<P* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1255 
Radio That is Und erst an dable 
TUBY THE PRINCIPLES. — We 
have told you, in a general way, 
some of the things that radio can 
do for all of us, whether we live in 
a city or on a farm; yet to benefit 
from this new, yet old, invention we 
should understand some of the things that will en¬ 
able us to make 'better use of it. Without going into 
technicalities we can get a few of the principles that 
govern the working of radio, and I believe that by 
comparing radio with something with which we are 
familiar will help us all to get a working knowledge, 
so that when we do have a radio set we will not be 
disappointed or discouraged by its seeming difficul¬ 
ties. We are all familiar with automobiles; we 
know that at times they “balk” or something goes 
wrong, that our gasoline does not give the mileage 
that we expect, hut by careful attention to keeping 
water, oil and gasoline supplied we have the oppor¬ 
tunity of traveling for business or pleasure at any 
time we wish. Just so it is with radio. Comparing 
thousands of miles to places you had only dreamed 
of and never expected to visit. 
SIMPLICITY OF OPERATION.—The idea that 
many have as to how difficult it is to operate a radio 
set is wrong, for it is simple to understand and 
much simpler to operate. A very few minutes will 
enable you to “tune-in” some broadcasting station 
and like a car, the more you become familiar with 
it, the more you will get out of it. Have you for¬ 
gotten how the car wanted to zig-zag across the 
street the first time you tried to steer it. then how 
with practice it was a simple matter to steer with 
one hand? So again with radio, the first time you 
tune it (steer the car) it may go this way and that, 
but each time will see a big improvement in your 
handling and before many nights you will smile at 
other members of your family as they try to learn 
how it works. 
VARYING CONDITIONS. — There are a few 
things we'must understand and always remember; 
radio sets are not made that have an unlimited 
Winter and Spring are the three seasons that can 
be depended upon to give satisfactory results, while 
Summer, including late Spring and very early Fall, 
will not give the results that are obtainable at the 
other seasons; a great deal of this is due to the 
fact that in the Summer we have more lightning 
and electrical disturbances that interfere with radio 
and so spoil much of our pleasure from it. Some 
Summer days, and this past Summer, only about 
two out of three days may be expected to be good, 
and at other times a week or more of good recep¬ 
tion can be had. This past Summer I have only 
missed six or eight days that I have not listened to 
the weather reports and received them. (The weath¬ 
er man had a fondness for rain, I found out!) 
Thunderstorms or being away from home prevented 
me from listening-in on those few nights. 
BROADCASTING STATIONS. — Scattered 
throughout the United States are about 500 broad¬ 
casting stations, owned by electric manufacturing 
companies, newspapers, hotels and individuals. 
27 le Hen With One Chicken. Fig. 524 
it to the automobile, we have a broadcasting sta¬ 
tion, which through special apparatus sends out 
speeches, music and entertainment; this then is our 
automobile factory manufacturing cars of different 
types. We do not care what kind of machinery is 
used in the process of manufacture, it is the finished 
product that we desire. Next compare a radio re¬ 
ceiving set with your automobile. Your gasoline, 
water and oil and batteries are the same as the bat¬ 
teries required to operate your radio set. If you 
run out of gas your car stops. Just so with your 
radio; should you let the batteries run down and 
not recharge them or supply new ones, your radio 
will cease to work. You turn the spark and gas 
levers to get the most power out of your engine; 
just so with the radio, as you have to make slight 
adjustments to its engine, called a “detector,” to get 
the best results. You start your car, the same as 
turning on the switch of your radio, grasp your 
steering wheel and steer the car in the direction 
you wish to go, and so the same with radio; you 
grasp a knob and by carefully turning you so make 
the set take you where you wish, to Pittsburgh, 
Chicago or New York; rather you bring these cities 
to you while you sit comfortably in a chair, with 
the family around you all listening to the bedtime 
stories for the children, the talk on household 
economy, the market reports, a Farm Bureau speak¬ 
er. a famous violinist and other musical numbers, 
and last the time signals and weather reports from 
Washington. You and your whole family have 
traveled in a short space of time hundreds and even 
range. Some are better than others, and will do 
more, but all have their limitations. Weather con¬ 
ditions, such as heat, cold, clouds, fog, rain and 
varying barometric pressure all affect the results, 
and at times it is impossible to receive anything at 
all. Your location, whether on a hill or valley, 
whether summnded by trees, buildings, telephone 
and power lines, will make varying differences; and 
then the care used in installing your set, such as 
proper insulation and earth connection, will make 
the difference between good or poor receiving. 
THE PERSONAL ELEMENT.—Just as we clas¬ 
sify automobile drivers as careful, good, poor, 
careless or reckless, so we have the ones who take 
care of their sets, operate them carefully and learn 
from experience so that they get good results, and 
others will always be poor, as they do not care. 
There is also the difference in handling; some have 
the “knack” of learning quickly, and can with steady 
hands make very fine and close adjustments of the 
different control knobs, while others are somewhat 
clumsy and will have difficulty in making the finer 
adjustment for the best results. Some are born 
wanderers, and are for ever trying to see how many 
broadcasting stations they can hear, and never take 
time to hear one or tune it in to its best point; others 
are stay-at-homes, and after getting a station stretch 
themselves comfortably before the fire and have a 
full evening’s enjoyment. 
THE BEST TIME OF YEAR.—The best average 
results are obtained in the Winter, when the air is 
cold over the greater part of the country. Fall, 
These broadcasting stations are under the super¬ 
vision of our government, and are not permitted to 
send out certain classes of broadcasts. A licensed 
operator is located at each station, and it is his duty 
to see that the laws and regulations are observed. 
Each broadcasting station is given, by the govern¬ 
ment, a series of letters called “call letters,” no two 
stations having the same combination of letters. It 
is by the call letters that we recognize the broadcast 
station to which we are listening. For instance if 
we hear the announcement, “This is KDKA,” we 
know that it is the Westinghouse Electric Company 
at East Pittsburgh, I‘a., or “WEAF,” it is the Ameri¬ 
can Telephone and Telegraph Company of New 
York, and so on. These letters are on record and 
can be found in a booklet which can be purchased 
from the Superintendent of Documents, Washing¬ 
ton, D. C’., for 25 cents in coin (not stamps). Every 
broadcasting station is required to announce its 
call letters several times during its period of broad¬ 
casting, and usually they add their name as well, 
so that you can readily tell to whom you are 
listening. Broadcasting costs each station thous¬ 
ands of dollars annually, yet all that they broad¬ 
cast is free to you if you have a receiving set. 
RECEIVING SETS.—These can be of many dif¬ 
ferent makes and types, and vary a great deal in 
price. As do automobiles vary in their quality and 
ability to render service, you have a choice in the 
type of set you wish to buy. You can pay for a 
beautiful cabinet and special finishes and get no bet¬ 
ter results than from a set of lower price without 
