Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17
Behind the Microphone
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.

selecting the National Press Build
ing as location for q permanent
exhibit, advantage has been taken
Of the fact that 1t houses the Fed
eral Radio Commission and many
other prominent radio organiza-
tions. AS a result Of the frequency
with which radio users visit this
building 1t has become the ma
tional radio headquarters"
TT is no mere superstition that
L radio Is always poorer on a
moonlight night" Thousands of
radio observations taken by DR..
Harlan T. Stetson. director of
Perkins Observatory at Delaware,
Ohio, confirm the belief of prac-
tical radio operators that radio
reception Is poorer when the
moon is above the horizon. In
fact, DR.. StetSon found the in
tensity of radio reception in
creases up to 100 per cent after
the earth's satellite has set.
DR.. Stetson says that an ap-
parent depression occurs in the
Kennedy Heaviside layer of cleo
irons in the upper atmosphere
radios Ceiling" from which radio
waves bounce" back to earth
when the moon Is overhead, sug-
costing that the moon is an cleo
trostatically charged body and
that 1t is responsible for the tenn
porary diminution Of radio re-
ception.
So it appears that the moon as
well as the sun has its effect on
radio, though 1t is well known
that the sun is the one astronomi-
cal body responsible for most
changes in radio. Every fan
knows that daytime reception is
vastly poorer than nighttime re-
ception Of radio programs This
is due to the absorption Of radio
energy by the rays of the sun.
A PORTABLE broadcasting con-
"A troll board, perfected after
many months of work by engi-
neers, will be used for the first
time when the National Broadcast
ing Co. describes the Army air
raids ON New York City Friday and
Saturday.
The device will perform the
major functions of the large New
York control room, but is only
five by seven feet in size. It stands
upright, presenting shiny black
front OF panels studded with nu-
merous controls, tubes, switches,
plugs and gauges.
The instrument was designed
for use in special broadcasts, such
as the air spectacle, parades and
other occasions requiring q run
ming description by as many as 10
announcerS. In it will converge
all the special wire lines and
broadcasting circuits used at such
times.
a DID to the tale of the contented
1 \ cow, made more content and
more productive of milk by the
TACT that q radio set was playing
in the cowshed, this story told
over the Columbia network last
week by o. H. Caldwell, former
radio commissioner. Sweet music
added to the informative bulletins
broadcast every day by agricul-
tural experts should be tuned-in
in the hen house for the benefit of
chickens and farmers alike, said
Mr.. Caldwell.
"At least so per cent more eggs
will be produced for market If
the poultry farmer offers to his
hens the same opportunity to hear
good radio programs that he ex-
tends to his family" said Mr..
Caldwell THE secret in getting
the most out of the hens by the
radio system is to turn on the
broadcasts early in the day and
keep them going until chicken
bedtime. This method increases
the average hen-hour production
and brings a new spirit Of service
to the chicken COOP"
Prospect Of the religious union of the
Anglican ard Greek Orthodox Churches
in ElrODe are said tn he hrichf