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Re: Tesla not Marconi
From: Edward V. Phillips[SMTP:ed-at-alumni.caltech.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 1997 12:19 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Tesla not Marconi
" Michael and All -
The story of Tesla and radio is an interesting one, however, I do not have
the time to go into details. The story begins with Hertz who built a device
that transmitted and received radio waves. However, it had so many
limitations that it was not of pratical value and Hertz went on to other
research. A few years later Tesla invented a new circuit that made radio
possible. Tesla even built a radio controlled submarine. Tesla also got a
patent on this very important circuit.
A few years later Marconi modified the circuit but did not add any new
ideas to Tesla's circuit. Marconi was able to convince the patent department
that his circuit was original and they issued him a patent. The patent made
Marconi a very rich man. In 1943 Marconi's patent was recinded by the US
Congress and Tesla's invention given priority. Unfortunately it was too late
for Tesla to benefit from his patent.
Tesla should rightly be called the father of radio.
John Couture"
Tesla certainly invented the use of tuned circuits to
achieve selective transmission, but Marconi was the first to
relize the effectived use of antennas to RADIATE signals.
He was an entrepeneur of considerable talent, and in my mind
there is no doubt that the practical use of "wireless" would have
been delayed a few years if it weren't for his pioneering work.
There were many others working at about the same time as Marconi
(circa 1898 to 1908) and their systems also "worked". Marconi's
original work involved no more tuning than the resonant frequency
of the antennas. He later went to coupled tuned circuits, and
it was his patents on this subject where were overturned in
favor of Tesla's.
Ed