BEAM WIRELESS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3362, 29 August 1927, Page 7

BEAM WIRELESS.

At one stage in the development of wireless amateurs were restricted to practising with wave lengths of 300 metres or under, which was then deemed to be the non-commercial sphere for transmission. Experiments soon proved that, within limits, the shorter the wave length the longer were the distances which could be covered, writes Sir Robert Donald, 0.8. E., in the “Daily Telegraph.” Senator Marconi, who had been experimenting during and immediately after the war, by his long and patient demonstrations placed short wave transmissions on a practical and commercial basis. One, might say that the position is now reversed, and that tho non-commercial wireless is that which uses long waves. It is doubtful whether more stations of the Rugby type will be erected except for universal broadcasting on a non-commercial basis. It looks as if the future lay with the beam. The success of the short wave directional, or beam, has been unexpected by wireless experts outside this country, who questioned Senator Marconi’s optimism and took a sceptical view of his experiments. He and his colleagues may now feel proud of their triumph, as beam stations are springing up all over the world, some of them being built on behalf of companies which a few years ago had no faith in the system. If the beam stations erected for the Post Office by the Marconi Company had failed, the result would have been disastrous for that corporation. As it is, it seems as if the beam were to bring it renewed prosperity. As far as the British Empire is concerned, we are within sight of the completion of the major Empir chain. The Canadian Beam sei'vice is now carrying about 140,000 words per week. The Australian service is living up to its early promise, but it must not be assumed that these two or other stations are likely to work at fullest capacity or at greatest efficiency during the first months of operation. In a new and revolutionary development of this kind there are unforseen snags which must be overcome, and research and experiments inevitably go on after the system is working'. To attain precise unity of working and the same standard of manual dexterity in stations separated by half the world is a difficult task, and it must be remembered that the Post Office, in securing itself absolutely against risk, does not complete paying for the stations, or relieve the Marconi Company of its responsibility, until six months after tho stations have been operating. It may, therefore, be said that tests continue for six months.

The next station to the Empire chain to lie opened is that for > communicating with South Africa. The official tests for this station have begun. The corresponding stations in England are at Bodmin and Bridgewater, in association with the Canadian stations. On this side the Grimsby and Skegness stations are ready to begin operating with India, but it will be a month before the stations in India are thoroughly complete. It has been necessary to change wave lengths in this case ami to alternate between 16.816 and 34.168 metres. It takes about twenty minutes to change over. These are the major stations in the Empire chain included in the Government plan, erected in England by tho Marconi Company and by its associated companies in the Dominions. New Zealand is still without a wireless policy, which is, surprising in the case of this enterprising Dominion. It showed caution by not following tho example of Australia and South Africa in committing itself in the first instance to costly high-power stations, but there is no reason why it should hesitate longer in having its own stations fo- direct, communication with England. Newfoundland, one of the great centres of Empire communication, is also without its own wireless service.

Besides these main stations, interimperial communication will be established. Stations are now,being built to put Australia and Canada into direct communication with each other. Under its wireless concession from the Egyptian Government, the Marconi Company will erect beam stations for communication with India and England. _ It looks as if Egypt may become a wireless Clapham Junction. ' There was keen competition between the Eastern Telegraph Company and Marconi for the Egyptian concession, which included the taking over of the obsolete Post Office station near Cairo, erected under the former Empire scheme, for communicating with Leafield. With stations in the north and south of Africa and in India, it is obviously necessary that the circuit should be enlarged, and that wireless communications should be established between all the British possessions in Africa. The Portuguese Government is ahead of use in having only a few weeks ago. inaugurated a wireless service between Lisbon and its African colonies. Other scattered territories within the British Empire are being- linked up with wireless. The West Indies, formerly isolated; are now united by cables and wireless, all under British control. The network is being extended by new stations linking up Bermuda and Jamaica. We may look forward in the early future to the adoption of cheap wireless as the medium for bridging over the vast spaces within the Empire, as in the Continent of India, in Australia, and in the Canadian North-west. Simultaneously with the erection on behalf of the British Government of stations in England for communicating with South Africa, India, Australia, the Marconi Company is erecting a large multiple beam centre at Dorchester, which will include seven transmitting stations for communication with the United States, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Egypt, the Far East, and elsewhere. It is a further tribute to the success of the beam that the big Radio Corporation of America has given the Marconi Company an order to install a beam station in the United States on its own behalf.

Beam stations are being adopted to a large extent under the concession obtained by tlie Marconi Company from the Portuguese possessions. One chain of stations has been completed; two_ beam stations at Lisbon will communicate with stations in the Portuguese colonies communicating with Mozambique and Loamla. There will also be stations at Madeira, the Azores, and at Cape Verde, while,a long-wave station at Lisbon is erected for communicating with the rest of Europe. The Portuguese system was officially inaugurated in the presence of the President and Prime Minister on 30th April. There arc other developments in beam wireless, notably one of the large European companies has just given an order id Marconi to erect a station in place of the provisional and incomplete station which it has already been operating. It looks at present as if the short-wave system, directional and otherwise, will be adopted all over the world, except for official purposes by Governments or for universal broadcasting. The South American Continent in also a promising sphere for wireless development. At present it costs more to telegraph direct from England to Bueos Aires than it does to send a message to that country via New York, down the west coast of the United States, across Central America, down the west coast of South America, and over the Andes to Buenos Aires. In a short period there will he direct wireless from England to Buenos Aires. That city will also be put in direct communication by wireless with Bio. Bapid developments may he expected with short-wave wireless throughout the whole of South America, where the Marconi Company’s activities include running the whole postal, telegraph. and wireless services in Peru. A heavy loss under State operation has been" Uirtied into a substantial profit, and, following upon this example, Pern’s neigh-

hour, Bolivia, has just granted a similar concession to Marconi. The Eastern Telegraph Company, which lost thei Egyptian' concession, defeated Marconi in competing for the wireless concession in Greece, and the Marconi Company is now building a station for its successful rival. It is significant that this big cable company should enter into tho wireless sphere.