Radio Digest (Oct 1923-July 1924)

April 1921 RADIO DIGEST — Illustrated TIME, DISTANCE OF AIRWAVES MEASURED DOT TRAVELS 8,500 MILES IN .046 SECONDS Message Sent from Washington to Warsaw, Answer Received in Three Minutes WASHINGTON. — Some well-informed Radio engineers and many blase Radiophans were electrified and even astounded to observe the Radio time and speed experiments of Captain R. H. Ranger, conducted a few days ago at the Cosmos Club here. He" not only transmitted a Radio message 4,250 miles to Warsaw, Poland, and got a reply in approximately three minutes, but he measured the time required for a single Radio impulse to make the round trip as .046 seconds. The latter experiment was to show that contrary to a popular conception, Radio is not instantaneous. "The fact that a Radio impulse travelling over a given distance, negotiates this space in a definite and fixed time, may set a new standard against which time and distance may be measured, giving a degree of accuracy and reliability surpassing even the accepted methods of astronomical observations," Captain Ranger declared. What Experiments Mean "What does he mean?" some of the uninitiated immediately inquired. He meant that since it takes appreciable and measurable time for a Radio signal (a dot in this instance) to travel a given distance, we have a new standard measuring instrument which will remain the same for centuries, and, with continued use, our ability to measure even small lapses of time will increase. Practical applications include aids to the mariner, until recently dependent upon dead reckoning when the sun was invisible and Radio beacons were not available. "Radio," Captain Ranger said "will be the answer to civilization's demand for greater accuracy." Already this system makes it possible to check the accuracy of automatic relays and in the future we may expect more useful applications. For example, to check time differences between two distant points. With a globeencircling chain of powerful stations, the world time could be carefully calibrated. The Radio "dot" can eventually be made to act as a very accurate check on longitude determinations. Checks Difference in Longitude By way of explanation, Captain Ranger said: "Suppose clocks at Warsaw and New York are geared accurately to the sun's time at each locality. Then transmit Warsaw's sun time to New York. The difference in the two clocks, in New York, gives the portion of the day or revolution of the world between the two, which is the difference in the longitude. "With the present advances, in Radio, the least accurate part of such measurements comes in the solar observations, but in spite of this, accuracies below fifteen feet in the 4250 miles covered, are in order." When the round-the-world Radio "robin" has checked the speed of Radio waves to the final degree, Radio alone will give the actual distances between any two points, according to this engineer. Concerning the possibility of communicating with Mars, the Captain was skeptical, due to the fact that the earth's envelope acts as an impervious electric mirror and reflects Radio waves to the earth. This "heavyside" layer, he explained, would tend to deflect any signals emanating from Mars. Rotary Uses Radio Sets to Bring Joy to Shut-ins DALLAS, TEX. — "Bringing Sunshine to the Shut-in," is the slogan of the Radio shut-in committee of the Dallas Rotary Club. It was announced recently that an appeal for funds to buy a receiving set for the home of every shut-in in Dallas county, was under way. LAW FAILS TO BLOCK "WHISTLING NOISES" CHICAGO. — Present regulations of the Department of Commerce prevent legal restriction of Radio interference by improperly operated regenerative receivers, according to E. A. Beane, ninth district Radio supervisor. Mr. Beane said recently that within the past two weeks he has received hundreds of letters and telephone calls from Radiophans complaining of the whistling noises produced by regenerative sets without proper coupling adjustments. PRISONERS TAKE "U" COURSE IN AIRWAVES STATE COLLEGE. PA. — Several Radtophan prisoners at Rockvlew penitent i. .unty, have enrolled in thi course of Pennsylvania State College. They are permitted the use of the pri.son receiving set for experimental work in connection with the studies. Instructors in college extension work visit the prison twice a week to conduct classes and report much interest in Radio engineering among the prisoners enrolled. APPEALS FOR GREEK ORPHANS Mine. M. Fsamados, wife of the Greek Charge d' Affaires in Washington, recently made an appeal over Station WRC, Washington, D. C, for the suffering orphans of Greece. In addition to the appeal, Mow. Fsamados, who is a talented singer, charmed the thousands of unseen listeners with a program of Greek folk songs. United Photo 200 in Two Hours Answer WAAW's Radio for Slogan OMAHA. — More than 200 telegrams were received within two hours by the Station WAAW, Omaha Grain Exchange, recently after a message had been broadcast asking for a slogan. The slogan was to have been made of words beginning with the letters WAAW. The judges awarded first prize for "Where Agriculture Accumulates Wealth" to Harvey C. Dendall of Lincoln, Neb. Calcutta Fan's 5-Valve Set Hears Pittsburg Broadcast LONDON. — Pittsburgh's broadcasting has been heard in Calcutta, India, according to recent dispatches from that city. A Calcutta amateur Radio fan, understood to have been using a five-valve set, picked up broadcasting from Pittsburgh for a half hour. British listeners had failed to hear the broadcasting when it was relayed from London, due to atmospheric conditions here. MOVIE DOG BARKS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD STORY AROUSES BULL PUP; ATTACKS RECEIVER Strongheart Tells of the Scrccnland "Flappers"; Says He Has a Devoted Wife ITROIT.— Strongheart and his adi mate, Lady Jule, the two famo tars del vast aun 0 enthusiasts, including tho dog family, when they recently none in the studi WCX, the Detroit heart barked out his story and v. all over the Unite iada. Lady Jule was less demonstrative and had very little to say. As most everyone who attended movies knows. Strong hear a German shepherd dog. His English, while impressive, was only understood by the dog Radiophans, and from the communications WCX has received from i parts of the country, the dog listeners apparently were many. Bull Pup Attacks Loud Speaker A letter received from a bakery in Marion, Ohio, states that when Strongheart began to bark his story from WCX, a listening in bull pup started a ro house by making a ferocious attack on the loud speaker. After Strongheart had finished his three-minute discourse in barks, his manager stepped to the microphone and interpreted what he said and this is it: "My name is Strongheart. My weight is 92 pounds. I am a German shepherd dog. Some call me a police dog, but there is no such breed of dog as that. I will admit, however, that I am a trained police dog, but for a considerable time I have been a movie star. Like many others engaged in that particular vocation I take much delight in female society. Takes Jule for Better or Worse "So one day when a bunch of doggy flappers frisked before me I decided it would be better all around to take a companion for life. I gave them all the onceover and finally decided upon Lady Jule here. She weighs only 62 pounds. Although at one time a regular flapper. I have found her a most devoted and faithful wife. We have five children back In Hollywood and they are the cutest things you ever saw.'' Both Strongheart and Lady Jule were a theater attraction here recently. During their spare time they visited many schools and hospitals where they delighted thousands of little folks. Broadcasting Circuit Makes Its Appearance Wendell Hall "Booked Ahead" on Vaudeville Plan NEW YORK. — In vaudeville various acts are booked ahead and regular schedules laid out for them to visit a chain of theaters. The "Radio Circuit" has been created by the National Carbon company in making arrangements far in advance for its popular entertainer, Wendell Hall, to travel a chain of broadcasting stations on a predetermined schedule. Mr. Hall, widely known as the "Red Headed Music Maker," has already ap■d at Stations WIP, WDAR, WFI. WEAF, WJAR, WCAO, WSB, KTW. WDAF, WOS and WWJ. His route includes WBAC, Columbus, April 4; WSAI, Cincinnati, April 1, 3, and 5. WBBX Is Name of New Sears-Roebuck Station CHICAGO. — The new Sears-Roebuck Agricultural Foundation broadcasting station. planned to go on the air early in April, will be called WBBX, according to an announcement from Edgar^L. Bill, program director. Work is being Tushed not only on the station itself, but also on the loop studio in the Hotel Sherman. THE ANTENNA BROTHERS Spir L. and Lew P. A Police "Flivver" Set, Maybe