Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

causing a lowering of ionization near the poles for one polarity, and intensification of ionization for the other." The determination of the critical zone on the sun was reported to be an outgrowth of observation started several years ago by Mr. Nelson, using a six-inch reflecting telescope constructed by himself. He was later joined by Mr. Hallbcrg and Miss Ai'zinger in a research pro- gram which includes the prepara- tion of daily maps and the issuance of daily radio weather forecasts. Better Predictions Possible The further localization and con- firmation of the critical zone, and the confinement of sunspot counts to those in this zone, will not only increase the day-to-day correlations of ionosphere and circuit perform- ance, but will provide a more real- istic basis for frequency predictions over the sunspot cycle, the RCA engineers reported, adding: "Practical application of the crit- ical zone, as here indicated, has pro- duced a dependable forecasting service with many hits registered THE SEMI-CIRCLE ON THE LEFT OF THE UPWARD LINE INDICATES THE "CRITICAL zone" of THE SUN WHERE THE PRESENCE OF SUN-SPOTS MOST SERIOUSLY AFFECTS RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. within fifteen minutes. Its use is now an accepted RCA Communi- cations, routine service, and an unquestionable aid to traffic hand- ling. The forecasts are distributed daily throughout the RCA system. Gratitude for assistance in the RCA project was expressed to meteorologists of the Harvard Astronomical Observatory, Climax, Colorado; the Mount Wilson Observ- atory, Pasadena, California; the McMath-Hulbert Observatory, Pon- tiac, Michigan; the U. S. Naval Ob- servatory, Washington, D. C.; and the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory of the Bureau of Stand- ards. APPROVE TAPE RELAY SYSTEM Leading Nations Express Interest in Proposed Plan to Use Latest Communications Method NEARLY all leading Countries of the world are participat- ing or have agreed to participate in the extension of a system of international radio communications employing modern printing tape re- lay methods. Sidney Sparks, Vice President in Charge of Commercial Activities of RCA Communications, Inc., reported on June 23, in Mexico City, at the summer general meet- ing of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Tape relay operation, highly de- veloped during and since World War II, permits messages to be transmitted from the network of one nation over one or more radio links and into the national network of another country without cus- tomary manual reprocessing at intermediate points, Mr. Sparks explained. "The efficiency with which traffic can be relayed by the new methods," he said, "minimizes incentives to maintain direct circuits, and a logical trend in the international network will be toward fewer cir- cuits carrying heavier traffic loads at lower unit cost. Tape relay traffic routes will be available at lower cost and will be used increasingly to avoid delays due to interruption or congestion of direct circuits." Mr. Sparks said that growth since the war of the international printing tape relay network, in the face of difficulties, is a "clear indi- cation that the international radio- telegraph industry is conscious of its responsibilities and opportuni- ties." As a pioneer in the modernization of radio's international facilities, RCA renders assistance to com- munication ministries all over the world, providing them with con- crete engineering proposals and plans to improve and extend radio- telegraph services. "If the printing tape relay con- cept ultimately prevails," Mr. Sparks said, "then some future SIDNEY SPARKS (RIGHT) , VICE PRESIDENT OF RCA COMMUNICATIONS, AND A GROUP OF U.N. OFFICIALS, WATCH THE TAPE RELAY TRANSMISSION OF RADIOTELE- GRAPH MESSAGES FROM LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y., DIRECT TO GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. international radiotelegraph con- ference may attack the frequency problem on a more fundamental basis than has heretofore been con- templated." Instead of attempting to parcel out frequencies to each country sufficient to meet the requirements of its many direct circuits, the conference may undertake to estab- lish the pattern for an international tape relay network such as to insure high grade service for each country, with adequate safeguards for eco- nomic, political and military in- terests. [RADIO AGE 9;