New-York tribune., 1922-06-25
MarcOni Yacht
Is Floating
Laboratory
The Elettra Is Only Vessel
of Its Kind Afloat and
l. Devoted Exclusively
10 Radio Research Work
Has Complete Equipment
Marconi Making Experiments
Which May Revolutionize
Wireless Communication


81 wireless telegrsphy. came into New
York Harbor aboard his private yacht
rie,,ra. he completed one Of the most
remarkable voyages ever made across
tho Atlantic Ocean. Remarkable IN
the sense that the Elettra - IN oil
reality a floating radio laboratory. in
which jea)ously- guarded secrets are
snatehed from the ether for the ad-
vaneemcnt Of science.
She is the only vessel Of her kind
- tho world There are other yachts
which are floating laboratories. but
none of them devoted 20 research in
radio. The private yacht Of the Prince
Of Monaco is such a yacht. but is used
exclusively for investigation in the
realm Of the science Of oocanography
During the voyage across the A.
lantie there we're two major subjects
which Marconi and his assistants spe-
elalized upon, although, OF course
other subjects connected with the art
~ radio were also experimental with.
The fret Of the former was the per
fee,.ng of a system OF high-speed wire
less tclcgraphy. which will have an
important bearing upon the future Of
,ransoccanic communication, and will
undoubtedly gradually enable wireless
10 supcrscde cable telegraphy. The
second was experimentation with
system of high and low frequency
ftcrs designed % eliminate the effect
Of static upon wireless telegraph COM
munication.
Keen Interest in Yacht
There is undoubtedly a grea, deal Of
interest ~ the unusual yacht which
Die. the national colors Of Italy. but
carries cosmopolitan company Of eX-
rcrimenters. This was shown by the
large crowds which gathered where the
slopes o. Riverside Park command the
Hudson River above the Columbia
Yacht Club OF which the klettra was
anchored
Al hrst glance the yacht does not
appear different from any other vessel
o. her class. She has rakish lines
and is o trim vessel Of $50 tons regis
ter. A second glance shows she mas
& remarkable system Of aerials strung
between her masts. They are similar
90 the familiar cage aerial Of the Brit
ish navy. but are built up ln pyramid
form instead Of circular in addition
20 these there are the direction -hnding
loon aerials. which are riggod upon a
uaffr. The fore and aft loop IS IN
the form Of an inverted pyramid, with
it's apex 80 the point where connec-
ton ID taken into the navigating cabin.
and tho thwartships loop is a pyramid
with its apex suspended from the guy
line
lt ,s in The radio room of tho vessel
itself whore one realizes that the yacht
ir different 20 any other anoat. While
ir port Nr Maroon took me into this
room. but ~ the time everything was
ia shpshapc order. quite different TO
what one would expect IN an expert
mental laboratory. IN fact nothing but
standard apparatus could be seen. but
tho room was filed with that.
Yacht Has Powerful Sets
Dor transmitting purposes the yacht
O. equipped with standard one and
haf klowstt qucnch gap transmit
tor Alongside 20 there is q little quar-
ter kilowatt emergency quench gap se:,
which would delight the heart Of any
American amateur. This set is run by
storage batteries and is installed for
cascs OF dire need.
on thc other side % the cabin. which.
by the way. is very roomy for q yacht,
Col tfh
mittcr FOR operation on continuous
waves or wireless telephony. This set
ls rated a. three kilowstts Il has
two tubes a. 0scillators. each generat-
inr one aud "a half kilowatts. The cur
rent on tho plate circuit is stepped up
and rcc'ihcd by two large two-element
tubes and four other biz tubes act as
modulators and ampihers.
The receiving equipment consists OF
q special amplihcr for special direction
finding work and a standard regenera-
tive receiver with three stages Of au-
dio-frequcncy. or. as II Is called IN Eu-
rope. tone magnihcation.' The former
can be used as a radio-frequency am
plifer for receiving over long distances.
on long waves.
Range Of 1000 Miles
ItNIlIN lUf AdAA ANoi TT 70 VNtf INoNl-
bic 90 get short stretch Of aerial
ON the yacht. the tube transmltter
communicates over distance Of / 200
miles during daylight with great ease
It's range during the night IS much
greater.
Although all Of the apparatus is Of
standard type. 70 is so constructed that
10 can be readily changed about 10 form
any other combination necessary for
experimental work. The other expert
mental apparatus, including standard
measuring Instruments, were all neatly
slowed away in lockers.
In the experiments made during the
leisurcly voyage across the Atlantic
with high speed transmitting and re-
cording apparatus. Marconi and his as.
tistanis succeeded in attaining a speed
Of 200 words a minute. There IS no
doubt that this will be materially IN
creased in tho future.
High Speed Increases Efficiency
The object in devising apparatus 10
transmit and record az this high speed
- not 10 save time but 70 increase the
L-lity o. any particular radio station.
This IS an important thing when the
size and cost Of one Of the big trans
Atlantic wireless telegraph stations are
taken into consideration Al this speed
one N statioa will handle as much
traf q day as hve similar stations
ope ID By hand methods.
'l OF the transatlantic wireless
80 ss operate on very long wave
le chs. they are subject 20 terrific in
terfefence by static during the summer
months. Therefore, the other expert
nents made upon the yacht during the
voyage were equally important.
" Nnrcnr. Told ne that fhev mad