The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-26
NEW WIRELESS TRUCK
OF U. S. SIGNAL CORPS
Apparatus with Range of 500 Miles
Cnn he Set Up and Put I'm Opern-
tion In Twelve Minutes.

Washington. d. c.. July 25.-A re-
markable advance In the construction
of portable wireless scts for army fold
service has been made by the Signal
Corps OF the United States Army. For
the next field operations OF the army
there is available a wireless truck
which can be Set up for use in twelve
minutes and send messages within n
radius of 500 miles under favorable
| conditions.
The truck was built especially for
tho Signal Corps by the White Com
pnny. of Cleveland. In tests that have
already been made, this set has re-
ccived messages from points $500 miles
distant The electrical pressure reaches
10000 volts at the top of the antennae.
The great range of the new equipment
and the speed with which it may be
brought into action Is due to the en-
ployment of a powerful electric genera
tor driven through train of gears
by the hirty-horsepower motor of the
White truck.
The generator delivers electric cur
rcnt of 500 cycles at 10 volts, and
from is to 81 amperes. This current
is interrupted by the relay, operated
by the sending key. and Is trans
formed so that It leaves the side OF
tho wireless truck at n pressure of
22.0O0 volts, and an ampcrage varying
from to IL. AS the current rises to
the top of the antennae the voltage
rises TO approximately 10000, while
the amperage approaches zero
The radiation under these conditions
gives sending ability from 200 miles
under the worst conditions in day time
UP to 500 miles under good conditions
obtained in the early hours of the
morning, when there is less electrical
disturbance. n Y,1o &c of
various kinds
The nntennae is OF the umbrella type
mounted at the top Of an eighty i've
root mast. which Is built In nine sec
raised by hand. but the other sections
are lifted by n block and tackle sus-
pended from struts mounted on plat
form on the roof of the truck These
struts are quickly detachable when not
In use. The guy wires are attached to
tho fifth section of the mast. When
dissembled. the nine sections OF the
mast are carried in long compartments
built along both sides of the truck
me counterpoise, or artificial ground
consists Of heavy insulated wires radi-
ating from common centre, to which
is attached ,thc ground wiro OF the
wireless set. For convenience In
grounding there is Il socket on the out
side of the truck body into which a
ground wire plug fits.
The truck has been subjected to many
interesting tests, and the wireless Of
ilcers are pleased with it's work 1t
was sent to the prac,ice camp of the
| heavy field artillery at Tobyhanna, Pa,
last month. where artillery guns, set
up on side OF mountain, fired
over the mountain at targets on the
| opposite side. During this test the
wireless truck was used to send mes
sages from TobyhannA to Washington
Prior to the artillery practice. it was
"a g Inc
were received from Boston, BROOKLYN
Key West. Porto Rico and ships Mt sea.
AT the same time the operators took
up one end of n conversation between
inc operator of tho big station At AR
ington and the Honolulu station in the
Pacific Ocean.