Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
RADIO PROVIDES
MUSIC IN CAMPS
Auto Tourists Find Portable
Sets Furnish Pleasant
Entertainment.


A problem which at times confronts
the motor camper during his trip is
that of how to spend the evening
while in camp. When tenting by a
lonely brook, where only the babblinG
waters disturb the silence OF the eve
ming, or when in a populous munich
pal camping ground, little entertain
ment will be appreciated almost as
much as the evening meal
To solve this problem, the radio has
stepped in. The end of a perfect day
for the modern motor tourist is con-
cert from his favorite broadcasting
station. TO hear his favorite jazz or
chestra strike up those airs which
make him forget his fatigue and lose
himself in the rhythm and melody of
the music or to listen to the soft
strains of Beethoven or Chopin. drift
ing in over the wires.
Portable Sets Now Made.
For a number of seasons now, mo-
tor tourists have been taking to radio
concerts in the evening. But, until
recently, this form of radio enjoyment
has been more or less in the expert
mental stage, as sets have not been
constructed especially for autotmobil'
ing However, now there are many
portable outfits which very conven-
iently may be taken along on the out
ing trip to furnish many an evening S
entertainment.
While motor touring surplus bag
gage is most undesirable. Radio
equipment, therefore, should be the
most compact and convenient that
can be obtained. No motorist will
think Of a radio with JOY. if all he
can see is set, an aerial, dry cells
and tangled wiring, littering up the
car. The machine already will be
crowded enough without adding some
thing that one could forego.
However, the radio enthusiast who
desires to take a radio with him ON
his trip need not worry about tangled
wires and surplus baggage. Modern
science has come to his help and
given him a variety of types of radio
sets which are convenient to carry
and take up little room.
Set Entirely Self-contained.
There are. for instance, the port
able uper-heterodynes which are en-
tirely self-contained. These take up
no more space than the average suit
case and, after the trip, make excel
lent instruments for home use. Be-
cause of several important develop
ments in this type of set. it has be-
come especially adaptable for use in
the car or around the camp fire.
observation-disclosures customarily use
dry cell current for the fflament sup
ply, which would mean that the camp
er must carry extra cells with him or
limit his use of the set. This objec-
ton, however, has been overcome by
the development Of inexpensive tubes
which permit the use of the storage
battery current for the filament sup
ply in the uper-heterodyne receiver.
To hook up the battery supply with
the radio it is necessary only to re-
move the dashlight and insert suit
able plug and cord.
In order to tell which wire is posi-
tive and which negative, all the mo-
torist has to do is borrow a potato
from the camp cuisine, poking the
wires into it. The negative wire will
take on a green deposit, thus obviat-
ing the possibility of making a mis-
take in connecting the wire to the
"a" minus post of the set. One adj
vantage of using the storage battery
Is that on a long trip it will be fully
charged most of the time. If it hap
pens to be overcharged the drain will
be advantageous If care is taken not
to run down the battery too much.
Reflex Also Satisfactory.
Next to the uper-heterodyne set,
the three-tuhe reflex set is perhaps
most satisfactory, judging by the ex'
perience of motorists who have tried
out various types. AS with the first
mentioned, no ground connections are
necessary, as the loop covers the en-
tire task of intercepting the radio os
citations. The loop may be pur.
chased in collapSible form, and II
there is room in the box of the sci
for the '.B" batteries, a reflex set is
almost as portable as super-hetero
dyne.
other sets which have been found to
be almost as adaptable as the first
two are the neutrodyne and regenera'
tive sets. These may be secured in
very compact forms and are quite
easily slowed away in a corner of the
car. One thing the motor camper
must remember, however, is to see
that the tubes of his set are adapted
to storage battery current. Other.
wise the set viii prove inefficient and
often of no use.
PortabIes usually have their loud
speakers built in to save trouble and
space However, some motorists
might find it advisble to take along
headsets. Loudspeakers often are
less satisfactory in the open air than
headphones, but IL many persons de
sire to listen in, loudspeaker is es
sential.
To Connect Extra Phones.
In order to connect several cal
phones to the set take apart the usua
plug that comes with set of phone:
and release the end tips Of the phone
wires. Then insert the ends of two
small springs into the plug in place
of the end tips Of the phone wires
When inserting the plug into the jacl
of the set there will be two protrud