Transoceanic Telephone Service - Short-Wave Equipment

The application of short-wave radio transmission to transoceanic telephone circuits is developing apparatus and stations designed specifically to meet the needs of these sen-ices. This paper describes from the radio point of view the important technical features and developments incorporated in the new transmitting and receiving stations of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company located respectively at Lawrenceville and Netcong, New Jersey, and it outlines some of the radio problems encountered in the station design. * * * * * S H O R T L Y after transatlantic telephone service was opened in January, 1927 the long-wave radio circuit between New York and London was supplemented, first by an experimental short-wave radio link in the west-east direction and later by a short-wave link in the east-west direction.2 From this beginning, as an auxiliary to the longwave circuit, the short-wave system has been improved steadily so that its average performance throughout the year now more nearly approaches that of the long-wave system and it has become an important part of the transoceanic facilities. The relative merits of the two systems, their combined usefulness, and their transmission features are the subject of another paper and will not be discussed here. For the present purpose it will be sufficient to note that there are now in operation between New York and London, one long-wave and three shortwave two-way circuits and that within a few weeks a short-wave circuit will be available between New York and Buenos Aires.