Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

The lives of the governments radio
supervisors and inspectors In the
| nine districts of the country are
strenuous. exhausting and expensive.
Most of these of1icials, who strive to
make ships, land stations, amateurs
and broadcasters live UP to regula-
lions, have of necessity become
might owls" They are q cross be-
tween detectives. and mind readers.
The varied problems coming up for
solution every day, and the medley
of technical questions they are asked
by amateurs and fans, require the
combined wisdom Of Sherlock Holmes
and Guglielmo Marconi.
transmitting stations, and examine
commercial and amateur operators;
they see to II that stations remain
on assigned wave lengths, power and
time schedules: they try to locate in
reference from every source to keep
the ether clear for commerce and
the lsteners-in. This requires late
hours. since most interference is re-
ported to occur at night. and they
are usually on watch until midnight
formation is Of the greatest value
to them, enabling them to act i'm
mediateIy and not spend time run
ming down rumors and incorrect or
Inadequate Interference reports,
which they receive by the hundreds.
Present government appropria-
ations, strange as II may seem, do
not provide receiving sets for the
governmental radio policing force;
consequently all OF the men have to
Good sets are, OF course. necessary,
and one supervisor Is known to have
spent 500 in equipment for his main
ONCE out Of his own pocket, but be-
lieved necessary for efficient and eff
fective service in his district Many
other supervisors and inspectors have
spent between four and five hundred
dollars each In radio equipment. The
government can only provide its field
force with. testing and measuring in
struments. such As decremeters, watt
meters, ammeters, volunteers and
hydrometers. They cannot listen in
with these instruments. In Balti-
more the supervisor maintains his
own automobile, found essential in
running down or locating unidenti-
fled stations and radiating receiving
sets in the outskirts of his district.
Some OF the inspectors find radio
necessary In locating offending trans
hitting sets. or amateurs operating
without giving their calls or using
fake" calls. 1t is a hard life."
tney Ill ADMIT, ana Yet they find II
fascinating and developing.
With the advent Of the new ap.
preparation bill. IL is hoped that in
creased funds will be Forthcoming,
80 that the field force of the radio
section OF the bureau of navigation
can be provided with Sufficient radio
apparatus of the latest type to cope
with the increase of radio traffic in
both code and voice. Incidentally,
the bureau needs additional inspec-
tors and more funds for transporta-
tton of it's operatives, some Of whom
travel thousands OF miles a month
covering their territory.
Army Station Co-operates.
Tests Of new radio equipment at
the Army air service radio station
at Wilbur Wright Field. Fairfield.
Ohio. show the practicability Of CO.
operating with air mall and air sery-
ice planes. especially in disseminating
meteorological information and in
keeping track of transcontinentai
flights over distances up TO 1000
miles. Station wYD, part of the
Army radio net for some time, has
also aided airplane flights, but a com
plete central weather forecastfng and
broadcasting station has now been