Abstract
BIG developments have also taken place at the receiving end. At the beginning, short-wave receivers were looked upon almost as scientific instruments which were of little use to people with no particular interest in technical matters. Even super-heterodyne receivers were comparatively rare only ten years ag6, and undoubtedly it was the development of this type of receiver, with efficient automatic volume control and simplified tuning, which has done a great deal to convert a highly speculative undertaking into what may now fairly be called a firmly established institution, Another important factor has been the growth in the rediffusion of programmes by wires connecting a number of houses to a central receiving station. Such a station can be an elaborate and costly affair embodying the very best technique in short-wave reception. Such undertakings exist in many parts of the Empire, for example, Malta, and notably in the West African colonies. Somewhat similar advantages are gained by rebroadcasting through a local broadcasting station. The Empire and North American Services transmit for a total of nearly 149 hours a week, and are rebroadcast by wireless stations for nearly 55 hours, and when we include wireless exchanges this figure rises to more than 130 hours. Two pioneers who were instrumental in establishing wireless exchanges in several of the Colonies were Sir Arnold Hodson, recently governor of the Gold Coast, and Mr. F. Byron, an engineer in the Colonial Service.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reception and Rediffusion. Nature 151, 18 (1943). https://doi.org/10.1038/151018a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/151018a0