The New York herald., 1922-05-21
Faus Warned Not to Be Sur
pifsed at Boiler Shop Noises
in Receivers.
TROUBLE VARIES GREATLY
Least Chance of Disappoint-
ment for Those Near Broad
casting Stations.

cracking, grinding pest makes itself
disagreeable in these latitudes. Static, OF
atmospheric. is simply static electricity
which uses available aerials to reach the
earth, oppositcly charged, and makes a
noise In doing so.
During the summer radio fans must
expect to get some noise with their music
II they use outdoor aerials. Some anna
teurs are planning to get rid of the dis
turber, static. by building loop aerials
indoors. These. because of their small
size and because they are lower and gen.
orally more screened, do not gather up
as much of the wandering Herizian inn
pulses. but they are practically immune
from static. The larger the aerial the
greater the static.
Don't be surprised. the bureau of
standards warns, in preparing novices
for the worst, IF your new receiving set
gives forth a first class imitation OF a
boiler shop in full operation instead Of
an anticipated lecture on the culture Of
silk worms"
This is putting it rather strongly, but
bad radio weather may be expected al
most any time from April to October l..
The seriousness OF the strays, static, or
atmospheric, various names for the same
trouble, varies from weak interference
for brief intervals to a continuous sue
cession Of boiler shop noises which may
last throughout the night.
A great deal of work has been done
by radio engineers and scientists in an
effor. to reduce the interfering noise
caused by strays. At important Govern
ment and commercial stations, such as
the Radio Corporations Riverhead re
ceiving station. described last week on
this page, methods are in use by which
static is well nigh overcome and reliable
reception is possible throughout the
summer. The apparatus and methods
row employed at such stations, however,
are too elaborate to be used at the
ordinary amateur station.
Technique In Influence.
In this connection Ernst F. w. Alex
anderson. chief engineer OF the Radio
Corporation, outlined the situation as
follows:
II am afraid that the modern radio
fans who wish to listen to musical enter
tainments in the evening will have some
disappointments this coming summer
unless they are fortunate enough to
reside reasonably close to broadcasting
station. The broadcasting technique is
in this respect about in the stage that
the transoceanic technique was some
years ago when communication was in
tSIIuPltQ lOf IN dCllcdliy luIet llCIltiS
In the year, but this Is only because
public interest in broadcasting has come
upon uA like an avalanche. and it will
take little time to adapt the experience
which we have gained in commercial
communication to the needs of the
amateur. All we can say for the pres
ent. therefore, is, DO not get dis
couraged' Radio entertainment has
come TO stay, and to make 1t into a
continuous service for the public is a
matter of straightforward engineering
and the application Of existing knowl.
edge"
One method that the amateur will find
helpful now In reducing certain types
of strsys Is the use instead of the usual
elevated antenna, of a coil antenra
and a more sensitive receiving set. a
coil anrenna may be constructed by
winding a suitable number Of turns of
wire with proper spacing on a square
wooden frame about feet square. The
amateur should experiment by cutting
out the few loops of copper wire thus
used one by one. He may also shunt
across the turns variable condenser in
tuning in to each of the stations he
desires to hear
Certain types of strays seem to come
from a particular direction, but some.
including those due to local electric
storms, nave no directional properties.
The cor antenna has the property OF
receiving a stronger signal when pointed
in the diect,ob from which the signal
is appro. chine, and a weaker signal
when tur1.eL al right angles to the APP
preaching wave Thus by rotating the
coil to the pro>c position for hearing
WIZ. at New,4fk. or WGY. at Schenec-
tady. most OF tns directional strays can
be xlc< tiy reduced and the signal in
creased
Ways and Means.
Tho disadvantage of the coil antenna
a. that the strength of the signals
picked up is much smaller than the
strength of the signal received over
regular aarfal Its efficiency depends.
among other things. upon whether II Is
on tho roof, In which case 1t will not be
as immune from static as If in the room,
upon the amount of steel used in the
building, and on other factors which
every amateur must discover for him
self Good results cannot ordinarily be
obtained witt. a loop antenna unless
several stages of amplification are used.
Some relief from strays can be OBJ
tanned by rural amateurs with good
amplifying sets by the use of ground
antenna This is a long, insulated wire
face OF the ground The ground wire
should be run In the direction OF the sta
tion from which the most signals are
TO be received. and should preferably
be several hundred feet long.
Through strays OF given intensity bet
ter results can be obtained In receiving
strong signals than weak signals. Neal
by stations can be received much better
---ough the strays than distant stations.
1t is fortunate. therefore, that broad
casting stations are being established at
a considerable number OF different cities
located in all parts of the United States,
10 that for most parts OF the country
there Is a broadcasting station from
which fair reception can be expected
even when strays OF moderate intensity
exist.
In the summer an amateur must be
content with weaker signals and should
use less amplification than in che win
ter. since strays are ampliied as well
a. the signal. II considerable ampli-
f!cstion Is used strong stray distur-
Dances will prc1ut. ..soises in the tele-
,ss-...s. receivers which are very unpleas-
ant and make II almost impossible for
an operator 60 keep the phones on his
head for any considerable length OF
Anne.