Evening star., 1927-11-04
ETHER CONGESTION
REDUCTION SOUGHT
Three Synchronization Meth
ods Are Now Available for
Use of BroadCasters.

The synchronizing of the frequen
cies of broadcasting stations operat
ing on the same channel. especially
when they are broadcastinG the same
program, is a plan for reducing con
gestion in the ether and eliminating
interference which has the iclorse
ment of the Federal Radio Commits
sion.
Three synchronization means are
available to the broadcasters and al
least two are being utilized success
fully now. From one station the com
mission has received report show
ing how it is eliminating the howl or
leterOdyne of another station on the
same wave length 500 miles away and
how it is also broadCastinC Simutane-
ously on another frequency with an
other station in the same network to
which it belongs.
The station is WDRC, New Haven,
Conn. operated by Franklin NJ. Doc
little, formerly radio professor at Yale.
This station uses 500 watts of power
on 1850 kilocycles (2S2S meters). on
which WAIU, Columbus. Ohio. oper-
ates with 5000 watts. In order to
eliminate the heterodyne that would
otherwise occur WDRC employs the
so-called "zero-beat' method, whereby
it is synchronized with the Columbus
station.
receiving set is installed 5 miles
from WDRC, where the incoming
carrier wave from WAIU is picked up
and transmitted by telephone line to
the WDRC control room. Synchroni-
cation is then simply a matter of en-
gineering detail. and operation con-
tinues without heterodyning.
Station WDRC also belongs to a
all chain nf North Alta nfip stations
and has obtained permission until De-
cember 81 to broadcast for two hours
nightly on $40 kilocycles (370.2 me-
ters), which is the same wave used
by WMCA, Hoboken, n. j., the "key"
station of the chain. Located 20 miles
apart, they broadcast the same pro-
gram these two hours on identically
the same wave length. This has been
suggested by Prof. Doolittle as one of
the possible methods of eliminating
the use of so many wave lengths by
chain stations, each of which now
operates on different waves.
Another method of synchronization
is the wire control of two or more
stations from a common source of
radio frequency, plan which is be-
ing successfully employed nightly be-
tween stations WBZA, Boston, and
WBZ. Springfield, which deliver the
same programs. The third method is
the use of identical or matched crys-
tails, such as those now used to keep
a station on its wave length, which
can be maintained under standard
temperature conditions at two or more
stations to be synchronized. This
method has not yet been tried out.
Commissioner Caldwell, a technical
man, has been watching these expert
ments with special interest. He has
said the commission has no authority
to order stations which operate on the
same frequency to install mutual
synchroniZing equipment, but he add
ed that stations which undertake such
improvements will be authorized by
the commission to operate at closer
geographical separations and so. will
be able to maintain positions on su-
perior wave lengths.
Eight musical attractions make up
the program of WRC tonight which
will keep the station active continu-
ously from until 1870 o'clock. Chief
among these attractions will be the
Whittall Anglo-Persians and the
Cities Service Concert Orchestra.
The Anglo-Persians have changed
their hour of broadcasting and will
be heard hereafter beginning at
instead of 10 O'Clock. The program
tonight is. repIete with dance char
acterizations which portray the ro.
nance and life of the Far East. The
Cities Service musicians will play as
their featured selection the Saint
Saens "Septette."
Selections from the compositions of
Johann Strauss. one of which Is a
vocal transcription of the famous
blue Danube waltz. will be included
In the program entitled "a Night in
Venice" which will be the Musical
Miniatures" presentation. scheduled to
be broadcast between 10 and 1890
O'Clock. This feature will be present.
ed by a mixed quartet and orchestra.