The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-04-25
ROmping Around
the
Radio Dial
BY Listener-In

Our old set, rejuvenated with
new batteries and tubes, was bring
ing them in like locals last night
all the way from New Orleans
and Minneapolis to Providence.
But while the programs were
coming in loud and strong all
those except from the most power
full stations were marred by heavy
static, typical of warm weather.
The evening. however, proved one
thing that BODIES well for summer
reception.
Although the static was as heavy
as on bad summer night, 1t was
possible to bring in about dozen
stations loud enough to drown the
majority of it out. That in itself
Is a big change from last year,
when KDKA and possibly one or
two others were the only stations
that could over ride the air cleo
tricity, and they didn't do 1t very
well.
The difference is Super-power.
That word, super-power, has be.
come the most popular slogan OF
the broadcasting world. Every new
station claims to be q super-poWer
station. and old stations claim that
new equipment has made :hem
super-poWer stations.
At any rate, there are about a
dozen so.called super-poWer stations
in operation today. That Is sta
tions using 1000 watts or more In
transmitting their programs.
Without doubt super-poWer is go
ing to be the means OF overcoming
static interference. IL broadcastlhg
stations use enough power-several
thousand watts-they can be heard
for several hundred miles even in
the worst of static, without too
much interference.
But the so-called super-power sta
ton of today is probably nothing
as compared to what the super
power station will be in the near
future. 1t probably will not be
long before stations will be using
900 and 10000 watts in broadcast
| ing, and when that day comes, list
eners will forget about static.
| Already the tendency toward
super-power has progressed far
enough so that this summer is go
! ing to see much more favorable re
ception that any previous year.
We listened for while last night
to the ocean Frolics of 1928
from WY, New York and VGY
Schenectady. A chorus sang sew
eral of those old swinging, easy
going tunes that are so appropriate
on a warm summer night.
/ Later we dropped into the Michi
gan State Oratorical Contest al
some high school in Detroit. ant
| heard a few high school yells. There
was more pep at that oratorica
contest than there is at most loca
football games.
| Two musical organizations made
their radio debuts over WCAP las
| night, and both should make a hit
| with the fans. They were the
| Almas Temple Shrine Military BanC
and the Interior Department Mixed
| Quartet.
The Almas Temple Band is not
newcomer in local musical circles
but, heretofore, has never appeared
over the air. 1t was led last night
/ by William c. White, prfncipa
of music at the Army School OF
Music.
/ Its first number, THE Washing
ton Times Herald" a swinging
rhythmic march by Bandmaster l.. q
Phillips, was played for the first timt
| in public. The new march should last
| We were glad to find thai
WCAP has changed its Friday
night schedule. taking the Marine
Band off in favor of some Other
programs which, though not a,
good, unsteady speaking, were Z
welcome change. The Marine:
were on Wednesday nights pro
gram.