New-York tribune., 1922-07-30
Transatlantic
Phone Tests
Commenced
Preliminary Work With High
Power Vacuum Tubes Be-
gun i'm Great Trans-Atlan-
tic Station at Rocky Point
Problems Being Solved
Three Countries Racing To
Be First TO Throw Voice
Across Ocean by Radio

Will we be able 10 carry on two
vsy telephone conversation with
friend in London this year? That is a
question which will soon be determined
bv some extremely interesting tests
which are being conducted on both
sides % the Atlantic. As telephoning
across the Atlantic is impossible BY
means OF cables with out present knowl-
esee. IL follows the tests are being
made By wireless.
while the answer 20 the above ques-
,ion will undoubtedly be found this
wear. IL does not mean that regular
commercial wireless telephone service
between this country and Europe VIII
be put into effect right away. mere
vii undoubtedly be three or four years
Of intensive experiments before ~ is
ready for regular service. TINS mas
bsen clearly shown IN the case OF the
telephone tests with the steamship
America.
There il veritable race proceeding
between the radio engineer OF TINS
country. France and Great Britain 10
be the first 70 produce apparatus capa-
bic Of throwing the human voice
through the ether across the broad eX-
psnses Of the Atlantic Ocear. All three
are proceeding along the same ines
that is. with the development Of high-
powered vacuum tubes.
Secrecy Regarding Tests
A great deal OF secrecy wells the tests
IN III three countries, but ] an IN
position to give an outline Of some OF
the progress made on this side OF the
Atlantic
In this country vacuum tubes with an
output Of % kilowatts have been sue
ecssfully produced. and experiments
are being made with larger ones. lne
great drawback up 20 the present time
las been the production OF power
tube, which could be kept cool during
continuous operation. This has Al last
been accomplished by two different
companies through an ingenious sys-
TEN OF water cooling, each company
acting independently.
In England the Mullard Radio Valve
Company is constructing power vacuum
tubes of quartz. with an output Of 10
tiiowatts, but no wfsr they have pro
..eded Is not vet known. Similarly IN
France the Gsumont Company Is also
.xperimenting with high-power tubes,
and the Efel Tower station IS con-
dueting a series OF long distance tele-
rhonic tests preparatory TO the attempt
to speak across the Atlantic.
Progress Phenomenal
The progress made in this country
however, Is really phenomenal, and
sctusl tests were instituted a few
weeks ago NJ the gigantic radio central
station AZ Rocky Point L. ]. In these
tests (which, Of course, are prelimi-
nsry) the tubes Of both companies are
being used. Tubes Of % kilowatts are
being used for experimentation with
continuous wave telegraphy, and tubes
Of 10 kilowatts are being used for radio
telephone work.
The preliminary tests consist
chiefly Of measurement work in con
iunction with the mammoth aerials at
Rocky Point in order 10 determine
many factors which will be Of vast i'm
portsnee In the regular service when
ever IL is permanently installed.
The hrst tests consisted Of placing
four Of the 25-kilowatt tubes IN paral-
lei. along lines that were successful
with smaller tubes for transmission
purposes during the war. The subse-
duent measurements in the aerial, how
ever. we're quite Disappointing. because
an oscillsiing current Of only 80 kilo-
watts was registered In other words
the result was only so per cent Eff.
eient
Improved Circuit Expected
Tn. reason Tor this is now being
investigated. and a. soon a. the cause
il found it will undoubtedly result IN
an improved form of circuit for high
power long distance transmission.
No Effort is being made al Rocky
Point 10 transmit The voice 40 the
present time Only the carrier waves
arc being radiatcd In the continuous
wave work however the telegTaphic
key = occasionally pressed but no ef-
n soT, made 20 send messages There is
1ot the slightest doubt but that by
fAs tirc the nov hich-powered station
20 tho Argentine is completed. direct
con uunicttion with that country will
be established through tho agency OF
vacuum tgkes
The experiments 20 fsr have clearly
shown that the vacuum tube will ulti-
natsly tupersede tho ponderous high
frequency slternntors which arc now
used 20 produce continuous waves for
trans-Atlsrtic communication. more
over tho tubes work practically auto
rstleally and need no constant watch
INK They have no moving parts and
iasr..n IS absolutely absent so far as
they are concerned.
Results already obtained indicate
that in TIE near future vacuum tubes
with an individvsl output Of 500 kilo-
watts will he b. no means impossible
With such a tube IL will be possible 70
Communicate directly with any PIT Of
the world 8, al times under an cJndi-
tons.
u is pretty safe 20 say that the voice
will be thrown across the Atlantic some
..s3c this year or early next. under con-