The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-01-05
INFORMATION ON
RADIO OUTFITS
Local Investigator Gives Some Time.
~ Hints TO Those Interested In
Aerial Telephone Game.
(By Bernard M. Willis.)

From the interest shown in the
Radio outfits used last election night
at the /. o. o. +. hall, II is evident that
in the near future Oroville will have
a few additions to the grand Fraternity
of radio bugs. This Is an order watch
has spread all over the United States
in the past two years, and it is a
source of wonder to the writer that
more people in this district have not
been bitten by the bug" When one
stops to think OF the pleasant even
ings which can be walled away listen
ing to the music, lectures and news
as broadcasted by the different Radio
stations; and of what it could mean
to the isolated rancher, one can see
why 1t is that the craze has grown by
such leaps and bounds.
have been asked by number of
friends to tell them What kind OF
set they would need in this locality.
1t seems that most of the articles
dealing with the subject are too gen,
eral. and, while the articles now run
ming in this paper are as good and
simple as can be made, yet it requires
certain amount of skill and knowl-
edge to build a set. Most of those who
have asked me for information are
men who would have neither the skill
or inclination to build their own sets,
but want to buy a set ready made.
The purpose of this article is to en-
able them to know what they are get
ting, and what they are to expect for
the expense involved.
First, the cost and size Of the out
fit will depend entirely upon tne pur-
poses for which it Is to be used. For
instance, IL want to receive code
messages only, can buy an outfit
complete for SIC which Is sensitive
enough to hear California and Alaska
stations, as we'll as stations east Of
here, and at sea. This 6rtfit, however,
is only. sensitive. enes. tQ receive
music or speach via fadio telephone
for a distance Of perhaps 25 miles at
| the most.
To enable one to hear the phone
, broadcasts an outfit using vacuum
tube, or tubes, is necessary. Here,
again, the purpose governs the outfit.
| II set is wanted just for one or two
| to listen in, single tube using a re-
generative circut and costing about
$50 complete, will be ample. Such an
outfit should be able to hear music
and speach over five hundred miles
il properly constructed. A two-step
amplifier set costing from $S5 to $125
would reach greater distances and
enable more to listen in; or loud,
speaker, such as the Magnivox, could
be coupled on and furnish music for
whole room full. The Magnivox would
cost $45 besides the outfit.
There is quite a bit of misunder'
standing in regards to Radio sets, due
to misleading advertising. Whether in
territorial or not l can not say. An ad
vertisement will read like this-"Re
generative set complete, including
tube, vairometers, condensers, etc.
$780,"
The layman, when he sends for thu
above set is led to believe that whei
he gets it he will have nothing else tt
buy. However, ne will find that he viii
probably have the following to bu.
before he is ready to receive:
Aerial material, about $500. "B
battery about $500. "A" storage bat
terry about $500. Pair head phone
about $500. This brings the cost OF tn
outfit to some $3.50 plus $S1, o
! about $7O.50. And so it is with othe
| outfits. My advice to all, is this: Be
fore you buy a radio outfit write tn
> company selling same, and find ou
7 lust what you will need to put the sc
in shape to receive. Or better wa
to do Is to tell them just exactly hoy
far you want to receive, and how man
to listen in, and let the company ful
:. nish you data on set sensativ
, i, enough for your requirements. An
reliable company will be glad to d
= this and guarantee the performano
). of their sets.