Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-03
SEEKS WHITE LIGHT
FOR VISUAL RADIO
Jenkins Hopes for Results by
Combining Red Neon and
Blue Mercury.

Within his laboratory on the out
skirts of Washington. c. Francis Jen-
kins, pioneer in the art of visual broad
casting, is endeavoring to develop a
white light" for television. which he
claims will go long way toward lead
ing the newest radio ofTshoot out OF
the wilderness.
To project pictures or scenes by
radio, Mr.. jenkins explained. an in
tense light is needed. The neon light,
now being employed, has a reddish tint
and although of great intensity is not
illuminative. Visual broadcaSting'S
great need, therefore, in the inventors
opinion, is white light just as strong
as that produced by neon lamps.
Mr.. Jenkins hopes to accomplish his
end by combining the red neon light
with the blue mercury vapor light.
Thus, he claims. great light will be
produced, of natural color. having all
of the favorable properties OF neon, and
with the much desired illuminative
effect.
View Opposed by Others.
The holder of some ITO radiovision
patents, Mr.. Jenkins says television is
here now and gradually building up
locking" audience. In this view he is
not supported by other radio engineers,
who hold that much more laboratory
development is needed before practical
television. or the transmission of NOV
ing scenes. can be offered the public
on regular basis.
Mr. Jenkins just the other day
opened his new television station and
laboratory. He now is broadcasting
shadowgraphs and silhouettes on
nightly schedule for one hour, Sundays
bearing the call letters W3XK, operates
on channel 100 kilocycles wide, or
10 times the width of the broadcast
channel, with a power of 1900 watts.
For the past year he has been broad
casting on the 1900 kilocycle with only
so watts, and on alternate nights.
The station is licensed to use 5000
watts. but the inventor plans to "step
up" the power to this maximum by a
be able to cover the entire country with
1,S00 watts, but as the power is in
creased the service in remote areas will
improve.
Audience Drops OFF.
The visual broadcasting audience is
confined primarily to radio amateurs
and televiSion "tinkerers." At one time,
when visual broadcasting was permitted
on channels within the broadcast band,
Mr.. jenkins estimated he had an audi
ence OF some 10000. But when the
ECuCIdL ICdUlO COMMISSION TeleSdUeQ all
types of experimental television to the
short waves, or out of the interference
range of broadcast stations, the COOKERS
In dropped off apprcciably.
To receive visual broadcasting on
short wave, special short wave receivers
are needed, whereas when it is in the
broadcast band an attachment to the
ordinary broadcast receiver will repro
duce the pictures. The short wave
receiver of course, is calibrated only
for short waves and cannot be used
for reception of any character without
the broadcast band.
Mr.. jenkins hopes shortly to begin
broadcasting living scenes and objects,
or real televiSion, rather than retrans-
nit motion pictures. In his new
station he is equipping a studio for the
television of living images. This never
before has been attempted on a regular
basis.
For the present. according to Mr.
Jenkins. the matter projected will be
the same as in the past. 1t consti-
tutes collection of more or less unre-
lated subjects in motion. They are
scanned on the standard 48-line process
for which practically all short wave
television receivers now are adjusted.
Copyright, 1929. by Consolidated Press
Association.)