Evening star., 1924-11-02
RADIO NEWS,


cast listeners. During the past year
over ) per cent of the old ship spark
sets have been replaced with tu/es
practically all new ships are equipped
with tube transmitters, and naval
operators have been ordered to tune
loose coupled receiving sets cor
rectly. Another effort on the part
Of the naval radio personnel has been
TO eliminate mush and harmonicS from
high powered shore stations.
Comma ndantS OF all naval districts
nave been ordered to conduct recep-
tion tests in their districts to deter
mine whether or, not naval ares and
sparks are causing interference at
tributed to the Navy. In Honolulu 1t
was recently demonstrated that in
cerferencs charged to naval stations
continued when they were off the air
and eventually it was traced to a
violet ray machine.
Why the Navy is so generally
charged with causing practically all
the interference is not understood by
naval officers. who point out that the
Navy actually operates only about
one-ha of l per cent of the shore radio
stations in this country-actually only
IS in Continental United States out Of
total of 11,i42 Government-owned ed
land stations. At sea, in the neigh
borhood of our shores. the Navy op-
crates radio only on 317 ships out
of total of over 3.400 ship stations
belonging to the United States. This
figures out to Is per cent of the United
States ships and only per cent of
the worlds radio equipped vessels
There seems to be a general lack
OF understanding of the interference
SITUATION with regard to status of
MSS. the Annapolis station, which
causes Interference to broadcast lis
teners In this connection a naval
report states:
'Ihe Annapolis station is the sole
means OF direct communication b.
tween the Navy Department and San
Francisco San Diego. Balboa, London
Paris, Rome and vessels in European
waters, and handles not only Navy
business. but business for other de-
parfnents' of the Government as we'll
Prior to the, advent of .sadio
oroadcasting, the station was entire
ly satisfactory; nosreasor1 existed for
eliminating int<rference cause by
mush and harrnonies. nor had any
method bsen devised for so improy-
ing arcs. simultaneously with the
advent of radio broadcastin inves-
ugation of elimination of mush. and
harmonics from arc stations was
started. Satisfactory systems have
been devised for medium and small
arcs. but to date no entirely salts
Factory system has been devised for
the largest arcs.
Annapolis is a 500 -kilowatt arc
station. Since the advent of broad
casting about 100000 has been spent
IN an effort to perfect mush and har-
monic eliminating circuits This eff
fort has not been successful to date.
but is being continued and still gives
promise of success.
There is. furthe rmore. now under
construction a 20-kilowatt tube set
for installation at Annapolis which
will be free from extraneous ennis
sions and which, it is hoped, will
prove to be satisfactory substitute
for the arc
Notwithstanding the Importance Of
the Annapolis station and the volume
of important Government traffic to be
moved, the naval communication
office has consistently sympathized
with and co-operated with broadcast
listeners Since February of this
year the Annapolis station has re-
mained silent. except in very rare
emergencies, and then for very short
periods, between the hours of 8 pm.
and 10 Pm, and traffic has been re-
duced to minimum between. II am.
and noon on Sunday mornings
The measures taken to reduce in
terference at Annapolis have brought
forth appreciation from many
sources"
Lack of appropriations and insult
hcient development of tube equip
ment as to military reliability have
Slowed the Navy in equpping all it's
ships with efficient tube sets, but
these handicaps.have not stopped the
service operators and engineers from
Improving conditions which they
could remedy. Capt. Ridley Mclean
director of naval communications. re-
Gently commended Comdr +. B. Frey
er of the supply ship Procyron for re-
building a low-powered radiophone
set into c. w. transmitter on which
practically all her radio communica-
tion is now handled. Her old spark
set is reserved solely for emergency
traffic.
Although the low-powered phone
sets have been in service on a large
number Of naval. craft for over six
years. it is only recently, Capt Nc
Lean points out, that their use has
approached the possibilities. AS the
Procyron succeeded IN communicat-
ing approximately 500 miles with ex-
cellent results, using its remodeled
transmitter, he hopes vessels similarly
equipped will follow the example of
the radio officer using c. W. as OPP
posed to the spark, since the Navy
Is unQer ODlGdllOn 10 cease uSlHS the
spark as soon as practicable.
4 Radio Aids WreclIng Crew.
{ Tho experimental radio transmitting
station 3xAV of the Potomac Electric
Power Co. has been pnt to unique use
In aiding the wreckins trucks of the
Washington Railway and Electric Co.
Several Of the trouble shooting auto
mobiles have been equipped with radio
Receivers, and when they are working
outside the city radio messages are
Transmitted to them from headquarters.
Hfe trucks are used for repairing both
Electric powx1 and light lines, as we'll as
keeping the street cars in operation.
Frequently after a big storm II is neces-
eary to move them from place 70 place
Dn short notice. Until recently 4 was
difficult to reach them, but with tie new
radio receivers II is possible for the chief
Electrician to communicate with his
Ir.orking crews no matter where they
= :, since the chauffeurs listen in when
the trucks are out Of a Job. Through the
station of the Potomac Electric Power
Co messages are sent by radiophone on
short wave lengths between 80 and $50
meters, and the trucks are redirectod or
ordered mobilized wherever the chief de-
sirea. In this way no emergencies arise
Sxhich cannot be coped with almost i'm
nsdiateIy. Station iXAV is equipped