Radio Digest (July 1924-Apr 1925)

August 23, 1924 RADIO DIGES T— Illustrated NEW FUND STARTED RADIO IN HOSPITALS "ROXY AND HIS GANG" BEGIN NOVEL IDEA IN EAST Sweeping Country from East to West; Want Receiving Set in Every Veterans' Hospital NEW YORK. — Once in a century or so, an idealist starts something which gains momentum and size as it is pushed along, like the formation of a gigantic snow ball. This century it was the idea of S. R. Rothafel, of the Capitol theater in New York, who though it would be a boon to sick and injured war veterans if they could hear an occasional Radio concert. Roxy, to use his popular name, was well known in the east, when he conceived the idea a few months ago; now he is known on the other side of the Mississippi, and the snow ball, which he started is rolling toward the Pacific coast. -It is so large and solid it is not likely to melt before some 200 hospitals are equipped. Receiving Sets for Veterans His idea has been accepted by the whole country, and a national committee, including the heads of several governmental departments at Washington, together with admirals and generals, has just completed a plan to equip every hospital in the United States, where ever a single war veteran is quartered, with Radio receiving facilities. Cities, communities, Radiocasters, newspapers, manufacturers and practically everybody has promised cooperation, and to date hundreds of thousands of dollars are collected or pledged. The aim of the national committee is to raise a million dollars, through the aid of state and municipal committees, the funds to be used solely for equipping local hospitals where veterans of the world war are being cared for. Both the heads of the army and naval medical services have endorsed Radio as an efficient aid in the recuperation of government patients. Turn Idea to Government Soon it was discovered that the scheme was taking everywhere; the burden of the work became too great for "Roxy and his gang," and .he appealed to Maj. General Lejeun, commandant of the XJ. S. Marine corps, his former commander. Today practically the whole government is behind the plan. The executive committee has established national headquarters of the "Roxy Radio Fund," in the Munsey building at Washington, D. C. Surveys of 160 hospitals east of the Mississippi river are already completed or are under way, in order that the individual needs may be in hand when the local district committees complete their canvasses for funds with which to purchase equipment. The survey itself is now reduced to a simple form, due to the activities and forethought of the experts of the national committee. A standard form of Radio specifications has been adopted, based upon the Walter Reed equipment. A blank form is sent to each hospital, and the data filled in by an attache. He specifies how many patients, what facilities for a central receiving room are available, method of wiring, and the length of wire necessary. To aid him he has the standard specifications and a model wiring diagram of everything from the antenna to the head phones and ground. Shenandoah Airship Gets Compass Bearings in Air NEW YORK. — During the recent flight of the Naval Air Cruiser Shenandoah, the first use of the Radio compass bearings by an airship was made and proved Successful. While near this city, the Shenandoah encountered heavy fog, and asked the New York harbor Radio compass stations for her bearings. A three point fix or bearing was received, and, while not absolutely accurate, it was sufficiently accurate for any aircraft operations, the commander of the Shenandoah reports. RADIO IS LANGUAGE EVERYBODY TALKS ROME. — A gentleman in this city went into a store the other day to buy a pair of shoes. As the clerk bent over to lace them, he wanted to know if the purchaser desired them laced cris-cross, or horizontally like a football. "How will you have the shoes laced, sir," he asked, "in series or in parallel?" This goes to show the hold that Radio is taking upon the public. STATION WHB HEARD IN MOJAVE DESERT KANSAS CITY. — An engineering corps, experimenting in the Mojave desert, long considered a "dead spot" for Radio reception, has announced that Station WHB, located in this city, has been heard in the noted spot. The experimenters are located on a high, sandy, dry plateau, surrounded by mountains on all sides. High electrical winds make it a true "dead spot." But WHB got through. FAVORITE SCREEN STAR ON AIR The young" lady shown above is none other than Norma Talmadge, noted screen star, shown on the eve of sending out her first Radio message to American Radiophans from Station KG-O, San Francisco. She is one of the few actresses who entertain, audiences, but never see them. This presupposes a desire on the screen favorite's part to take a whirl at the spoken drama, which she is rumored to be considering-. Radio, she claims, brings the star nearer to the public than the silver sheet. Whatever she decides, however, there will always be a warm spot in her heart for the Radiophans, and the Radio fraternity in general. Int. News FRENCH SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATE STATIC NEW SYSTEM DEVISED IS PROVING SUCCESSFUL Permits Two-Way Communication with One Aerial; Static and Other Noises Eliminated Automatically PARIS. — The "static bugaboo" which has bothered Radio operators and listeners for all the long years that Radio telegraphy and telephony have been in use, is now causing much discussion in France. The French scientists, slow to take serious offense at such a bothersome item — more apt to shrug expressive shoulders and struggle along — have at last turned their full attention to the solution of the puzzle. They have developed several interesting ideas, if not actually reaching a solution. The study of atmospheric disturbances by one entire branch of the governmental meteorological service is one step that has been taken toward eliminating static. This study is being made at considerable cost by Captain R. Bureau, of Paris, whose discoveries and theories have already been discussed before the French Academy of Sciences. Second on the list of French static investigators— and even more important if his claims be true — is an engineer of the official Posts and Telegraph service, M. Verdan of Strassbourg. He maintains that he has discovered a -way of eliminating all parasites from Radio telegraphic communications. Uses Special System Only a brief description of his apparatus is obtainable as yet. It suggests in some way the system of John Hays Hammond for secret communication. M. Verdan claims that by a special system of predetermined tangling and untangling of the signals, all impulses not meant for the set receiving the message will be eliminated automatically. Static will drop out just as effectively as will an interfering, uncoded message. The receiving apparatus is applied with a printing machine somewhat like the Creed or Wheatstone types of automatic receivers. This apparatus is so connected with the aerial that it actually rejects any extraneous signals, either from other stations or from natural causes, which come through the aerial to it. Another big advantage of this new system, says M. Verdan, is that two-way work can be handled without having to separate the transmitting and receiving aerials. Simultaneous messages flash out and in without any interference, all sorting being done by the automatic apparatus. Tests Prove Successful" Many tests have been made with success. Engineers claim a dependable all year round transmission method for Radio telegraphy and possibly, later on, for telephony as well. It is expected, also, that the method will be useful in the transmission of photographs by Radio. The summer static has virtually stopped the experiments of M. Belin on such Radio photograph work and it seems probable that this procedure -will never work successfully until static interference is successfully eliminated. WHK Will Increase Power; Operate as Toll Station CLEVELAND. — WHK, Hotel Winton here, now employing but 100 watts, is rumored to be planning the installation of a 500-watt transmitter. J. N. Thorburn, engineer for Station WJAX, Union Trust company, will be engineer in charge of the new Hotel Winton outfit. While officials at the Winton have made no statement, it is common talk that the new equipment will be operated as a toll station for profit. Radio compasses, or direction finders, have been installed on the Leviathan and S. S. President McKinley, of the Shipping Board, eight ships of the Admiral Line, nine of the Matson Navigation company, and four of the Standard Oil company. THE ANTENNA BROTHERS Spir L. and Lew P. Bovine Interference