Evening star., 1932-07-17
TRANSFER of the Radio Di-
vision of the Department
of Commerce to the Fed

ITRANSFER of the Radio Di-
vision of the Department
of Commerce to the Fed
eral Radio Commission, au-
thorized by Congress in the recent
economy act, awaits only an eX-
ecutive order by President Hoover
| before it becomes an established
fact. The Radio Commission is
prepared to make the Radio Di-
vision and its Nation wide inSpec-
tion force a distinct branch as
soon as the order comes through
from the President.
Whether the Radio Divisions
staff with be curtailed is problem
atical. Some reductions ard
changes are more than likely,
however, for the Radio Commits
sion in recent months has been
exceeding its budget and economy
wave Is in the air. 1t is expected
that William D. Terrell, chief of
the division, will continue at it's
head Mr. Terrell has frequently
been mentioned for commission
ership post. The first radio chief
tain of the Federal Government,
he has always been close to Presi-
dent Hoover and during the lat
terS elght-year tenure as Secre-
tary of Commerce was his right
hand bower on all radio matters.
Except for this merger and sew
eral minor bills, one directing that
only American citizens be licensed
as radio operators, the waning
Congress has left radio practically
untouched except for the intro
duction of various bills and reSo-
lutionS and considerable discus
sion about radio. Some 40 bills
having to do with radio have been
introduced this session. Three
last week, two introduced by Rep
reSentative LaGuardia of New
York and one by Senator Metcalf
of Rhode Island.
WHEN Prof. Auguste Picard,
w the Brussels University scien-
tist, makes his second ascent by
balloon into the Strathosphere, or
upper atmosphere. he will carry
with him a radio tranSmitter and
receiver of special design SO that
he can maintain contact with the
earth below. During his ascent to
record height of $4,000 feet in
May, 1881. he carried only re-
ceiving set. The lack of a trans
mitter rendered it impossible to
locate him for several days after
his balloon had descended in the
Austrian mountains.
Amateur and other wireless
operators in America and many
other parts of the world may be
able to pick up Prof. PiccardS
messages, for he plans to send out
periodical reports during the
flight on the amateur wave lengths
of Al and 42.8 meters and also on
waves between rs and IS meters
His flight is scheduled to start
from Zurich, Switzerland. where
the balloon and it's small round
steel cabin are now awaiting the
most favorable conditions for
ascent.
Accompanying Prof. Picard will
be M. Max Coseyns, who installed
and will handle the radio. The
receiving set is a four-tube affair
of American make, only about 8
inches square. The tranSmitter
likewise was built on as small
scale as possible. It's power will
be so watts, derived from dry bat
terieS.
OUT Of the laboratories of
~ amateur radio has come a
new development that opens wide
vistas for those who still enjoy the
technical phases of tinkering and
tuning about on the wave lengths.
1t is new amateur radiotele-
phone transmitter, simple of con-
Struction, yet combining the lat
est technique of broadcast engi-
neering practice, that can be built
for less than 500 and that can
be operated in the amateur wave
bands with no special qualifica-
tionS other than the usual anna
teur licenses.
Because of its simplicity and
easy availability, this new trans
mitter, by which ham" can en-
Joy private, personal radiophone
conversations with other "hams"
all over the continent and even in
foreign countries, is expected to
stimulate renewed interest in this
phase of amateur activity. ANA
teur radio, it will be remembered,
is practiced by some $4,000 young
sters throughout the world and