# Talk:Needle telegraph

Redirecting this page to electrical telegraph is not so useful to the reader.  It might be if there was a specific section to redirect to, but there isn't and the reader is likely to feel lost and confused.  I don't agree that sources don't support "needle telegraph" being a thing.  The two main systems that arose, the Morse system and the Cooke and Wheatstone system, used distinct methods of receiving messages.  Cooke and Wheatstone was exclusively a needle telegraph.  The Morse system never was. SpinningSpark 17:51, 20 December 2018 (UTC)

This page currently only links to one telegraph system. Electrical telegraph#History shows that many systems used needles, indeed I would say that a needle was an intrinsic part of many electrical telegraphs. However this page implies that "Needle telegraph" is a distinct thing, whereas what it should be more properly be titled is Telegraphs that used needles, and the best place to discuss "telegraphs that used needles" is Electrical telegraph where we say things like:
"Hans Christian Ørsted discovered in 1820 that an electric current produces a magnetic field which will deflect a compass needle."
"In 1835, Joseph Henry and Edward Davy invented the critical electrical relay. Davy's relay used a magnetic needle which dipped into a mercury contact"
"The telegraph invented by Baron Schilling von Canstatt in 1832...consisted of six galvanometers with magnetic needles, suspended from silk threads."
"In 1833, Carl Friedrich Gauss...was able to make the distant needle move in the direction set by the commutator on the other end of the line."
etc...
In my opinion that's the best place to send people who want to read about needle telegraphs.--Pontificalibus 18:06, 20 December 2018 (UTC)
All your examples above, except Schilling, are not examples of needle telegraphs.  They are more general applications of magnetic deflection of needles, of which there are indeed many.  The "many systems" discussed at Electrical telegraph are mostly different Cooke and Wheatstone systems which are all discussed in much more detail in the specific article.  You may think that "telegraphs that used needles" is a more proper title, but there are no reliable sources that agree with you, whereas there are thousands that use the phrase "needle telegraph".  Cooke and Wheatstone and other systems are repeatedly referred to as "needle telegraphs". SpinningSpark 20:13, 20 December 2018 (UTC)
Do you not agree that this is an improvement on the redirect to Cooke and Wheatstone which is where it used to go? SpinningSpark 20:17, 20 December 2018 (UTC)
I don't think a dab-style page is useful if it only links to one telegraph system and a couple of biography articles. However perhaps if this was developed more into an article and then summarised in Electrical telegraph#History that might an improvement. I've just found a couple of extensive sources about this so will see if I can't expand this over the next week or two.--Pontificalibus 20:30, 20 December 2018 (UTC)

This review is transcluded from Talk:Needle telegraph/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Reviewer: The4lines (talk · contribs) 02:58, 9 July 2020 (UTC)

@SpinningSpark: I will start this review now. It is my first review so please if I miss something or forget something please tell me. Best, Signed,The4lines |||| (You Asked?) (What I have Done.) 02:58, 9 July 2020 (UTC)

GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
It is reasonably well written.
a (prose, spelling, and grammar):  b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists): 

It is factually accurate and verifiable.
a (reference section):  b (citations to reliable sources):  c (OR):  d (copyvio and plagiarism): 

It is broad in its coverage.
a (major aspects):  b (focused): 

It follows the neutral point of view policy.
Fair representation without bias: 

It is stable.
No edit wars, etc.: 

It is illustrated by images and other media, where possible and appropriate.
a (images are tagged and non-free content have fair use rationales):  b (appropriate use with suitable captions): 

Overall:
Pass/Fail: 


### Early ideas
Unlink  Hans Christian Ørsted as you have linked before.
It is conventional to repeat links that also appear in the lead.  See MOS:DUPLINK. SpinningSpark 12:38, 9 July 2020 (UTC)
I got them messed up...


### Gauss and Weber telegraph
Steinheil first installed his telegraph along five miles of track covering four stations around Munich When did he do it?

The source doesn't say, so we can't put a definite date in the article, but by implication, it was around 1837.  It has to have occured in the short window between Steinheil being asked to look into railway telegraphs in 1836 and his installation on the Nūrnberg-Fūrth railway in 1838, so I think there is enough context there for the reader. SpinningSpark 12:38, 9 July 2020 (UTC)
Yeah I wanted to see if there was. It is fine.


### Overall
Does not seem to me to have many porblems! Great refs and facts. Almost sure it is good to go after you fix the stuff I put. Best, Signed,The4lines |||| (You Asked?) (What I have Done.) 03:25, 9 July 2020 (UTC)

@Spinningspark: Passing, again sorry for the mistakes, it was my first rewiew.  Signed,The4lines |||| (You Asked?) (What I have Done.) 14:26, 9 July 2020 (UTC)
That's no problem, better to have the issues looked at than not. SpinningSpark 15:23, 9 July 2020 (UTC)