Evening star., 1933-12-04
BALLOON AER|ALS'
USE AGAIN IS SEEN
Success of Settle Radio
Tests at Great Heights
Opens Up New Field.

n Ado stations of the future may
- rain down their signals from
captive balloon aerials sent into
L the StratoSphere. This posi-
bility is seen as a result of the
successful radio communication main
tanned during the Settle -Fordney strato-
sphere flight from height of II miles.
Radio engineers watched the results
achieved during that epochal venture
with intense interest. 1t confirms en-
gineering theory about the use OF ultar-
high frequencies at great heights, and
the day is foreSeen when televiSion, as
well as voice impulses, will be trans
mitted on the ultra-high frequencies,
now regarded as experimental.
At the Federal Radio Commission
engineers pointed out that the ultra
high frequencies seem to work best from
tremendous heights because of their
line of sight" characteristics. In other
words, these short waves are obStructed
by animate objects and when used
at ordinary levels are blocked from
reception over distances of more
than a few miles. When the aerial,
which catapults the signals into space,
is higher than any other structure in
the locality, the signals literally pour
down and can easily be picked up on
receiving aerialS.
1t is believed that captive balloons or
metallic kites ultimately will serve as
aerialS for ultra-high frequency sta
tionS. Since tcleVision seems destined
for ultra-high bands, eXperimenterS are
working en- transmission from such
heights The National Broadcasting
Co. more than a year ago installed an
experimental television station atop the
Empire State Building in New York.
Thl kltp 4ntpDDa Il As old AZ radio
itself. Marconi. discoverer of radio,
t or tha rs5 fn TIME he s. yeas ago
This was The beginning Of radio. Nov,
after a generation. the engineers are
turning back to this first type OF an
tenna kDE<A: pioneer staten at Pitts,
in experimentation with success.
x < 4 x
TWO youngsters from Franklin, Idaho,
l. are to have the experience of their
hves-a visit to New York City and
do some broadcasting besides-all be-
cause they wrote a letter.
TIE boys. Holling and Richard Lowe.
in their letter offered to trade As bird
eggs. a baby and mamma" sheep and
a 7-Week-Old calf for a modern house
hold appliance as help to their sick
mother. The letter. addressed to
large Eastern manufacturer. was turned
over to Charles Francis Coe. author and
lecturer and a decision made to bring
the boys to New York.
The broadcast, over N B. c. will be
In three sections. the first Friday night,
with Coe reading the boys letter and
making other comments about them.
The following Friday the boys them
selves will go befort the microphone
Shortly after their arrival in New York.
\ Then, on the third Friday they will tell
OF their experiences in a weeks stay in
the Metropolis.
x 4 = X
THE Columbia chain is cooking up
i another special stunt for repeal"
day tomorrow. In addition to the
afternoon broadcast of actual repeal by
the thirty-SiXth State. the chain plans
a cross-country pickup of the celebra-
ton Of the event from midnight on
NIicrophone visits will be made to lead
ing hotels and night clubs in New
York. Chicago and San Francisco.
Twenty minutes Will be spent in each
city.
= x = x
TTOL will broadcast a description of
w the heavyweight match between
Johnny Risko and Walter Neusel
tomorrow at $50 pm. direct from the
ringside in RidgeWood Grove, Brooklyn,
. N. Y Sam Taub, New York sports an
nouncer. will be at the microphone.