Evening star., 1928-04-13
BUTTONS REPLACE
D|AL|NG SYSTEM
New Radio Device Makes Re-
ception Automatic-Mar-
vim Is Inventor.

"Push- button" sets that Obviate the
need OF dialing represent one OF the
latest wrinkles in radio which has
aroused vast interest both among the
makers of radio sets and the buying
public, An automatic receiving set VIII
be placed on the market this Summer,
according to an announcement by the
Chicago manufacturing concern which
controls the patents and has put 1t
into production.
Invented by Harry N. Marvin OF
rive. NJ Y, the automatic receiver SUD-
stitntes panel buttons for the dial con-
troll. When a button Is pushed 1t tunes
the set to a given wave length. Inere
may be up to a dozen buttons, eacn
representing a certain channel on which
the listener may expect particular
station to be operating.
Thus. instead of worrying about me-
, ter or kilocycle designations OF wave
channels, the listener at his radio set
can simply push No. l or No. button
and hear the station operating on the
channel 1t represents.
The set is not wholly automatic.
There Is one button which can be used
to transform the set into single dial
control, so that tuning may be done
in the whole broadcasting spectrum
lust as 1t is now done on one-dial re-
ceivers. That is the feature of the
automatic set which its makers claim
will not restrict It's reception to the
limited number of frequencies that a
limited number of push buttons can
tune.
The successful operation Of the auto
when it gets wide use after general
distribution Admittedly, models alone
cannot prove its utility, and whether
1t can be made fool proof against the
carelesSness of the unframed operator.
Fine tuning or the exact synchroniza-
ton of the button control to the par
ticular wave length is an absolute ne
cessity in this type of apparatus, for
it must certainly be as highly selective
as q dial.
Its convenience is undoubted, II the
listener is desirous of tuning In only
limited number OF stations by the
push button method. Amateurs and
engineers have built automatic tuners
in the past, but the Chicago concern
is the first to take 1t up as a COM
mercial possibility.
Margaret Lawrence. star of "The Be-
havior of Mrs. Crane" Eugene w. Par
sons production, will play the title role
in a radio version of the play which will
be broadcast through WRC at o'clock
this evening. In her latest starring We
hicle she portrays witty and charming
woman in a situation as delicate as 1t
is dangerous. Members of the Broadway
cast supporting her who viii be heard
in the radio version include Helen Bax-
ter. Charles Trowhridge and John Mars
ton.
There will be a foreign note to the
program Of the Palmolive hour to be
heard at 10 o'clock. Although there will
be the usual representation OF popular
American music, some melodies OF Italy,
Spain, Russia and France will be played
and sung. Olive Palmer and Paul Oliver
will be heard In the duet Granada" to
the accompaniment of the Palmolivc
Orchestra and full ensemble. Miss
Palmer also win sing una Voce POGO
Fa" from THE Barber OF Seville"
Director Louis Katzman has selected
popular and semi-classical music for the
program OF the Whittali Anglo-P -Persians
TO be heard through WRC at Q o'clock
The Young Peoples Piano Hour viii
be presented through WRC at $50
o'clock. The Lord Calvert Quintet will
present It's weekly concert at $3.50
O'Clock.
The Arthur Jordan Music Forum.
WMAL's chief attraction tonight, will
present Minna Niemann. pianist, who
will play two groups of four selections
each, which include Chopin's "Etude, E
Major" Strauss "Serenade" and Men
delssohn's Spinning Song" Miss Me
mann was pupil Of Godowsky In the
Meisterschule. In Vienna, and she at
tended the Royal Conservatory. IN
Karlsruhe, for two years as a pupil Of
Ordenstein, receiving q scholarship In
recognition OF her ability as q student.
She made her debut with the st. Louis
symphony Orchestra.
Sandwiched between WMALs other
musical attractions there win be talk
hv Dorsey W. Hyde. jr., secretary OF the
Washington Chamber of Commerce, on
the proposed transit merger.
In addition to play-by-play broad
cast Of the Washington Boston base oall
game. WRHF has scheduled number
Of other features including q weekly
resume Of municipal government al
fairs. and a dinner concert. This sta
tion's evening program viii begin at
5:45 o'clock with O review OF the news
events OF the day by the Town Crier.
The White Rose Male Chorus of York.
Pa. will provide the principal attraction
tonight OF WTFF The chorus viii
broadcast from $40 to GAS o'clock. An
Oid-Time Trio. Madelon Sherman and
the Dixie Syncopators also have O
prominent part in the stations pro-
gram