Evening star., 1922-09-10
BY COMMANDER STANFORD &.
HOOPER. 4. =. NJ,
Head Of the Radio Division. Bureau
Of Engineering. Navy Department..


OF Engineering. Navy Department..
Copyright. 19.o. All rights reserved)
fortune undoubtedly awaits the
man or woman who successfully solves
the problem of static in radio.
Static constitutes the one remaining
obstacle to satisfactory and abso-
lutely reliable rapid service by radio.
There are other serious problems, of
course. such as Interference between
stations themselves. and the unac-
countable fading or dying out of
signals at times. but it is not i'm
possible to guard against or COM
pensate for these.
At the present time. however, and
despite everything that has been
done ;he radio services in different
parts of the world are likely to be
paralyZed from time to time by static.
Interference between stations will be
lcsSened. if not eventually eliminated.
by further developments in the radio
art. resulting in the production OF
more selective transmitting ana re-
ceiving equipment. This Will permit
of tho. use of greater number OF
wave lengths within the 100-2o.O 900
meter band now in practical use IN
doubtedly many wave lengths OUTSIDE
of this band will also come INTO prac-
teal use If these Developments DO
nor solve the problem of interference
hetween stations there remains strict
regulation of wave lengths and serV-
ices both nationally and Information
ally.
Fading of signals can be COM
in
of the transmitting station during
fading periods or increasing the
power of the station as whole.
Errntic ms Weather.
static. however. can no more be
regulated than can the weather.
Neither can it be compensated 1or.
except in certain cases unuer tne
most favorable geographical cohol-
tions. because it often becomes so
irt..nss iir3 as to drown out" even the
most powerful radio signals ana
makes their reception Impossible
and it is usually so all-pervadins
that its effects cannot be entirely
neutraliZed. ,,
forms or types of static. These two
GENERA! types are probably produced
bv separate and distinct forces In
nature. One general type produces
a more or less continuous rumoiihs
noise in the head-phones. The otheT
tyne produces intermittent LOUD
! crashes of sound. They may be
likened to the practically continuous
rumbling from a distant severe elec-
tric storm as compared 10 ihe IN
termittent loud crashes following
lightning discharged In the imlheo'-
ate vicinity.
Either type of static is lndepend-
ent of the other because one type
may be present and the other entirely
absent. or both may prevail with equai
or VARYING intensites at the same time.
Static disturbances are always
present during the progress OF an
electric storm in the general vicinity
of the radio station. Electrical as
charges between clouds and between
! clouds and the earth are registered
| by a clicking sound in the nead-phoneS
at nearby receiving stations
F., II is sometimes necessary, when
/ electric storms are in progress d1rect-
ly overhead, to disconnect the receiV-
| ing apparatus and connect the over
avoid injury to the operating person
mel and damage to the radio ap-
paratuS.
Electric storms however are not
the principal cause of static. In fact
this form may be characterized as
the least troublesome, comparatively
speaking, because of their relatively in
frequent occurrence and short dura-
tion.
Frequent in Spring.
Extremely severe static may pre-
vail for hours or days at stretch
when there are no electric storms in
progress within hundreds of miles Of
the stations.
Static is as variable as its origin is
mysterious. 1t varies in quantity,
quality and intensity with respect
to the seasons to various localities.
and to different periods of the day
and night. AS general rule static
disturbances begin to manifest them
selves during the spring months, be-
come more frequent and intense dur
ing the summer months and disappear
in the fall.
Very little interference is expert
enced from static during the winter