Evening Star Newspaper, November 17, 1929, Page 82

FUFURE FORECAST FORBATTRYSETS Advantage Seen for Owners With Alternating Current | Not Available in Homes. BY JOHN MARSHAM. Most of the development work on re- ceiving set design during the last few years :has had to do with increased povleriwlth better tone quality,:along with 'mprovements and simplification in tuning. With this increased power, coming as it does with the advent of the sufcessful socket-power set, has also come the solution of the problem of how to apply this added power without over- loading the vacuum valves and the loud epeaker. But there is another problem of interest to a large number of lis- teners scattered throughout the coun- try—how to get adequate power from the battery set and the double-current socket power receiver. This is espe- cially true for listeners who live in rural districts, or even in city dwellings where there is no alternating current line. Here in the United States we are as extravagant in our radio work as we are in our railways, automobiles, fuel consumption and other items. We em- ploy a great deal to obtain relatively little. And so with radio. Many of our present-day socket-power radio sets with outputs of the order of 1,500 to 15.000 milliwatts, are capable of far more work than we actually require. Indeed, much of the energy is wasted as it is through inefficient design, which is perhaps for- tunate for the eardrums of America. European Sets Conserve Power. In Europe it is different. There the radio sets for the greater part are oper- ating on batteries, and the outputs are relatively modest. Yet amazing tone quality and volume are obtained, due to extreme conservation of energy. Per- haps the utmost in tone and volume is obtained for the present status of the radio art, so that the results often match those of American sets using many times as much energy. With an output of 50 to 120 milliwatts, which is equivalent to that of a battery set with a low power output tube, or, again, an | cutput of 500 milliwatts, which is fair for a power valve of the —71-A type working within its distortionless limit, | ampls valume and tone are obtained. Queer enough, the true bottleneck of battery operated sets has been quite overlooked all these years. While radio experts and laymen have worked on radio frequency amplifiers and detec- tors and audio amplifiers in search of greater volume and better tone, the loud speaker has been accepted as it stood. Yet the real beginning of effi- cient battery operation is the loud speaker. The set can be no better than its loud speaker, so that is the starting point. Types of Speakers. And what have we in the way of loud speakers? There is the magnetic type, which has hitherto been employed for battery operated radio sets. Yet this type is relatively inefficient. If it is made quite sensitive, it is necessary to have the pole pleces quite close to the balanced armature, and the latter mem- ber must be stiffiy tensioned in place to prevent pole slap. This stiffness im- mediately cuts off the lower frequencies in the response, so that bass notes and tonal depth are entirely missing. Again, if sufficient spacing is employed between pole pieces and armature, the device is insensitive and no considerable volume is obtained. ‘The dynamic type of loud speaker combines in a most happy fashion the desired volume and tone quality, but requires far more input than is avail- able with battery operation. Hence it s out of the running. Recently, however, with the intro- U L AWRENCE. TIBBETT- JESSE CRAWFORD- Gardner, a recent addition to the teacher, is to make her radio debut as featured in the “Empire Buildiers” sketch. “THE SUNDAY 'STAR, “WASHINGTON, D. C., "NOVEMBER ~ Lawrence Tibbett, the Metropolian baritone, to be heard in the General Motors “family party” tomorrow night over WRC. The charming Virginii N. B. C. dramatic production staff, is being Igna Hill, a former Minnesota school the guest soloist in the Eveready hour Tuesday night over WRC and associated stations. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Crawford, both masters of the console, who are featured in the Sunday night organ recitals over WMAL and other Columbia network stations. duction of the radically different induc- tor dynamic type, invented by C. L. Ferrand, an authority in the fleld of radio acoustics, a new day dawns for the battery set. This type is a com- promise between the power and tone of the dynamic and the simplicity of the magnetic. While it employs a perma- nent magnet field, it has no other simi- larity with the magnetic type. The in- ductor dynamic makes use of a double- bar armature, freely suspended between two sets of pole pieces and moving parallel to the pole faces, so that the swing or amplitude is not limited by the magnetic gap. In fact, the gap can be set very close for remarkably high eff- ciency without danger of pole slap and without tensioning the armature, which is therefore extremely free to move. Extreme sensitivity at all frequencies— the low frequencies as well as the high —is obtained. The erftire musical scale is therefore reproduced with striking fidelity not believed possible with bat- tery operation. b With very close magnetic gaps for MIGHTY maximum efficiency, together with prop- erly matched impedance for maximum transfer of energy, it does seem as though the inductor dynamic brings new life to the battery set. In fact, this Winter should see the advent of satis- factory battery radio sets for those who do not enjoy the convenience of A. C. electric light service, or, again, those ‘whose musical tastes demand the abso- lutely silent Background and pure tone quality which battery operation can readily provide. . Soprano to Go on Air. Astrid Fjelde, soprano, will make her debut as soloist on the Stars of Melody program from WEAF and stations Fri- day evening. pe Chick and Blanche at WSB. Chick and Blanche, after & three months’ tour that included the Pacific MRS. MUNCE +0 PLAY OVER NATIONAL CHAIN Work Selects Washington Woman to Participate in Bridge Game Tuesday. Mrs. John Munce, jr, Washington bridge expert, has been selected by Milton C. Work, international author- ity on the game, to participate Tuesday afternoon in the first national radio dge game to be broadcast over the network of the National Broadcasting Co. System, including 3 Although heard regularly over WRC in bridge lessons every Monday morn- ing at 11:45 o'clock, this is the firsc time Mrs. Munce has taken part in a bridge game to be broadcast over the Nation. Mrs. Munce is considered one of the outstanding authorities on bridge :n this section of the country. She is u director of the American Bridge League. ROSENTHAL TO BE GUEST. Comedian to Be Presented on Town -Crier Program. Harry Rosenthal, former orchestra leader and now ‘comedian in the Broad- way play, “June Moon,” will be lhe_!ueu of Alexander Woollcott in his Town c‘rler program on WOR Wednesday eve- ni ng. The next week, November 27, the guest will be Leslie Howard, another dramatic star, ST e Broadcast of Schools. ‘The University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh board of education are col- laborating in a series of daytime radio programs at KDKA. ey are in the form of dramatizations of what is going on in the schools today. Music’s Appeal Popular, ‘The universal appeal of music is given Coast, are back at WSB. credit for the¥popularity of radio. @) The HUB Offers Exceptional Service and Terms on 17, “1929—PART FOUR.’ Behind the Microphone BY THE RADIO EDITOR. IR HARRY LAUDER is com- ing back to the microphone —and- this time of his own volition. It will be remem- bered that his first broadcast sev- eral months ago required strategy and considerable persuasion on the part of the broadcasters to get him to go on the air. But now that the famous Scotch comedian has had a taste of broadcasting and apparently took a liking to it, there are indica- tions that his voice may soon be just as familiar on the air lanes as that of some of the famous opera stars. Every broadcast, however, will make him hundreds of dolldrs richer, for it is under- stood he is demanding heavy sums for his radio presentations. Lauder’s second broadcast will be December 1, and by some strange coincidence he will appear before the microphone twice in the same evening, but under dif- ferent sponsorship. As a result there will be a half an hour of his Scotch songs and drolleries on the air. In his initial radio program, Lauder was on the air for only 15 minutes and, according to the National Broadcasting Co., he in- sisted that his forthcoming broad- cast be extended. The noted comedian said 15 minutes did not seem to satisfy his admirers. “The last time I broadcast,” he is quoted as saying, “I was only on for 15 minutes and people wrote and said that wasn't long enough. This time I want to gie them enough. And, anyway, I like it. When a fellow is before the microphone he doesn’t have to worry at all whether the seats in the house are sold or noo.” Sir Harry’s microphone debut occurred in Canada, although most of the stations which carried the program are in the United States. His second broadcast will origi- nate in the studios of KFI in Los Angeles and come East over an extensive network of National Broadcasting Co. stations. * k% ok Within the next few weeks radio Fom +1x listeners in the New York broad- cast area will get their first taste of the so-called “canned” radio programs, recorded, however, on 2 much larger scale than ever before attempted. Three New York stations, WMCA, WRNY and WGBS, are adjusting their schedules for the new experiment, which involves the use of electrically recorded programs on discs of the type adopted in the production of “talking movies.” The chief ob- ject of the recorded program is to dispense with the costly wirc lines generally used in chain pro- grams. The use of the new recorded program is expected to extend far beyond the New York area. In fact, arrangements. already have been made for a number of sta- tions scaftered ail over the cou=- try to put on the air Thanksgiving day one of the recorded programs dedicated to the cause of world peace and good will. Famous bands, orchestras and choruses of nine Turopean coun- tries have participated in the making of the THanksgiving day record. It is to be a two-hour program. H Aside from its ynusual musical interest the outséandlng feature about this prograh js that it will not be broadcast bghuman beings. Those who will play and sing in it will be thousar &s of miles away, a condition which makes it vir- tually impossible lo get them to- gether for any boadcast. What has taken two months of fast travel and constagt work to col- lect in Europe wil§be heard in the United States in two hours. It has never been done béfore. Thus, the event will mark = revolutionary departure in radie. 3 * %k ok To H. V. CampPell of Braddock Heights, Va., goes the credit for ‘“scooping,” in nRewspaper par- lance, the N. B. C. press relations department with:the announce- ment that “Ams n’ Andy” were to change the tite of their ap- feumu before the microphone rom 11 o'clock to the more con- venient hour of 7. 3 In the “Listeners’ Forum” col- umn published in The Star last Sunday, Mr. Campbell revealed the plans of the sponsors of “Amos 'n’ Andy” to have them broadcast: earlier. It was two days later be- fore the N. B. C. press bureau made formal announcement of the important change. Mr. Cum‘r- bell received his information di- rect from the sponsors, and with his letter to The Star radio de- partment, inclosed a communica- tion from the sponsors to show the authority of the announcement. Be that as it may, “Amos 'n’ Andy” will be heard at 7 o’clock, beginning tomorrow evening, and Washington radio listeners, e. cially the children who have lowed the career of these two fa- mous radio characters, are happy, indeed. The two comedians also feel better, since they have been accused of keeping children tip past their ordinary bedtimes. * k¥ % Coincident with the announce- ment of Sir Harry Lavder’s return to the microphone, the N. B. C. also disclosed that another famous star of the concert world, John McCormack, is coming back after an absence of nearly three years. McCormack is to be featured in the Victor program on Thanksgiv- ing night. He was last heard on the air January 1, 1927. * X X X Fifteen seconds in the life of the avergBe person are usually just 15 seconds. But to the radio an- nouncer and others responsible for the programs that come on the air at stated periods, these same ticks of the clock assume a defi- nite importance. According to a ruling of the Federal Radio Commission, broad- casting stations are required to give their call letters at regular in- tervals, and for this purpose each one associated with the chains is allowed 15 seconds for every 15 minutes, during which break the network stations are disconnected from the key studios. This has made it necessary for the stations to bridge over from their own studios the “dead spaces,” so- called, that exist before and after the call letters are given—a prob- lem which individual stations are solving in their own individual way. y _rhwa.c ;1';: ldorpurdl the chlma: e most novel lrn'psz-ien 3 however, is used by in Baltimore. ~ At this station a sin- gle control “fader” has heen in- stalled in the announcer’s booth and through this device listeners hear, at first softy, the tinkling tones of “Maryland, My Mary- land,” which provide a musical background to the local announce- ment. As soon as the call letters arc given the music comes closer and continues until the silvery notes of “Maryland, My Maryland,” are gradually faded back into the net- work program that follows, the entire operation being controlled by the announcer. Heretofore when these “dead spaces” occurred they were filled in by the announcer, who kept at his elbow a copy of extra an- nouncements for just such oce: sions. Now such awkward m ments are completely avoided, thus making another step forward in the technique of broadcasting. NAME HARD TO SPELL. Ernest W. Naftzger's Mail Ad- dressed in 59 Letter Combinations. Ernest W. Naftzger, early morning entertainer at C. B. S, gets many letters from listeners, That fact alone doesn't bother the mail man so much, but the writers of the letters seem to have a little dif- culty in spelling his name. So far they have used 59 combinations of alphabeti- cal symbols. FANS READ NEWSPAPERS. 75 Per Cent of Radio Listeners Fol- low Published Programs. A survey conducted by WENR indi- cated that 75 per cent of its listemers i guide to an evening’s gul an 's air entertainment. Twenty per cent used lists made up by themselves, 4 per cent merely turned the dials, and 1 per cent had regular programs or stations. Concert xmrcmm. Guy Fraser. Harrison's Orchestra, playing from Rochester, N. Y., is to present & pro of concert music in its a} nflpu:. on WJOZ' and coast chain wm night. every import{tnt radio advance plusv EXCLUSIVE VIBRA-CONTROL () J AN | . 1T 7 il glll] ] 17y _allls TR . realistic. BT Pall | CHECK ‘i;‘HESE v Screen gral tubes Ao vV ication v *245 po@e;!\l.bu v Full.powef dynamic n';elri:er FEATURES YOURSELF ¢ Antenna com v Hlluminated control tor le dial v Hairline selectivity - plus VIBRA-CONTROL ...the complete control of all radio vibrations through the scientifis coordination of the receiver, speaker and console. Eliniinates all unwanted vibrations, after-tones, roars and distortions. 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