The sun., 1910-01-26
WIRELESS AMATEURS PROTEST.
OBJECT TO BILL FOR FEDERAL
CONTROL OF TIE AIR.
~ They're the Only Real ExDerimenters
and That Their small Instruments
Can Send Messages Only snort Dts-
tRnce-Blame the Hired OperRt Ors.

and That Their small Instruments Q
Can Send Messages Only q snort Dts-
tRnce-Blame the Hired OperRt 0rs.
Alarmed by a resolution introduced in
Congress on December II last calling
for the appointment OF board Of experts
TO prepare a comprehensive system OF
regulations to govern the operation Of
all wireless plants. the amateur wireless
operators are preparing to defend what
they consider their rights. The editor
nf a publication devoted to the inter
esls of the wireless amateur has received
5000 letters from amateurs protesting
against the restriction OF wireless rights
to government and commercial stations
which they fear will be the outcome of the
resolution.
It is on the ground that the wireless
has been largely perfected by amateurs
that the latter base their claims to con
sderation. They say that, they are the
onlv ones actively interested in expert
menting with new apparatus. because
they can do so on a small and inexpensive g
scale.
In fact the amateurs twit the profess
sonal wireless men with being behind
the times and declare that the much
talked Of interference with the work Of
the regulars by amateur senders il very
largely a myth. They say that a really
good wireless man finds individuality
in a spark Just as he would in a voice.
and that just as a man in a crowd where
many are speaking can distinguish aud
understand the words spoken by the
particular voice in which he 10 interested
so a good wireless man can concentrate
his attention upon the particular mes
sage which is meant for his ear. A
good operator. say the amateurs. has no
difficulty in reading through six mes
sages.
Even il this we're not so. say the de-
Tenders of amateur air line rights. the
invention Of the loose coupler" or in
duction tuner enables the operator to
-cut out" from his receiver all but the
particular message which he wishes
to take. The amateurs suggest that the
expense of installing really up to date
apparatus in the commercial stations
may have something to do with the attack
There are estimated to be about 90, ,OOO
amateu wireless stations in the United
States. New York has at least I.OOO
and the number is growing rapidly. The
value OF these plants ranges from SO
10 what you please. and the business
Of supplying materials necessary for
their construction is a considerable one,
so that the mateurs are being marshalled
for the fight by the interested dealers.
One OF these dealers said yesterday
that he had begun the work OF supplying
wireless apparatus to amateurs in 1901.
and that in a way he felt that he was
largely responsible for what the regulars
have termed the ~air nuisance This
man said that to. transmit a wireless
message sixty miles requires a plant
costing at least Ss7 and that the majority
OF the amateurs were content with a
SO plant, which, while capable Of receiv-
ing messages sent within radius of
200 miles, cannot transmit one more
than one or two miles. The ability OF
the amateur to receive messa ges sent
from long distances OF course makes
privacy for official messages impossible
unless a code is used. The amateurs say
however. that there have been no COM
plants on this head. They, say that
a ma jorty OF the complaints, aside from
those which they believe are inspired
by commercial companies seeking a
monopoly. come from inefficient CONNER
cial or government operators. One ANA
teur who says that me knows personally
twenty five such operators declares that
not four of the men were able TO draw a
diagram showing how their instruments $
were connected up" The amateur says
that his professional brother isn't inter
ested in the game and doesn't cara to
learn. and as a cover to his inefiiciency
blames all his shortcomings ON -the
innocent amateur whose weak spark
cannot as a rule be heard half a mile.
As a final plea to be allowed to exist
the amateur associations say that the
amateur wireless plant Ia a fine thing
TO keep boys at home and out OF mischief.