The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-22
FORMER SkOWHEGAN
MAN N RADIO TALK )
Alfred r. Morrill, OF Newark \. ].
Gives Address. Happenings
In RadiO Activities

is that of Alfred Morrill,, formerly of
skowhegan. who spoke from the W0R
station at Newark. n. j. recently. The
night WIS given over by the Station
10 Boy Scout activities and Mr.. Nor
rilrs talk was both interesting and
educational. especially to those con-
nected with Boy Scout work. We
would appreciate hearing more of Mr..
Morrills talks, who being connected
from Skowhegan. is all the more inter-
estlng.
The firm of Holt & Hight are delYing
into the radio work locally and we
wish them success in their new ven
tnre.
New aerials are appearing all over
Skowhegan, which shows continued
activity In radio receiving sets. AS
these new radio fans come into vogue
there will be more demand for inter-
esting news through our Radio col
umn. An item of interest for all re-
ceivers is that of the new home OF
WNAC at Winterplaee, Boston, which
will be Informally opened this week.
This occasion marks the opening OF
one of the most beautiful broadcasting
studios in the east. There Will be a
spacious reception room done In green
and white. There Is also a mahog-
any cabinet receiving set OF the radiola
type in this room where the waiting
artist may listen in on the broadcast,
which Is being sent out from the Stu
do Rooms.
There are two rooms used for trans
hitting the programs. The largest Of
these rooms Is done In pink and
grey, and will be known as the Pink
Room. The smaller studio Is furnish
ed in the same manner except that
the color scheme Is blue. The pur-
pose of the double studio arrangement
Is so that two distinct programs may
be put on the air alternately without
any unnecessary delay to the listen
ing audience.
Many of the local listeners have
been unable to obtain good results
during the day. Dr. A. B. Borden re-
ceived concerts from Medford Hill
side and Schenectady, N. Y. very
plainly on Sunday afternoon.
Crashing static has been causing
local fans much trouble recently and
1t might be interesting to those radio
listeners to carefully note the follow
ing: There has been much claim to
the fact regarding the purpose and
capabilities of the lighting arrester In
regards to the static elimination field.
static electricity is in this sense how
ever an entirely separate, distinct and
unrelated proposition from the "stat-
ic" "strays" atmospheric" or ks"
which make noises in radio receivers
and punctuate broadcast concert
with sounds like the discharge OF a
truck load OF bricks. Thus the claim
that a lightning arrester frees the
radio fan from concern over states in
reference causes very unfortunate
confusion in the minds of Our local
broadcast listeners. TO various peo-
pie who bought lighting arresters
with the idea that they eliminated
crashes grinders, clicks and wipers,
repeat an incisive remarks once made
by DR.. Alfred ~ Goldsmith. Static
Is q signal. Personally, doubt IL
any radical progress will be-made In
the solution Of the static problem,
using apparatus adaptable to unskilled
operation. OF course one can never
tell: the thing may happen. One
should never become ingrained In pes
simism any more than one should hail
gladly methods Of elimination that do
not and cannot function. But even
IL no further pragress Is made in this
direction, improvements in the trans
hitting stations will raise broadcast
ing to the level of efficience of other
public utilities, as Is already the case
not alone in our section, but in many
sections of the country. After all,
the telephone. the telegraph, the thea
tire, transportation facilities, give good.
not perfect, service. II, when the
industry has settled down to an entire
ly staple basis. an occasional crash OF
static still intrudes. we will take 1t
like the rush hour in
the. subway or wrong number on
the telephone or q bad vaudeville act.
It therefore behooves our local ra-
dio listeners, our local clubs and new
radio listeners to get the best program
of the evening, sit back In their
chairs and listen in.
In reply to Mr.. F. NJ. Foster, R. +.
u. No. 8, Skowhegan, the answer to
his question submitted this week
would be the following: Care should
be taken to keep the antenna as far
as possible from trees and Buildings.
Give a distance from the dead end OF
your wire to first insulator, two feet.
Run your direct aerial from this fifst
lnsulator to within two feet Of your
other pole. where another insulator
should be installed The distance
from the second insulator to the pole
number two should be the same as on
the first one. Try and get the dis
lance of the direct aerial from insulat-
or to insulator at least 115 feet, max
ing your lead-in wire. 35 feet from
aerial to machine. The end of the
wire leading to the receiving set must
be fastened TO the end of the antenna
wire before the antenna is raised from,
the, ground. The connection between |
these two wires Is made as follows:
a.