[CW] Mahlon Loomis (was "PBL")

[Darrel]

I've only just joined the list, and going through the archives I noticed 
this comment, in the "PBL" thread of July 2, on the subject of Mahlon 
Loomis.
>       If you look up Mary Texanna Loomis also look up her father,
> Mahlon Loomis, who claimed to have invented wireless well before
> Marconi. I don't think anyone really "invented" wireless and am
> rather skeptical of Loomis claims but both he and his daughter
> are interesting characters in the history of radio.
There's a short description of the Loomis work in
"The Stage Is Set: Developments before 1900 Leading to Practical 
Wireless Communication".  See
https://www.cv.nrao.edu/~demerson/ssetq.pdf

Here's an extract, with the short description of his contribution:
=======================
*The Loomis (1826-1886) Patent.*
/One pre-Hertz demonstration of electromagnetic signalling resulted in 
U.S. Patent 129,971 [16], Improvement in Telegraphing, being issued in 
July 1872. The “improvement” was the ability to dispense with wires – 
truly the first U.S. patent for “Wireless Telegraphy.” Mahlon Loomis 
used two kites, each carrying a metal wire, separated by perhaps several 
miles. He found that shorting the base of the wire going to one of the 
kites generated a spark – as it discharged the natural static 
electricity picked up from the atmosphere . This caused a measurable 
electric disturbance at the base of the wire to the second kite. He used 
this technique in 1886 to send signals between mountains 14 miles apart 
[9], and later between ships 2 miles apart. The 1872 patent speaks of 
“shocks or pulsations, which traverse or disturb the positive electrical 
body of the atmosphere above and between two given points …”. Loomis was 
unsuccessful in an appeal for $50000 from the U.S. Congress to develop 
the invention. Loomis used no tuning of any kind in his system – other 
than the natural resonance of the kite antennas. His system may have 
been the first “Ultra Wide Band” wireless communication system.//
/=========================
     Cheers,
         Darrel, aa7fv.
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