History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/Robert Cecil Marsden

2JM - Robert Cecil Marsden

Robert Cecil Marsden was a well known early wireless experimenter in the period before WW1 and through the 1920s. A summary biography has not yet been prepared however the following resources have been assembled in preparation:

• Transcriptions and Notes - Robert Cecil Marsden - More than 50 transcriptions and notes
• Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - Robert Cecil Marsden - Nothing uploaded as yet

In the meantime, enjoy this lovely account by 2JM of his earliest days in wireless pre-WW1 from the Wireless Weekly of 11 August 1922:

AN AMATEUR LOOKS BACK. Mr. R. C. Marsden's Memories. Yes! I Can remember it as if it were only yesterday. When 18 years old I first got the fever to probe the latest fascinations of wireless. In those days I lived in Potts Point and the neighbours looked on me as a budding genius just because I struck out in the unique hobby of studying wireless telegraphy. At the time I took this science up (from an amateur's point of view) I was also endeavouring to learn the necessary subjects to pass the Matriculation but I am afraid the wireless got more of my attention than it really should have had. However, it was instructive, and as it happened, I didn’t waste my time. What prompted me to interest myself in it was a book I happened to see, telling how it was possible to build a home-made set for a ridiculously small sum. It strongly appealed to me and then and there I decided to get busy as per the instructions. All this happened at the end of 1909, and as I had just recovered from a serious operation, outside sports were debarred, and this hobby was the means of spending many happy hours of my leisure. In those days it was practically impossible to buy any kind of wireless instruments in Sydney, and immediately difficulties cropped up.

PHONE TROUBLE. One of my chief was to get a pair of phones sufficiently highly wound to be of practical use for wireless work, and I had to get over this difficulty by purchasing a pair of ordinary watch type Ericson telephone receivers. The next difficulty was to find the necessary fine gauge wire to wind same, and the person capable of doing the job satisfactorily. During my wanderings I came across a man in Elizabeth Street who decided, to take on the job, and a jolly good job he made of them too. Having successfully overcome the biggest difficulty, my next trouble was how and where to obtain the necessary minerals for crystals. Eventually I decided to pay an unofficial visit to the Mines Dept, where after an interesting talk with the gentleman in charge I opened my heart to him. He being a thorough good sport gave me samples of nearly every mineral then known and after thanking him for his kindness I proceeded home with my precious parcel. The next thing was to install an aerial, and I read in that little book that it was essential to have it as high as possible. So immediately on the top of a 40ft. house I erected a 30ft. mast. The other end ran to the top of the stables, a span of 250 ft. (approximately) and 30ft. from the ground. There were 6 wires in the aerial, each wire 75ft. long, and the aerial was of the "T" type.

THE EARTH. The lead in wire caused a whole heap of trouble. I got busy with a hammer and cold chisel and succeeded in dislodging more of the masonry than I should have. However I fitted in a heavy glass tube within a fibre tube and protected it as much as possible from the effects of moisture, etc. The earthing system was composed of a heavy gauge wire to the water service and also to an old metal bath buried in a permanently damp spot where the sun never could get at it. To make it more so, a buried water pipe in the proximity was caused to spring a small permanent leak. Coming to the set itself I had a transmitting and receiving set, and I will deal with the former first. The main source of power for the transmitter was supplied by a 6 volt accumulator, hooked up to an induction coil capable of giving a 4 inch spark. Four Leyden jars lent their aid to make this set a potent factor in the immediate vicinity. A key and helm, together with the necessary switch gear, completed the transmitter. The receiving set was composed of a 2-slide tuner coupled to a detector board, on which nestled 4 types of crystal detectors, including silicon, iron pyrites, molybdenite and galena. A blocking condenser across the phones and as a detector, switching gear about filled the bill. In those days Sydney Radio was on the top of the Hotel Australia and the call letter was A.A.A. They were ragtime wireless days; no licenses for amateurs, and all was a garden of roses.

THE ROOF LEAKED. I had a friend down the street who was also an enthusiastic experimenter. He had a sending and receiving set and between us we had a lot of fun. I remember the day we put up his aerial on the top of a roof of a terrace of houses. The terrace was of ancient structure and our work on the roof did not improve its weather resisting capabilities, for when heavy rain set in the ceilings of the wretched places showed up our tracks along the whole length of the top rooms. The outcome was that the landlady lost her tenants and forthwith ordered the removal of the aerial. Later, I may mention, the offending tenant also made tracks. Even in those days we did good work for amateurs, and I can remember hearing a warship in Hobart calling, quite an achievement in those days. One day the household cat took a fancy to sleeping where my aerial and earth wires ran closely, stretched across these leads. Being like most small boys I had to do it. I pressed the transmitting key down good and hard. With a howling squeal poor old tom leaped feet into the air, and I can assure you he was a very sick cat for many days. It was a remarkable thing that it took several days for his hair to adopt a horizontal position. On that station is the only time that I’ve seen lightning jump between the aerial and earth switch. Many times since have I tried to induce it to do so, but without success.

And here is an earlier article from the Evening News of 18 Feb 1922:

Friend and adviser to every amateur.

From the schoolboy upwards, Mr. R. C. Marsden is known to every wireless man through his kindly nature and cheerful disposition, to say nothing of his comprehensive knowledge of the science. He first started radio work in 1909, when his station was situated in Macleay-street, Potts Point. In those days there was no licensing of apparatus and he had a transmitting unit in his set. Two years later he went to England and carried out work connected with radio and general engineering at the Liverpool University for two years. During the war Mr. Marsden served with the artillery, and his battery had a C.W. transmitting and receiving set when in action on Vimy Ridge. Great trouble was experienced through the aerial being constantly shot away. This was finally avoided by putting the aerial in a tunnel 20ft under the ground, 100ft long, and capable of sheltering 50 men. By this means the battery was able to keep in touch with headquarters. Returning to Australia in 1919, Mr. Marsden resumed his hobby and built a special radio room at his home at Bellevue Hill. He specialises in the reception side of radio, and like most of the amateurs, is chasing the elusive static, the elimination of which is the ambition of every genuine experimenter. His station (call NO16) consists of three most up-to-date machines, within the scope allowed by the authorities. One side of his experimenting has been the study of the great possibilities of the accurate crystal receiver. During the past two years he has produced seven distinct types of receiving sets from which he gained a lot of practical information, and at the same time exploded a number of cut and dried theories.

And an article from the Wireless Weekly of 28 August 1925

W.I.A. STATIONS 2JM - R. C. MARSDEN, EDGECLIFFE

On first entering the station one gains an impression of immensity and vastness. The writing of this article occupied the combined initiative of three Institute Councillors, exclusive of 2JM, and Mrs. 2JM passed various remarks concerning the Camera obscura state of things when 2JM sits in front of the set. "There was a young man named J.M., His feet he can't see Oh ah hem. So his wife with regret The Councillors met. The radio room at this station is indeed in keeping with the reputation of its owner. He has a lot of chaff to bear in connection with his personal appearance but a look over the station takes one's mind into some of the deeper avenues of Radio Research. One finds that the question of low loss receivers has their full share of attention from 2JM and his successes on the transmission side are in evidence from the gear assembled and in operation at the station. Two sides of the room are benched and on the side overlooking Rose Bay is arranged the transmitter and receiver whilst the walls bear much evidence of efficient radiation in the shape of QSL cards from everywhere. The transmitter consists of a saddleback arrangement designed to secure the shortest possible length of leads. Series feed loosely coupled Hartley System is followed throughout. Two 5-watt oscillators are employed. Average input varies from 16 to 19 watts, plate voltage 450 to 500 volts; radiation on short wave working approximates 250 milliamps, but varies according to the type of aerial at the moment in use. The receiver consists of the low loss type employing detector and one stage audio. The tuning elements are arranged to cover various wavelength bands using a variety of low loss tuning coils. D4, oscill audion and Phillips are used as detectors at will, as are 201A's and 24's as amplifiers. Cardwell condenser is employed and is specially adapted for shortwave reception. At present the aerial consists of a vertical 7/20 single wire, 87 feet long arranged with a Corona in the shape of a 9ft. circular prism. The counterpoise consists of six 3/20 wires arranged fan shape under the aerial. No earth is used in reception on short waves (under 9 metres) on account of the local QRM from power transformers, etc., in the vicinity.