The Washington herald., 1922-03-26
WAVELENCTH
Law EXPECTED
Restrictive Legislation to
Prevent Confusion Is
Predicted.
"BUTTING IN" EVIL
Why Big Stations Choose TO
Send at $50 Meters Mysti-
fies One Writer.
QUITTING IN" EVIL

wave length to adjacent radio sta
tons, or those operating at the |
same hour. is expected as result |
OF the recent radio conference held |
by the Department of Commerce.
The postofiice station, which now |
broadcasts Department of Agricul-
ture crop and market reports in
the absence of any radio equip
ment at the department. uses the
wave length of 1,160 meters, al
though due to an annoying hdI
monte wave effect. local operators
are receiving WWX over wide
range even so low as $50 meters.
the signals then are none too clear.
Contrary to the impression in
some quarters this wave length is
not assigned by the radio division
of the Department of Commerce.
but is an arbitrary choice on the
part of WWX. The Department of
commerce. however, assigns the
transmitting wave of all but gov
eminent stations pending final re-
port of the radio conference. The
wave length assigned in most cases
is $50 meters. Strictly government
reports broadcasted in other parts
OF the country are sent on $50
meters wave length.
Legislation Is Needed.
That legislation restricting abuse
of the air and other persons re-
ceiving sets Is needed rs generally
felt by stations operating regular
schedules. Two stations sending at
the same time on identical wave
lengths need not interfere over
/ Nt,h 10 ~
receiving station is not midway be-
tween the two. or the radiation of
the two transmitting stations is not
the same. This is particularly true
of receiving stations equipped with
loop aerial. But until the more i'm
portant stations can rid their sets
| from the bad effects of harmonics.
the present system of the same
wave lengths for a large number
of stations known to transmit at
the same hours is getting to be an
aggravated situation.
The question of radio wave
| length legislation is exhaustively
discussed in the March issue of
Radio News by II. Gernsback.
"Pressure by Interests"
The whole discussion" says this
\ writer. seems to have been brought
| about by the radio interests who
have suddenly become alive t. the
fact that in the radio telephone.
they have found a new industry
that will soon rival the automo-
| bile" He supports his theory by
adding that his opinion is that the
large interests naturally wish to
| have the ether to themselves as
much as It is possible to the ex-
clusion of everyone else. and we
understand that they have brought
| pressure to bear upon the admin
istration to eliminate everything
that would tend to interfere with
their activities"
However. his opinion is not
wholly that OF being "agin the in
| terests," for he writes in the same
article that I've will az he bet
| ter off il the amateur with his
squeak box does not butt in VIXEN
concert Is being broadcasted. :"
| IF you were sitting in the Metro
| politan Opera House while one of
the stars was singing" he writes,
land someone stood up and insisted
upon playing harmonica you
know what would happen. He
would not live two minutes
Demand Is Great.
Continuing, the writer saws:
ut has been proved, for instance,
| that the cost of our largest and
most powerful broadcasting sta
tons Is ridiculously trining when
| compared with the amount of bust
ness such a station is able to create.
Since broadcasting started a few
| q In 4
of our manufacturers have been
unable to dope with the demand
for radio apparatus which they
make. 1t is naturally to the in
terest of our big corporations to
| look out for themselves and see
| to II that there shall not be any
hitch in the broadcasting, because
the minute that happens. tn" de-
mand for radio apparatus will fall
off.
ITO be sure. we need some sort
of regulation. We will all be bet
| ter off if the amateur with his
squeak box does not butt in when
4 concert is being broadcasted.
The conditions in radio are
analogous. II we amateurs who
are allotted our 200 meters were
to stick to this. we would do no
harm. But the trouble is, we do
not. 1t often happens that the anna
teur insists, in the goodness of his
heart. upon doing his own broad
casting. thinking that he thereby
amuses his friends. To be sure. he
might do that If his wave length
were 200 meters, but quite in
nocently his wave length is often
nearer $50, and it Is then the mis-
chief starts.
Warming to Amateurs.
The regulation that we do need
is adjustment of the broadcasting
stations wave length, not adjust
ment of the amateur wave length
Also, every amateur should be
made responsible as to his station
and he should be warned-and II
warning does not help, he should
be penalized to the extent of con.
fiscation of his station-if he does
not keep within the 200 meters
The writer advocates and Is quite
strong about it, that amateurs
should be allowed to do as they
please within their 200 meter wave
lengths"
Gernsback's defense of the anna
teur status and it's problems hs
states in the following paragraphs
The recent tests across the At,
lantic on a wave length of 200
meters proves that the scientific
amateur can take care OF himself
AS for special legislation for tho
broadcasting stations. we do moi
need it at the present time The
writer thinks that the radio act
of 1912 covers all the. requirements
and no new law Is needed. The
| Department of Commerce has tn,
! power TO allow the lArEa broad.