The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-12-20
THINGS The RADIO
NOVICE WILL NEED
Tools and Materials He Should
Keep on Observation-Disclosures
of Keeping a Log Book.

1
the theory Of radio receivers and get
down to practical things for today.
There are many novices building their
own sets, or making additional parts.
who are in doubt as to just what tools
and materials they will naeu.
| Naturally there are tools and tools.
Some cost more than others. Then,
there are people and people. Some
people need more tools than others.
Some folks are just naturally handy
with tools. and others find that tools
won't behave and lead the user into
all sorts Of complications.
The tools and materials following
are such as are necessary, and which
will DO useful at all times. No prices
are given for the buyer will have to
look to his pocketbook for guidance
In this respect.
Tools that will come In handy;
large. medium and small screwdrivers;
Cat, three-cOrnered and round file;
hack saw, inter saw and box and
cross-cut saw; a small plane. wise, u
bit and auger, pliers, square aLd
yardstick or tape rule, dividers and
hammer, preferably small one.
Materials that will be convenient to
have on hand are as follows: Sar1-
paper, emery paper, wire Of all gauges,
round and flat-headed screws, sup
ply Of brass nuts and washers, paraf-
fine and sealing wax, bakelite. card
board and fiber board, tinfoil, por-
celain insulators, binding posts and
terminals, sheet copper and sheet
brass and adhesive tape.
Tape Is possibly the most useful ar
ticle In the whole layout, for it will
be found to have many uses. 1t is Ia
short versatile piece Of material in
the electricians kit.
| Those Of our readers who are build
Ing sets may find that 1t is good pol
icy to keep all the odds and ends of
wire, tape, copper, etc., that they may
| have. 1t seems that uses for these
| short bits are always to be found just
when 1t is discovered that they have
been thrown away. So, therefore.
hoard all small pieces.
One thing we want to stress in build
ing radio apparatus: Use care in your
work, and put good finish on your
| sets. Not only does it greatly add to
the appearance of the set, but it also
eliminates odd corners and stray ends
Of wire that catch dust or catch on
surrounding objects and will hamper
the efficiency Of the set, either by
shorting the circuit or causing 1t to
be dragged off pedestal and thrown
tube sets know that usually full
means some new tubes.
To those radio n0vices who desire
to go skipping blithely through the
ether, picking out station here and
a station there, as fancy directs them.
we recommend log book. Just any
sort of book will do, or rather any
book will do in which one can jot
down records Of the evenings broad
casting.
The reason for the log book Is that
1t prevents q lot Of unnecessary fuss
ing with the dials when a certain sta
ton is desired. Say for instance,
SDIlA was going nicely, but that
here was q certain concert going on
In New York at WUZ or WCY. or
maybe WGI up in Boston. Let us
make the problem even harder and say
that there were two addresses In one
evening both especially good. and one
Of the addresses In New York was
scheduled 10 start two minutes after
thn IN, piftchnrUh g
soon as the one address is over, the
enthusiast starts playing with his dials
to catch New York. Sometimes 1t
takes two minutes and sometimes 1t
takes great deal more time to catch
tire desired signal, and mere often
than not, the lecture is half ever be-
fore 1t is tuned In correctly.
To assist the enthusiast to tune In
quickly on any desired station is the
mission Of the log book In this book
should be entered the necessary data
about all stations that have been
picked up. Here should be noted
down the exact position of the dials
where the station was tuned in the
best and other pertinent remarks. All
thCSC iCtittiNS Siiouid pC CiltClCu, vi
course, the first time new broadcast
! Ing station is picked up. With the in
formation before him, the enthusiast
needs but glance at his hook to tell
him how he set his dials the last time
he heard WIZ.
The oft heard remark to the effect
that RNU was heard last night but
cannot be heard tonight, should be
/ thing Of the past If log book is
about. that is. providing ones set has
| range enough for the distance.
Ne directions are set down here for
making a log book as 1t is thought
that each one Of the radio folk will
have his own ideas on the subject.
However, space should be left to In
scribe even the minutest data about
signal reception.