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25 APRIL .... the day of the father of the radio : MARCONI

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by IW2BSF, Apr 24, 2018.

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  1. KK5R

    KK5R Ham Member QRZ Page

    This is from the website presented previously...
    http://www.antentop.org/files/map002.pdf

    It should be noted that Marconi, himself, "invented" or "discovered" relatively few things in his early work.

    Basically, he early on had used Righi's transmitter, Branly's coherer, Lodge's resonant circuits, as well as the earthed vertical aerial suggested by Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) and others. Marconi did, however, make numerous very important improvements to each of these elements of his wireless system. He had the necessary ability to "make things work" thanks not only to his talent but also to his single-purposed devotion to the idea of using Hertzian waves for long distance communication. To the general public, however, Marconi's name soon became associated with all aspects of the "invention" of wireless. The reason for this is simple.

    The "world" typically gives its acclaim to those who produce exciting results which it (the "world") can understand. The "world" did not understand what Maxwell, Hertz, Lodge, Popov, and others had done because most of their achievements were of interest largely to scientists and these achievements had not been widely publicized in the non- scientific press. The "world" could easily understand what Marconi had accomplished because the basic concept (signalling at a distance) was simple and Marconi had made sure that his achievements were well publicized. Consequently, Marconi received virtually all of the popular acclaim for having "invented" wireless telegraphy.
    ...
    There have been controversies concerning the priority of the "invention"of radio for almost a century. Such an attempt to identify only one to whom all the credit should be given is incorrect, however, as pointed out in the beginning of this paper. It also should be noted that the "struggle" for establishing the priority of invention for propaganda purposes typically is characteristic of totalitarian states. Thus, Mussolini's regime presented radio as an "Italian invention," and concurrently with exalting Marconi's accomplishments, the "invention" of the coherer was attributed by that regime to the Italian physicist T.Calzecchi-Onesti (1853-1922).

    Similarly, in Russia (and later the U.S.S.R.) since the turn of the century,Popov became known as the "inventor" of wireless telegraphy (in more recent times, he has been called the "inventor" of radio or of radio communication). Interestingly, even in the early days of this century, not everyone in Russia shared this viewpoint of Popov's achievements. It is also important to note that Popov himself never claimed that title. In 1908 D. Sokoltsov, an instructor at the Military Electrotechnical School, called the popular Russian version of the invention of wireless (by Popov) an "old patriotic tale." Under Stalin's rule, however, the popular Russian version of events became canonical.

    Everyone in the U.S.S.R. writing or speaking on the history of wireless was expected to adhere to the official version of "history." Any deviations from it were dangerous in the Soviet era. Thus, when Matvey Bronstein (1906-1938), a young Leningrad scientist and science writer, refused to "correct" his brochure entitled The Inventors of Wireless Telegraphy, he was asking for serious trouble. Even the title of his work ran counter to the official version, i.e., the single-handed invention of wireless by Popov. Eventually, Bronstein's book was ready for publication and Bronstein himself were destroyed (he was shot down in the basement of a Leningrad prison).
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2018
  2. KK5R

    KK5R Ham Member QRZ Page

    Continuation of the previous info regarding Popov and Marconi.....

    The risks associated with deviating from the official Soviet version of history did not end with Stalin, however. There also was a case known to one of the authors where the editor-in-chief of an engineering journal in which had been published an allegedly "biased" article favourable to Marconi was dismissed from his position and the author of the article was deprived of the right to defend his D.Sc. dissertation. The year was 1974, the centennial of Marconi's birth. No matter what Popov's overall international importance in the development of wireless was, he must be given credit for his outstanding contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy in Russia. Alexander Popov (1859-1906) Popov truly was Russia's wireless pioneer. In addition to his achievements already mentioned, Popov set up Russia's first manufacture of wireless equipment, organised the training of wireless personnel, and established relations with European specialists in wireless equipment. Of special significance was Popov's cooperation with the French scientist, engineer and businessman Eugene Ducretet (1844-1915). Ducretet manufactured and sold wireless receiving equipment based on Popov's design. This cooperation coincided with the Russo-French rapprochement which occurred at the turn of the century. From 1899 until 1904,the Ducretet Company supplied electrical equipment, including wireless apparatus, to the Russian Navy. There were many throughout the world who contributed to the development of wireless.

    Marconi gets, and deserves, the lion's share of the credit for the development of practical long distance wireless telegraphy systems but it must be remembered that many others also made important contributions.

    Alexander Popov's name and achievements are not well known in the West. Nonetheless, the significance of Popov's work, like that of Lodge and others, must never be underestimated in the annals of communication technology history. "We see here scientists' disinterested work and engineers' and technicians' more purposeful efforts come together just as brooks born in different countries flow together to form a big river, scientific discoveries and industrial inventions have joined to bring about great accomplishments in radio." Louis de Broglie (1892-1987).
     
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  3. N2NH

    N2NH Ham Member QRZ Page

    When I read that the Father of Radio was named Marconi, I was wondering when Nikola Tesla changed his name. ;)
     
    KK5R and WN1MB like this.
  4. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Marconi was more than a good businessman. He was an excellent inventor, although a sparse one, whose talent was more focused on bundling others' inventions to produce a parent technology.

    However, if you think he doesn't shape TODAY's world--think again. Marconi's patent on METAMATERIALS is --THE--"Source" patent on that subject. It will be 100 years old next year.

    Amazing. Even now.

    To wit:
    [​IMG]
    US Patent
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2018
  5. W6LDX

    W6LDX Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    One can loose the patents very easily after the holder has died. It is done quite frequently. We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws.
     
    KK5R likes this.
  6. IW2DMO

    IW2DMO Ham Member QRZ Page

    Urca, questa non la sapevo...
    Mesmerizing, I wasn't aware of this patent... thank you for pointing this out.
     
  7. WQ4G

    WQ4G Ham Member QRZ Page

    Is it possible for you to post that portion of the patent prior to the phrase "To wit?" Also, could you include "Fig. 3?" I see all the others but I don't see Fig. 3. If it's there I can't see it.

    I also do not see the word "Metamaterial" appear in the body of the patent verbiage. While I can see that Marconi's "Reflector" has some attributes of a Metamaterial you will have show me where this is a patent for Metamaterial. Otherwise this looks like a patent for a Reflector. And, so this brings me to the question: Did Marconi know he was inventing Metamaterials? Or was he thinking that he was inventing a reflector for Radio Waves?

    Please excuse me for being critical of what you say, it's just you have my curiosity up now...
     
  8. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    'Metamaterial' is a modern, coined term. Fig 11, in form and function, on that patent, is described by that term. Therefore Marconi and Franklin did the first metamaterial.

    Go dig out the patent--the number is listed :)

    73
    Chip W1YW
     
  9. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    My pleasure:)
     
  10. K5CO

    K5CO Ham Member QRZ Page

    Whilst Marconi was certainly bright and a serous contributor (as well as better organized), I'd hate to see Tesla left off the list of radio inventors. 'tho Tesla did often act a bit scatterbrained, there is no doubt in my mind that he was one of our rarest geniuses and far above many of that day in contributions.
     
    KK5R likes this.
  11. UB1ACI

    UB1ACI Ham Member QRZ Page

    Oh i'm sorry...
    Well, let's talk about inventors. Who is it?
    Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us... " Genesis 1.26
    So I can to assert that all people are inventors, because they "are like their Father". )))
    Now let's look at the "first" inventor and what happened then.
    "Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron.
    Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me.
    If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kils me."
    Genesis 4.22
    It's a familiar story, right?
    After the works of inventors appear, politicians start to threaten each other.
    Without the help of inventors, they would have had only empty fists. )))
    But now they have atomic weapons and no one can guarantee that will not appear such a crazy politic or general like in the film Dr. Strangelove.

    How do the inventors justify their participation in this?
    Let's listen to Dr. Wernher von Braun:
    /In spring 1940, one SS-Standartenfuehrer (SS-colonel) Mueller from Greifswald, a bigger town in the vicinity of Peenemünde, looked me up in my office ... and told me that Reichsfuehrer SS Himmler had sent him with the order to urge me to join the SS. I told him I was so busy with my rocket work that I had no time to spare for any political activity. He then told me, that ... the SS would cost me no time at all. I would be awarded the rank of a[n] "Untersturmfuehrer" (lieutenant) and it were a very definite desire of Himmler that I attend his invitation to join.
    I asked Mueller to give me some time for reflection. He agreed.
    Realizing that the matter was of highly political significance for the relation between the SS and the Army, I called immediately on my military superior, Dr. Dornberger. He informed me that the SS had for a long time been trying to get their "finger in the pie" of the rocket work. I asked him what to do. He replied on the spot that if I wanted to continue our mutual work, I had no alternative but to join./

    That is, everyone who works for his state should be take it position.
    The position of the state is determined by politicians.
    A politician is more often "a liar" who promises one thing, but does something completely different.
    So any inventor depends on "the liar" that tomorrow may be blowing up our planet.
    What can you learn here?
    I dont know. I only know that for any politician the inventor is "a donkey" who will do all that they need if you give him "hay".
     
    KK5R likes this.
  12. WQ4G

    WQ4G Ham Member QRZ Page

    Ok, I dug out the patent. "Fig. 3" is still missing. And the patent still says "Reflector for use in wireless telegraphy and telephony." Marconi patented a 'reflector' not a 'Metamaterial.'

    I can understand your premise that Marconi and Franklin invented 'Metamaterial.' My contention is that they neither realized or understood the implications of their invention as a Metamaterial. What they did was to stumble upon a concept that would not be realized for a century. They invented a reflector that just happened to use capacitance (or inductance according to the patent) to connect a number of shorter elements together - a concept applied to Metamaterials - to form the reflective elements. To say that Marconi and Franklin patented Metamaterials seems a bit of a stretch to me.

    If I were to do a patent search for 'Metamaterial' will Marconi's patent on 'Reflectors' come up in the search?

    Don't get me wrong here. I am not disputing that Marconi and Franklin may have accidentally discovered Metamaterials and/or the concept of Metamaterials. It's the claim that they patented Metamaterials that I disagree with. Perhaps I just don't understand the U.S. Patent (and Patent process).
     
    KK5R likes this.
  13. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Meh.

    I have no interest in convincing you of the facts.
     
  14. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thanks.

    And now-- should I start insulting your mother?
     
  15. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    Metamaterial example from Duke website circa 2012...and Marconi and Franklin patent...see Fig 11. (and original page of diagrams, not just the blow up).

    The patent office--if asked-- would cite Fig 11 as prior art for metamaterials.


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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