The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-11

T
 Birmingham is being given wide publicity on the radio map through the concerts that are being broad easted three nights each week by the Alabama Power company from it's high powered station here. These programs are being heard all over the south and as far north as points in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Penn sylvania
 The success of the local station in broadeasting it's programs will prove of great interest to radio bugs" throughout this section, and they will likewise be much inter ested in technical description of this broadcasting station and some of the difficulties with which 1t has to contend.
 The Alabama Power company put into operation the first large broad casting station in Alabama, and "WSY," the call of the company's station here, is familiar in all parts of the country. Many messages have come to the company from persons who have picked up the "WSY" con- certs. which are broadcasted by the Alabama Power company every Mon day, Wednesday and Friday eve nings. starting at S:30 o'clock. cen tral time The local company has been arranging high class programs, and from the station here persons have listened in at Chicago, Cincin- nati, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and many other points far distant from the station. In addition. owners of sets in all parts of Alabama and over the entire south have listened in on these concerts.
 Description of Radiophone
 It Is the purpose of this article to give brief description of the ra- diophone, together with some of the difficulties encountered in the broad- casting of speech and the collection of musical sounds which are to be broadcasted.
 The radiophone transmitting set consists essentially or a tuning, helix and aerial system, vacuum luDes for pI oducing the so-called carrier wave and other tubes ana auxiliary appa ratus for varying the amplitude ot. the oarrier-wave m accordance with vibrations produced with muslc, voice or whatever is to be broad. casted. All of this equipment is mounted on a panel board together with necessary electrical measuring
 
 ation or the set The motor, gener- ator set is required to produce d high direct current voltage in con. nection with the operation Of the tubes. The storage battery is used to light the filaments Of the tubes.
 The switches just in front ot the panel board are used to connect at will the transmitters in the adjoin- ing room to radlophone
 The aerial system IS tuned by means of the tuning helix in much the same way as a violin or piano is tuned. In the former the cleo trical characteristics of the aerial circuit are changed and in the latter the physical characteristics of violin or piano strings. There are two decided differences, however. The vibrations of the former travel at the same speed and in the same man ner as light and are inaudible, while the latter travel by means of the air at only 1,090 feet per second and are audible.
 Some Difficulties Encountered
 While no great difficulties are present in the broadcasting of speech, this is not true of vocal and instrumental music Owing to the sustained notes ant continuous vii brations omitted, objectionable re- fiection and reverberation of the sounds take place in the room in which the music is rendered. Not only that. but certain pitches are ac- centuated. due to the sympathetic vibrations of the wall and other ob- jects within the room and to the re- flection of the sounds.
 Within certain limits the micro- phone transmitters respond to all vii brations received. including the re- flected sounds. The result is con fusion of sounds which produce a great distress to the listener. While the music produced by the artist is fine, the additional sound Is also sulting in the confusion of sounds mentioned above.
 Collection of Musical Sounds
 It is well known fact that audi eLces in certain auditoriums, halls reproduction of the vocal and in- strumental selections which are rem dered, due to the distortion and re- verberation of the walls. furnish ings, etc., with which the sound comes in contact. The same diff culty has also been experienced in making photograph records. and to such an extent that 1t became diffi- cult to recognize the selection.
 The development of the phono- graph has been similar story. In the early days the reproduction was only weak inarticulate sound, but gradually the apparatus has been