Sewickley Herald

              To Eelay Messages to President
Operators of tlie Valley's five amateur radio stations will participate in
a governor-presidential relay for 24
hours continuously during March 4th
and 5tli, busy relaying massages from
governors of western states to fivo amateur radio stations in Washington, D.
C, which will accept tho congratulatory
messages for delivory to President
Eoosevelt. Tho relay is arranged hy
operators of tho 32,000 amateur stations in the country.
Peoplo passing 529 Bank Streot at
night can easily seo an illuminated sign
bearing tho name W8CCD shining from
a olosod-in porch. A trianglo of wire,
to tho side of tho house, starts the
signals on their way through the air.
Just within tho door of tho porch is a
high paneled transmitter, with three
dials on each panel to rogulato the wave
length of the signals. Across tho porch
is a tablo on which is mounted a radio
lcey and an aluminum-shieldod receiving set, with switches to turn from
receiving to sending. Above tho tabic,
on tho wall, is a rack for messages
reeoivod and sent by the owners of tho
station, Fred E. Smith and Glonn Kautz
of Melvillo Lane. Tho two youths have
hold 473 conversations with othcf stations  sineo thoy orcctod this station
January 1st and havo accumulated a
pile of 397 messages received and transmitted.
The station has "worked" stations
all ovor tho country, including several
in California, with only a card from
tho seventh district, 'the Pacific Northwest, missing from their collection.
Using about 150 watts power and working on tho 80 meter band, tho station
has a range of between 300 and 400
miles during tho day and from from
1,000 to 2,500 miles at night, depending on weather conditions. All modern
equipment, with tho latest type tubes
and tho latest developments in radio
are usod in the now station. Coils may
be inserted in tho receiver so that signals on tho different wavo lengths may
bo heard. On ono part of the 80 meter
band, the phono stations talk to oach
Othor, but they aro comparatively rare,
boing mOro exponsivo than tho spark
stations.
Tho station is also Naval Bosorvo
Station CJ4X and every weok messages
aro exchanged botwoon tho numorous
Naval stations in thoir socrot code. In
caso of war, Fred Smith would bo given a second class operation rating and
Glenn Kauta would bo givon a third
class rating. Both would bo in the
Navy for four years, but as long as
peace reigns, the station operators can
do as they please. Operator Smith is
a commercial operator on tho Buffialo-
Duluth passenger steamer "Octorara"
and made nine trips over the Great
Lakes last summer. Ho has worked
on four passenger steamers and eight
freighters on tho ocean, calling at Panama Canal, Cuba, South America and
other South Atlantic ports.
Ho taught his brother, Wilbur, as
well as Eichard Nauman, Walnut Street,
and Kenneth Newberry of Maple Lane,
Sewickley, tho code and they took the
examination a month ago. When their
licenses come through, tho station will
be woll supplied with operators.
Prod Smith had his first station here
in 1927, after his family moved hero
from Alliance, Ohio, whore Prod had
gone to school and lived for 14 years.
Ho also had a station there in 1923.
Glenn had a station two years ago, but
poolod his apparatus with Pred and
they started their present station in
January. Amateur licenses were recently extended from one to three year
terms by tho Federal Eadio Commission.
Ono curious message, in Gorman, was
relayed through tho station on its way
to Germany while two for Belgium
were received and transmitted through
WSCCD. Messages from Shanghai and
ono from tho Philippine Islands have
also beon relayed. Some kind of a record was set when a message was sent
to California, relayed several times, in
24 hours. As no cost is attached to
sending tho messages, the service is
not quite so rapid or sure as telegrams.
Most operators handling traffic maintain schedules, at which timo they
send their messages to distant points,
and, if anyone in tho Valley wants a
messago sent to friends all they havo
to do is call Glenn, at SewicWey 605-J,
or Pred, at Sowickley 821-W, and tho
messago will bo sent. Visitors are welcome at the station at almost any
reasonable hour of tho day or evening.
Other stations aro maintained in the
Valley by Bob Connelly, 323 Chestnut
Street, who has had a station for six
years; Arthur Pryor of Glenfield, who
operates W8GEY; Henry Scheuler of
367 Kilbuek Street, Glenfield, who is
on tho Naval network with W8FPD,
and John Wallace, 306 Meadow Lane,
Edgoworth, who operates W8GVS, on
20 meters, working all the foreign countries. Tho records of amatour stations
in times of national disasters, is excellent, for sometimes, they constitute tho
only means of communication from tho
affected area.
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