Evening star., 1925-05-03
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

The Naval Radio Service is still
transmitters, of which there are now
seven ashore and four afioat. There
are % receiving sets of this type in
operation afioat and ashore. Besides
the original set at NKF, the radio
laboratory at Bellevue. d. c.. which
recently carried on two-way COM
munication with Sydney. Australia.
on 20 meters, equipment at Quantico,
Va: Lakehurst y. j.: San Diego.
San Francisco. Great Lakes. H., and
the Washington navy yard is now
functioning on wave lengths between
20 and so meters. The ships 50
equipped are the Los Angeles, New
Mexico, Canopus and Sturgeon Bay,
operating on from 40 TO $50 meters.
Through the cooperation Of an
amateur in Minneapolis, "a naval Of
ficer at the LakehurSt air station re-
Gently carried on a radio telephone
conversation with his mother in the
former city. Using the short wave
transmitter the officer raised the
Minneapolis amateur. who called the
officers mother on the phone. There
followed 30-minute conversation.
relayed by the kindly disposed anna :
teur. Recently. Guam picked up
NKF. operating with only about
kilowatts.
Following the lead of several
battleships and cruisers. operators of
the yacht Scorpion built themselves
short wave receiver on which sig
nails from NKF at Bellevue are now
received every night. AS the. yacht
Is in the Mediterranean this is good
long distance reception. The short
wave signals came in stronger than
the long waves from Annapolis. a re-
port states. The ship made receiver
is a single-tube set: five turns of
wire were used in the primary, .
turns in the secondary and 10 in the
ticker. A l2-foot antenna was used
Most of the ships so equipped are
using sets made by their radio men.
The craze for 'short-wave operation
also has reached the Naval Air
Service. A plane aloft over Anacostia
succeeded in sending to Bellevue and
reached amateurs in St. Paul and
Tampa on 20 meters. The greatest
distance worked with this airplane
set was about 1000 miles in daylight
The plane could communicate with
Bellevue on 30 meters. up to about 60
miles, when the signals faded. only
to reappear at distances over 700 miles
away. Reception in the plane on 20
meters was possible up to 40 miles
| from Bellevue. From that point on
| interference from the ignition system
of the Liberty engine prevented good
reception.
This development of short-wave
radio equipment for use in aircraft
| is based largely on experiments car
ried on for the past few months al
| Naval Research Laboratory at Belle
| vue the Marine flying field at Guam
| tico.. Va, and the naval air station
| Lakehurst y. j. Experimental short
| wave sets at these stations operated
from the ground have been able to
send signals heard in New Zealand
! besides being able to receive from the
same distance. 1t is hoped that the
| adaptation of short-wave radio equip
ment of extreme lightweight will oper
up a new field for the use of radio II
| aircraft.
| The Shipping Board is finding the
short-wave circuit to London OF ex
] ceptional value. Through the co
operation of the Naval Communica
ton Service the circuit from Bellevue
| to London on II meters, with XIV
power, is handling all Shipping Boaro
| European traffic, approximating l,O0l
words a night, with great satisfaction
| In London the boards radio officers
pick up Bellevue with large loop or
| the roof of the Bush House. The
short wave decreases the power re
| uuired for transatlantic trafnc ane
| lessons interference from European
| long-wave stations. A 24-hour service
Is now the only thing to be desired.