The Washington herald., 1922-05-30
Questions and Answers.

Q. When an amateur breaks up a
phone station he Is considered no GOOD
by the public. But when an amateur
Is relaying messages and is inter-
ferred with by a phone on one of
their, harmonics the phone listeners
that's right. Why? A DIX MAN.
A. The last solution of this vexa-
tious problem is a consistent appltca-
ton the Golden Rule. The amateur.
who fer years has been experiment
ing In radio. who knows the ins and
GUS of his apparatus. who Is respon-
sibie for many cf the newer develop
merits in radio which have brought
the science to the service of the pub
lc. and who not only wants to op-
crate. but Is trying to improve the
knowledge he has already gained. de-
serves first consideration in present
ley broadcastmC.
The other rortion OF the public. the
MA iority today. wno have purchased
radio sets so they may listen in. who
have cncouraeed the establishment Of
more broadca sting stations SO their
entertainment will be- more diveri".d
who care Eoihinc for the amateur
and his spark or his CIV transmitter
except to shout derision when he
breaks in on Home Sweet Home"
are to be credited with bringing to
the limelight great popular demand
for more radio. Many people are
changing their attitude toward the
spark ''air breaker and are learning
the code so they may judge that his
transmission is something more than
interference. These people are max
ing radio history, while the expert
mental amateur Is making radio ap-
paratus. Listeners-in are keeping the
game alive and before the public gaze,
so that the amateur experimenting
with radio Is no longer considered a
freak OF nature, an electrical bug.
The amateur Is idolizcd today beca use
he can explain why. when two knobs
are turned on a pane. music is heard
from stations hundreds of miles dis
tant.
The amateur who complains because
the hormonics of CIV station are
annoying, Is deriding his own bene-
factors: whereas the general public
in talking unkindly about dot and
dash amateurs is unjustly wronging
its best friends. the sort of friends
who will discover better devices and
more satisfactory apparatus.
Just as soon as legislation or COM
mon understanding properly divide the
wave length bands, there will be less
of the present interference of CIV
and spark stations. Even then there
Will be innumerable opportunities for
the ruthless key puncher and the
talakative CIV man to clutter the air,
unless all operators do as they would
be done by. When transmitting sta
tions near one another cannot regu-
late their schedules without fighting
an air battle each time one OF them
opens up. or when either station has
its apparatus improperly adjusted to
regulate harmonics and power. the
chief radio inspector OF the district
may take a hand to close one or both
stations. The disturbance. once it is
let loose i'm the atmosphere. Is gen.
ersl not local: hence a large number
OF peaceful listeners in must loose
simply because someone wants to cut
In. Consideration for the other fell
low. and a fair judgment of ones own
rights are the only bases on which to
work radio.
A Battery Source.
r. Q. i cannot afford storage bat
terry. Would 10 volt, so cycle A. c.
step down transformer do for A bat
ouiu Stlis ldsi ub
ing. two hours a day? G.. Fl. w,
A. No, such an arrangement is not
satisfactory. Only one type of
vacuum tube Is designed for salts
factory use with dry cells as A bat
| terry. Such tubes cannot be purchased
unless the entire set they operate with
is purchased. Local dealers will de-
scribe this set and its operation. Your
diagrams are being returned.
= Antenna Wire Lengthened.
Q. Will it affect my antenna II I
lengthen IT by soldering wire to the
one have erected? ] have 55 feet.
but can make II SIS feet and at least
four feet higher. 7 do not want to
waste wire ! already have. NJ. r.
A. II the wire you propose to add
to your aerial is the same size and
kind as that now erected. solder for
longer length by all means. The in
creased length and height you have
available will increase the efficiency
OF your aerial greatly.