The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-06
NEW RULES TO
HELP PREVENT
RADIO BLAzES
,.xursnce Regulations TO Cover
Tse of Sets-Amateurs Are
Given Warning.

The unprecedented popularity OF
,bs radio telephone has introduced
countrywide fire hazard.
Not long ago three children at
lsken. s. c., were burned to death
/. ERE resulting from short cir
ruit In a radio transformer.
More recently a New Jersey boy
1 .arelessly crossed the leads from
His storage battery and started a
IRE that might have become seri-
| ans il it had not been promptly
1 detected.
So the national board of fire I'M
deryriters has established new in
snrancs regulations covering the
use of radio sets.
with some 100000 receiving sets
IN use today, as compared with a
fev thousand five or six months
ago. the extent of the danger is
obvious.
one of the chief hazards in con-
uection with the receiving sets lies
ia the fact that the radio fans are
nrone to experiment with lighting
circuits carrying currents of 125 to
$50 volts.
When a boy reads of someone US
ing electric lighting circuit to re-
ceive messages, he Immediately
plugs in at the lamp receptacle
With the result that he either blows
fuse or burns out his coils.
OF course, no message can be re-
ceived over lighting wires unless
the message has been transmitted
through the medium. In that case,
Il is not a wireless proposition at
all.
Il should be remembered that
whenever a lighting circuit is tap
ped, an extra hazard is created un-
less the wiring and connections are
Installed in accordance with the ma
tional electrical code.
Danger from Battery.
/ Even the discharge from six
volt storage battery is sufficient to
cause trouble, if the lead wires are
Toss-circuited so that they over
heat Such batteries have often
been the cause of automobiles
burning up.
As far as lightning is concerned,
there need be no fear when an in
terror antenna is used; nor is the
exterior antenna dangerous, if it is
properly installed
It is, of course, necessary to
avoid contact with high power ca
bles.
But if an approved lighting ar
rangement is used on the lead-in
wire from an exterior antenna. it is
90 more subject to the lightning.
hazard than the usual telephone
circuit.
Amateurs, Attention.
If you have a radio receiving
set be sure that
l. The antenna is so located that
4 cannot contact with light or pow
q wires.
3 It does not cross over or un-
Ger wires of a circuit carrying cur
rent Of more than 500 volts.
J. The ,lead-in wires on the out
SIDE of the building do not come
bearer than four inches to any cleo
tic light or power wires unless
separated by continuous and firm
y fixed non-conductor.
1. Each lead-in wire is provided
With an approved protector located
IS near as practicable to the point
where the wire enters the build
hg. The use of an antenna
grounding switch is desirable. but
aoes not obviate the necessity of
getting the arrester.
). 1t is water piping. and not gas
ppipg that is used for grounding
FOUR set.
8. An approved ground clamp is
used wherever the ground wire is
connected to such pipes or piping.
I. Wires inside the house do not
tome nearer than two inches to
any electric light or power wire
Unless separated by a continuous
and fixed non-conductor.