RADIO IN A BALLOON

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 21

RADIO IN A BALLOON

NO STATIC OVER 3000 FEET,

Static, that mysterious interference to the reception of radio signals, which is perhaps one of the greatest puzzles to radio experts to-day,.-.' may :be confined to an atmospheric belt about the earth. At least that is the possible conclusion reached in special tests made by Balph Upson, one of the mo»t prominent American aircraft who was a contestant in the. national balloon race, which started from Indianapolis,, on 4th July. „■'■■..

Upson s balloon >vas equipped with a powerful light-weight radio set. by the General Electric .Company. For six weeks preceding the race, Upson had used the set in his home, and had become thoroughly familiar with ite operation under various conditions. His experience had taught him what static sounded hke, and he also learned that the air seemed particularly ailed with it when there was an electrical storm in the vicinity, so much so, in fact, that one of the uses he planned for his radio outfit in the race was'to detect thunder storm belore the lightning might be visible.

In his tentative report to the General Wectnc Company made after the race, Upson writes: . '

;' One of the outstanding happenings in the use of radio in the balloon race was that at altitudes of 3000 feet and above we observed absolutely no static whatever, although we could see lightning at various points on the horizon." U.psonis chief purpose of carving radio waa to help hjni win the race. Five of the principal broadcast stations >ad arranged to send out special weather i-e-S'S*.™ current* during the iirst night of the race and the follow;:^ morning. In 'regard to this,' Upsoli

Andrus, my aide, acted as chief racSvj operator He began, listening' in' a^ 8.30 the night of the race. .At-first he couii hear nothing Dut code signals', concerto trom various stations, and a radio dr?na that was being sent out from a Oics.ro station For an hour this was about all we could hear. Then ,at 9.45 o'clock central time, Andrus picked up the Matter part of the weather report' bi™ •Toadcaßteo from Scheijectady. ' "E oew-d .just enough of it to make vs, v<& we had . ne&rd the entire report 7-r o<r ,' ever our disappointment, was. short"; ;or » tew;.moments later th« whole rooovfc was repeated, eve;y word being- <><w and distinct. It was just the news we wanted. ■ ■

:\ s n result of Uio-information, -no decided to -go .-,, little higher, but not to try any high altitudes .unless forced u> it by i,liuiider*torms. '!'(, c -o o —* gave us full confiilcnce by oaajiiin" >-•■; XorK State and possibly New Errand JJyerythmg seemed so favourable 3,at f turned in to Bleep, leaving -tha b^oon appendix partially closed. Then came the accident, and. yoz know tr,<s ;»,st, a forced idnrtag."

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. For CoughE *nd Coldi. nerer JatUrAdrt.