New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
international
Body to Solve
Radio Mystery
Systematic Scientific PLAN
Aims TO Determine Causes
Governing Vagaries of
Wireless Waves In Space
URSI Signals Are Used
Plan Is Rapidly Spreading
Throughout World From
Central Belgian Office


BY this sfms practically every radio
fan has been able 20 pick up some far
distant broadcasting station on his
receiver during the svening. This fact
IS evidenced by the amount Of good
nstured bosstinz that is going on
whenever 6 number of fans gather co.
gether. Each praisaa the wonderful
qualities Of his own particulsr set and
bosats about the distance that has
been covered with IL
Very few OF these fans realize, how
ever, that their receivers ara not at
all responsible for this, and neither do
they know that at various times dur
ing the evening they pick up stations
at still greater distances. The latter
are the cases Of the wireless telegraph
stations send!ng In dots and dashes,
which occasionally cover unbelievable
distances at night.
Many Of tho fans srs Just beginning
ming, after darkness has set In, that
thoy get these unusual results. No
matter how often they listen In during
the day they will never hear anything
from beyond the normal range Of their
receiving Get.
Radios Greatest Mystery
Back Of shts fact there lies one Of
the most perplexing mysteries Of the
wireless communication art. It Ia q
mystery that has Got been soived de-
tation and research that followed upon
the discovery that wireless signals
could be heard further at night than
thew could during the dav
number of ingenious theories
have been advanced to explain the
phenomenon, but none Of these is
satisfying, since apparently there Is
no rule or reason governing tho d.
rection or distance over which the
electro magnetic waves travel beyond
their normal range.
1t is In order to place the resesrch
work regarding the propaganda Of
energy upon scientific basis that the
international Conference on Radio
Communications has commenced
series of daily test signals which are
rapidly being extended to every part
of the world. The general plan gov
erning tho conference scheme was de-
veioped at meetings held In Paris dur
ing the months Of June, July and Au-
gust Of last year.
hSai Laws xeS UNkM0wB
No real scientific statement OF the
law governing the propagation Of en-
ergy has yet been established, and the
scientists are still cropping in this re-
spect In order, therefore, to solve
tho various problems connected with
The radiation Of energy through space,
series of scientific signals have been
devised and are gradually being put
eff Mt he H. J. sr.h \
wireless stations. These are trans
mitted under the direction of che
Union Radio Scientifique Internation-
ale and In every case are preceded
with the code signal "URSf.n
In the case OF the Eiffel Tower gta-
ton In Paris tho signal is URSI dc
FL, $500, $50. This 10 followed by a
long dash lasting two minutes. The
meaning Of these symbols is: First
the code call Of tho international body.
uRSl, de meane from, and FL are the
call letters Of Eiffel Tower, The fig-
ures $500 are the length of the wave in
meters that is being used by the trans
mitting station--in this case the wave
the Intensity Of tho current In the
antenns as 1t Is recorded In tho meas.
uring Instruments
Practically all Of these URSI calls
take place just before the automatio
transmission of time signals from the
Dig wireless etstionA with thsse
daily signals and the research work
undertaken In various parts Of the
#orid Win receiving apparatus, IL is
expected that many OF the troublesome
pe9piens connected with propagation
derstanding Of the different causes ar
rived at.
Among the problems chat are 20 be
studied under the system are the fol-
lowing; Determination of tina vsria.
tion that energy propagation under
goes and the csuses which produce
VARIATION suitable methods Of rnoasur-
ing the feeble currents received and
the determination Of the electro-rnav-
nsIic ne'ds Produced by them; deter
minatton of the direction over which
propagation takes placs under varv;rg
conditions. and other similar prohiema
Observers Increasing
IL 10 expected that the number ~
eoser"ers throughout the world will
1aPlalF DC increases now that a sys-
mystery. The plan incIudes dean;ts
instructions covering reports from tbs
receiving observers, who will maks
9sliy reports TO the central burean az
Brussels. At the latter Office th.ss
reports will be co-ordinated and an
enort made to abstract from Their, IN.
formation that may lead TO solutsou
OF the mysteries still remaininc In
IN addition 70 the study OF the propa-
cation OF energy, the plan also includes
me careful Investigation of atmospheric
als1aroances, together with a detailed
scheme of research uyork das;~--,s y
overcome the interference cansed ~,
such disturbances, This is by far tbss bs
most important task now confronf;ne
the scientists.