Latest Morse Development.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 8, 1 June 1907, Page 284

Latest Morse Development.

A new system of telegraphy has been invented by Stephen D. Field, the well-known telegraph engineer. The new system is a modification of the Morse, and is, the inventor believes, the final step in its development. In the Morse system of transmission, the relays at each station are operated directly by the current from a battery which flows through the line when the key is closed. The strength of the current at each relay, and hence the sharpness of the signals, depends, of course, upon the voltage employed and the electrical constants of the line. But they also depend upon the goodness of the line insulation, and in bad weather so much leakage may take place that it will be impossible to obtain sharp signals : the relays respond slowly and transmission is tedious and difficult. Mr. Field's new system is designed to overcome this trouble and render the line independent of the weather, and other factors having a similar influence. It has given beautiful results on an artificial line purposely made as bad as possible. In the new system of Morse transmission, advantage is taken of the idle time occupied by the spaces in the alphabet to store up, at each station where the transmission key is being manipulated, a small amount of energy from the line battery and relay discharge currents, said energy being utilised in the formation of the next succeeding dot or dash. The result is accomplished by means of an induction coil and condenser arranged to bridge the signal key. When a key is open, a condenser is charged through a heavy impedance which is formed by the primary of an induction coil, the secondary of which is included in the line circuit. On closure of the key, the energy stored in the condenser acts inductively upon the primary winding, setting up currents in a direction to assist the line battery in its work. As a result of this arrangement, all the relays in the circuit respond firmly and quickly to the key movements, no matter how " high " their adjustment, and it becomes possible to work circuits at full speed during stormy weather, which, under old conditions, could only be operated very slowly or not at all.