLEANS, LA. — At a recent meeting held by the New Orleans Chapter, American Association of Engineers, a Radio program by the San Francisco chapter of their oraginzation was the chief feature of entertainment. Motion pictures of Louisiana bird life followed the ether program. THE ANTENNA BROTHERS Spir L. and Lew P. E. T. Flewelling, of Course!