The Transmitter, by which the electromagnetic waves were generated and sent off into space in all directions, consisted of a battery connected through a key to the primary of an induction coil whose secondary terminals were joined to two brass balls between which there was a short air-gap. From one of these balls a wire was taken to earth, and from the other an aërial wire was led some distance up in the air. The closing of the primary circuit led to sparks passing across the air-gap, which produced electro-magnetic waves in the ether in exactly the same way as the dropping of a stone into a pool produces a series of concentric ripples.
The Coherer.—To receive and interpret these waves Marconi employed a “coherer” in circuit with a battery and having connection with an aërial wire on the one side and an earth wire on the other. The coherer consisted of a small glass tube not more than, say, two inches long by one-quarter inch in diameter, into the ends of which were fused two platinum wires leading to small metallic electrodes. These electrodes were brought quite near each other, and in the narrow gap between them was placed powdered metallic silver, antimony, etc. The resistance offered by this powder was so high, on account of small air-gaps between the particles, that no current could pass through.
Electro-magnetic waves, however, possess the peculiar property of breaking down the resistance of this powder whenever they impinge upon it. Hence as soon as a wave reached the coherer, the resistance practically vanished and a current passed round the circuit. It was a mere detail to arrange that this current should actuate a relay connected with a telegraphic instrument which would record the signal, and that a hammer would at the same time tap the coherer so as to agitate the powder and “decohere” it, setting up the resistance again for a fresh signal.
Improvements.—Since this system was devised many most important improvements have taken place. One of the most noticeable of these was Sir Oliver Lodge’s invention of tuning and syntonizing apparatus by which a transmitter and receiver are tuned to the same periodic oscillation, and thus a number of messages might be operated in the same field without interference. Lodge accomplished this to some extent by adding inductance coils and condensers to the circuits. Various other methods have been adopted to secure syntonization; but the resonance effects obtained are not great enough to make selective signaling certain.
The Generator.—In the modern Marconi system the energy for the transmitter is obtained from a generator working at one hundred and ten volts. The current is led through a key and an improved form of interruptor to the primary of the induction coil, whose secondary terminals communicate with the spark-gap. The spark-gap is in series with a condenser and the primary of a high tension transformer, of which latter one secondary terminal leads to the aërial and the other to the earth wire.
THE WIRELESS MESSAGE OVER LAND AND SEA
The Detector.—In the receptor the metallic coherer has been discarded for a magnetic detector. This instrument consists of a small glass tube through which travels an endless band of iron wires, moving round two grooved pulleys. Close to the tube are two permanent magnets, and round it is wound a primary coil consisting of one layer of wire. One end of this coil is led straight to earth; the other passes through a condenser to a tuning inductance coil leading in one direction to earth and in the other to the aërial. Above the primary coil on the glass tube a secondary coil is wound and connects with a telephone receiver. The action is simple. The electro-magnetic waves, reaching the aërial, set up oscillatory currents in the primary which act upon the magnetic field. Currents are thus generated in the secondary, which record the message in the telephone receiver by a series of taps corresponding to the Morse dashes and dots.