Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
RADIO DEVELOPMENTS
BY FREDERIC I. HASKIN.

With the growing popularity OF the
radio there arises the question as 70
tust what progress has been made In
its development during the past year
Lieut.. Comdr. T. A. NJ. Craven. U. 5.
N. states that the Navy Department
rates as the three outstanding fea-
lures In radio development during
1928. first, the fourth national radio
conference. which was called by Sec
retary Hoover; second. short-wave
communication. and. third, a ne"
theory on wave propagation.
While all Of these DEVELOPMENTS
have been coming along gradually m
mast wears, in 1925 they became o.:
such importance as to merit universal
consideration. 1t Is impossible at TINS
time to estimate their effect upon the
radio industry, or upon the economic
structure OF the country. However, II
Ia safe to venture that this effect Will
be very generally felt through
gradual and logical reduction In the
price of radio sets and in the cheaper
and more general use OF radio In nusi-
ness.
The Fourth Conference.
The fourth national radio confer
eneo made but minor changes In the
1924 recommendations as to the ailo
cation OF wave lengths or frequencies
This fact Is believed to be an indlca'
tion that the radio industry has taken
great steps toward sterilization and
Standardization. Radio engineers say
that this is the first time that radical
changes along this line have not peer
noted from one year to the next
The Sterilization In wave lengln
ALLEGATION makes 1t possible to stand
ready several of the large manulac
turers Of radio apparatus are getting
torether with a view to standardlzlne
their products. This will surely meet
with the hearty approval OF the gen
eral public since 1t will mean cheaper
radio receiving sets. 1t also indicates
that the radio industry has come &c
stay and thus means steady employ
ment for many.
The progress made in short-wave
communication during 1925 is OF grea'
l importance and further makes toi
| economy In this industry. For years
radio amateurs have been experiment
| ing with these waves, and short waves
| were used by the military and nava
| forces In the World War. The intro
duction Of vacuum tubes materially
aided the progress in this form Of
| communication. Not until 1873, no"
| ever, had 1t been generally reailzec
ithrouRhout the world that short wave:
jor high radio frequencies have wonder
full commercial possibilities.
Transoceanic Radio.
n Ia now known that radio com
| munications at long distances can bt
| maintained with low power. Radlt
I experts say that short waves must OK
| used for transoceanic radio conmuni
cations-at least as adtuncts OF TIT
present high-power system.
"In spite Of the fact, however, tina
all Indications point to the early de
velopment of short-wave apparatu'
capable of maintaining reliable radio
! accommodation at long distances To-
| at least 20 hours out Of each day.
says Con1dr. Craven, zone canno
safely predict that high-power long
wave radio stations will be discarded
as obsolete"
Roth national and international CO
operation will be necessary to tn
success Of the superdistance snort
wave communication. Every radio
fan has encountered the difficulties O
| interference. Who has not had tn
experience of tuning In on one station
the least, It Is exceedingly disconcert
ing to hear a jazz orchestra in on
| section of the country contendint
more or less successfully with some
one singing an operate aria II
another.
Shoft-WAve Radio.
| It is a fact that short-wave radio
has a commercial value in the Unitet
States. The low cost Of short-wav'
radio apparatus will warrant the us
Of such q system by many business
concerns which have heretofore use'
the telegraph or telephone becaus
they were cheaper. There are a mum
Der Of electric power service corpora
tons, railroads, factories and larg
retail mail order stores which are nov
using the radio for quick communities
ton.
Radio communication has one grea
advantage in particular over the tele
phone or telegraph. 1t Is said that It
use by electric power companies alon
win save the public millions Of dollar
which are now lost every time q storr
/, tears down the wires in isolated sec
tons OF the country. Radio commun
cation to such places would Ereatl
Rpeed IN the repairs and shorten tn