Evening star., 1935-09-29
By the Radio Editor.

of 1929, when radio produc-
ton reached its all-time peak,
is being enjoyed in the manu-
facture and distribution of radio sets,
tubes and parts this year. If, as ex-
pected, 1885 sales OF radios reach the
5000, 900 mark. the industry will act
ually exceed 1929 in the number of
units sold, If not in dollars and cents
volume. Fifty thousand workers cur
rently employed in the $50 radio
manufacturing plants of the United
States represent their highest employ
ment since 1929.
Bond P. GeddeS, executive director
Of the Radio Manufacturers ASSocia-
tion, attributes the boom to better
purchasing power among labor and
farm elements, particularly the latter,
who are buying battery sets in greater
volume than ever. Added to that, he
said, is the desire among set owners
to replace their old sets with the
newer all-wave models in order to
take advantage of foreign reception.
we expect" said Geddes, from the
way the market has been going dur
ing the Summer, and with the best
sales months still ahead, that at least
100000 radios will have been sold
by the end of the year. This includes
automobile radios and battery SETS
Last year 100000 radios and 100000
automobile receivers were sold for
total Of about $235, 10000 This year
the market is at least double for auto
mobile radios, and we expect the gross
for all types of radios will run close
to s350,O00 000"
Federal money pouring into the
farm regions is very largely respon-
sible for the heightened market for
farm radios. Geddes also believes the
excellence OF program offerings of the
radio stations and networks is provid-
ing stimulus to sales, although he
calculates that only small propro-
ton of the new sets being sold this
year are going into homes that never
before had radios.
A T THE beginning of 1885 it was
estimated that fully 2l,0000 900
homes, or about 10 per cent of Amer
ican homes, had radios If 1000, 900
OF the 100000 sets sold this year go
into non-radio homes, the proportion
will exceed expectations. Most of the
new set buyers are purchasing replace
ments or additional sets for the home,
and the trend is decidedly away from
the cheap midget models back to the
bigger and more expensive console
models, according to Mr.. Geddes.
Heightening the bright outlook of
the radio market was the New York
Radio and Electrical Exposition, which
closed in New York this week end
The interest shown in the exhibits
was reminiscent of the former annual
shows held in New York and other
cities. most of which were discon-
tinued during the depression years.
Despite the fact that prices are
higher for most radios, interest was
focused largely on the better models
with the wider tone ranges. Average
prices ran between SIS and s75, but
the range varied from $40 to nearly
$1,000.
Perhaps the outstanding new devel-
opment Of the year, aside from furni-
ture designs and new tuning gadgets,
was introduction Of the metal tube.
Within the industry the argument is
still raging over their efficiency, some
manufacturers swearing by them and
others deriding them as being purely
experimental. Nevertheless, IL per
cent of this years output contain
metal tubes and 38 per cent Of the
manufacturers are adopting them in
some of their models.
Although the metal tube is said to
be ideally adapted to auto radios. it
radio set being marketed has incor-
porated them as yet.
GONE idea of the uncertainties that
~ will be encountered by the Amer
lean naval radio men now on their
way to Adds Ababa to set up short
wave radio station for communication
with the State Department here-as-
suming that Emperor Halle Selassie
grants them the unprecedented extra
territoriality right of radioing from
the American Legation there-already
has been given by the difficulties en-
countered in getting broadcasts
through to the American audience
from the Ethiopian capital.
Military and communications ex-
perts here regard it as a foregone
certainty that, once hoStilities begin,
the Italians will lose no time in dis
patching aircraft from one of their
seacoast bases on the mission of wip-
ing out Ethiopias single radio sta
tion. The station bears the interna-
tional call of ETA. 1t Is regularly
point o-point telegraph transmitter,
but 1t was specially shaped into di-
rectional broadcasting station for the
several short-wave voice broadcasts
that were attempted.
It was undoubtedly because the ex-
perts believe that Italy may demolish
the station and cut the single tele-
graph wire that connects Adds Ababa
with Djibouti, in French Samoliland
that the State Department borrowed
four radio men from the Navy and
last week sent them to Ethiopia. They
will 60 to Havre first and then ship
on a French vessel for Djibouti,
whence they will proceed with their
portable wireless apparatus into the
interior capital. 1t will be at least
month before they get there, and
probably longer.
INTERNATIONAL radio records re-
veal that Station ETA was estab-
lished exactly three years ago and
regularly operates with 3,700 watts on
the short and ultrashort wave lengths
Of 1920, 1885 and 1920 kilocycles.
Regularly it contacts either Cairo or
London. depending upon the time of
day and atmospheric conditions.
American short-wave listeners who
understand code should be able to
pick up-assuming atmospheric con-
ditions are fayorable-the first wave