OCR Text |
Show RADIO MESSAGES PRINTED ON TAPE Schenectady. Wireless messages can be received and recorded at a far greater speed and with further assurance assur-ance of accuracy as a result of a new photographic device now being used by naval engineers at Otter Cliffs, near Bar Harbor, Me. The instrument instru-ment is the Invention of Charles A. Hoxle of this city. The invention permits the eye to supplement or replace the ear in reading read-ing wireless messages. In fact, a deaf man could be a wireless receiving operator op-erator in a station so equipped. Other results are greater speed in receiving, greater accuracy iu deciphering, decipher-ing, and a permanent record of every dot and dash in every message so received. re-ceived. Because of the very delicate tuning that can be obtained and the resulting high degree of "selectivity." It has been found practicable to receive re-ceive messages , despite many inductive noises and interfering signals, which ordinarily have rendered reception impossible. im-possible. Although the instrument Is not immune from the effects of static "strays," It has successfully recorded messages at high speed regardless of strong static interferences that, without with-out Its aid, would have baffled the receiving re-ceiving operator. Guards Against Error. It is stated that messages have been deciphered with its assistance when operators were unable to get a single word of it by ear alone. The photographic receiver and its permanent record Is a guard against error and will settle disputes, for its visual record of a message in dots and dashes distinctly shows to the eyes what was received. As to speed in receiving, this machine ma-chine has frequently recorded at the rate of 400 words per minute, (as fast as a machine gun shoots), and last week in a test made by Mr. Hoxle the machine recorded a low-power message at 600 words per minute! Up to this time the most rapid method of recording record-ing radio signals has been by the phonograph, phon-ograph, but this must still be transcribed tran-scribed by the ear and not the eye. Moreover, no permanent visual record is made. The phonographic method has never yet approached the rate of 600 words per minute, so the new instrument in-strument has hung up a new 'speed record. An interesting .sidelight on this feature of the invention Is that high-speed messages are .secret messages mes-sages to all who are not equipped with this device. Expert operators have been known to receive 35 words per minute for a short time under perfect conditions; but average reception up to this time has been 15 to 20 words per minute, It has been a race between sending and receiving speeds. Trior to this invention in-vention It has been possible to send faster than it could be received; but now the situation has been reversed. The photographic recorder in operation oper-ation at Bar Harbor has repeatedly recorded re-corded regular trnllic schedules ranging rang-ing from 1,000 to 7,000 words without Interruption, and at a speed of 40 to 55 words per minute. Every word Is perfect and easily and quickly read. It Is used supplementary to the ordinary ordi-nary type of receiving set. The mechanism Is based on comparatively compara-tively simple electrical engineering, principles. A ligbtwelght'mirror "flutters" "flut-ters" in elcM-tro-magnetlc tune with the minute electric impulses coining from the receiving antenna. The duration mid extent of the mirror's oscillation vary according to Ihe dot, dash, or silence si-lence of, the sending station. This mirror mir-ror reflects a beam of light on the moving sensitized lape. This tape, propelled by an electric motor progresses pro-gresses up and down through (he vertical verti-cal pipes which contain the developing develop-ing and fixing chemicals. Automatically Automati-cally the lape eiders the developing fluid and then the hypo fixing bath; then it Is washed In running water and Is dried by electric heat assisted by fenced draft all Invisibly effected Inside In-side I his single machine. Like the tape, from a stock ticker, the message pours out into a basket. In rapid re colvlug there Is an average of onc word for every Inch of tape. The receiving re-ceiving operators can read the record at. a speed of 50 to 100 words per minute. The time to record, develop, fix. wash, and .dry the lape Is from two to four minutes. The rolls of tape are 1.(1110 feel long and a continuous message mes-sage of 10,0110 words can be recorded Kilhciul reloading Ihe machine. |