New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-12-08
CHAT WITH EUROPE
BY means Of RADIO
Amateur Broadcastels Get Real
Thrill From Adventures

Amateur radio broadcasting. or
transmitting as it vs. often called,
has more or less become a profession
among those who have given most
of their spare time to this adven-
furious and experimental work. 1t is
more than adventurous-it is edu-
eating and entertaining. The average
amateur finds more pleasure and in
terest in this enterprise than the av-
erage radio fan-he experiences ad-
ventures which are not open to the
casual listener-in ON commonplace.
everyday programs that come over
the usual channels Of large broad
casting stations. .......
The circle of amateur broadcast
ers Is an exclusive one. When the
list of amateur broadcasters whose
licenses were renewed by the Fed
eral radio commission. was issued.
only two New Britain operators
names appeared, John ]. Grobstein
of Amherst street and Murton w.
Lyon OF Jerome street.
Grobstein told a Herald reporter
that he began experimenting with
the set In 1920. when radio was In
its infancy and continued his ad-
veturous career of hunting other
amateur broadcasters all over the
world until about two years ago.
Lyon, who is the son of DIR. Water
man Lyon. is at present the only H.
censed amateur operator in New
Britain whose station Is active. I'm
like his colleague. Mr.. Lyon began
his study Of the radio game about
two or three years ago and 1t was
through Grobstein that his desire to
delve into the mysteries of ether
waves had grown. He watched Grob-
stein at work in his little laboratory
and little by little began to UNDER
stand the mechanical and theoretical
sides of the game, until desire to
be among those in the charmed cir
Gle seized him and he put up a sta
ton of his own.
There is a great difference be-
tween amateur broadcasting today
and broadcasting, or transmitting.
when Grobstein first began his ex-
periments. The amateur today Is
able to get parts for his station
ready-made and set 1t up according
to plans. whereas when the Fame
was in its infancy, every amateur
had to do his own experimenting, his
own building and had to study the
perplexing problems alone. without
the aid of handbooks that are SO
numerous today.
Long Distance Chatting
Amateur stations do not interfere
with regular broadcasting stations as
many may think. They are In a
class by themselves and engage in
the exchange OF personal converse
ton. The apparatus is SO constructed
that it does not interfere with the
regular receiving of programs from
the regular stations. An amateur
can operate his set in the same room
with receiving set next to it, and
while members of the family or
friends are listening in on some of
the programs, he can broadcast and
receive messages without any inter-
ference. while the listeners-in can
do likewise at their end of the room.
There are certain periods, though,
when the air is taboo for the ANA
teur. For instance, he cannot oper-
ate during church services on Sum
days nor between the hours of 8
and In the evening. for fear Of in
reference with local station should
there be one. At all other times. he
is free to do all the transmitting he
can possibly handle.
The amateurs are divided into
three classes. The first class isiterm-
ed the tx hounds" to which circle
belong all those amateurs who seek
distance, exchange messages and
work to further amateur radio. The
straight traffic amateurs. or the