Modern Radio Communication: a Manual of Modern Theory and Practice, covering the Syllabus of the City and Guilds Examination and suitable for Candidates for the PMG Certificate

Abstract

BY substituting continuous waves for the damped wave trains of the spark transmitter, the author shows that several of the phenomena of radio telegraphy can be explained very simply by vector diagrams. The book is meant for beginners, so whenever a lengthy mathematical proof is required the formula “it can be shown “is used. There are many useful descriptions in the book, but we doubt very much the wisdom of beginning directly with an account of atoms and their component nuclei and electrons. The author spells KirchhofFs name incorrectly and gives an extraordinary statement about applied E.M.F.'s and back E.M.F.'s as his first law. The definition of charge as an accumulation of electrons due to an applied E.M.F. lacks de-finiteness. The unit charge is the coulomb, which is 6 × 1018 electrons. “A current of one Ampere is said to flow when the electrons move past a given point at the rate of one coulomb per second.” The definition of mutual inductance given does not state why this inductance is called “mutual,” while dielectric strength is apparently measured in volts. If these and several other carelessly worded statements were eliminated the book would be considerably improved.

Modern Radio Communication: a Manual of Modern Theory and Practice, covering the Syllabus of the City and Guilds Examination and suitable for Candidates for the P.M.G. Certificate.

J. H.

Reyner

By. Pp xi + 208. (London: Sir I. Pitman and Sons, Ltd., 1923.) 5s. net.