Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05
SAYS AMATEURS INTERFERE
WITH PROGRESS OF WIRELESS

LOS ANGELES, March 2.--[Editor
Heraldl The Herald has recently
asked the question edltorlally: "Will
the time soon come when we may tell
egraph across the continent without
the aid of wires?" and the answer at
the present time is mo, not unless
the amateur Is compelled to stop his
interference"
Much has been heard through the
press about government regulation,
and various publications all over the
United States have taken sides in the
question, some Of them with the
commercial and navy interest,
AGAINST the kids CAS- amateurs
who have stations are termed), and
still other publications are defending
the rights 90 of the amateurs. AL
most nothing has been heard, however.
from the professional telegrapher, n
great many of whom have been and
are still carrying on experiments for
the Improvement of wireless telegraph
and telephone apparatus.
The writer happens to be one of the
latter class, and while he does not
favor wireless" monopoly, which 1t
is alleged the commercial wireless
interests are trying to form, by driving
all the amateurs out of the field. and
while he does not favor even gov
ernment" monopoly, he feels that the
interference of commercial and naval
wireless messages by the amateurs
throughout the country must be
stopped.
In Los Angeles there are dozens of
amateurs. some of whom keep their
sparks" going almost continually,
sending (or trying to send) senseless
messages, using obscene language, or,
what is more annoying, just chop
ping" i. e., just making a noise.
While the commercial and naval op-
orators are straining every nerve TO
hear" reports from vessels far out
at sea. which reports, at any time
might be reports of disaster and ship
wreck, or calls for aid, the amateurs
are "buttng in" by the dozen with
such messages 90 as the following:
DF calls DI.
DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DF DF DF
DF DF DF DF DI DI DI DI DI DI
DF DF DF sN SN sN 80.
DI answers:
DF DF DF DF DF SN SN SIN sN
DF DF DF DF DI DI DI Go ahead,
Go ahead DF DF DF DF DF DI DI
DI SN SN SN SN 80.
DF starts his message (?):
DI DI DI DI SN SN SN OK OK OK
OK How do you get me tonight? V V
V V V Do you hear that "kid" but
ting in? He is a mutt" amt he?
HA HA HA Say. l saw you with
your girl last night. she is a peach,
HA HA HA HA V WV V " DI DI
DI DI DI DI DF DF DF SN SN SN 20
and so on ad lib.
If he can't raise" "DT' the chances
are he Will just keep his spark going
for pure cussedness. and, mind you,
he could use his spark without the
slightest interference with any one If
he would just cut his aerial off.
The commercial and naval stations
are in an almost constant fight with
the amateurs to keep out" Some of
the boys do use little Judgment and
do not interfere. but most of them are
just baked" operators and
cannot read enough of the signals to
understand that they are interfering.
The situation is very serious, as
with so much steamer passenger traffic
up and down the coast we never can
tell when we may have a Republic
or Kentucky disaster right on our own
coast and in such n case the dis
tressed steamer would absolutely be
unable To get assistance because of
the criminal Interference of the Los
Angeles amateurs. Not only this, but
some of the amateurs seem to delight
in sending out the distress signal, IS.
y. S. just to see what will happen.
What is the remedy? Simple Make
the amateurs stop using their sending
apparatus. They do not need it.
a TELEGRAPHER