Evening star., 1932-09-18
RA-SH0RT-WAVE.
TESTS ARE SPURRED
Marconi's Feat in "Bending"
Freouencies May Aid TeIe-
vision Perfection.
BY ROBERT MACK.

= PURRED by Marconis recent
claim that he had succeeded in
bending the high fire.
- quencies Of the ether to overcome
space limitations, America S
scientific forces are redoubling their eff
forts in exploring these hitherto un-
known portions of the radio spectrum.
Records of the Federal Radio Com
mission disclose that some SO indi-
viduals and companies have been au-
thOriZed to experiment in the very
high frequencieS, which lie above any
uSable part of the spectrum and which
heretofore have been unknown quanti-
ties. Harvesting of these waves for
radio uses, once successfully accom-
plished, will open great new vistas OF
communication and will start veri-
table gold rush for this newest radio
bonanza.
Test Made With TeleviSiOn.
More than two years ago, it is shown
in commission records, American radio
experimenters began to explore the
ultra-high frequencies, lying above
$4,000 kilocyclea-the presently recog-
nized commercial radio output-in the
hope of overcoming their line of sight
characteristics. Most of them have
been experimenting particularly with
television transmission in those bands,
since to transmit usually requires a
wide frequency range and the ultra
high territory seems to be the only one
available.
A few weeks ago Marconi announced
from Italy that he had succeeded in
bending" ultra-short waves so as to
flat ar ta ho
line sight limitations, by transmit
ting voice and code over distance OF
ITO miles. Ordinarily the extremely
short wave used would travel no farther
than earth's horizon, being DETECTED
into space by the earth's curvature, as
well as blocked by mountains, hills,
path of these 'quasi-optical' waves.
Definite strides also have been made
in this country in the use of these fire.
quencies. Engineers here, however,
have not yet achieved their goal of
actually rendering these waves COM
mercially practicable and, until they
produce more detailed information, are
inclined to be skeptical about the
claims attributed to the noted Italian
inventor, who gave wireless to the world
some 80 years ago.
Used in Plane Test.
Experimental work in the ultra high
frequencies in this country is not con-
fined to television. The Radio Commits
sion has just granted the application of
the KoehIer Aviation Corp, Of Detroit,
to use them in an effort to perfect a
system Of air-to-ground telephone and
telegraph communication. 1t also has
authorized the Department of Conserva-
tion and Development of New Jersey to
use these waves in communication be-
tween four portable stations for the de-
velopment of a system for possible use
in combating forest fires.
AS a matter of fact, frequencieS OF
the order of 10000 kilocycles have been
used for more than year in the
Hawaiian Islands for short range over
water telephone communication, under
authority given by the commission.
Lacking underwater cables. these waves
are used to link the telephone systems
of several of the islands, and the serv-
ice, it is understood, has been entirely
efficient.
Most of the eXperimenter's are leading
companies in the broadcasting and COM
munications elds. which are interested
in developing general research, point
to-point communication, emergency po-
lice service, television, local broadcast
ing and aircraft control. The Govern
ment, at its various laboratories, also is
experimenting in the upper reaches of
the ether.
(Copyright, 1882 by the Consolidated Press,.