Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-03
RQ)|OC|)NFO USING
1OLEGISLATORS
Transmission Issue Leaves
Mistaken impression
IL, in Congress.

N,vcn some Of the congressional
s'radie experts" seem TO he a bit con-
fused about the practicahihty of trans
ns3ttius energy or power by means OF
radio. Theoretically IL is possible, but
rot practical. as most radio fans
know. This. of course, is due to the
dissipation Of the energy in The ether
xnsee through which IL passes.
Tl,A strength Of the received ennis
sFnnA Of a high powered broadcaster'
for example. is so small that they
have 60 be ampliffed to make them
audible The received signal is only
a ttf4v fraction of the power originally
sent out from the transmitting sta-
ton. For this reason airplanes, auto
mobiles and boats cannot be opef-
ated by radio.
But. and this appears TO be where
many become confused. mobile boules
can be controlled by radio but tnaN
is something entirely different ne
mower of locomotion in the form OF
oas engine. a hattery-driven cleo.
tric motor or a steam engine is what
actually operates the vehicle in the
air on 4he water or on the street. IL
is not the radio signal sent ana re-
ceived. These receiving slgnalS
merely start the motor power opefac
ing stop it or cause the steering APP
paratus to function. 1t is then driven
by its own source of power.
some savants view the transmls+
sion Of power energy by radio waves
as quite possible, although 1t has not
been done successfully. so far, unless
the radio signals themselves are called
faphln strength.
IF 40 then code and voice modulauons
are power. But nothing like enough
power to give light and heat has vet
heen transmitted over any appreciate
distance.
This interesting question came up
in the radio debate in the House re-
Gently when Representative Bloom o.
New York inquired If the licensing OF
stations to transmit energy had beeh
considered in the radio bill. Repre-
sentative Scott of Michigan endeaH
ored to convince Mr.. Bloom that II
was beyond the scope OF the measure.
nointing out It's impracticability but
without success.
THE ultimate result of these discus
sions was that the bin does concern
the transmission of energy and power
and that suitable licenses would nave
TO he procured by any one planning
to enter this field of radio transmits
sion. which Mr.. Bloom claimed was
of far greater interest to most Oh the
public than was the receipt OF music
through the ether.
Medical diagnosis by radio!
The possibilities of this were re-
cenfly glimpsed when, Immediately
after KOA, Denver, had broadcast the
heart beats of two of the musicians
in its orchestra, a Texas physician
wired the station that one heart was
too slow and irregular, and the other
was pounding twice as fast as II
should normally.
Perhaps some day expert lnstru
ton from noted specialists VIII guloe
the hand of the country surgeon ana
enidernics will be checked and treated
by radio nursing"
Grace Washburn, coloratura So
urano. and Paul de Barry, pianist,
viii present the Kilt hour OF music
tonight, which. it appears, VIII We
with the United States Navy Band
Orchestra for the headline honors on
wRC's program. This IS ne
one night in each week that WRC
does not depend on WEAF to embei-
lish its program, with the result that
All Of its features are local in origin.
Aside from the Kilt hour and the
Navy Band Orchestra, WRC will ofier
as supplementary attractions a din
ner concert by the Carlton Orchestra
and a late dance program by the lie
Paradis Band. The Navy Band Or
chestra's concert will be entirely sym
phonic in character and will last for
so minutes.
The wave lengths were crowded with
signals last night, but it took Sc
lective set and careful dial adjust
ments to bring them in with satisfae-
ton. This is one situation that the
proposed new radio commission can
remedy.
Reception conditions otherwise could
be rated as good. Those signals that
were tunable in spite of the jam came
through with audibility and a fair
degree of volume.
Our little excursion over the wave
lengths produced WOAI, San Antonio;
PWx, Havana: WGHB, Clearwater,
Fla, and VIVA, Madison, Wis, in
addition to the usual crop of nearby
stations, which came through in the
face of the most adverse conditions.