Radiotelegraphy in modern practice

In view of the present day importance of Radio telegraphy — or, as it is more commonly called, “Wireless” — it is a little surprising that the nature and functions of the apparatus employed in actual practice are not more generally understood. To-night, instead of confining my remarks to the principles involved and adopting the usual method of demonstrating them by means of the familiar experimental instruments, I propose to describe to you in a general manner the apparatus comprising a Marconi plant of standard design. This I intend doing with the assistance of a series of lantern slides prepared from photos I have taken of the Marconi station now in operation on the Bluff at Durban. This station includes the latest Marconi apparatus, and presents wireless in a complete and up-to-date form. For the benefit, however, of those here this evening whose acquaintance with wireless may not have hitherto extended much beyond reading accounts of its achievements in the newspapers, I will first briefly, and as simply as I can, outline the fundamental principles involved, and describe in operation the transmitting apparatus of a similar, but less elaborate, plant, devoid of some of the complications of modern improvement. In order to keep the following remarks within the scope of this paper, it will be obviously impossible for me to attempt more than the simplest outline. Therefore, if my explanations are somewhat superficial, I can only hope you will recognise the difficulties I have to contend with in attempting to cover so much ground in such limited time.