Argus 26 3 1912 Fisk statement

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{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1515;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\lang1033\f0\fs24 From the Argus,  26 March 1912   page 6\par
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WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.\par
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CASE AGAINST COMMONWEALTH.  INSPECTION OF SYSTEM SOUGHT.\par
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An application by the plaintiff in the case brought by Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd. against the Commonwealth of Australia for inspection of the Commonwealth wireless telegraph stations was mentioned before the Chief Justice of the High Court, Sir Samuel Griffith, in chambers yesterday morning, and adjourned for a week. \par
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After mentioning that he believed, in spite of statements of the Postmaster-General, no patents had been applied for by Mr. Balsillie in Australia. Mr. Fisk described what he had seen at the opening of the Melbourne station. In doing so he said: -\par
"I observed that an elevated conductor was employed in the form known as an umbrella antenna, the lower part of which passed into the operating room thence through a switch and the primary circuit of an oscillation transformer to earth. The secondary circuit of the oscillation transformer was connected to a detector. Visible means were provided within reach of the operator for tuning the primary and secondary circuits to the wave length of the sending station. The only parts of the transmitting apparatus to be seen in the operating room were the operating key and an ordinary starting device for the current generator. On each depression of the key, however. the noise of an electric spark was clearly audible from the inside room to which I was not admitted. This was to my mind conclusive proof of an electrical discharge across a spark producer.\par
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I have an intimate knowledge of the science of wireless telegraphy, so far as it has yet been developed. . . . I believe it to be essential, in order to obtain efficiency and selectivity, and in order to prevent, as far as possible, interference with the working of other systems in the sending of any effective wireless message, that the system should be syntonised; that is that the transniitting apparatus should be arranged so that the ether waves radiated from the sending station shall have a definite time period, and that the shall be more or less 'feebly 'damped' in order that the receiving apparatus at the receiving stations may be adjusted to have a time period equal to that of the sending station, or harmonise therewith, the result being that the receiving statlon will respond to ether waves of one wave-length only, and will not be affected by waves of other lengths or different time-periods. Such syntonising can only be effectively accomplished when the spark-producer referred to in the last paragraph forms part of a circuit which is a persistent oscillator, and when such circuit is coupled directly or inductively to an open radiating system. As further proof that at this station the principal of syntony is employed, that is to say that the transmitting apparatus is so arranged as to produce Hertzlan waves of a definite period or wave length, in order to have the maximum effect upon a receiver tuned to that wave-length, or to harmonise with that wave-length, I say that it has been publicly announced that the station is open for commercial radio telegraph business with ships at sea under the rules of the International Radio Telegraph Conventlon 190? and the rules of that convention are only considered with the use of a system in which the principle of syntony is adopted."\par
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