Evening star., 1924-12-07
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

The Department of Commerce is SO
busy these days trying to fit half
enough wave lengths to twice too
many stations, that complaints of in
reference do not elicit very hearty
or quick responses. This is unavoida-
Bile, officials say, so fans must con-
tent themselves with the fact that the
department radio chiefs are showed
under with requests for class B wave
lengths.
with only 53-available wave lengths
designated by the conference for
about 60 stations, the Government is
now asked to allocate them to 10 B
stations. There are 81 B stations al
ready operating, and 46 either under
construction or contemplated, max
ing the application of the original al
location plan practically impossible.
Despite difficulties in numbers, there
are local situations to be met, and
although four of the supervisory dis
tricts are apparently fixed up, other
supervisors are having difficulties
similar to the trouble at headquar-
ters in Washington-too many class B
stations for a division Of time on
the available wave lengths. Fisher
an entirely new plan will have to be
developed, with less space between
the channels used, or more wave
-
other services. An alternative would
be to have stations divide time three
ways. which it is hoped may be
avoided.
Imagine if you can the howl at
headquarters when the question was
asked when the new list of wave
length ALLEGATIONS would be avail
able? The replies varied all the way
from six months to a year. with re-
fnr Of let ri hut IN
them.
The department is working on a
new plan of allocating wave lengths,
and expects to try the method out by
tests fairly soon TO see If the scheme
is a practical one. 1t is hoped that
by the first of the year a satisfac-
tory distribution will be in operation,
but nothing definite can be said at
this writing.
With the coming of the Winter
months with better radio reception
and more listening-in, Department of
Commerce officials point out that
superSentitive sets which are not
superseleCtive must be cured, If in
reference is to be avoided and trou-
Bile in reception minimiZed. The fans
themselves can better reception, il is
believed, by improving their sets, and
learning to operate them properly.
supervisors and inspectors may be
expected to refuse to consider COM
plants unless sets are described.
There is nothing doing if poor re-
ceiVers are used. If a receiver is
like a sponge absorbing everything,
the department could do nothing to
relieve interference unless il caused
all except one station to close. There
are thousands of non-selective crys-
tai sets on the market and in use.
which are impractical for anything
but local reception where one sta
tion only is on the air at a given
time. If a set is not a two or more
circuit set it probably will pick up
everything. Practically all crystal
sets are of the single circuit variety.
In this way many small sets pick up
lot Of preventable interference, such
as the so-called man made interfer-
ence from legitimately operated cleo
trically driven machinery and appa-
ratus Many manufacturers using
electric power and apparatus emitting
electrical interference are trying TO
eliminate their radiations, so as TO
decrease the broadcast listeners trou-
bles. But it often costs considerable
money and is frequently unsuccess-
full
BY the use of simple wave traps.
COnSlQeTaDle local interference IfOil
other stations and electrical devices
may be eliminated, it is pointed out.
So it is up to the fan to aid his
brother fans and the Government by
improving his own set. Some fans
will find that by using a two-circuit
set or tuner that they can select
either OF two local stations operating
simultaneously, with a reasonable
separation between their wave
lengths, as is used in the present
wave length assignment. otherwise
they will find il Impossible to listen
in when two or more stations are
operating at once. Unless fans learn
TO tune their sets. they will get even
the amateur stations on the short
waves below 200 meters.
Before you complain the next time
be sure your set is a reliable one and
that it is operating properly, and
that you have taken the usual pre-
cautions to prevent its radiation,
thus aiding the Government inspec-
tors.