See Page 76 for Our New Service of Prompt Replies No. 4 SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1922 Price 3d THE " LAST POST" BEING SOUNDED IN MARCONI HOUSE AND RADIATED BY WIRELESS TELEPHONY. THE OCCASION WAS THE UNVEILING IN MARCONI HOUSE OF A ROLL OF HONOUR ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THOSE OF THE MARCONI STAFFS WHO FELL IN THE WAR. CHIEF CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER Page Page IS MARS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE ?63 PROBLEMS YET TO BE SOLVED. .72 FAULTS IN VALVE CIRCUITS . 64 SOME AMERICAN IDEAS . 73 A "RIGGED -UP" TRANSMITTER AND STARTING WIRELESS 73 RECEIVER . 65 MACHINE FOR WINDING HONEYCOMB CHOOSING YOUR AMPLIFIER . 74 COILS . .66 "MARCONI HOUSE 2L0 SPEAKING"74 HOW THE VALVE WORKS . 67 TESTING YOUR 'PHONES . 74 THE "OFFICIAL" RECEIVING SET . 68 FREAK RESULTS . 76 ELECTRICAL BENCHWORK : SIMPLE COMPETITIONS FOR ALL READERS 78 SOLDERING . 69 ERECTING AERIAL BY "TABERNACLE" METHOD . 70 and 71 Information Bureau, Radiograms, Club Doings, etc. C emataut Wireless 62 JULY I, 1922 1 ECONOMIC LECTRICLTD. 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THE possibility of definite attempts at Readers will find this an opportune article there seems to be no reason why corn communicationbeingmadefrom in view of the fact that Senalore Marconi, municarionshouldnotbeestablished. who has recently crossed the Atlantic on the other planets is so startling and captivat- steam yacht "Elletra,"iscredited by the The point where the first large element of ingtotheimaginationthatoneis American Press with having stated that he doubt enters is when we come to consider tempted to dwell on the conceivable re- would be at work all day Sunday, June 18th what power and what sensitivity would be sults-toletthe mind wander' along a (the day when Mars came closesttothe necessary. vista of fascinating "might -he's "-and to earth),inthehope of receiving wireless As Mars is our nearest neighbour and is messages from the planet.The Senatore is overlook the tremendous scientific improb- reported to have said : "I listened practically now passing as closetous as ourre- ability. all the time, day and night, for the fortnight spective orbits will allow, and as there When one remembers that. only thirty of the voyage, and had instruments ready to seems to be some reasonable chance of its yearsagothePhilosopher'sStone-to receive from anybody. SeveraltimesI being inhabited, apart from the general heard mysterious sounds, which I could not take but one of many similar instances- understand or explain, but I don't think considerationsalreadymentioned,we the quest of the ancient alchemists, was they came from Mars; in fact, I am not might examine the possibilities of Mars regarded as an amusing dream of a by- certain whether the Martians, are trying to being able to "ring us up.". gone age, and that to -day nothing is surer communicate.But I was there to do every- than that the -transmutation of the ele- thing possible to record any message sent. Strange Phenomena I shall continue to try to receive communica- First,though,letus recall what has mentsisan everyday occurrence,one tions,however slight,on the chance of success." already happened in the way of engaging hesitatestodismiss anyidea,however startling, without careful thought. the attention of wireless men in the matter. know nothing, compared with which the"Signals,"closely resemblingcertain People of Other Worlds. ether of space is as poor an agent for thelettersintheMorsecode,have been What assumptions, then, have we totransmission of messages as a messengerreceived simultaneously by stations as far make in order to justify us in assumingboy.We propose to weigh the possibili-apartasEngland and America.That that the ethereal disturbances which haveties in the balance of our present know-they were practically simultaneously re- given rise to so many conjectures are aledge as well as we are able, however, andceived is obviously no evidence as to their definite attempt on the part of thein-leave this promising line of speculationorigin, as the time taken to traverse the habitants of some other planet to get intofor a rainy day during the summer holi-Atlantic is only a fraction of a second. days. communicationwithus? Firstly,of But they were of uniform intensity.This course, that the other planets have intelli-Is It Possible? indicates either that their point of origin gent beings of a similar or higher state of It would appear that there is no actualwas somewhere on the earth on a longiti- knowledge of natural philosophy than ourimpossibility implied in the idea of inter-tude midway betweenthatofthe twe own, who,are sufficiently interested in ourplanetary conversations.Given a trans-stations, or that it was outside the earth small fragment of the universe to wish tomitter sufficiently powerful and a receiveraltogether andagreatdistanceaway. communicatewithus,orwho,whilesufficiently sensitive, Nature havingApparentlynoterrestialstationswere attempting to talk to some neighbours, arealready suppliedthe medium-laid theresponsible,soit seems highly probable unwittingly being overheard by us.On wires right up to the house, so to speak-that the latter alternative is correct. the face ofitthisisatleast possible, There remain two possible explanations for there seems to be no reason why our for the phenomenon even at that.Either planet should be unique in ,possessing in- INTER -STELLAR itwas-as most peoplewilldoubtless habitants.Surely other globes thrown off SPACE hope-a definite and intelligent attempt by our own or some other sun have been at communication, oritwas some acci- through a similar cycle of development, dental ethereal disturbance, say, on the which in due course has led to the evolu- sun or otherstar. Knowing as we do tionoflife and ultimatelyofrational how closelyelectronicdisturbancesare thinkingbeings.Whether suchaone connected with other waves, and that sun- actually exists and is within speaking dis- spots and the like frequently take place tance of us time alone can tell, but at PLANET -e- TRANSMITTING STATION simultaneously with magnetic storms on least the possibility cannot be ruled out. the earth, we must not dismiss this second Having granted this premise, the next possibility too hastily. - point is :Is there any limit set by natural Observation leads us to assume that the laws, of which we are cognisant, which ether of space isperfectly elastic.This makes the thing possible ?ant here