Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

rapid exchange OF dot and dash mes
sages. From $3.50 o'clock In the eve
ming until O'Clock the next morning
reports were received from station
warded to the once of the general
manager.
with the assistance OF szN all tho
missing trains were found
Plant OF British Public.
bitterly OF the arbitrary system
inaugurated by the post ONCE de-
partment of taxing each owner Of
a receiving set to support the broad
mediocre of silly news reports and
impossible dance music, according to
recent news dispatches.
The combined effect of government
interference and inefficient broad
to make thousands OF so-cailed air
pirates, who refuse to pay any tax
whatever on homemade sets. Through
various independent organisations
amateur receivers are expressing
giving sole broadcasting rights to
the British broadcasting company or
any other one firm, nor 10 there any
necessity for revenue II healthy pri-
vate competition Is allowed full sway.
AS the law now stands every receiv-
Of the British broadcasting company,
which means that the extra prize In
cludes the government tax.
Thousands of companies outside the
facture and sell individual parts from
which satisfactory sets are easily
made. The home manufacture today
is so great that fully rs per cent OF
the receivers are of pirate type" no
license being obtained for the. as
sembled product. Dozens OF private
firms are willing to undertake broad
casting programs Immediately with
out any charge to the public.
Under the present system many
owners OF receiving outfits tire quick
ly. and after listening to one or two
mediocre programs turn all their in
genuity to strengthen their instru-
ments so as to hear programs in other
countries Little hope Of breaking
the post office monopoly exists, but
the British fans think they can force
the official broadcastlng company to
improve their programs and give out
real news instead OF society items.
History of Will.
Station WILL was the first station to
broadcast music and concerts in this
city. and 1t Is considered the pioneer
broadcasting station of this city.
It's deFldi system IL one OF Ine main
and most important parts. and it is
due to this advanced aerial system
that such extraordinary results have
been obtained. There are two towers:
one Is forty-eight feet from the roof.
which is located in the front part of
tower is sixty-four feet high. and is
located In the rear Of II building.
The height above the z. . Id is ITO
feet above all. These towe. are con-
structed of oregon fir two inches
square. and are designed after the
standard Navy-type towers. The
towers are guyed with No. 10 phos-
phor bronze wire. Two thousand feet
of this wire was used 70 guy the
towers so as to support the aerial
The lead-in Is of the cage type, and
II is composed OF six wires sixty-five
feet long. The aerial is Of the fat
top type. and IL Is also composed of
six wires sixty-five feet long on
clear spruce pine Directly under this
aerial is eix-wire counterpoise
sixty-five feet long placed thirty-five
feet from the flat-top aerial. The
wires carrying the power from the
wire. and the power wires to the
counterpoise is also Of the same size
wire.
The transmitting set is composed
OF two fve-watt tubes; one is used as
oscillator and the other is modula-
tor. The circuit employed in this set
Is known as the improved British air
craft circuit, designed by Mr. Stanley
of the Royal British Radio Corpora
ton. The power for the set is fur
nished by motor generator. The
power that is delivered to the two
tubes can be varied from $50 to $50
volts of direct current. All leads from
the set to the aerial and counterpoise
are of hollow brass tubing, which al
lows nothing to be lost. The modu-
lating system Of this set Is known as
Hysing system.
There are two microphones used in
conjunction with the transmitting
set. One Is a Magnavox special tone
arm for the sending of grafanola Sc
lections. The other is a Stromberg-
Carlson No. microphone, which is
used for making announcement of the
selections to be played. An ACQUISITION
Is used for special concerts when the
sound has to be. picked up from q
large area. The output of this set
one and a half amperes. which is
about one-half Of what the set is
capable of putting out The motor
and generator are two separate units.
)ne has no metallic connections with
.or hum delivered into the ether while
he broadcasting Is In progress. This
q taken care OF by. a special no.
leakage coupling between the two
snits.
The station has been heard as far
south as Little Rock. Ark. and as far
forth as Springfield. Mass. Verif1ca-
ions have been received from Los
Angeles. Calf, and also from Essex,
:alif. Several people in Omaha Eeb.,
and Canadian amateurs have picked
VII up on several occasions.
The set was designed and built by
the men employed at the firm. with
tho aid of e. L Luke. radio engineer
of this city. This station il open for
Inspection to the public, and the oper-
ators will be glad to explain anything
relative to the station to them be-
tween the hours Of 8 am. and $50
pm. This station was formerly known
as S.V., the pioneers of radio broad
casting In the District of Columbia.
It conducts an experimental labora-
tory and construction department. for
Ae beneft Of radio people of this
city, and will be glad to give all In
formation as far as its forces can on
this subject.
PLAN TO SAVE MILLIONS