[GreenKeys] news wire photos

[Lee Mushel]

Gentlemen:

Once again your notes stir some thoughts that I had forgotten.   But not 
exactly true this time.   You see I happen to have two of the "old" fax 
machines sitting on a shelf in my shed.   I would trade them for a Flex1500 
but anyway, I can't remember what swapfest I got them at but would remind 
you that there was a time when you would see newspaper photos that said they 
were "AP wirephotos."   Yes, that was fax.   Detection and sending was 
relatively simple.   You put the image you wanted to send on a motorized 
drum (it was held in place with a spring).  As the drum rotated, a photocell 
was moved across the drum face.   On the receiving end the image was 
"developed" by a spark from the end of a "wire" you carefully positioned 
over the special paper on an identical drum..  You started the machines and 
after a suitable time to allow the drums to "synchronize" the image was 
sent.   I wanted to use ham radio but could never find another soul who had 
one of these little machines.  So all of my "experimentation" was limited to 
my two machines!   And, yes, they are sitting comfortably today in my shed 
along with a lot of other "interesting stuff."

A couple of years ago I wanted to do some testing with modern fax machines 
because I thought it would be an interesting tool to use to connect two 
health care facilities together during an emergency.   After thinking about 
it for a couple of seconds I came up with an idea which would create a full 
duplex link using mostly ordinary ham radio equipment.   I went to a local 
club and asked if someone would be willing to help me with this 
"experiment."   I was turned down because "there is no need for such a 
thing" and because they felt my ideas were technically "insufficient."

Ah, well!   Earlier today, after picking 26 lbs of strawberries, I went to a 
local hardware store and when asked by a young lady if she could help me I 
told her I was looking for three quarter inch copper sweat fittings and 
needed two elbows and two couplings.  She then asked if I wanted "PVC or 
Iron Pipe."   I've sort of gotten used to this sort of thing.

73

Lee  K9WRU
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sam Hallas" <s.hallas at ntlworld.com>
Cc: <GreenKeys at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 2:34 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] news wire photos


> Rokumon Cat wrote:
>
>>  I was wondering, how did "they" send photos over the news wires in
>>  the forties and fifties?
>
> By FAX, Joe. Evidently the technology is older than you think. Principle
> patented by Alexander Bain in 1843. Commercial applications in the early
> 1900s and in common use by the 1930s.
>
> There's some history on Wikipedia.
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fax>
>
> Cheers,
> Sam
>
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