Evening star., 1924-09-16
RAD|0|NG IN ARCTIC
AS TOLDBY EXPERT
Donald Mix, Operator With
Macmillan, Describes Freaks
of Transmission.
BY LEMUEL PARTON.

SCHOONER BOWDOIN, off Bonne Bay,
Newfoundland (via wireless). Sep
tembcr 1S.-Donald II. Mix, the tall
sandy-h haired young radio expert OF
this far northern adventure, has a
fifteen month radio log which should
prove of. intense interest to fans
throughout the United States and
Canada. Locked in the ice during the
lorg northern Winter, Mix handled a
total traffic of over 10000 words Jack
BarnSley. Canadian amateur at Prince
Rupert, B. G., handled over $4,000
words of this total, in addition to
sending press items when the Bow
doin was unable to hear the power
ful commercial stations.
More than 100000 words of press
matter were copied from stations at
Nauen. Germany and Leafield. Eng
land. The Bowdoin signals were re-
ported heard in the United States,
Canada. Alaska. Hawaii Mexico. ia
pan, Spain, England, France. Ger
many, Norway, Netherlands and Italy
Mix was unable to get Annapolis. due
TO the Interference or the transat-
lnniic stations
Noted az Most Important Summary.
Probably the most important sum
mary of NiN'S observations will cover
the connection between radio and me-
conclusions must wait until he can
check with other available records
ors definite conclusion was reached
IN the fact that northwest Winds
carrying frost crystals. set up n high
potential in the air. causing a con-
tlnual rush and roar like d leak from
the transmission line.
Under such conditions communica-
ti"n was utterly impossible. Mix was
able to observe the aurora only very
1alntly, but, 80 far as he has been
able To ascertain, the strange Arctic
phenomenon has absolutely no ef-
feet on radio'' While on the return
trip 1E"m- Etah, past South Green
iand there was-a strong auroral dis
play. with radio Communication work
ing well. He expects. however. to
check his wireless log with the record
OF thc auro kept ut Sitka, Alaska.
and other points.
.Nter the BoWdoin had settled down
III winter quarters at Etah. Mix rig
god an inverted /. antenna from the
i"r"maSI OF the ship to the shore.
distance Of l20 feet. He ran out
a lew wires and let them freeze in
th" L." from the courterpoise 4 100
pound steel plate, over the bow of
the ship was used as a ground. Lat
or on, Mix rigged u half-mile rope
across the harbor, 125 feet above the
top OF the mast. From the mast to
the--rnpe-hI- ran four fan-wise an
l"nna wires. The plane of these
wires was almost directly in line with
the Prince Rupert station. the point
OF the best communication.
Short Wave Superiority.
Mix states that all his observa tions
demonstrated the superiority of the
short wave. Signals below 900 meters
hot
above. The Bowdoin carries a 100
watt Jew set, with two 50-watt
tubes and 500-cycle current on plate.
The short wave turner ranges from
$50 to 500 meters: the long wave
from 10000 to 10000 meters. He has
three.Stage amplifier for loud
Failure TO keep more continuous
lonS-range communication he as
rrlbeS tg the fact that he had only
a oHe-half, hiloteatt input Richard
Goddard en6G1sarh esif-sClfstitute ex-
pert on ierrestria4n -magnetism CO.
operated CLOSELY lN-~With Mix. For a
while they thought they could pre-
dlct radio conditions by the electric
diSturbances- but continued tests
failed. However, they established the
fact that frost conditions caused a
hlgh potential in the air, corroborat-
ing NIA'S conclusions concerning the
effect of crystals on radio
From December 30 to February %.
Amundsen's ship. the Maud. was
heard. She was locked in the ice at
latitude 1923 north. longitude :03
east The Maud was sending meteor
ologica! reports to Spitzbergen. Mix
did not succeed in working her He
got time signals from San Diego-in
fact, all communication was better
on the west coast of the American
continent. Mix has no explanation
Tor this. but does not believe that
the topography or location of the
ice bears any Significance.
In Communication With Home.
we We're in communication with
home 20 times on the trip from Wis
caSset, Me- to our Winter quarters
at Refuge Harbor, n Greenland"
said MIX. amateur stations ! ANA,
Cape Cod. Mass, and ] ZE, Marion
Mass handled practically all our
traffic on the trip up. ANA ham
dled about 1,500 words and ZE
ABOUT 1000 words. All this traffic
was managed with considerable diff
hculty, owing to the interference
from other stations. making it diff
hcuit to copy WNP.
The last dispatch on the trip North
was sent Via / ANA from fifty miles
southwest Of Disko Island, S. Green
Iand' although We were later able to
give this station our position from
Etah, y. greenland on August o.
1928. Signals from amateur stations
IN the United States and Canada. east
or the Mississippi We're good during
th" entir" trip North, except when we
were at Henley Harbor, Red Bay and
Indian Harbor, Labrador. where the
bnWdoIn was surrounded by high
hills
from the time we sighted Green
land until we arrived at our Winter
quarters. signals from stations west
OF the Mississippi Increased in
strength, while those from the At
lantlc Seaboard decreased During
the Winter only a few stations in this
latter section were audible. Anna
teur station DC, Billings, Mont. was
the first worked after arriving at
Etah, but we were unable to give him
anything except 'Alrs Well On this
date, September 8. 1923. we raised
Jack Barnslay, 9 BP, Prince Rupert,
Il. C.-2,l40 land miles away. He
proved our main and often our only
connection with the American conti-
nent.
Clears 1.GOO Words In Three Hours,
The next station we were able TO
operate was 8 KID, Mnot, y. Oak,
j.. II. Weeks, operator, who handled
over $500 words, and December 9,
1923, cleared 1000 words in three
hours and 10 minutes. Signals from
amateur stations in the United States
and Canada and from high-powered
commercial stations all over the
world came in unusually well during
the dark period, from October until
February, some nights being better
than others. as in lower latitudes.
With the coming of continuous
daylight SignalS on short mauaS