A WIRELESS WONDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1919, Page 5

A WIRELESS WONDER.

RECENTLY REPORTED INVENTION. INTERESTING INTERVIEW. A recent New York cabhyram stated that Dr Ernest Alcxanclerson, an American inventor, had perfected a device for making possible a wireless telephono conversation between New York and New Zealand, and that the device assures perfect hearing at a distance of 12,000 miles. Interviewed in Sydney regarding this announcement, Mr. E. T. Fisk, managing director of the Amalgamated Wirclosu (Australasia) Limited, made the following statements to the wireless. Press:—. The report that Dr. Enrest Alexanderson, an American invenFor, has perfected a device for making possmle wireless telephone conversation between New York and New Zealand is sufficiently vague to make one ask for more, said Mr. Ffak. Unfortunately, there is a wide difference between perfecting a device for a given purpose and actually demonstrating that the device will do what is required, and therefore, we may hope that a practical demonstration of Dr. Alexanderson's claims will be given. Wireless telephone conversation across % distance of several thousand miles is not impassible. It has already been practically demonstrated that wireless telegraph messages can be received from at least 12,000 miles distance. Ths only difference between wireless telegraphy and wireless telephony is in some of the apparatus employed The laws and conditions of Nature which are the first essential, are alike in both cases, ana the ether waves which carry the telegraph signals will also carry the telephone speech. It is well known to all experts that wireless speech ould \w transmitted from any wireless telegraph but for the one difficulty of controlling the heavy electrical currents with the microphone. Tn wireless elegraphv t.he heavy current sare controlled by a Morse kev, whieK without difficulty, can be made sufficiently massive: but the microphone which w.» us-> tin nil and land telegraph system, is much more delicate, and that lm« been the great difficulty to be overcome in wireless telephony. During recent years several methods of overcoming that have been decised, and Signor Marconi has given some successful demonstrations of wireless telephony. The most remarkable demonstration, however, was made a few yean aaro with a large station in Washington, TTS.A.. and on that occasion tilio speech from Washington was heard at the wireless stations in Paris and in Honolulu. That demonstration was a rcmarkablo illustration of technical skill in tho arrangement, and handling of complicated nnrwatus; but it has heen admitted that, although the demonstration could he rcpeaerl. the methods employed would not be suitable for practical purposes. Orent advances have been made possible in wireless telcphnnv hv the recent, developments of the Marconi Fleming vnlve. This is one of the most wonderful instruments, which has been develoned for wireless communication. Tt is the same instrument which T made ""c of in Scntemlvr la=t, when the first direct messages from England to An=tmliti. uvre received at my experimental st" + ion nt Wahroonga, No description of Dr Alexanderson's annaratns is given in the reports, but T have little doubt that he is nsins some type of Fleming valve, and probably working l it in conjunction w'tfi his own lisfli-fregiienc-" aUertiator. Dr. Alexanders™ is„well known «w a. prominent wireless jnvnatigaior, and lie Ja ajso.a F«"nw 01 the Institute of Radio Emjinewi.