The sun., 1919-11-02
Eye Replaces Ear
Misunderstanding
Photographic Device Records Messages
at Rate of 800 Words a Minute
Makes Permanent Record
and Adds Secrecy

A NEW marvel In connection with
II wireless has come about and
photography plays big part
in 1t. By this method, invented by
c. A. Hoxie, an electrical engineer of
Schenectady, wireless messages can be
received and recorded at far greater
speed and with further assurance of
accuracy than heretofore has been
possible.
For some time Uncle Sans naval
engineers at otter Cliffs receiving sta
| ton, near Bar Harbor, Me- as a matter
| of daily routine have been receiving
and recording wireless messages by
this new Photographic method with
perfect success.
The invention permits the eye either
to supplement or replace the ear in
| reading wireless messages. In fact
totally deaf man could be q wire
less receiving operator in a station so
equipped.
Other results are greater speed in
receiving, greater accuracy in de-
ciphering and a permanent record Of
every dot and dash in every message
so received. Because of the very deli
cate tuning that can be obtained and
the resulting high degree of "selec-
| tlvity" 1t has been found practicable
| to receive messages despite many in
ductive noises and interfering signals
which ordinarily have rendered recep-
ton impossible. Although the instru-
ment is not immune from the effects
Of static strNys" it has recorded sue
cessfully messages at high speed re-
gardless of strong static interferences
that without its aid would have batfied
the receiving operator.
1t is stated that messages have been
deciphered with its assistance when
operators were unable to get a single
word of II by ear alone. Thus the out
/ standing obstacles to accuracy in wire
| less receiving have been eliminated,
except for severe static interference.
Guard Against Error.
The Photographic receiver and its
permanent records a guard against
error and will settle disputes, for its
visual record of a message in dots and
|
what was received. A Photographic
print of this type is of unquestionaole
accuracy.
This machine frequently has re-
| corded at the rate of 400 words a
minute, as fast as a machine gun
shoots, and recently in test made by
Mr.. Hoxie the machine recorded low
power message at GOO words a
minute. Up to this time the most
rapid method Of recording radio sig
nails has been by the phonograph, but
this must still be transcribed by the
ear and not the eye. Moreover, nc
permanent visual record is made. The
photographic method never yet has
approached the rate of GOO words a
minute, so the new instrument has
hung up a new speed record. An In
teresting sidelight on this feature OF
the invention is that high speed mes
sages are secret messages to all whc
are not equipped with this device.
| A commercial phase of the speed
question is peculiarly linked up with
the atmospheric electric phenomena OF
the northern temperature zone. For
years 1t has been found that the best
time for transmitting all wireless mes
sages between here and Europe was
from A. NJ to 10 A. NJ. Speedy
sending and receiving can condense
the traffic into this most favorable
period, or a greater volume can be
sent with a minimum number OF sta
tions. When it is remembered that a
pair of stations--one in Europe and
one here--can easily cost s2,000,00O
the item of keeping down overhead
charges by rapid sending will be easily
appreciated
| Average Is or 20 Words.
Expert operators have been known
to receive thirty-five words per minute
for a short time under perfect condi-
tiOns, but average reception up to this
time has been fifteen to twenty words
a minute--or 1000 an hour.
| 1t has been a race between send
ing and receiving speeds Prior to
this invention it has been possible to