Description
Book SynopsisIn the 1860s, radio waves were predicted by James Clerk Maxwell in his work on electromagnetism. It took a further twenty years for the first experiments to produce a working demonstration. In this guide to radio technology, first published in 1925, eminent physicist Sir Oliver Lodge (1851â1940) provides a concise history of the development of the wireless radio, explains the theory behind it, and includes some practical tips for amateurs. Having lived through and contributed to the discovery, he explains the difficulty of the early experiments, which took place in a time when terms like 'frequency' and 'inductance', now taken for granted, did not exist in the scientific vocabulary. His first-hand account reveals the incredible efforts poured into the development of a revolutionary modern technology, rekindling the sense of wonder that once surrounded this strange new science.
Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Part I. Radio in General: 1. On broadcasting; 2. Early pioneering work in radio waves; 3. The discovery of the waves; 4. The development of radiotelegraphy; 5. Wireless achievement and anticipation; 6. Vast range of ether vibrations; 7. The transmission of wireless waves; 8. Wave peculiarities; 9. On the general theory of ether waves; 10. Earth transmission; 11. The Heaviside layer; Part II. Details that Make for Efficiency: 12. Some points about capacity and inductance; 13. Conditions for maximum inductance; 14. The importance of good contact; 15. Advantage of low resistance and stranded wire; 16. Some disadvantages of reaction; 17. Stray capacities and couplings; 18. The use of iron in transformers; 19. Contrasting methods of aerial excitation; 20. Phase difference in different kinds of coupling; 21. The grid as traffic regulator; Part III. Calculations for Amateur Constructors: 22. Comparison of the absolute magnitudes of capacity and inductance; 23. A plea for easy specification; 24. On self-induction and its maximum value; 25. Desiderata for inductance coil of receiver; 26. How to calculate the conductance of coils; 27. On the use of a simple formula for maximum inductance; 28. To estimate the capacity of an aerial; 29. Calculation of aerial capacity; 30. On the damping of vibrations by coils of wire; 31. The romance of wireless; Index.
