Evening star., 1923-04-01
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

Don't be surprised this summer if
your radio receiving set gives forth
Il first class imitation of a boiler
shop in full operation instead Of an
anticipated lecture on the culture of
silk worms. Bad radio weather
season will soon begin.
These summer disturbances, called
"strays." static" "atmospherics' and
other names, are in evidence from
about April 1 to October l. Their
seriousness varies from weak inter-
ference for brief intervals to con-
tinuouS succession 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 effort to reduce the interfering
noise caused by these strayS At i'm
pOrtant government and commercial
stations certain devices and methods
are used by means of which static
IS considerably reduced, and it is
made possible to obtain fairly reliable
reception during the summer. The
apparatus and methods now employed
at such stations are usually too elab-
orate to be used at the ordinary
amatuer station.
One method which the amateur will
find helpful in reducing certain types
Of strays is the use instead of the
usual elevated antenna. of a coil an
tenna and a more sensitive recelvsRg
set. A coil antenna may be con-.
"lnulQS q SulI9DIe num-
Der of turns of wire with proper
spacing on a square wooden frame
about four feet square. Certain types
OF static seems to come from par
ttcular direction. Many strays, how
ever, have no directional properties,
including those due to the local cleo
trio storms.
Tho coil antenna has the property
OF receiving a stronger signal when
pointed in the direction from which
a aip 10 Oh in ai1--
ing only weak signal when pointed
at right angles to that direction.
Thus by rotating coil antenna to
the proper position the directional
types of StrayS can be greatly re-
duced and better ratio of signal to
strays will be obtained The ordinary
elevated antenna does not possess
marked directional properties, and
therefore cannot be used like the
coil antenna for static elimination.
However, the strength Of. the signal
picked up by a coil antenna is much
smaller than the strength of signal
picked up by the ordinary elevated
antenna, and good results should not
be excepted from a coil antenna unless
three or more stages of amplification
are used.
Some relief can be obtained by per-
sons having good amplifiers by using
u ground antenna." This is a long
insulated wire run in a shallow trench
or on the surface of the ground The
ground wire should be run in the
direction of the station from which
the most signals are to be received
and should preferably be several
hundred feet long.
Through strayS of given intensity.
better results can be obtained in re-
ceiving strong signals than weak
signals. Nearby stations can be re-
Geived much better through the strays
'han distant stations. 1t is therefore
fortunate that broadcasting stations
have been established at a consider
able number of different cities located
IN all parts of the United States, so
that for most parts of the country
there is a broadCasting station from
which fair reception can be expected
even when strayS of modern intensity
exist, In the summer a person must
he content with weaker signals and
should use less amplification than in
The winter, since the StrayS are am
plified as we'll as the signals. If
considerable amplification is used,
strong static disturbances will pro-
duce noises in the phones which are
very unpleasant and make 1t almost
impossible for an operator to keen
ihe telephone receivers on the head
for any considerable length of time
"RadiO GSOlf'' Is New Games
Have you ever heard of radio goIf?"
Well, it is a game which can be
pay SH W any hAails "Ollldils iIt vi
boy who knows how to operate a
radio rece living set. All that is
needed to play this game is a sensi-
tive ear, a score card and a keen
sense Of honor. This last is needed
because everyone keeps his or her
own score. There is a gentleman's
agreement that players will not cheat.
The operator does not need to leave
his or her home to play radio golf.
He can play it in the comfort of his
club.
When the person listening in is
certain he or she has caught a station
50 clearly there can be mistake
as to its identity, he puts the name Of
the station on his score card and the
air line distance between his home
and the station heard A station may
lie counted but once during each