RADIO TESTS.

Grey River Argus, 2 November 1928, Page 5

RADIO TESTS.

ACROSS PACIFIC. Low Wave's Success. (Australian & N.z Cable Assn) NKW YORK, October 31. A message from Hartford (Connecti cut) states that radio amateurs in Aim Iralia ami the United States will participate in an interesting experience at two o’clock on the morning of No.enibrr 1 (Eastern standard time), when tests in transmission ’between tvco continents will be made on a ten metre wave length. The trials are porisored by the Anwriean Radio Relay Lcagu-. and will . last, for one week. The principal difficulty on the ten metre length is in the angle of the beam, and Mr E. C. -Crossett, of Chicago, has erected a new transmitter at his summer home, Waianno, Massachusetts, from which tests will be made. Instead of the angle beam being varied !iu"'.zoutally, the beam is variable on a vertical plane. Direction is on the great - ircle to Australia and it is fixed metrically so as to shoot the beam oil un a long tangent practically parallel ;u the sirface of the earth, or to any angle up Io the vertical angle. The beam will be varied constantly in the attempt to find an angle at which communications may be established with Australia on a regular basis. N.Z. MAN’S EXPERIMENTS. O’MEARA’S NEW RECORD. GISBORNE, November 1. The experiment ' radio telegraphy on a ten metre wave length, referred to in a cablegram this morning, follows experiments conducted successfully during the past fortnight by Mr Ivan O'Meara . Hitherto, this low wave has been regarded as of no commercial value, although communication was previou ly established between France and America and across the American! Continent. Dissatisfied with the previous ppin ions. Mr O’Meara embarked on further tests. At 7.20 a.m , New Zealand time, his leu metre signals, sent in code, were picked up and decoded by an amateur station, 6UR, California. A further step was reached on Thursday lust. Avhen between 1 p.rn. and 1.30 p.m., he picked up signal' from station 6XV, of the Federal Telegrtaph Company, Paulo Alto, California, at good strength. Two-way communication on ten metres was established. although not. simultaneously. Mr O’Meara, however, has created a record in this quarter of the globe by maintaining regular two-way communivation with an Adelaide amateur. Mr O’Meara is continuing his experiments, directing attention to the different times, which, he believes, have a more important bearing on the question than the pole beam referred to in the cablegrain. He in confident that it will be only a very short time before regular ten-metre communication, which will be an epoch in radio tclgeraphy, will be established. AUSTRALIAN TELEPHONE TESTS. SYDNEY, November 1. The successful wireless telephony tests were carried out last night at Sydney, people conversing with Java and Schenectady. Reception was clear, the speakers exchanging items of news as if talking from one town to another nearby. MELBOURNE, November 1. The postal department proposes to instal a picture, transmission service from Melbourne to Sydney, using the telegraph lines. By this means it will be possible to publish a picture of an event happening half an-hour earlier in another State. The system will also help the police. • LOOKING-IN” TO SXX Pirtin-e broadcasting by means of Ihe Fultograph system will be made from D.iven’ry SXX in October. Experiments have been carried out l»v the 8.8. C. in conjunction with the Post Office, and a short programme of “still” pictures will be selected for this purpose. “If and when it is discovered that there is a sufficient public demand for ‘still’ pictures radiated in this way,” sa.vs the official announcement, “transnii sion will be included in regular programme hours. Methods of transmitting and receiving uictures such as the Fultograph should not be confused with what is commonly known as television e which is in no way involved iu this scries of experiments, and of which no practical demonstration has yet been made to the 8.8. C.” VALVE RECEIVERS. The Fultograph (it is stated) was originally invented by Mr ThorneBaker, who explained, in an interview the progress the system has macle. Captain' Otho Fulton and Mr Watson. of the well-known c/ptical firm, have made important improvements in the apparatus, and sets for valve receivers arc now working in Australia. “Efforts are being made.” said Mr. Thorne-Baker “to have sonic of these ready for the public in October. Fultograph receivers will cost between £2O and £25. Later attachments for a crystal set. to cost about £5, are to be produced.” A good deal of variety may be obtained from still pictures, and if the method of reception adopted is on sensitised paper actual photographs of events could be sent out and automatically developed. Pictures to be broadcast will consist of photographs and drawings illustrating events of the day, and portraits of persons who arc in the news.

The new process is distinct from television, and is expected to be of special value to the police in broadcasting pictures of persons who are missing. It is possible to transmit photograph* of documents., constructional drawings, and X-ray photographs.