WIRELESS NEWS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18231, 15 November 1924, Page 11

WIRELESS NEWS.

MARS ANI* STRANGE SIGNALS.

WIRELESS WAVES BOUND TO EARTH. (specxuxy wamxir *oa "nm nfass.") (By "Electra.") To the mind of R. H. Redmond, European "Communication Officer of the United States Shipping' Board, it is not only absurd to try to communicate with Mars by wireless, but it is revolutionary. It is in his opinion an attempt to violate the immutable laws of Nature; as. futile as an effort to make water run uphill. Some time ago a number of English scientists, including Sir Oliver Lodge, laboriously explained that wireless waves followed the surf ace of the earth. They did not go. straying off in the direction of the- stars, for if they did we should have to construct much higher aerials than we possess. Well, asks Mr Redmond, if this explanation is true, how useless to try to communicate with Mars. "To the-.layman who gets agreeably excited When he reads various accounts describing mysterious signals which it is suggested nave originated; in -Mars, writes Mr Redmond, /'ft will be a shock to learn that if we. were actually re-t-eiving signals from Mars, present-day theory which is based upon upper strata reflection' and earth waves, would be exploded. "Some scientists claim that '""J*less signals originating on the earth are reflected to great distances, from the upper strata, and others that the waves follow the earth's surface until their energy i a expended. The upper strata referred to above-is.the »n© of rarefied air surrounding the-eartti which, it is claimed,.cannot be penetrated by wireless waves. _ "If the Wireless Waves generated by the stations in America will not penetrate the upper strata, how can we expect to receive such waves from Mars, through this strata? Further, if wireless waves travel only along the : earths surface, bow can signals, from Mars reach us through the air? . . Mysterious Signals. "During fifteeiTyears* experience as a wireless operator and engineer J Mt© hoard ~ many mysterious signals that might be attributed to radio; apparatus on Mars. J . .'■.'. , , "For the last few weeks signals hsnp been received on a 16.6Q0 metre wavelength at the radio station located on. Bush House, which have no connexion whatever with high-power sending etations on the earth. These signals take the form of short dashesi and begin and end abruptly. The practical ;mmd would immediately deduce that such, sighala were caused by nearby electrical apparatus, but "ttie Mars tenthueiast would probably! feel 'certain that he was on the way to fame and publicity. "In of the :*idstmg. aciefltfiip theories 'we /cannot understand why a. Sttube set would receive Mars*any"better than a set, taking 1 into consideration" that the .upper strata are only a few miles above toe earth, 'ana* 'that* only earthly" distances are Bridged if wireless "travels in earth waves."

And Mr" Redmond haß adequately re.fleeted the prevailing mood in London. A month or so ago there was among the savants an unwarranted feeling of optimism that.the approach of Mara I would lead to'discoveries which wptdd bo'to the astronomer and-the physicist what tne~ discovery, of the lostljjokV of tiiyy would he to the historian. But now there is a calmer atmosphere on the heights of Hampstead and. people' are asking themselves, how they could | everbe Bo'fooliahfas to'think that we could talk'to Mai*.' .^ ~ SHORT WAVE WORK. Developments in' Wireless •communication during the past twelve months have been so startling that everyone'has become keenly interested in the subject and "its great possibilities. A, few months' hack Marconi himself spoke by means of his new transmitter at a station in and his voice was clearly heard at a receiving station near Sydney. Since then amateur wireless enthusiasts in England and New Zealand have exchanged Morse signals with very-small power, Marconi from his experimental yacht, "Ellettra," has just reported that he believes, he-has discovered a method of secret wireleßS communication between any two points on the earth.' Such remarkable "■ and far-reaching; discoveries are possible'now because an entirely new field of wireless activity has been opened tip by the use of very short wave-lengths. Marconi first opened up'this field by experiments'undertaken in the Mediterranean as far back as 1917, and he has worked continuously at it to the present day. Others, including many amateur experimenters, have followed him" into this new-field, and have obtained results far beyond their expectations. Marconi recently, described his researches and discoveries from 1917 to 1924 in a lecture before the Boyal Society of Arts. He has sent a full report of his lecture to the editor of "Badio" in Australia, who proposes to make it available for publication shortly.' HERB AND THERE. Try to keep all the grid, and plate connexions as short as possible.' This will place the maximum amount of energy where it belongs, and prevent it leaking ont to' the other parts of the circuit where it can do no'work and'may do harm. Keep the grid wires, short and isolated from other connexions as,far as possible. Never-run the plate, eon* nexions near the grid connexions. i The new Wellington station 2 YJK. (100 watts) is not; yet in-full going order. Station 2-Y.A. is on, bat is received very poorly in Chrifltehurch. Ia the last week I have spoken to a number" of liatenera-in from the West Coast, aad they all-report that 2 BJL comes in 'exceptionally, well over there. Evidently the Alps cot the strength i down for this'district, as I have not yet~ heard of results' to' equal the* Coast stations, Beal. estate dealers in the United States say'that a* good .location for radio broadcast reception, is often a factor in the sale of a house or a plot o'f ground to the home builder. .That the importance of this point is reeogt nised is shown by an advertisement which appeared recently in. one, of" the metropolitan newspapers: —''ISaim w*r„ sale; nine-roomed house; fruit ***!*» two hours, by rail from JSTew excellent -radio reception. £S£ "being Aeard consistently on Ojßf set '' - ' J - .-• '*~l ' Sometimes a radio tion on.account ion in ,one of : tuning r epil. to detect an ** a telephone re to be ordinary *»i closshould;MWi! j winding b broken, «**■:/■ *3SSt*5V repaired, and it save many * v ~'~-" " ~'' •i \ "\. * C K. " 1 - -> fa/ / >* Z~~ t ' ,f ' . . ' >'\' ■.' ' " «

long hoars spent i» loemtiag tmdSt Ift a receiver. ? The'big trans-Atlantis »&• •$«&«■» find thai a wirettretehi«g*wcdS« asl grounded at the far end ffcnegb ft bring in tie signals lead** ttia f&» static The length «£ wire rat fcaar a definite relation to the w*w4bߧl& to be received.