The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-22
WIRELENS TROt BLES.
IBitfer Complaint % the NA,y Operators
ami Their HAbits.


To- THE EDITOR OF TuE SCN Sir The
subject Of wireless has occupied consider
able space in THE SuS. There y one point.
however. that has had small attention, |
mean the operator
We have heard much about the Interior
encs from the amateur, and doubtless there
have been sufficient grounds for the com
plants. For there Il lot OF senseles- In
terference from such source. due to the
Insane ambition Ia establish long distance
sending stations before the owners have even
mastered the simplest part Of the code
signals. many OF them struggling through
the printed list. lAboriously hammerinK
away at they scarcely know what. and with
out a thought OF the harm they are working
TO the legitimate station work in their Vicin-
ity or within their zone
True, with to-day's advanced systems.
much Of the Interference can be eliminated.
but IL must be remembered that all stations
are not thoroughly equipped. and these I'M
fortunate ones can do little else than stand
by and curse the lunatiC until he tires Of his
play.
lf the amateur would be satisfied With
short, low pressure wave work sufficiently
strong to carry his signals a few blocks for
friendly gossip he would do little harm.
neither would we have all this Juror. cul-
minating In the passage OF a Government
II would have been deferred New that IL
has been accomplished Il will be well for the
Navy Department to look into tho operation
Of naval wireless stations and the marine
service
The former especially demands attention.
for from practical working observation
there can be no doubt that the naval wireless
operators with few exceptions show lack 81
training in general telegraphic work and are
either ignorant OF or indifferent TO all rules
gov erning the operation OF a telegraph wire
whore more than one ofiCe ~ involved. and
thai Is practically what the air Is to the wire
The secret Of success in operation OF wire
less. as on the land line. j. the knack Of
getting IN without contention. dispo-ing
OF the work quickly and effectively and Civ
ing way To the neat station. The man that
founders around without regard to his
adjustment or the rights Of others takes no
valuable time and becomes nuisance
II what We hear Of the navy operators work
Ia a fair sample Of their ability We pity the
poor devils who have to struggle With their
acrohatic performances called sending and
receiving code signals. ~ an example Of
the air calling sister ships or land stations
while several others are struggling In the
same zone and IL - no uncommon thing
To hear two stations calling each other a.
the same moment for long periods with
no attempt At tuning IN, these per RODS OF
calling are long enough to have allowed
disposition Of their business several times
over Again the period Of Ealing j. without
any sign 81 the origin Ut the "aIl that would
give hint to nearby stations and perhaps
enable them To assist Instead. the struggle
goes hlindly on TO the disgust Of all around
them
AGAIN. on the receipt Of mes-ag the in
terrogAtions repetition- Of text words re-
pested &C know Lodging signals are enough IN
drive Mnr~e man 10 drink In fact such
work would not he tolerated on land lines
The Useless gossip that IL INDUCED In ~
another had habit To the elimination Of
every one else they talk or attempt IN talk
over sporting -Nents. holding the sir half an
hour ~ more ~ time exchanging baseball
scores So
The general Inference j. that the teIe-
graph operators lob on hoard shin e~pe-
cially. has had little attention that any one
making a show At sending and receiving
has been put in charge Of one n the most
important details Of the department stu
preparatory schools have not the necessary
know led 80 Or telegraph experience to make
them competent wireless operators Learn
Ing a -UA'ierinC ~ the code does not make
an operator
The Government and ever. other en-
ployer Of wireless operators will eventually
Discover that successfully 70 operate a
system there must hs rigid enforcement
of Nira rules. also that the best NJ telegraph
operators are none too good and that time
and money will he saved 10y thsir. employ
Weni not At such salaries rs are now paid
however Thor" - at present no tnduc"nent
Tor fr-' "lss~ men
The adventures ~ = few trips NJ sea which
T. about all that - offered. may appeal to
the young and inexperienced. hat not to
older and more experienced men
when we'll trained and competent tels-
graph operators are employed We can look
ference and confusion and successful
operation ~ wireless telegrsphy
Porr Rr,HNoNp. 8 July Il