The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-23
WIRELESS EXPERT TELLS
HOW HE BROKE RECORD

cifiic coast, and by him has been for
warded to the officials at Washing |
ton. Until these officials see TT to |
give the world the result of Mr.. Mil |
ison's study, he can say little
It may be said, however, without
the infraction of the rules, that the
government does not adhere to any
one system 81 wireless The best
features of au the known systems are
brought together in one general plan
TO achieve the greatest results
Everything that Is new in any OF the
systems is given a thorough trial.
Government operators are given the
right to experiment on their own ini-
tiative and every facility is afforded
for testing the result of their expert
ments.
The station at Point Iona is made
up of combination of three systems
of wireIess-Marconi, DeForest and
Slaby-Arco The sending apparatus
combines the best features OF the
Marconi and DeForest; the receiving
apparatus utilities portions of the In
struments or all three. The receiver
| ordinarily used is modification OF
the DeForest receiver and is known
1 as an electrolytic- 1t is here tbss
| Operator Miliison has made his I'M
proyements
In the DeForest receiver a fine
platinum wire is led down into
small glass cup partially filled with
diluted sulphuric acid.
The action of the wireless wave
upon the acid causes an electrolytic
action, or change, in the character
of the fluid, which, while the wave
lasts. makes 1t a. good conductor OF
a second, or local, electric current
This second or local current also has
a method of control by which it is
possible to single out waves OF vary
ing lengths and thereby read the sig
nails of one station at time.
1t is here that Operator Milllson
has made his improvements He has
evolved a new and better method OF
aftuntng his receiving instrument,
has discovered a means whereby he
may eliminate q great deal more OF
the atmospheric electricity which is
so fatal to the clear reading of very,
very weak raves from great dis
tances, ard therefore is enabled to
distinctly hear an ONCE at much
greater distance than was possible
with the old instrument. Also he has
better substance Or compound in
which to immense the end of the high
. mast wire-a compound which is af-
q fected more rapidly and in greater
i degree by weak electrical currents.
This, too, has widened the scope of
his instruments and has added hun
dreds Of miles to the normal working
!, distance of the station.
r. with .ff7CIT1TV that 0nprQt0r
Miliison YVES drawn into discussion
of the subject 1T is true" he said
. that broke the long distance record
. several months ago, when / worked
i successfully between Point Iona and
! Seattle, Wash, q distance in an air
line of more than 1900 miles, These
things szHxys aref1one at night In
the daytime the limit Of distance is
, much smaller For instance. when
! the Pacific Squay ron was OF Magda,
lena few months ago, we were un-
able TO work with them with any de-
/ gree of certainty during the daytime.
: As soon a the sun had gone down,
, however, ne atmosphere seemed TO
: clear and the signals from the flag
ship came as clear and distinct as
though she was but a few miles dis.
tant. The same thing applies with
regard to working with Seattle. 1t
Is not an unusual thing TO work with
Mare. Island. In fact, we work with
; that station regularly. but weather
/ conditions must be right If we would
talk to Seattle.
: while there is no doubt in my
: mind that my Improvements to the
electrolytic receiver aided materially
: in the picking up of Atlantic coast
! stations, am also convinced that at
: mospheric conditions had to be just
: right or the waves would not have
, trayersed so great distance. In q
} direct line it is something more than
: 1900 miles to Pensacola, and a little
? more than 240o miles from Point
: Iona to Washington. 1t must not
be forgotten, however, that some very
high mountains are located between
, Point Iona and the Atlantic coast
: and that to reach across the cont
= nent the waves must go over these
peaks.
''The fact convinces me Of two