Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1922)

12 RADIO BROADCAST were reaping a harvest. To them the radio telephone presented an exceptional opportunity. The story of the Bell telephone was to be duplicated, but on a larger scale; radio telephones would be installed in every home for communication purposes; wires and cables would be done away with; everyone would carry a vest-pocket or vanity-bag type of transmitter and receiver for instant use in t >, .1 ,i I THE FIRST TOWER AT WGI Where the American Radio Research Company did some experimental broadcasting in 191 5 calling up any one else and so on. These gentlemen may or may not have believed their own word pictures; but the main thing is that a proportion of the public did. And they parted with their money. Even so, never did a stock promoter prophesy radio receiving sets in most American homes for the purpose of listening to speakers and to the world's best music. That would have have been too much to spring on the public! Of course there had to be some proofs. There had to be something more tangible than mere word pictures for the public to part with its money. So, certain demonstrations were arranged for between various points. One of these demonstrations took place between two cities. Everything worked to perfection. The results were absolutely wonderful, and nothing of the kind had ever before been realized. The public was enchanted, nothing less; but the true scientists and radio workers were completely baffled. Then, when certain interests were closely investigated, an unpaid bill for the leasing of a telegraph line between said two cities on a certain date came to light. Needless to say, the date corresponded with that of the successful test of the wireless telephone. The inference is obvious. Another time it was a German company's turn to make a demonstration for the German army. The test was to be between Berlin and another city more than one hundred miles distant. Although nothing of much consequence had ever been done with this particular German wireless telephone system, on this occasion it worked like a charm. An inquisitive German officer, seeking some explanation for the sudden jump in radio progress, not to forget the remarkable clearness and loudness of the received conversation, suddenly discovered a telegraph line running directly between the transmitting and receiving stations. There was no physical connection, however, but nevertheless the radio waves had a nice, easy path to travel between the two stations, which made for such clear and loud reception. There were other cases, too numerous to mention, some being a deliberate attempt to defraud, and others quite innocently helped along by questionable methods. The arc was an impossible means of radio telephony, at least as it was then employed. Many workers gave much time and more money to the problem, and little by little the distances covered were extended into the hundreds of miles. But the results were always of a laboratory nature and nothing of a commercial character ever appeared likely. WHEN THE RIVAL BECAME A PARTNER LET US skip over the ensuing years of radio / telephone history, with more and more workers trying to harness the balky arc generator and the troublesome microphone problem. We come to Dr. Lee de Forest, an American radio worker, and his development of the little device known as the vacuum tube, which is little more than an electric lamp with a few elements added. Electrically speaking, it is far more than an electric lamp, because it can do' more remarkable things than any piece of