History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/John Campbell Fitchett

John Campbell Fitchett

Potted biography: John Campbell Fitchett [1] - 1900(Vic)-1939(Vic) - Licences: XJDM Melbourne (Balwyn, 1913-1914); 3BL Melbourne (Balwyn, 1922-1925; Brighton, 1926-1939) - Qualifications: cc; CPRT 609, 1921 - early wireless experimenter; amateur operator; amateur broadcaster - Electoral Rolls: journalist (Brighton, 1928-1937) - TroveTag: "XJDM-3BL - John Campbell Fitchett"

John Campbell Fitchett was a son of Thomas Shaw Fitchett, a principal of Fitchett Bros. publishers, most notable as publisher of "New Idea" magazine. John was interested in wireless from an early age, being licensed from at least 1913 at the age of 13 years, though all wireless activity in Australia ceased soon after the commencement of WW1 in 1914. He passed his examination for Certificate of Proficiency in Radio Telephony on 7 February 1921 and was one of only a handful of wireless experimenters to be licensed for transmission before commencement of the Wireless Regulations on 1 December 1922 (callsign: XJDM). He was a prominent amateur broadcaster from 1922 through the mid 1920s and held the licence for 3BL until his untimely passing in 1939. He commenced employment with his father's firm and stayed with the family business throughout his short life. He published prose of his own as well as contributing to the successful publishing of numerous well-known titles in the family stable.

Resources

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Internet Material

A lovely detailed description of Fitchett's station at Canterbury in 1922, sadly little personal detail

RADIO. . . . Radio Station 3 B.L. 3 B.L. is the call number of the experimental radio station owned and operated by Mr. J. C. Fitchett, of Sailsbury-street, Canterbury. This station is fitted with a complete radiophone transmitting and receiving set, which although limited as to the distance over which the voice may be transmitted, on account of the low power employed, is capable of receiving messages from stations many thousands of miles distant. The receiving set consists of a sensitive amplifier of three-valve radio frequency type, which is used in conjunction with a special radio frequency amplifier for the reception of both spark and continuous wave signals. For the latter purpose a separate heterodyne is used, which serves the purpose of making the otherwise inaudible continuous waves audible. A standard cascade circuit is used, the output from each valve being impressed upon the succeeding valve amplifying the received current in turn, until in he last valve it gains sufficient strength to operate the head telephones. Honeycomb coils are used for tuning in place of single layer inductances, and are very efficient. They provide a ready and excellent method of changing the wave length of the receiver over a range of from 600 — 25,000 metres. For the reception of signals from Australian coastal radio stations a short wave tuner has been designed; and for wave lengths of 600 metres is more efficient than honeycomb coils. A change over switch enables the operator to change from one to the other very quickly. By means of this tuner, which is Mr. Fitchett's own design, all coast stations are clearly heard, as are also ship stations within a range of 1000 miles. Most of the high power American stations are clearly received on the longwave length in the neighbourhood of from 12 — 25,000 metres. They can be distinctly heard with the headphones lying on the table. Mr. Fitchett's only difficulty so far has been that which is the cause of interference at all radio stations, namely static. The radiophone, which is also of his own design and construction, has been in operation for only a short time, and, has not yet been tested out over any considerable distance, although several operators have reported having heard him speak very clearly. At present the power employed is only low but it is Mr. Fitchett's intention to install a power transformer which will increase the transmitting range of the station very considerably. The power at present is supplied from a small direct current generator driven by a ¼ h.p. motor. The motor serves the dual purpose of charging the accumulators used. The aerial antennae is of the two wire inverted L type, 140 feet in length, approximately 50 feet in height at one end, and 30 feet at the other. It is Mr. Fitchett's intention to carry out some tests with a station at Portsea in a month or so's time in order to determine the maximum range of a radiophone using power not exceeding 10 watts. At present he is transmitting speech every Sunday evening on a wave length of 440 metres, at 7.30 for a period of 20 minutes. When the higher power is installed music is to be transmitted at the same time also. Mr. Fitchett would greatly appreciate any reports from experimenters receiving his telephonic messages.