Page:February 1916 QST.djvu/9

26  Why thus we see plain that dialectric heart of condenser.

Then now. I ask to know if air I use no glass for important dialectric does it obtain pressed? Like glass? Honorable American teachers tell me yes. Air—glass—Mica all same without difference among them.

Then now again how? Suppose I have air variable condenser and I the air vanish blowing by breath. Goes away quickly the air. How goes my electricity charge? Goes it too? I think me not. Then how charge gets back?

Explanation me Honorable Radio Secretary for which accept my assurances most distinguished consideration.

KATHIS KATHKAN, Japanese Radio Student, P. O. Box 1155, Hynacus, Japan

A great many letters were received and we are sorry that we cannot publish all of them. We are printing the best letters. Two of the writers seem tied for first place. The judges were unable to decide just who sent in the best letter. They were all very close together so it was finally decided to divide the five dollars between Mr. Felix and Mr. Wolfe. The others were so close behind that they really deserve a reward and the publishers of “QST” have entered their names for a year's subscription.

Mr. Felix answered the questions directly. His letter was short, technical, and humorous. Our friend, 3AFM, certainly wrote his letter in a humorous style, with a laugh to a line and several grins thrown in. Mr. Wolfe did not give much of an explanation, but he certainly “takes the cake” for humor.

ONE OF THE WINNERS Norristown, Pa. Dec. 4, 1915.

To Kathis Kathkan,

Hynacus, Japan.

My Friend:

It certainly looks to me as if you had been a victim of one of those confounded “self-taught English” systems, and if such is the case you sure have done well with the material at hand. For looking over your communication, we're compelled to admit that every word you have used is an English word, and your spelling, on the whole, is good. But Kathis, old top, you've got the words in the wrong bins. Your construction sure beatser-is very bad. If it costs you as much effort to write that thing as it has cost us to read it, there's been enough energy wasted to get a press message from pole to pole and at that, I don't believe we quite get you. Now Kathis, (Hang it! Every time I come near calling you Hasheesh). I'm no scientific sharp nor expert mathematician, but I’m going to have a shy at the Sec's. five. I gather that you have been tampering with that interesting chunk of apparatus, the condenser, and it’s got you up a bamboo, so to speak. (Notice the delicate handling of sidewalk English to meet local conditions) and let me say right here, Hasheesh—er—Kathis, that if you try one experiment you mention, you’re very liable to get knocked clean out of that bamboo. This “vanishing” of metal plates from off a condenser after they have been “pressed” by electricity isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's very much like interfering with lightning which is hurrying to keep an appointment. If you've got a couple of two quart Leydens, with a fairly decent transformer doing the "pressing"—beware! And after that, beware some more. And if you really must try the experiment, let your German assistant or your mother-in-law “vanish” those jar coatings. The best thing to do is to avoid “vanishing” the plates. Take the “Honorable writer of English's” word that it can be done.

Then now, Kathis, (pardon plagiatism, old top) it looks to us as if your ideas of dielectrics are a little hazy. Kind of foggy, so to speak. Suppose you give your honorable writer of English another battle. Tune him in, fine, hash——Kathis, and copy him carefully, and see if he tells you that dielectrics are “all the same without difference among them.” Get a line on what a dose of castor oil will do to a poor little .0015 receiving variable which has been struggling along with air as a dielectric. The now again, Kathis, old fellow, I think you're a good skate, and if I were you, I wouldn't waste any time “vanishing” the air dielectric by “blowing by breath.” After you have “vanished” the plates, and wonder “how goes my electricity charge” I assure you, old pal, that in spite of the fact that you “think you not” your electricity charge “goes it too," and darned quick.

Just one word more, Kathie, old kid. It's blamed hard under the circumstances to “explanation you.” It may be that you have gotten a condenser confused with a storage cell. Under certain conditions it is possible to "vanish" the electrolyte from a storage cell and put in an entirely new batch. In that case, your electricity charge “goes it not.” See?

So long, old can. My call is 3AFM, and if you ever solve the secret of freak transmission, give me a wail. These days of amplifiers it's possible to hear Jerusalem on a clear, cold night, anyway.

Yours,

(Signed) CHARLES S. WOLFE.