Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-13

Radio, unfortunately and unjustly,
frequently gets n black eye" through
improper headlines and sometimes
badly written stories in the daily
press. The headline "Eiectroeuted by
Radio" which recently appeared in a
,ocal paper, was not only misleading,
but wrong according to the brief
story itself. In the first place, radio
itself cannot electrocute any one, ex-
cept in case of transmitting stations
where high-power supply is used. At
the radio receiving end radio is not
dangerous. 1t is even doubtful If the
high-frequency power put into trans
hitting antenna at big commercial
stations could kill, although It is ad
mittedly dangerous to touch bare
wire, the motor generator, bus bars
or the transmitting circuits, as a.
shock or burn might result. Only at
high powered, low frequency stations
could serious results occur. Receiv-
ing sets are not dangerous, according
to all well Informed experts, unless,
of course, they are charged by out
side electric power,
Referring again to the headline
and the story of the unfortunate lad,
come into contact with an electric
wire charged with 1900 volts. it is
readily seen that he was not electro
cuted by radio, but by an electric
power line. II would have been the
same had he been stringing wire
clothesline, although his death would
not have been charged to a clothes
line. An autoist who stalls his ma
chine on a railway track and is killed
by an express train is not said to
have been killed by an automobile,
Some sort of an aerial is necessary
to every receiving set, and 1t Is well
known that an outside aerial Is pelter
than an inside one or loop, eXcept
in specially constructed high-powcr
tube receivers.
According 70 DR.. ], H.. Dellenger,
chief of the radio laboratory of the
bureau of standards, talriy ion6
way TO get loud signals with the
simplest receiving sets. TO get inc
best results, an outdoor anLenha uSe1
for great distances or Tor crSstdi
sets, one should use a singieoc con- on
long direct from the set TO the high-
est point available at the far emu,
supported by good insulators, sncn az
porcelain or glass, ana kept Me,I
away from trees and buildings. Keep
the antenna away from possible ac
cidental contact with electric wlres'
he admoniSheS. -.
Replying to the query, Are an
tennas dangerousT Dr. Deliehsei
THE lightning hazard is pracu-
cally nil Only for outside antehnas
need lightning protection DC consul
cred at all. 1t is very simpIe. ,
small and cheap device, called a
lightning arrestcr, should be con
nected between the antenna ana the
ground wire on rOceIVinE sets An
antenna is no more likely TO orihs
lightning into hou or apartment
than are overhead telephones or cleo
from antennas is from stringing out
door antennaS over or near electric
light wires. number or persons
have met death by electrocution from
this cause
special committee on the ma
tional electrical safety code is now
drawing up regulations and precau-
tions for the erection and use OF
aerials. and will report soon.
Concerning antennas in general, Dr
Dellenger pointed out that there is
nothing about them to justify the
large amount of worry and uncer-
tainry they seem to give many un-
initiated fans. An antenna- he ex-
planned. is the harness" that con-
verts the radio wave motions into
currents which operate the receiving
set Almost any sort VIII work Tor
u broadcart receiving set, he. sad,
adding that fans do not need TO iml-
tate the amateur transmitters and
erect elaborate antennas of several
wires A general antenna for recep-
ton should be a single wire running
from the set direct. if possible, to
conveniently high point at the Tar
end 1t does not have to be hori-
zontal A slight angle is sometimes
advantageous. and it does not matter
in what direction the antenna points
Little directional difference is noted
in reception, except in special and
long dntennas. Good insulation is
necessary, and he recommends that
the wire be swung over clear space
if possible, with at least five feet
clearance over all objects crossed.
No. II solid. bare, copper wire, or
il has low resistance and results in
loud signals. Stranded wire, though
stronger, is not considered quite as
good as solid wire Insulated wire,
mental, but costs more than bare
wire. From SO to $50 feet is the
usual len 9Th recommended for broad
cast reception. Longer aerials bring
in stronger signals, he says, and are
more certain In distant stations. But
including static. "Antenna length"
he sums up, "is a compromise be-
tween loudness of signals and free
dom from interference" The public
quality of reception he believes. If,
however, one wants to astonish his
friends with q long-distance record,
he explains, let him erect a whale
of a long antenna" or use a very
sensitive, many-tube receiving set.
ceiving sets using electron tubes
work well with indoor antennas or
loops, the latter aiding in direc-
tionai effects. but these antennas are
relatively weak, and therefore the
signals must be amplified, he ex-