Guglielmo Marconi story

I saw this story posted on the blog of IV3JVH, only it was in Italian, so I thought I would convert it to English and post it to my blog with the permission of IV3 JVH Emanule of course! Marconi is one of my radio heroes although I give credit for the invention of radio to Nikola Tesla.

Guglielmo Marconi story

Born 25 April 1874 in Bologna, Italy

      In his villa in Pontecchio, at Bologna, he discovered that by connecting a generator of electrical oscillations in a wire isolated in the air (antenna) and the earth, was obtained by an efficient radiator of electric waves and that these waves could be detected at a distance about 2 km from a receiver connected to it as well a wire isolated in the air (antenna) and the earth.

Marconi for young, had suffered the clearest insights of the great convenience and possible future of his invention. But also realized the need for large financial resources for the development of new communication system he devised. He therefore went to February 2, 1896 in London, accompanied by his mother, who, by their own relatives, gave him the presentation of the chief engineer of the Post Office in London, Sir William Preece.

In the spring of 1897, Marconi demonstrated the ability to communicate at a distance of about 4 km Salisbury (England), a distance that a little later was increased to 15 km. Developed 'then a competition between the governments of the great nations of Marconi to get a practical demonstration of its new system of telegraphy.

The Italian Government, on the initiative of the Secretary of the Navy B.Brin, begged M. ritornre of Italy in order to perform experiments in radio-telegraphy on ships of the Royal Marina. Marconi joined the invitation and in 1897 gave practical demonstrations of his invention prior to Rome and then on R.Nave San Martino in La Spezia, by means of which he felt the chance to telegraph at a distance of about 18 km.

Following these first practical demonstrations generously given by Marconi with full confidence and above all in the interest of communications for the safety of life at sea, were built in a short time at the great nations new associates with the Marconi Company, founded in 1897 in England, or competing with it.

Large and unexpected obstacles that were opposed to the development of Marconi's invention: the high mountains, the curvature of the earth, the sun, the interference between close stations, the atmospheric electrical discharges, etc.., Which appeared in principle insurmountable obstacles the rapid and practical development of wireless telegraphy.

These obstacles They provided powerful elements to justify the coldness of the government after an initial period of enthusiasm, skepticism of the technicians, the distrust of financiers. But Marconi managed to win brilliantly and tenaciously, with subsequent refinements, all obstacles oppostigli by nature and by man.

1,898
M. Create the first wireless apparatus with syntonic circuits to ensure the independence of contemporary communications more nearby stations (patent 7777).

1,899
established the first radiotelegraph communications, despite the curvature of the earth, between stations at a distance of about 300 km., ie between S: Catherine the Isle of Wight and Cape Lizard in Cornwall.

1,901
In December demonstrates for the first time the possibility of transmitting telegraph signals across the Atlantic between Polchu (England) and St. John's, Newfoundland. This success confirms entirely the opinion of M. already expressed after connecting Cape Lizard - S. Catherine, that the electric waves would not have been arrested by the curvature of the earth and that they could be transmitted to any distance on our planet. This view, in contrast to all existing theories, was strenuously opposed by leading scientists.

1,902
February. M. discovers a fact, which became common knowledge, and that is that, with waves of about 1000 m., the transmission range is much greater at night than during the day.
Following the first wing radio-electric transmission accomplished by the Atlantic Ocean and the resulting value taken from their patents, M. wrote to the Secretary of the Navy in Rome that he granted the R. Italian government on free use of its patents and the free play of his equipment in the arsenals of the state in the interest of Italian military radio communications.

1,902
July-December: R.N. Carlo Alberto
experiences the magnetic detector

1,903
radiotelegraph communications between the United States and England
The two main applications:
Radio-maritime services for public safety at sea liner

1,904
property directives of horizontal antennas
first applications of diode Fleming

1,907
inaugurates the first regular public radiotelegraph between Europe and America

1,909
first dramatic rescue in high-Atlantic collision between the steamships Republic and Florida.
Special laws are enacted to make it compulsory installation of radio stations on board ships.

1,912
Titanic sinks in
The Marconi system was officially adopted by England for the imperial telegraph network meant to connect England with all of its colonies.

1,914
first applications of vacuum tubes in the transmitters and radio-first.
During World War Marconi participates as an officer, before the Army and then the Navy.

1,916
in Genoa resumed his studies on the shortwave. Parabolic reflector.

1,924
first voice transmission from England to Australia

1,927
Merger of the company with the company Marconi cable English.

1,933
In the presence of Pope Pius XI inaugurated the microwave link between the Vatican City and Castel Gandolfo.

In the history of science and its applications can not remember another inventor who, like Marconi, after realizing his invention, it is always kept at the head of the development of it, and he has personally directed the main applications around the globe. For this purpose has been particularly advantageous the great activity and the particular initiative of M. move quickly in the most distant countries eseguirele his experiences ...

with comfortable sun laboratory experiments the radio would never have progressed.

Marconi has so far crossed the Atlantic 87 times and finished in 1933. Marconi died in 1937.

Reprinted with permission of IV3VJH

Very 73 de Cliff - KU4GW

Use of the AS CW Prosign

I notice that a lot of stations I work on CW are unfamiliar with the AS prosign which means “stand by”. I wish that more hams were familiar with this prosign because I know of many times when the phone would ring with a important call from my doctor or pharmacy that I needed to take or someone would be knocking on the door I would send AS and then the other station would start sending again at length as if I'd never sent it. I had mentioned this on several CW/Amateur Radio related Facebook pages and GQ0SDT Jonathon in the U.K. stated that is us older more experienced CW operator's responsibility to educate the newer CW operators about this and he is exactly right so that's why I'm posting this on my blog and I hope that others who read this will share this information! I also contacted QST and CQ Magazines and ask if they would ask their CW columnists to mention it in their magazine columns to educate the newer operators about the AS prosign. Pass it on! Until next post very 73!

Finally! A Blog Update!

This is the first post I've made this year! Sorry for that, but my life has changed drastically since my last post! On March 24th, 2012 I lost my beloved wife of 27 years and mother of my three children, Irene, due to a pulmonary embolism. I have been in deep depression ever since her death. She suffered her 3rd  heart attack while hospitalized in Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.  She was only 48 years old! She was awaiting surgery to implant a LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device)    because her previous 2 heart attacks had damaged her heart to the point that it was only pumping at 19% capacity, but I guess God had other plans for her.  It's going to take me years to ever get over losing her!    She was the most caring and giving person I have ever known! She changed me for the better over the years and I am a better person for it! I will never ever forget her and will always feel that she was a true blessing to me from God!    

                                                                                                                                                                   

IRENE FOX "Renie"                                                                 

Now I will update you on my amateur radio activities. I recently received two wonderful surprises that were both totally unexpected! About a month ago I went to check the mailbox and there was a large envelope from the ARRL. My first thought when I saw it was that it was probably a reminder that my membership was about to expire, but much to my surprise and delight this is what was in the mailbox!

Not in a million years did I ever expect this! I've been a ham for 15 years now and I had pretty well given up the thought of ever being a member of the A-1 Operator Club. It has been in existence since May 1933 and all hams worldwide are eligible for membership, but the only way you can become a member is if two existing members nominate you and if you solicit a member for a nomination it automatically disqualifies you of ever becoming a member! There are to this date only 5,825 members worldwide! The A-1 Operator Club has represented an unsolicited acknowledgment of one's high standing among one's peers and I am extremely grateful to be a member of this elite group, to me this is my greatest accomplishment in the amateur radio hobby!

The other surprise I received is a great one also! I had recently sold my Yaesu DVR-2 digital voice recorder that came along with the Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark V transceiver I bought last June after a May 22nd, 2011 thunderstorm destroyed my previous Mark V along with almost ever piece of electronic equipment in the entire house, $6200 damage total! I never did use the DVR-2 so I sold it with the intent of purchasing a QRP CW rig or a kit to build one, but as Murphy's Law usually rears it's ugly head I wound up having to use part of the $145 I got for it to put new brake pads and rotors on the front of my daughter's car so I only had $65 left! I was talking with my good friend WD4CWE Don Miller in Burlington, NC on 3.895 Mhz LSB and was telling Don about this and I told him if he heard of anyone that may have a used one or a kit for $65 to let me know. That conversation took place on Saturday April 21st, 2012. Well, two days later after having sat up all night playing on the ham radio & computer I was still sleeping at lunch time and my daughter Elizabeth woke me up and said "Hey Dad, do you know someone from Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville, Tennessee?" and I replied, "that's where Ten-Tec is!" Liz said "what's that?" and I said "Tennessee Technical!". She then said, "Well, the UPS just left a box here for you from there!" I said, "Well, bring it in here and open it!" Inside was a brand spanking new Ten-Tec R4020 QRP CW transceiver and on the invoice was written: "Mr. Fox - A Gift For You From Your Friends On 3895!" Can you believe it? Those guys set me up with a $249 QRP rig and it could not have arrived at a better time for you see, Tuesday April 24th, 2012 was the one month anniversary of my dear wife's death. I was dreading waking up that day because I just knew I was going to be very depressed, but getting the new rig sure cheered me up! It absolutely made my day! I thank the good Lord for whom ever it was that did this for me and will be forever grateful! I am making a 44 feet long center-fed dipole fed with 450 ohm ladder line to use as my QRP antenna and hope to be operating from some mountain top or park very soon! Mount Mitchell is only about a 2 hour drive from my home QTH and is 6,684 feet above sea level. It is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River! Also, Grandfather Mountain is even closer, about a 90 minute drive, and is at 5,946 feet above sea level! So if your a CW operator be listening for me around the CW QRP watering holes on 7.030, 7.040, and 14.060! I used to think that one could not do very well running only 5 watts, but after joining the  NAQCC (North American QRP CW Club), I'm NAQCC#1491, and working about 90 minutes of their QRP Sprint one night I got a attitude adjustment as far as QRP capabilities! I worked 23 station in 17 states that night! After that I was hooked! 

TEN-TEC R4020

On another ham radio topic I have been working a little bit of digital, mainly Hellschreiber A.K.A. Feld Hell around 7.073 USB on 40 meters. I often call the Feld Hell Club Net on Thursdays beginning at 0045 UTC (Wednesday evening at 8:45 PM EDT in North America). My Feld Hell membership number is 62. The Feld Hell Club currently has 3,836 members! I like it better than PSK31 because it has a duty cycle much like CW and so does not heat the radio's finals near as bad as 100% duty cycle modes such as PSK31, MFSK, and a lot of other digital modes so check it out sometime! For much more information on Hellschreiber check out the Feld Hell Club's website at https://sites.google.com/site/feldhellclub/Home  

Now I want to put in a word for my favorite ham radio net and that is the "Freewheelers Net" held nightly beginning 0300 UTC, 11:00 PM EDT, on 3.916 LSB. It is, in my opinion, the best camaraderie net on amateur radio! These are a great bunch of hams that welcome all newcomers to join in! The Freewheelers Net has a Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freewheelersnet/ Come join in on the fun! You will certainly feel welcome!

Well,  that's the latest from the KU4GW hamshack and I will do my best not to wait so long before making my next post! Hope to catch you "on the air" soon! Thanks for reading my blog!

Very 73!

Cliff - KU4GW