The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-09
ESTABLISHES !.
new RECORD
FOR RADIO
BY Jack Jungmeyer
NEA Staff Correspondent

NEA Stan Correspondent
Los Angeles, Jan. 8.-A few nights
ago Thomas E. Nikirk helped rock
the babies to sleep, called his wife
to his side, rolled up his sleeves,
tapped his radio key here and sent
.aage that was heard in
France.
Nikirk, who is "a years old, thus
spanned the air farther than any
other "ham," or amateur operator
some 5000 miles ali the waves fly.
Today FROM all over the world
messages of congratulations are COM
ing to his door, 6KA, as it is offic-
tally known.
6KA is one Of these little gray
homes in the west such as pioneers
built for themselves. 1t snuggles
almost insign ficant under the tow
ering aerials he and his young wife
constructed. Most of its furnishings
these two have built, including the
apparatus which enables Nik;rk to
reach ethereal fingers half way
round the world.
FLORENCE, my wife, deserves fully
half the credit" he sad in modest
admission Of his acclaimed exploit. 4
without her helping hands and her,
t'reless enthusiasm, + probably
wouldn't have been able to set this 4
new record"
For Is years Nikirk an employee
of Southern California electrical
company, has been experimenting
with radio. He was one Of 325 from \
the United States and Canada to \
qualify for the recent transatlantic
radio test sponsored by the Amer: can
Radio Relay League. So far as
known he is the first and only sender
west of the Rockies to be heard in
Franco feat regarded amaz ng
for an amateur.
"A late type transmitter, together !.
with knowledge how to use it was i
responsible for my success" he said.
Details of Set 4
Following is Nikirk's descr' ption
Of the homemade set which has
many times tingled the ears of New
England, Florida, Honolulu and |
other remote places, as we'll as those
across the Atlantic.
81 use a 25O-watt vacuum tube with
pancake inductances. The power
transformer furnishes power for the
plate of the tube at q voltage be- |
tween 5000 and 1000.
"The high voltage alternating cur 7
rent is modified by a ,synchronous
rectifier Of the disc type. This was
des gned by v. NJ. Bitz, whose trans |;
mitter symbol is GID and myself. A I
bypass condenser of glass plates
withstands the high voltage.
-Four audi-frequency chokes and (
two radio-frequency chokes are used i
in the high voltage lead to prevent
kick-back, to smooth, the AC hum
and to give as near DC as poss BILE to /
obtain under these conditions.
High Power
"a nantennae current from 12 to
Il amperes was obta ned depend
ing upon the lighting line voltage.
The antennae are 70 feet high
and 81 feet long, of the TYPE. The
consists of wires on l4-foot
spreaders, with a cage lead-;n. A h
counterpiece 40 feet vide and 70
feet long is suspended on insulators II
such are used in high line con.
strpction work Of electric light COM
understanding not generally b
used in amateur rad devices, It is
composed Of 8 wires, 10 feet above
The ground, with 3-4 inch brass rib
oons for the lead-:n.
For the 20O-meter work. a modi.
lea Hartley circuit, inductively cou-
'iea, seems to give excellent results.
Inc receiver is of my own. con-
'truct'on, Of special design, using
formally four vacuum tubes, with
vhleh gnals from the Atlantic
coast and Honolulu have often been
leard all over the house.
everything use, except the me-
ers and tubes, are home construct
d. =.