Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-23
WHAT! WIRELESS
AMATEURS CLAIM
Declare They Are the Only Real
Experlmenters.
:MEANIo DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS

object to. Bill For Federal Control Of
tho Air-say Their Small lnstru-
unents Can Send Messages Only =
Short Distanee-1hey Blame the
Hired Operators.
Alarmed by a resolution introduced
In congress on Dec. II last calling
for the appointment of a board OF
experts to prepare a comprehensive
system Of regulations to govern the
operation of all wireless plants. the
amateur wireless, operators are pre-
pairing to defend what they consider
their rights. The editor Of a publica-
ton devoted to the interests 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.
1t is on the ground that the wireless
has been largely perfected by anna
teurs that the latter base their claims
to consideration: They say that they
are the only ones actively interested
in experimenting with new apparatus,
because they can do so on a small and
inexpensive scale.
individuality In 4 Spark.
In fact, the amateurs twit the profess
sional wireless men with being behind
the times and declare that the much
talked Of interference with the work
of the regulars by amateur senders Is
very largely myth. They say that
really good wireless man finds indi-
viduality in spark just as he would
In a voice and that just as man In q
crowd where many are speaking can
distinguish and understand the words
spoken by the particular voice in
which he is interested so a good wire-/
less man can concentrate his attention
upon the particular message which IL
meant for his ear. A good operator,
say the amateurs, has no difficulty in
''reading through" six messages.
Even IL this were not 10. say the de-
tenders Of amateur air line rights, the
invention Of the loose couples" or
Induction 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 at
tack. ..,""
There are estimated to be about Co.,
600 amateur wireless stations in. the
United States. New York has at least
1000, and the number is growing rap
idly. The value Of these plants ranges
from $40 to what you please, and the
business Of supplying materials neces-
sary for their construction Is a cOnsid-
cradle one. so that the amateurs are
being marshaled for the fight by the
interested dealers.
Tho "Air Nuisance"
One of these dealers said recently
that he had begun the work Of supply
ing wireless apparatus to amateurs in
1904 and that in way he felt that he
was largely responsible for what the:
regulars have termed the "air nui-
sance." This man said that to trans
NIT a wireless message sixty miles re-
quires plant costing at least $37
and that the majority Of the amateurs
were content with $40 plant, which,
while capable of receiving messages
sent within q radius Of 200 miles, can
not transmit one more than one or two
miles. The ability Of the amateur to
receive messages sent from long dis
tances Of course makes privacy for
official messages impossible unless q
code is used. The amateurs say. how
ever, that there have been ~ COM
plants on this head. They say that
Z majority Of the complaints. aside
from those which they believe are in
spired by commercial companies seek
ing monopoly. come from inemcient
or government operators.
One amateur who says that he knows
twenty-five such operators
declares that mot four Of the men
were able to draw diagram showing
how their instruments were connected
up" The amateur says that his pro-
fessional brother isn't interested in the
game and doesn't care to learn and as
a cover to his inefBciency blames all
his shortcomings on 1.-The innocent
amateur whose weak spark cannot.
as rule, be heard half q mile"
As final plea to be allowed to ex-
list the amateur associations say that
the amateur wireless plant is a dne
thing to keep boys 1T home and out Of
mischief.
Course IN Poetry.
A course in writing poetry 10 to be-
established at the University Of Mis-
souri, in Columbia, Mo. It will be un-