A Brief History of Radio

In 1873, James Clerk Maxwell, a Scottish mathematician, deduced that electrical energy could be propagated across space by electromagnetic waves. A few years later Heinrich Hertz demonstrated by experiment that Maxwell's predictions were correct. To do this he used an induction coil to generate a high voltage arc; a short distance away he held a full loop of wire whose continuity was broken by a small gap. The arc produced by the generator stimulated a corresponding spark across at the break in the loop. The age of radio communication had dawned.

In 1897, not long after the publications of Maxwell and Hertz, an Italian, Giuglielmo Marconi, succeeded in sending (and receiving) morse code messages over a distance of several miles across the Bristol Channel, a wide river estuary in England; in 1901 he bridged the Atlantic by wireless from England to Newfoundland.

Early transmitters were all refinements of spark-gap principle used by Hertz. Use of this technique was eventually phased out by agreement reached at the International Radio Telegraph Convention held in Washington D.C. in 1927. But at the turn of the twentieth century events were already moving rapidly. The industrial revolution which had started in the mid-nineteenth century had gathered increasing momentum and was forcing bureaucrats in the advancing countries to lay down their quill pens and come to terms with the explosive rate of technological development which was to continue unabated.

In 1904, J.A. Fleming in England, building upon earlier work in the USA by Thomas Edison, produced a thermionic diode. In 1907, Lee De Forest, an American, added a grid to Fleming's diode to produce a triode, which could not only detect radio signals, it could generate them and amplify them as well. This break-through provided the foundations of vacuum-tube technology, which was used with ever increasing refinement during the 1920's, 30's and 40's. (and is still used nowadays for high power transmitters)

Silly fact: In 1864 Mahlom Loomis was using two kites and DC current and transmitted a signal 15 KM. He was an officer in the Union army in the Civil War in the USA. He went on to become a leading dentist in his day. Hertz however died from septisemia as a result of an unhygenic dentist at a young age.. so you better be choosy about your dentist!

Radio Enthousiast

From an early age I was interested in radio both for technique and as a media. Although the Dutch Marine Offences act entered into force as early as I can remember, I was listening to several offshore radio stations anchored in the waters of the North Sea. I especially remember when the Norderney went aground in April 1973 on the beach at Scheveningen (actually it was Duindorp, close to the radio towers of Scheveningen radio) and of course radio Veronica's last hour on a warm Sunday evening in august 1974. How strange to work for a station on a ship 4 miles from the coast! Second I was attracted to the technique of radio resulting in making my own FM rigs for QSO'ing. With priorities to other interests years later I returned to the air waves again, this time on shortwave.

Voice of the Universe

As you can see from the top of the page I try to bring you, not only music and small talk, but also my opinion about New Age. But what is New Age? In pondering this question, I went to every Internet site, magazine and book I could put my hands on. I contacted some of the organizations and churches that fall under the banner of New Age and New Thought, compiling literally hundreds of pages of information. I've spoken with friends who are Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, as well as Christians, and finally I came to the conclusion that New Age is a collective and on-going process. As such, I am simply unable to put this concept of inner thought and process into words that would satisfy everyone, anyone, or even me. While I was searching however, I discovered a paper distributed by the Theosophical Society in 1875 that touches on the core and concepts of New Age or New Thought quite well. This society was founded based on the "fundamental proposition" described below. These thoughts and standards evolved from the Ancient Mystery Schools of the Middle Ages, and I share this with you simply as a basis to establish your own ideas and concepts... The Theosophical World View: a) The universe and all that exists within it are one interdependent whole, and all known forms of life are collective at the core of their very existence, and rooted in the same universal life creating reality. b) This Reality (energy) is all-pervasive, but it can never be summed up in its parts, since it transcends all of its expressions. It reveals itself in the purposeful, ordered, and meaningful processes of nature as well as in the deepest recesses of the mind and spirit. c) Recognition of the unique value of every living being expresses itself in reverence for life, awareness of love, compassion for all, and an understanding of the need of individuals to find truth for themselves and express that truth as the basis of their existence. The ways in which these ideals become realities in an individual's life are both the privileged choice and the responsible act of every human being... Central to the concerns of this thought is the desire to promote understanding and fellowship among people of all races, nationalities, philosophies, and religions. Therefore, all people, whatever their race, creed, sex, caste, or color, are invited to participate as individuals, or within any collective environments that share in these basic beliefs and understandings. In following these principals, there shall be no dogmas, as these teachings point toward the source of unity beyond all differences. Every human being commenced his evolution with three main laws in life; motherhood, fatherhood and reincarnation. This means that every human being lives many lifetimes either as a woman or a man. Man is living an ongoing evolution in eternity, so which we know as death, is in reality a birth into another existance. Life consists of continuous, evolutionary development towards spiritual consciousness. What is know as sin is in reality uncouscious behaviour, so in effect this means that eternal damnation is non-existent. We are our own judges and executioners. Spiritual laws are based on justice. Those who understand this will demonstrate a devotion to their own truth, love for all living things, and share a commitment to a life without judgment of others. This is only my truth, and I believe there are as many paths to the One as there are people. For this reason, I invite you to share "your truth" with me and others.