The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-04
ASTORIA WIRELESS
STATION
ASToRIA'S NEW WIRELESS
STATION COMPLETE A DE-
SCRIPTIoN OF THE SYSTEM
AND ITS POSSIBILITIES.

visited the station OF the United
Wireless Telegraph Co. on the hill,
at Smiths Point, and was very much
interested in what he saw, Mr.. j NJ
Switser, who is testing out the in.
struments, kindly explained the work
ings OF the different parts OF the up.
paratus, and the construction Of the
station.
| Two masts, each 100 feet high, are
set about 200 feet apart, and the bases
are strongly imbedded in cement The
masts are well guyed, each having
four sets of galvanized steel guy
cables. The aerial wires connect both
poles, and continue to the station, in
which are placed the instruments,
These instruments consist OF an en-
larged Morse key, transformer. 4
battery of Leyden jars used as stor-
age batteries and what is known as
an oscillator, or helix, which is used for
attuning for sending messages, A
syntonizer or attuning box is also
used on the receiving end. and cur.
rent controller for the local battery,
The Leyden jars are used on the
sending wire for equalizing the volt
age used, preventing it from getting
too strong. The wires from he
masts are partly grounded TO prevent
the carrying to the instruments OF
lightning,
In sending a message the operator,
by adjusting screw in the top OF
the oscillator, attunes the instrument
for the distance needed to reach the
instrument wanted, and sends his
message In like manner to that used
in the ordinary telegraph Office, by |
using the key According to the at-
tuning, the collage ranges from ITO,
the original taken from the city serv-
ice. which passing through the trans
former is stepped to 1900. The
excess, above the 10 volts, is OF
static nature and is regulated accord
ing TO the distance the message is
sent.
In receiving a message the opera
tor wears headpiece, similar to the
telephone head piece used in a cen
tral Office, and sitting at the table, on
which the instruments are placed, is
ready to receive any message intend
ed for his station The message passes
through the syntonizer or attuning
box TO the receivers at each ear, sbe
sounds coming very family, but the
receivers, being micraphones, they
can be heard distinctly, all extraneods
sounds being shut out by the tight
fitting OF the receivers OF the opera
tors ears. The operator can increase
the sounds by working slides on the
attuning box.
The instrument will not, as is COM
monty supposed, pick up messages in
tended for another, unless it be with
in the same radius of distance, when
both instruments will be similarly at
tuned. Should an operator wish to
pick up a message passing between
two other instruments he attunes with
them, and can then catch the mes
sages passing back and forth. This
is accomplished in the attuning box.
The box has a capacity OF about l0JO
variations, which are accomplished by
slides working across the top OF the
box and which change the attuning
instantly, they working on the prin-
cipal OF switch The operator works
these slides back and forth, and il
any messages are passing through the
air he hears them when he becomes
in accord. A list of the various sta
tions are kept in a book, with the
tones OF each registered therein, for
the guidance Of the operator, but as
the operator memories the different
calls the book is used only to refresh
his memory.
The Astoria station will be in full
operation in a few days and will be
in charge OF Fuzzy" Ferland
The United Wireless Telegraph Co,
the owners of the station, recently
absorbed the Oriental Occidental Co.
of California, and took over their
stations, which are now being over
hauled and new up-to-date instru-
ments are being placed in them. The
stations at Tacoma and Seattle have
been in operation for over a month,
and the Portland station, which is
located on Council Crest, will be in
operation in few days when regular
| communication will be established
with the Sound cities. After the COM
pletion of the coast system which
will also include Aberdeen and Van