The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-21
Marconi Says Waves Can Be
Sent in Amy Desired Direction.
Not Necessary to Broadcast the
Message, Inventor States.
RADIO LIGHTHOUSE is NEXT
Warning May Be Sent to Ships
Tho Fog Is of Thickest.
Collisions Could Be Prevented
If One Ship Had Radio.

New York, June 21.-Senor Gug-
| lielmo Marconi, wonder man of wire
less. has announced the invention of
what might be termed a radio search
light by means of which radio waves
which can be reflected like light
| waves. may be sent in a given direc-
ton in a beam instead of being scat
| tered to all points OF the compass.
The famous Italian said he believed
this invention could be utilized in such
a. manner as to rid the sea of some of
\ its terrors, for. with a revolving re-
| Hector, the tranSmitter would consti-
| tute a radio lighthouse capable of
! flashing guiding beams nearly a hun
bred miles.
| Addressing a joint meeting of the
Institute of Radio Engineers and the
American Institute of Electrical En-
gineers, on his latest discoveries, the
inventor said of the proposed radio
| lighthouse:
of electrical I-1iation, 1t is possible
1 for ships, when within a certain dis
| lance to ascertain in thick weather
the bearing and position of the light
house.
No More Fog Collisions.
'It seems to me that it should be
possible to design apparatus by means
of which a ship could radiate diver
gent beam of short wave in any de-
sired direction which rays if coming
across a. metallic object, such an
other steamer, would be reflected back
to a receiver on the sending ship and
thereby Immediately reveal the pres
ence and bearing of the other ship in
a fog or thick weather.
zone further greater advantage of
such an arrangement would be that
it would be able to give warning of
the presence and bearing of ships
even should these ships be unFrovided
with any kind of radio.
Marconis radio searchlight bears
little resemblance to the battleship
searchliEht. 1t is rather a special ar
rangement of wires on towers or
masts.
OF around the world wireless, Mar
conf said he had obtained results,
which go far to show the relative
ia cility with which radio signals can
be sent from England to Australia and
seem to indicate that there is some
thing in the idea OF the wireless
waves travelling around the earth by
various ways and reuniting at the
antipodes." =-c
Go the Longest Way Round.
Sometimes these radio waves. tray
cling around the earth in different di-
rections, reinforce each other when
they meet at the receiver, said Mar
conf, and sometimes they interfere
with each other.
He declared that the great station
built by the Radio Corporation of
America, at Port jefferson, Long Is
land, the most powerful on this con-
LA4lSulf SNIll WAVES AAldl preferred TO
travel three-quRrters of the way
around the earth rather than to come
by the shortest way round"
Marconi discovered that when short
waves are used disturbances caused
by static can be said to be almost non
existent and the only interference
comes from the ignition apparatus of
automobiles and motor boats.
Incidentally" he added, IT might |
mention that one of these short wave |
receivers will act as an accurate de-
vice for testing whether or not ones
ignition system is working all right |
Some motorists would have a shock if |
they realized how often their ignites |
and spark plugs are working in a de-
plorably irregular manner"