Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
POWER FIRM AIDS
RADIO RECEPTION
Company Attempts to Correct
Source of All Electrical
Leaks.
By Consolidated Press.

By Consolidated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 20.-Elec-
trical leaks are the one big comfortable
source of radio reception Ills according
to a spokesman for one of California s
large power companies. whose expert
ence is based upon the efforts his com
pany has made in the last five years to
cooperate with listeners in the i'm
provement of radio reception.
Through making their crews instantly
available for tracing down and remedy
ing. If possible, the sources OF COM
plants, this spokesman says that coast
power companies have removed many
cause OF squeals and squaks and, per-
haps even more difficult. have con-
WINGED radio listeners that they are will
ing and ready to do what they can to
better radio conditions.
I'VE have frequent complaints from
widely scattered districts" said this
man. who is connected with utility
which serves a big interior California
valley.
"a complaint will come In from a
particular neighborhood and the listen
er will say he knows the power COM
pany Is responsible A crew will be
sent over our lines to discover If there
are any leaks from lines or trans
formers.
Heater Out Of Order.
1.-THE crew may find nothing. Then
1t will investigate in the neighborhood
and perhaps find an electric heater or
some other continuance which is out
of order and is causing the disturbance.
The complaint may be that the dis
turbance occurs at about the same hour
each day and investigation may dis
close that some woman Is in the habit
of using a curling iron or a vacuum
cleaner at that hour and one OF the
contrivances leaks energy through the
Door insulation or WORKOUT condltlon
Sometimes it is our wires or equip
ment that is at fault. and II so we
correct 1t, though if the trouble comes
| from the creation Of high tension vol
| tage at a Sub-Station we can't very
| well remedy that. There Is no way
either, for us tc remedy disturbed ether
conditions caused by dental or medical
machines in downtown buildings
| though some towns are trying to re-
move such causes of bad reception. ex-
cepting during certain hours, by ordi-
nances."
The revenue power companies receive
| from users of radios Is no great tncen-
| tive for them to assist in improving
reception. contrary to much popular
thought on the subject. Reports from
several power companies in this State
show that radios are very small users
of power. Domestic consumption as
whole accounts for only about 3 pei
cent of power sold. and heating units
other electric home equipment ant
lights draw most Of this small per-
| centaRe.
Consumption Increases.
OF 100000 horsepower generated by
one power company, $50, 900 horsepower
! Is allocated to agricultural motors;
$4,000 to industry. $4,000 to oil well
uses and the remainder. except for be-
tween and 4 per cent of the whole
to commercial clients. The power con-
sumption curve has been steadily up
ward during the last 10 years. annually
jumping from 10 to IL per cent. The
capitalization of the radio within the
| last 10 years has not had an appre-
ciable effect on the curve.
It happens, however, that the PEI
cent of power consumed domestically Il
used by about 95 per cent OF the popu'
! lation, which offers the power com
panies good opportunity for public
service that will be appreciated b.
many. It also happens frequently tina
complaints of radio listeners lead Il
the finding of leaks on transmission
| lines which waste a good deal OF power
i and when this is true mutual advan
| tages result from repairing the leaks
As Summer static replaces White
clarity. power company crews will b.
cooperating with listeners clubs II
| finding and remedying defective equip
ment along their own lines and ever
In private homes in the interest of bet
ter radio reception and more eficien
power transmission and consumption.