Wireless Telegraphy
Henry Sutton invented the worlds first portable radio, it had a range of 500 yards and Henry took out a number of patents relating to wireless telegraphy/radio.
Henry was granted an experimental radio licence by the Australian government he was the second person in Australia to be granted a licence and the first in Victoria.
In 1908 Henry invented “The Sutton System of Australian Wireless” and at one stage held the world record for the longest wireless transmission in the world.
Henry’s wireless system was highly sort after not only by the Australian government but also governments around the world such as Britain, France, Japan and the United States.
In an outstanding gesture of generosity Henry Sutton offered his wireless system free to the Australian Government for the benefit and protection of all Australians which would have proved invaluable during wartime.
History
First there was telegraphy which used morse code down telegraph lines, this was long before telephones were invented.
Wireless telegraphy was invented in the 1890’s and used hertzian waves to transmit morse code messages, it was the precursor to modern radio.
Over the years there were many improvements made by many inventors Henry Sutton was one of them and at one point Henry held the world record for the longest transmission in wireless telegraphy.
Long before the invention of the wireless Henry Sutton was the first person to manufacture electrical and scientific equipment in Australia.
Henry and other inventors gave birth to modern day electronics such as transistors and diodes which are the basis of today’s technology.
He has long been regarded as the grandfather of electronics in Australia.
Crystal Detectors
Henry invented a galena crystal detector and today these crystal detectors are still made by thousands of amateur radio enthusiasts all over the world.
A crystal detector is a device for rectifying a modulated radio-frequency signal, a rectifier was the first semiconductor electronic device and are now nown as diodes.
It consists of a crystal of either germanium, silicon or galena and a springy piece of thin wire known as a cat whisker contact which permits a high-frequency current to pass freely in one direction only.