Customer Reviews

Tesla : The True Wireless

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George Trinkaus is author and publisher of some half-dozen books on Nikola Tesla, and related subjects. While I have written this review specifically for Trinkaus's, "Tesla - the true wireless," some observations apply to Trinkaus's other books as well.

This is a softbound book - a booklet really - of about 24 pages. The book is moderately priced (well under ten dollars). And while Trinkaus's books do have a slightly primitive, self-published look, the printing and production quality are adequate - no color or photos, though.

This booklet is mainly a reprint of Tesla's article of 1919, "The True Wireless," with introduction by Trinkaus. The Tesla article is very interesting, but sadly shows the great scientist in decline. It begins with Tesla describing a trip he took to Bonn to see Heinrich Hertz. That he was coolly received is not surprising, in view of the fact that Tesla's mission was to tell Hertz that he (Hertz) was completely wrong on how radio works. Curiously, while Tesla claims that his version of radio is capable of transmitting power "billions of times greater than with the Hertzian" version of radio, he is concerned with developing "the most delicate wireless detector known." (Why would he need it? Or is it to help out Hertz with his anemic version?) There are also some errors. For example Tesla claims that, unlike Hertzian radio, mountains have no effect on his radio. But this is not true. If Tesla radio works by conduction through the earth (as he claimed), a mountain would act like an antenna/receiver, thereby influencing other nearby receivers.

Certainly Heinrich Hertz was only human and capable of his share of mistakes. But science requires that theories be constantly tested and re-examined. We may thus be certain that subsequent reviews have noted Hertz's share of mistakes. But to say - as Tesla cultists do - that Hertz led radio completely down the wrong path is not reasonable. How could engineers possibly communicate with a spacecraft at the edge of the solar system based on a completely erroneous theory? Isn't it much more likely that Tesla, outstripped by his colleagues in the race to develop radio, was overcome by rancor and lashed out at them?

As a collector of information on Tesla and his inventions and technology, I appreciated another perspective explanation of his genius. The book is small, but gets to the heart of the issue. As a broadcast engineer, I work with radio and television transmitting systems daily. Tesla's insight into communications theory raises some doubt about the real science behind electromagnetic propagation. The indoctrination that we all recieved as to Radio theory could use some introspection and examination. Tesla was probably correct as he most often was.

I sent this along with a couple of other books to my brother in Alabama. He received them quickly and as described. Loved the books.