The San Antonio Light (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 101, Ed. 1 Sunday, April 30, 1922 Page: 18 of 64
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6-B
A Page of Radio News for the Amateur Radiophone Fan
ISLAND SENDS
5.0.5. TO SHIPS
INO cm i
Distress Call Sent by Radio
Operator Urging Help
for Stranded Crew.
|IN DESPERATE STRAITS
Storm Wrecks Schooner and
Maroons Crew on
Waterless Isle.
‘6OB. SOS. SOS. de WQN! Please
o our as®iFtance immediately.
Th« ie Naeaasa Island calling."
(ton you imaaine an island sendina
out'a distress call to shins at sea to
co d n its sid? It sounds like a pip.
dream. doesn't it? Yet it happened as
recdtitlv as the year 1918 while wireless
opefatars were still filling successfully
the $ mle of adventurers in many unob-
served corners of the world. It oc-
curp-d in the storm-swent waters of
♦he Caribbean sea. where the rocky isles
of Navassa rears its forbidding head-
land- out of the tropical depths.
While the story of this distress call
la’-^s the clamour and thrill which al-
wave surrounds one emanating from
a sinkine ship it nevertheless was I
ma fl er of serious import to the hardy
adventurers who were on the rock al
the .time.
This is the story of Navassa Island
mid'it is the first time it has been tol^
Tli<s rumblings of the great war blotted
it from the pages of the newspapers
slim its electro-magnetic waves were
speddine throurh the ether of the
tronics. The island lies midway be-
tween Haiti and Cuba in the direct
path of steamships sailing for the Isth-
mus of Panama. It bad been a con-
stant menace to shipping and in the
year T9lO the United States govern-
ment decided to erect unon it a light-
house that woudl warn mariners of the
danger before them.
Contract for Wireless Station.
In due course of time the contract
/or the construction of this lighthouse
Was let. It carried with it provision
k for the erection of a permanent wire-
less telegraph station also to aid in
navigation.
Now it came to pass that there was
one member of the nomadic army of
operators which claimed the seven seas
as its domain cooling Ms heels in New
York at this time. He was Fred A.
Kliteenschmidt. who had earned the
aobriouet of “the trouble smoother."
Hearing of the project at the time the
► government made its decision he ap-
plied for the position of wireless opj
orator to the expedition and was
promptly accented.
The entire expedition which eonsist-
ed of a large number of engineer- and
laborers congregated at the United
States naval base in Guantanamo.
Cubs where a small three-masted
; S achooner was no rebased for the pure
gm- of carmine the party and the sup-
pl eg to Navassa Island.
Etc- As soon as all the details had been
' completed the schooner set sail for her
destination and duly arrived off the
shores of tlie little island. Then for
♦brae davs she sailed around it. vainly
looidng for a place to make a landing.
Tie long heavy swell which perpet
Uiir rolls in the Caribbean made it
practically impossible to get the vessel
aloifgs.de of the diffs safely and there
wes no inlr* that could be used as a
temporary harbor. After many abor-
tiveltrials a landing was finally made
by three or four agile laborers who
sue.Weded in taking with them a small
piece of two by four lumber.
Then by a persistent process of hard
work using the lumber as a small der-
rick! they gradually hauled up heavier
boo®- until they were able to rig up
one'large enough to hoist up the sup-
plies and other members of the expe-
dition. After that every landing haJ
to tr made by mean* of the derrick
but nt was always a serious task.
v Wild Goats Shot for Food.
A| soon as a ba-c had been estab-
lish*! on the island the task of feed-
ing <he little army proved to be very
difficult. Hunters kept the men sup-
plied with meat by shooting wild goats
whidi had to he eaten the same day
because of the lack of storage facili-
ties.’ All the water for drinking pur-
bad to be carried to the island
bv fee schooner.
In this manner tire work of con-
M rioting the lighthouse proceeded la-
boriimsly. The wireless station was
<iuic*!v erected and placed in opera-
tion; as every one realised its great
fanp|rt a nee.
lathe course of events one of the
terrific storms which are frequent in
the tropics swept across the Carib-
bean making plrvsical communication
with the island impossible. During th*
period of the storm the schooner was
wreckec on the beach.
The men were practically marooned
with tbeir water supply rapidly dimin-
ishing. In thia critical situation Kling-
on sob mid t at the key in the wireless
shanty sent out frantitc calls to the
na<al station at Guantanamo for im-
mediate assistance stressing the des-
perate nature of tbeir plight The
operator at the latter station replied
that there was no ship available and
•re nearest naval ship was a gunboat
Tn the harbor of Vera Cruz severs*
I hundred miles away. H- added bow-
•ver br way of consolation that this
l shin had been ordered by w ireless to
1 pronged immediately but he did not
I ano* whether she was in a condition
f to put to sea right away or not.
lit the meantime the men on the is-
land were in really deeneratc straits
espeeially tor water. They searched
around in a forlorn hope expedition for
; waler and finally came upon a small
stagnant pool in a previously undis-
crc4 tinv cave. Thev carefully
skinunevl the surface then eagerly bai -
rd tlw . star into nails and carried it
l>a-k to thy settlement where it was
SUNDAY.
The upper view shows the wireless
station on Navassa Island in the Carrib-
bean sea from which Fred A. Klingen-
sehmidt (oval) sent out a distress call
to ships for immediate assistance when
be and his companions Were faced with
starvation following a storm. The
three-masted schooner which was wreck-
ed can be seen in the upper picture.
The lower picture shows the only way
in which a landing on the dangerous is-
land could be effected.
boiled. It was ouicklr and avidly
drunk but it only temporarily allayed
their craving thirst.
During this time Klingenschmidt was
sitting in his shanty waiting patient-
ly for word from the naval station.
As he sat and listened he heard ships
in the vicinity working with each oth-
er and then it was that he made an im-
portant decision.
Carting aside all precedent he started
to pump out the SOS call to all shijm
at sea. finishing up with his own caU
of WQN. His novel call wa« answered
by the steamship Panama which was
on its wav between New York and
Colon.
“What ship is that?” enquired the
operator of the Panama.
“This isn't a ship.” replied Klingen-
schmidt. “it's the island of Navassa.”
Shin Operator Incredulous
“For the love of Pete.” came back
the astounded shin operator “what's
the matter with you: are you sinking?
What's the idea anyway; trying to kid
me?”
Stifling the stinging reply which
swept across his mind. Klingenscbmidt
in a few chary words told the operator
of the desi>erate circumstances of the
marooned garrison on the island and
finished up with an urgent plea for
immediate assistance.
The ship's operator then got in touch
with the captain of his vessel and
shortly afterward the course was
changed and the ship beaded for the
island. On arrival supplies . “re quick-
ly transferred together with a goodly
supply of water. This work took several
hours because of the dangerous swell
which pounded on therocky shores.
This exiierience resulted in a small
gasoline launch being assigned to the
contractor's crew and every ship which
was sighted after that was hauled to
while supplies were transferred.
Klingenscbidt's call however still
remains in wireless annals as the most
unique ever sent out through the ether
S. 0. S. IS AUTOMATIC
New Apparatus Would Expedite Rescue
Work and Save Lives.
Radio engineers in Great Britain are
concentrating upon the production of
an automatic transmitter and receiver
which will send out and receive distress
signal from ships at sea in such man-
ner that attention will be attracted even
though the wireless operator should not
happen to be in bis cabin. The problem
is a very important one to the owners
of small steamships who cannot afford
to fully comply with every regulation of
the International Radio Convention re-
garding wireless operators.
The war prevented a great many nec-
essary changes in the international rules
being made as it was impossible for the
technical representatives to get together
in convention. As a matter of fact there
has not been an international radio con-
vention since 1012. At that time it was
arraged to have the next one in 1917
but the war prevented this and since
th- armistice the nations have been so
engrossed with more impprtant problems
that they bare not had an opportunity
to bold a convention. There is a move-
ment rm foot now to hold one this year.
In the meantime however active work
has progressed in the development of au
automatic distress signal and three such
systems have already been produced
two by the Marconi Company Ind one
by the Radio Communication Com-
Island From Which S. 0. S. Call Came
Two Systems War for Mastery
General Squires “Wired Wireless” May Affect
Broadcasting.
A great bottle for supremacy will
soun be fought to a finish between the
forces of radio and the electric light
system. In fact the first skirmish in
the impending war has already been
fought in Washington where Maj. Gen.
George O. Squier chief signal officer
of the United State a.my leading the
forces of the latter succeeded in repro-
ducing broadcast music by the simple
process of hooking up a standard radio
receiving set to the electric light socket
of one of the stand lamps in the room.
The electric light people have not
yet marshaled for the fray and in many
cases the leading lights in the industry
do not see the possibilities of the future
and are resisting all efforts to get them
interested.
The situation is as intexesting as it is
unusual. There are two methods where-
by the electric light wires can be used
for the reproductioa of music and enter-
tainment broadcast from a central sta-
tion. The first is by thv system of
"wired wireless” discovered and de-
veloped by General Hquier and the
o •' is by means of using the wires as
an antenna to receive music broadcast
from a radio transmitting station.
light Wires for Aerials.
In the latter case it is an interesting
fact that the Richmond Power ami
Light Company of Staten Island
through the initiative of W. H. Kuddi-
sill the chief engineer is actually urg-
ing its customers to use tbeir electric
light wires for this purpose wherever
possible. The company has even gone
to the extent of advertising in the local
newspapers to this effect and giving the
necessary instructions showing how it
can be done.
'llie awakening interest of th. electric
light companies is voiced in an article
published by U. H. Caldwell in "Electri-
cal Merchandising” in which be says
after reporting the experiments of Gen-
eral Squier:
“After all the outstanding' fact dem-
onstrated by the ‘radio rush’ of the last
few months has been not the attractive-
ness of radio alone but the discovery of
a popular demand for electrically broad-
cast entertainment permitting Mr. and
Mrs. John Hmilh to sit at home and en-
joy programs transmitted from distant
centers.
"A radio sc; will always have its
charms o( marvellous mystery but aft-
er the romance of the new radio outfit
has worn off is it not a fact that the
owner wants real entertainment gr en
by competent talent and transmitted
with clearness and dependable volume?”
“Wired Wireless” Important.
After xs^king this question he points
out that under the “wired wireless” sys-
tem there will be no static interference
and also that a large number of pro-
grams can be aent over the same wires
by using carrier currents of different
frequencies. He also makes ♦he point
that with “wired whiles*” programs
can be broadcast by the use of five-watt
tubes as compared with the 500 and
1000-watt sets needed for radio broad-
casting service.
The poi»su>ilities of the electrfc light
wires or the telephone wires cannot be
overlooked. They are very important
but I do not think for one moment that
they will ever ou«t rau'^ from the pub-
lie mind. In the first place radio of-
fers tbe mystery which “wired wireless”
can never give. It is true that tbe ma-
THE SAN ANTONIO LIGHT.
Conducted by JACK BINNS
jority of the public is interested in the
reception of clear entertainments of
dependable volume but the public also
wants the unexpected which “wired
wireless” cannot give.
With radio there is always a possi-
bility of hearing the distant station and
the radio novice’is forever adjusting his
set in order to listen to the station
which is beyond his normal reach. Just
think of the number of fans in the New
York district who are always striving
to get Pittsburg Chicago and Detroit
and the Chicago fans who are listening
for Newark or San Francisco. And
when they do get reception from any of
these distant stations they talk about
it with their friends for months after-
ward. That is the cba -i of radio.
Static Not So Terrible.
Static which is being discussed very
largely at this time will not be the big
b’ gbear that many pessimists proclaim
it will. The stronger static becomes
the harder the average fan will strive
to overcome its effects. He may do a
lot of cussing but he will try to do
what none of the radio engineers have
been able to do yet; that is to eliminate
static; and his efforts will keep him so
busy that the work will be really in-
teresting.
There is another factor in the situa*
tion. and that is tbe farmer and the
dweller in the rural communities;
where electric light facilities do not
exist. To them radio is a godsend
as it gives them at one stroke instanta-
neous information that is invaluable to
their industry and entertainment after
a hard day's work in the fields.
Taking these things into considera-
tion therefore it seems to me that
tbe best way to develop the situation is
to have tbe electric wires for city use
and the radio broadcasting for general
purposes. Both can be develops
simultaneously for the general public
benefit.
Tbe electric light system will un-
doubtedly solve the problem of send-
ing out a series of programs simulta-
neously for city use. so that one may
listen to any particular type of enter
tainment according to one's desires.
Describes Wire Tests.
In describing the tests whi-'h Gen-
eral Mouier made in Washington Mr.
Caldwell says:
"In Washington today I have seen
the Chief Signal Officer of the United
States army General Squier remove
an ordinary lamp bulb from its socae*>
on his desk in the Munitions Building
screw in its place an ordinary attach-
ment plug connected to u receiver set
and immediately tbe loud speaker rang
forth with the notes of bugle calls
played by an army "bugler coming over
the electric-light wire from the dis-
tant station where the high frequency
"carrier waves” were being fed into
the lighting circuit. Later the bugle
calls were followed by some phono-
graph records—all reproduced as clear-
ly and distinctly as if rhe original
sources of sound were right in the
room.
“These bugle calls and selections
came over tbe electric light wires by
tbe process of ’wired wireless/ or
high-frequency carrier currents first
developed by General Squier some yean
ago and now applied to broadcasting
"There was no antenna or aerial.
VACUUM TOBE
IS ALADDIN'S
LAMP OF HADID
Its Development Made Pos-
sible General Use of
Radio Telephony.
GREAT FUTURE USES
Wonderful Invention Will
Generate Alternating Cur-
rent of High Power.
There is no invention the genius of
man has produced so important aud so
far-reaching in its possibilities as the
vacuum tube used in radio communica-
tion. It is in every respect the modern
Aladdin's Lamp and the genii it will
conjure up in the future are unlimited
in their number.
It is only in recent years that the full
importance of this marvellous little in-
strument has become realized and
scientists the world over are working
feverishly day and night to develop the
possibilities in which the tube can be
utilized.
Before describing the steps which led
to its invention it might be well to
briefly outline some of the important
uses to which it is now being put. It
is the instrument that has made possi-
ble simultaneous multiplex telegraphy
and telephony on a single wire between
two cities; it has revolutionized tele-
phone conversation across the continent
and it has also revolutionized radio com-
munication.
Will Replace Alternators.
In the immediate future it will replace
the present cumbersome alternators as a
generator of alteruating current aud it
will be used for all kinds of prospecting
work in locating metals and valuable
minerals. In fact so far as a generator
of alternating current is concerned very
rapid strides are being made in its de-
velopmout aud I have seen vacuum
tubes in one of the big commercial lab-
oratories which have an output of ten
kilowatts at any frequency desired.
Thia wonderful little Instrumenta was
first conceived more than 30 years ago
when Thomas A. Edison was experi-
menting with the incandescent electric
bulb. He found at that time that by
placing a second electrode into the vacu-
um tube he had devised that a very
peculiar phenomenon occurred when the
filament was lighted and another bat-
tery was joined to the second electrode
and the filament. This became known
as the “Edison effect.” It was the
property of allowing a current only to
pass in one direction.
This discovery lay dormant for sev-
eral years until wireless telegraphy had
been successfully accomplished by Mar-
coni.
In the early days of radio communica-
tion practically every scientist was seek-
ing a more sensitive detector. One
of these Professor J. A. Fleming
scientist adviser to Marconi devel-
oped out of the Edison effect the so-
called "Fleming valve” which consist-
ed of an ordinary electric light bulb
with a plate placed around tbe filament.
This instrument immediately increased
the range of every wireless station sev-
eral times by its extreme sensitivity.
The manner in which it operated was ex-
actly the same as the crystal detector —
that is in the form of au electric valve.
It cut the incoming alternating radio
currents in two permitting only one-half
to pass through the telephone receivers
and completely stopping the passage of
the other half of the current. It was
on this device that Professor Fleming
through the Marconi Company obtained
a basis patent on all vacuum tubes.
De Forest Discovered Grid.
Shortly after this Dr. Lee De For-
est while experimenting with the vac-
uum tube placed a little coil of wire in
between the filament and the plate. This
little eoil became known as the "grid”
aud it is this little coil that makes tbe
vacuum tube the wonder invention of
man.
The grid supplies what was missing to
make the Fleming valve a really success-
ful detector. It. gives us complete con-
trol over the action of the vacuum tube
whether we use it as a detector or as an
amplifier of currents or an a generator
of alternating currents. It is exactly the
same thing to the vacuum tube that the
trigger is to the gun—it permita us to
control the action.
In a succeeding article I shall de-
scribe just how the addition of the grid
made it possible to amplify currents
passed through tbe vacuum tube.
BARRAGE SET USEFUL
Developed as Protection in War It
Finds Use In Peace.
One of the mont remarkable develop-
ments in radio is the barrage receiver
which permits the reception of weak sig-
nals from a distant station upon a re-
ceiving appartus located very cluse to a
high power transmitting station. This
receiver will have an important bearing
upon the application of commercial
wireless work especially io transoceanic
con version.
The receiver had its inception as a
result of the activities of tbe Germans
during the late war. The latter estab-
lished certain stations which they em-
ployed solely for the purpose of sending
out electro-magnetic waves in such a
manner as to make allied inter-commun-
ication by means of radio almost impos-
sible becuuse of the interference. Tbeir
efforts were entirely neutralized b; the
barrage receiver.
First Aid for the Radio Fan
Why Currents Pass Through Cardboard; Wiring Up a
Loop Aerial on Set; Using a Tuning
Coil as Tickler.
Using the K. C. Set for Crystal.
Question —I bare an R. 0. receiver
and when my storage battery is being
charged I have to use a crystal detector
for three days until I get the battery-
back from tbe charging station. In
using the crystal detector cceoidipg to
the diagram that I got when I bought
the set I found that there is a great
deal of interference from spark stations.
Is there any way to eliminate this?—
F. G. H.
Answer—A better way to connect the
crystal detector with the R. C. receiver
is as follows: Leave your aerial and
ground connections as they are at pres-
ent. Then instead of joining the crys-
tal detector in the manner indicated
by the manufacturer take a lead from
the terminal marked “tickler” to one
side of your crystal detector. Join the
telephone to the other side of the de-
tector and then tbe remaining lead of
the telephones back to the terminal
marked "plate.” This arrangement will
give you a double circuit tuner. You
can improve the set a great deal by
placiug a variable condenser across the
two terminals marked “tickler” and
plate. The manner in which the set
should now be adjusted is as follows:
First get your set into tune with the
broadcasting station by means of the
handle marked "tuner.” Then get the
secondary circuit into tune with the
aerial circuit by adjusting the handle
marked "tickler” and also the variable
condenser. You will find that this will
greatly eliminate interference and give
you much clearer reception.
Copper Rivets to Switch Points.
Question —1. Where can I buy vacu-
um tubes? 2. Can copper rivets be
used for switch points? 3. What is ra-
diotron and can it be used in place of
a VT bulb? 4. How long an aerial
would I need? (a. four wire s; b
one wire or as short as possible?) 5.
Which is better a single or double
wire aerial? 6. Why can electric mes-
sages pass through tbe cardboard of the
secondary to the wire of primary if
(dry) paper Is an insulator? 7. Of
what nse is a condenser? What does it
do? Explain how it helps. 8. What
size wire should be used from aerials* to
set and from set to ground? 9. Why
does lightning jump across the gap in-
stead of going through tbe instrument?
10. What is the best thing to use for
lightning protection and how should It
be installed? 11. Do "ohms” mean the
power the instrument has to resist elec-
tricity?—L. C.
Answer —1. I do not know where you
could obtain vacuum tubes. The de-
mand has been tremendous but I un-
derstand that there will be plenty of
them in stores very shortly. 2. It will
be perfectly all right to use copper riv-
ets for switch points. In fact they
will be much better than brass ones.
3. A "radiotron” is merely a trade name
for a certain type of vacuum tube bulb.
4. It will be to your best advantage to
use a single wire aerial as near 150 feet
in length as possible. No more than
that and as much of the flat part of
it 30 feet or more above the ground as
you can get. 5. I would not advise any
more than a single wire aerial for the
purposes of receiving fi. In radio was
are dealing with high frequency alter-
nating currents and a current in the
primary coil induces a current in the sec-
ondary coil. In other words the cur-
rent passes through the cardboard or
other insulating material by means of
induction. This is a very difficult thing
to explain to a beginner but it can
only occur with alternating currents and
not with direct current. 7. A condenser
is necessary in oscillating circuits deal-
ing with high frequency alternating
currents. It adds capacity to the in-
ductance of the circuit and performs a
very important function. With its aid
one is enabled to tune the particular os-
cillating circuit in which it is located to
the wave length of the station that one
desires to listen to. 8. No. 14 wire
should be used for aerial and No. 12
or heavier wire for the lead to the
ground. 9. Lightning seeks the nearest
path to ground and would rather jump
tbe resistance nf the small gap than go
through all of tbe wires in the receiving
set. 10. It will be perfectly all right to
use any safety device that has been ap-
i proved by the board of fire underwriters
■ as protection against lightning. The
manner in which this is connected to
' your set is as follows: Join the lead-in
■ from the aerial to one terminal of the
arrester and ground to the other termi-
-1 nal of the arrester. Then join a wire
to the same terminal on which the
■ aerial is connected and take this wire
to your instruments and join it to the
terminal marked “aerial.” 11. The
' “ohm” is the measurement of resistance
i in an electrical circuit just the same
' way as an "inch” is a measurement
' of length and a “pound” is the measure-
ment of weight.
Uslns a Loop Aerial.
Question —I have a vacuum tube de-
tector set in a cabinet. I want to use a
four-foot square loop aerial wound with
10 turns of Lltzendrnht spaced one-half
inch apart computed to receive 750 me-
ters. Aside from the above set. 1 have
also purchased a variable condenser
.005 mfd. canacity. Can you explain
in plain English how the ten wires of
the loop aerial will he attached to the
extra condenser I have purchased and
anv other Information on this subject?
—H. F.
Answer—The Litzendraht should be
wound in one continuous line around
the form so that it forms a square loop
each side four feet long. The turns
should be. as you state spaced one-half
inch apart. The wire should be so
wound that the two ends eome st one
corner of the form. These can be op-
posite to the two binding posts. Now
take your variable condenser and con-
nect it across these two binding posts.
When you have done that join a wire
to one of the two binding posts and con-
nect the other end of that wire to the
terminal on your cabinet marked
“aerial." Then take another wire ami
connect It to the remaining binding post
of the loop aerial and join it to Ue
terminal of your receiving set marked
■ ground.” You will then have your va-
riable condenser joined ncross the end
of the loop and your receiver set also
joined across the loop. In using this
loop you will have to arrange it so that
you can turn the loop around in a com-
plete circle in such manner that the
edge of the loop is vertical. You will
find that you will only be able to re-
ceive signals when one edge of tbe loop
is pointing directly toward the broad-
casting station you desire to listen to.
As tbe loop only picks up a very very
minute quantity of the radiated energy
I think that you will find it necessary
to add one or two stages of amplifica-
tion in order to build up the signals so
that you can hear them.
Where Condenser Should Go
Question —Please tell me where to
put a thirty-one plate variable conden-
ser in the short wave regenerative cir-
cuit shown recently in the radio primer.
—R. F.
Answer—l take it that you mean the
circuit showing a vario-coupler in con-
junction with a grid variometer and a
plate variometer. In this case tbe
only place where a variable condenser
would be of any value is in sjeirs with
the primary of the vario-coupler and
the ground. If you pleace a variable
condenser there be sure that the return
lead from the batteries is connected be-
tween the end af the primary of the
vario-coupler a*d the variable con-
denser. In other words the variable
condenser must BOt be in the secondary
circuit.
Using a Tuning Coll as Tickler.
Question —Can a tuning coil be used
as a tickler coil in conjunction with a
loose coupler and a vacuum tube de-
tector? If so how would it be placed
in circuit? —J. 8. .
Answer—Yes join the tuning coil m
series with the plate and your tele-
phones and “B” battery. You will
have to place ths tuning coil however
in inductive relationship with the
loose coupler. Its exact position as re-
gards a loose coupler you will have to
determine by experiment The best
way to do this is to tune into one of
the broadcasting stations while you
are wearing the telephones and then
move the tuning coH over near the
loose coupler and adjust its relative
position with tbe loose coupler until you
get maximum signals. When you have
discovered this fasten the tuner and
loose couoler in that position. The next
step will be to vary the number of
turns in the tuning coil until you get
the best regeneration.
Eliminating Hissing Noises.
Question —My trouble seems to be
that I get a loud hissing noise. As
near as I can describe it it is like a
ery loud worn-out record on a tam-
ing machine with a very badly worn
needle. That is it has a scraping
sound. I get the same noise with re-
ceivers and with the loud speaker. I
get stations as far as Detroit Pitts-
burg Boston and the steamship Amer-
ica 500 miles out at sea all clear ex-
cept for this scraping noise. Can you
suggest anything that might eliminate
it?—L. F. D.
Answer —Tjiere are just two things:
First the possibility that your “B” bat-
teries are particularly noisy due to
loose internal poles In which case 1
would suggest that yon try new “B”
batteries and second you are prob-
ably putting too much current through
the filaments of your vacuum tubes. I
would suggest that you try reducing
the current until the hissing disap-
pears. You may find that the signals
from distant stations will disappear by
doing this but the nearer stations will
be infinitely clearer.
Determining Wave lengths.
Question —Will you please let me
know what wave length 800000 cycles
represent?—O. F. K.
Answer—The frequency of 800000
cycles per second mesns the wave
length of 375 meters. The wave length
can be determined for any given fre-
quency by dividing the number of cycles
per second into 300000000 meters
which is the speed of the electro-mag-
netic waves.
Dead-end Switch
Question —I have made a loose coup-
ler primary 6 inches long 4 inches in
diameter wound with No. 24 enameled
wire. At the center of the coil I have
connected a dead end switch and a sec-
ondary 5 inches long. 3 1-2 inches
in diameter wound with No. 28 cot-
ton covered wire with 11 taps. I do
not know but I imagine the whole
trouble lies between the primary and
secondary. The current does not seem
to jump from one coil to the other. I
hove made vario-couplera before with
fine success but I cannot understand
what is wrong with the loose coupler.
Can you help me?—G. J. W.
Answer—The diagram that you in-
clude with your letter shows that you
have your Bet correctly joined up but
since you are apparently using a slider
contact on the primary you cannot use
a dead-end switch. I am. therefore
quite sure that the trouble lies in thin
switch. I would suggest that you elim-
inate it and make the winding of your
primary continuous from one end of the
coil to tbe other. I think that when
you have done this your set will operate
all right.
Switch for “B” Batteries.
Question —I am considering making
a multi-noint switch and connection
each noint to one cell of mv “B” bat-
tery for the detector. Is this necessary
or can I operate the “B" battery with-
out variable connections?—J. K.
Answer —For detector purposes the
“soft” tube is invariably used and
such Lubes are critical to plate voltages.
In other words one tube will work
very well on perhaps 21 volts while
another will need oniv about eight
volts. Therefore it will not be a bat^
idea to use the multi-point switch in
order to get the correct amount of
voltage in the nlate circuit. It is not
absolutely necessnrv. howeerv because
modern vacuum tubes ore much more
stable in tbeir onexalion than they
used to t«.
APRIL 80 1922.
NEXT CONGRESS
ID BE ELECTED
BY RADIOPHONE
First Gun in Political War-
fare Has Already Been
Fired at Washington.
WOMAN ENTERS FRAY
Radio Will Exert an In-
fluence But Only Good
Speeches Will Get Votes.
• “Fellow citizens I point with pride
to the remarkable achievements of the
party to which I have the honor to be-
long and view with alarm the terrible
calamity which will befall the country
if the iniquitoua measure fathered by
Senator Sorghum should be enacted into
law by tbe congress. It is your duty
fellow citizens and if you elect me I
promise faithfully to oppose it at all
costs.”
Out over the nightly ether such mes-
sages as these will be floating in im-
paasioned tones with the best congres-
sional oratorical flourishes within the
next few weeks as congressmen and sen-
ators awake to tbe possibilitiea of rauo
as a means of electioneering. In fact
theer isn't the slightest doubt but that
the November electiona will be decided
in the air—just as it was predicted tjy^
last war would be.
In this ease however it will be a dif-
ferent kind of aerial battle^ verbal
bombs taking the place of those filled
with T. N. T. In one respect however
tbe congressional aerial warfare will be
similar to the late unpleasantness in
Europe—there will be lota of gas re-
-1 eased.
The battle is already on with a ven-
geance and it looks as though it will be
a fight to a finish. The first gun wss
fired in Washington by Senator Harry
S. New who unable to be present in
his home state of Indiana addressed the
voters there by radiophone from tbe
government naval broadcasting station
in Washington in the primery campaign
against former Senator Albert J. Bev-
eridge.
Bi-Partisan Fight Is On.
This so incensed the Democrats that
they went on a rampage immediately
despite the fact that it was a private
Republican fight in Indiana. Senator
King of Utah immediate raised ructions
because the navy department had per-
mitted the senator from Indiana to use
the government electromagnetic waves
for the purpose of casting his voice
across the country. He threatened to
open tbe whole matter up on the floor of
congress and arouse the country t the;
alarm with which he viewed the terrible
precedent.
Even the polite retort of the navy offi-
cials that tbe station would be placed at
bis disposal to address his constitutents
in Utah failed to mollify tbe ire of Sen-
ator King but of course Senator King
is not seeking re-election this year.
The adventure of Senator New in. >
the realm of ethereal conversation has
whetted the appetites of ail the other
senators and congressmen irrespective
of party affiliations because they Bee
a brilliant opportunity which is not pre-
sented by the “Congressional Record”;
an opportunity of letting their constitu-
tents listen to the golden oratory with
which they move the balls of congress
and rock the national craft upon the po-
litical seas.
lv<i by a Woman.
Senator New’s venture was quickly
followed by Miss Alice Robertson the
lady from Oklaboms who desired to
speak with her constituents in Musko-
gee. Something however went wrong
at the last moment and Miss Robertson
was compelled to fall back upon tbe
transcontinental telephone line and her
speech by radio has been deferred for a
time while tbe citizens of Oklahoma are
waiting patiently for the novelty of their
careers.
The general rank and file of congress
is all up in the air over the opportun-
ity afforded by radio for electioneering
purposes. Their anticipation has been^
aroused by the statement made by
retary of Commerce Herbert Hoover that
upward of a million American homes
are now equipped with radio receiving
apparatus. Those congressmen of a
mathematical turn of mind have been ex-
tremely busy of late figuring things out
on a slip of paper. Most of them ore
arguing along the assumed premise that
nn average of at least four persons are
listening in on each of these receivers.
In other words they have come to the
conclusion that at the lowest estimate
four million people will be sitting with
telephones gued to their ears when the
congressman starts up his oratorical fire-
works. This is too wonderful e chanee
to pass up. especially when it is taken
into consideration that their speeches
cannot be interrupted by catcalls hisses
or embsrrassing questions from heck-
lers.
There is however one thing the expec-
tant congressmen overlook and that is
the fact that the radio audience can cer-
tainly shut off their apparatus any time
they do not like the stuff that la being
broadcasted. For this reason it Is im-
perative to tbe candidates from both
porties not to perpetrate any trash on
the ether. It will lose them votes. On
the *ther bond a well though out aad
well delivered speech will make votes.
Under these circumstances there isn't
the slightest doubt the election of No-
vember will be decided in the air.
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Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Diehl, Charles S. & Beach, Harrison L. The San Antonio Light (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 101, Ed. 1 Sunday, April 30, 1922, newspaper, April 30, 1922; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1621446/m1/18/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .