Submission + - How the Sinking of the Titanic Sparked a Century of Radio Improvements (ieee.org)
joshuarrrr writes: When the RMS Titanic scraped an iceberg on the night of 14 April 1912, its wireless operators began sending distress calls on one of the world’s most advanced radios: a 5-kilowatt rotary spark transmitter that on a clear night could send signals from the middle of the Atlantic to New York City or London. What the radio operators lacked, however, were international protocols for wireless communications at sea. At the time, US law only required ships to have one operator on board, and he was usually employed by the wireless companies, not the ship itself.
"At 12:15 a.m. on 15 April, Captain Edward Smith orders radio operator Jack Phillips begins transmitting “CQD MQY” (MQY were the Titanic’s call letters). At fellow operator Harold Bride’s suggestion, Phillips also to begin sending “SOS MQY.”...
The ship closest to the Titanic, the Californian, does not respond; its radio operator, who had been on duty since 7 a.m., had switched off his equipment for the night 10 minutes before the Titanic struck ice."
On the 100th anniversary of the Titanic, IEEE Spectrum looks at how the tragedy accelerated the improvement of communications at sea.
"At 12:15 a.m. on 15 April, Captain Edward Smith orders radio operator Jack Phillips begins transmitting “CQD MQY” (MQY were the Titanic’s call letters). At fellow operator Harold Bride’s suggestion, Phillips also to begin sending “SOS MQY.”...
The ship closest to the Titanic, the Californian, does not respond; its radio operator, who had been on duty since 7 a.m., had switched off his equipment for the night 10 minutes before the Titanic struck ice."
On the 100th anniversary of the Titanic, IEEE Spectrum looks at how the tragedy accelerated the improvement of communications at sea.
