Evening star., 1925-04-19
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Com
is a regular radio fan of the first
water. Only he doesn't tell about the
number of stations he logs at a single
sitting nor the great distances he
covers during his evenings at home.
The Secretary is far prouder of his
sons record ais an amateur. But he
is interested perhaps more in radio
than any of the other multitude ct
subjects which come under his direc-
tion as Secretary of Commerce.
AS aerial traffic director, Hoover
operates his own set. He talks radio,
detail than he does in much of his
departmental work. He can tell you
the call letters, wave lengths and
power of many stations, and he knows
how most of them are operating and
whether there Is interference between
them under the 10-kilocycle separa-
ton. He isn't an inspector, but he
does listen in almost every night
either before or after dinner to keep
his ear tuned to the interests OF the
radio public, which appeals to him so
vigorously and frequently for atten-
ton.
hours, the Secretary has no set in his
office, but at his home, at 23oO >
street, he has three sets. He reversed
the usual process in listening in, be-
ginning at the top. His first set was a
superheterodyne, which has place
of prominence in the dining room and
frequently provides music with his
meals. A later acquisition is three
tube set, while the newcomer IL
simple crystal detector. The two last
mentioned sets are located In Mr.
Hooyer's den or study, where he does
most of his listening in, often devot-
ing long evenings to it,
Experiments with the big super set
convinced the Secretary that he was
not exactly operating on par with
the majority of fans, so, desiring TO
be in the same position as they, ne
go. a smaller and simpler set, hoping
to experience some of the dlmcultles
of which they complained. He did
He is known to have had trouble in
getting a desired station, and PROB
ably lost his patience hundreds Oh
times as have all of us. Assurance
is given that he has burned out at
least one tube However, his re-
searches in radio land convinced him
that there was something in the many
letters he and his aides received from
Iisteners-in. He soon became better
able TO discuss the difficulties OF as
signing wave lengths, the necessary
sena ration between channels, and the
effect of varied power with his techm-
cal advisers. g.,
Mr. Hoover's second set did not ful-
fill his desire to know how simple
set worked, so he had crystal out
At Installed and connected by a oou.
with
his three-tuber. More research, more
natience and less results. The Secre-
tarv is not known to have maze
much better record with crystal re-
ceiver than the rest of US, although
he is said to have picked up one out
side station-Pittsburgh. NOW ne
Inorvs how it feels to have to take
what Won can get via radio, to De
Iin,ited to volume and clarity; 10 pe
unable to choose program otner lnaii ia u
the local which happens to be on tne
air or q composite OF tWo locals.
He has tried all types OF sets except
tha Gin ole tube. Now 1t is believed his
sxnerience is typical, and that ne
knows as much about receiving as the
average fan from personal experience.
Eron, his administrative work ana the
talks with his own and visiting ex-
nerts and manufacturers he mas
Cleaned a general knowledge OF the
raI,;o came few of us are so fortunate
as tn possess. At a conference when a
representative gets up TO hie some
silIv COMPLAINT the Secretary is not
ir,,nressed: he knows we'll enough 1t is
tho FANS fault, that his set is not built
M. onerated properly, or that local con-
ditions preclude satisfactory reception.
In other words, you can't put much
over on Mr.. Hoover now that ne mas
been through the listeners school. he
ia a post graduate actually. He ex-
presses no particular preference for
anv one set or any type of set; he likes
most of them and would like to try
them all if he had time.
He listens nightly unless there Is
something special which calls him
away from home. He takes his jazz
where he finds it, his opera, too, but
prefers a good political or economic
talk if there is one on the air. Public
events are favored. and he likes good
speakers Mr.. Hoover is not known to
have sat up all night, but he is usually
found by friends and visitors of an
evening in his study with his loud
speaker going or pair of ear phones
on When he gets a new station he
seems to experience the thrill we all
know, and he waits impatiently for
the announcement. The super brings
him long distance when it Is desired,
the three-tube outfit covers medium
distant and neighboring stations very
well and the crystal gets all the local
stations with ease. SO the administTa-