Evening star., 1932-01-24
SHORT WAVE TESTS
SEEN DURING 1882
U. S. Engineers Look to Field
as Only Solution to
Congestion.

Radios most prolific field of expert
mentation during 1882 promises to bt
the ultra-high frequencies, or extreme
Short-Wave lengths-waveS that border
the light ray spectrum and in some
cases that actually are beams of Light
harneSSed so as to carry radio impulses
Especially promising is the use Of the
ultra shorts, as they are commonly
known, for television.
At present the frequencies above
80 900 kilocycleS Cor below 10 meters)
are commonly regarded as useless, just
as were the wave lengths above SOC
kilocycles Cor below 200 meters) until
not much mere than decade age
when the amateurs began to show their
worth to the world. Eager radio men
graSped these shorter waves and today
they are used for all forms of commu-
nication.
Prove Practicability.
Recent adaptations of the ultra-short
wayes-in some cases waves that meas
ure only a fraction of l meter-have
proved their practicability in some
cases and have demonstrated that they
hold untold possibilities for the future.
Even light beams utilizing wave lengths
measured in billionths of l meter have
been made to carry teleVisicn impulses,
as was demonstrated only recently by
Dr.. E F. w. AleXanderson in the
General Electric laboratories at Sche-
nectady.
Probably the most extensive employ
ment of the ultra shorts for communi-
cation purposes is the new interisland
telephone system On Hawaii, which
links the Islands OF Hawaii, Kauai
Oahu and Maui by radiotelephony on
fractional wave lengths with enough
success to obviate the need of sub
marine cables. This system, instituted
only last year, is being watched by the
radio world with eager eyes.
In England the British Broadcastina
Corporation has placed an order with
Marconi for l,000-Watt transm1tter
to operate between $500 and 10000
kilocycles (about 8 to 5 meters) to test
such short waves for their broadcast
| ing possibilities. The German Tele-
funken is conducting similar tests, and
recent word comes from Rome that the
Vatican short-wave station will soor
have an ultra-short wave tranSmittsr
for communication with the papal villa
at Castel Gandolfo, IS miles distant.
Solution to Congestion.
In the United States the engineers
are looking to the ultra-short wave
spectrum as the only solution OF the
wave congestion problem already being
felt in the television field. Since the
wave spectrum extends to inflnity
vastly more channels are available be-
| low 10 meters than anywhere else. II
| foot fhere aDDearS to be no likelihood
| of congestion at all on the infinite
number of ultra high frequency chan
nels at hand-if they can be properly
| brought under control.
| Ultra-s waves have many Of thu
properties of light waves, which do no
| tend to follow the curvature OF th'
| earth. but rather radiate outward II
straight lines until they meet th'
horizon and are absorbed in the earth
| surface. In other words, they act JUS
| like beams of light. They can be dl
rected and they need very little power
| but they are also readily absorbed b,
| intervening barriers like hills, noun
tains or tall buildings.
So that these waves may ltera!l.
splash" down upon the city, th'
N. B. C. is erecting its ultra-s short waV.
! teIevision transmitter atop the tai
Empire State Building in New Yorl
City. This experiment will be scrutin
! lied carefully by the radio world
| large Other television eXper1menter
are doing or planning to do the sam
thing - erect transmitters at hlgi
points. transmit the impulses to tn
populace below and hope that the ter
ritory served will embrace everything
in sight TO the horizon.