"Run a line from the output back through a voltage-dividing circuit to the in-phase anode," suggested Walt.
"How much?"
"Put a potentiometer in it so we can vary the amount of voltage. After all, Barney Carroll said that the application of voltage in phase with the transmitted power is necessary to the operation of the relay tube. In transmission of D. C., it is necessary to jack up the in-phase anode with a bit of D. C. That's in-phase with a vengeance!"
"What you're thinking is that whatever this sub-level energy is, some of it should be applied to the in-phase anode?"
"Nothing but."
The cabinet provided a standard potentiometer, and as Don advanced the amount of fed-back voltage, Freddy's voice came booming in louder and louder. It overloaded the audio amplifier, and they turned the gain down as Channing increased the in-phase voltage more and more. It passed through a peak, and then Don left the potentiometer for maximum.
"Wes," he said, "call Freddy and tell him to take off for Terra, at about 4-G. Have the gang upstairs hang a ship beam on him so we can follow him with suggestions. Too bad we can't get there immediately."
"What I'm worrying about is the available gain," said Wes. "That thing may have given us a gain of a couple of thousand, but that isn't going to be enough. Not for planet-to-planet service."
"Later on we may be able to hang a couple of those things in cascade," suggested Walt.
"Or if not, I know a trick that will work—one that will enable us to get a gain of several million."