Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
RADIO AMATEURS
CONQUER UNKNOWN
Communicate With "Hams"
of Nations on High-Fre-
quenCy Band.

The advance guard Of radio explorers
the amateurs--have invaded another
Of radios great unknown and con-
quered. aat
Away up on the high-freQuency band.
above the $4,000 kilocycle limit now
adapted for international use, the
''hams" are maintaining periodic COM
munication with amateurs OF other ma
tons, on o two-way schedule. So
gratifying have been the results that
radio engineers are optimistic about the
eventual opening up of a new interna-
tional band Of frequencies. If and when
this occurs, the world will have the
amateurs to thank, for they have been
the pioneers.
In his annual report, william D. Ter
rell, chief of the radio division of the
Commerce Department, pays high tribute
to the amateurs. This little army of
radio technicians, most of whom tinker
with radio as q hobby really were re-
sponsible for the discovery of the high
frequencies now so bitterly contested
for by all nations. Before the amateurs
disclosed to the commercial world that
those short wave frequencies, with their
''skip.diStance" effects, could really be
harnessed, they were regarded as radios
graveyard.
In the band from $4,000 to 10000
kilocycles, Mr.. Terrell points out, two
way communication has been estab-
lished between amateurs in this coun-
try and in Europe, South America and
New Zealand" 1t was only in March
of last year that this band was opened
up to the amateurs for experimentation.
European amateurs, according to Mr..
Terrell, have succeeded in communicate
ing from Europe to South Africa and
India on similar frequencieS.
: After the amateurs had been instru-
mental in throwing into commercial
use the short wave, ranging from 500
to $4,000 kilocycleS, which they had
previously used as their playground
they were hemmed in on q few bands
Staked OF throughout this portion OF
the spectrum, but they have thrived, de-
spite their congestion, Mr.. Terrell points
out.
I'm order to continue satisfactory
operation under the restricted fire.
Quency hands imposed by the Wash
ington convention" he states, "inten-
sive technical development has beer
carried on by the amateurs during the
past year. This, the American Radio
League reports, has resulted in marked
advances In apparatus and methods"
There are approximately 1900 anna
teurs in the United States who hold
licenses issued by the Commerce De-
partment All of them are members OF
the Relay League.
$3.50 Encouraging Amateurs.
e ssWhile other countries are worrying
over the problem of controlling, taxing
and Encouraging the few surviving
amateurs, this country Is constantly en-
deavoring to keep this large and useful
group OF eXperimenters engaged in USE
ful and interesting work." Mr.. Terrell
sTf,e amateur again demonstrated
his great, value as . means Of emer-
gency Communication to storm-stricken
communities during the West Indian
hurricane In. September, 1928. At the
Virgin ISLANDS, when the. Navy station
was destroyed, one Of the operators
who maintained an amateur station
put his set on the air and broadcast a
warning. to- the United States in adj
vance OF the disturhance As = result.
aniateurs i'll Florida and other Southern
States had established emergency COM
munication routes before the storm had
reached the continent. Particular credit
Is due to two amateurs at Palm Beach
who, although they lost their homes
and personal belongings, put their anna
teur set into operation and for three
days, furnished the only means Of COM
rnunication with northern points from
the distressed area State, Army and
municipal authorities were high In
their praise of this service.
''In addition to emergency work
amateurs afforded home contact WITH
many exploring and scientific expedi-
TONS"
copyright. 1923. BY the Consolidated Press,