A Visit to John Nelson’s Solar Laboratory Cycles: How long have yon worked in radio broads casting? Nelson: I started wher f was about 1? years old That's 60 years ago! I lived in Rockport, Massachusetts at that time Twas a student ina Commercial Cable Company office in Rockpors, where a cable landed from Liverpool, England. Every two yeats the Cable Company would eran ewo local teenagers to be ceble operators. We were crained in Morse Code, Americas Morse Code, and Cable Morse. Cable Morse is different from what 4s heard on short-wave radia, It cook ewo years to become 2 junior operator. Cycles: How were you chosen by the company? Nelson: Itwas 2 very competitive program, butthe other boy who gor chosen was a friend of mine, and he recommended me. They looked me over ead decided I was all right, so they rook me. After wo years, chey sent me co New York, to a cable station om Broad Street, They had five and six tansetlantic cables at that time—no radio, only INTRODUCTION ‘Theoughour the three decades of Cyeies" history, eumecous articles by andabout John H. Nelson have been published. Thase familiar wich his work will recall that he developed = method of forecasting long-range radio broadcast conditions 45 Propogatian Anaivse for RCA. Befoze Nelson went to work for RCA, the largest radio communications network in the world, conditions forecasts had been based on sunspor numbers. Nelsva sought greater precision, however, and found that mapping planccary positions helped him forecast sunspors and ionospheric conditions months in advance, Sume estimates tatchis technique at 90% accuracy. Jolin Nelson coatinves to make and publish forecasts although he retired from RCA several years ago] visited his solar laboratory at his home in New Jersey in January. The highlights of our conversation are presented hese, along with «bibliography of his work, ‘cables. So I came ro New York, and I worked for them for a year anda half as 2 junior cable opera- tor. They weren't paying me enough money, hough, so I quit and joined RCA. [have been pees, Apna 1981 7 John Nelton with the RCA solar telescope, then located in midtown Mankattan, The telescope has since beendonated with RCA since 1923. 40 a local bigh school,2 yet yess Nebo tee ‘wha yo doa RCA? 1 sane a ding te ame eg Th Lb fame» ng wareepernor nhen fg cbeady Sette str nave me no aeswecef TE5k sve, wodkitnoe shaestem They ‘hese eawea maser opeitina sno 1628. 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The dary othe Mace Coe [Neion: Yer We hove wbas weal tb tgntherte 2 Inter wots, ee or ch ie tin, bho sae Thr spl foe Boutin Png wot vey ce noe tate ula 4c on hw pe po ‘Amst sist ge ye, nl ne ‘Anetta Whe Toate frrsultie ‘los ta pation othe ae yates Bow do you do [Nekoa: looks he sam fr snap acts an hk esi qolay en my eaie heel sno ny esl have te oct the ae pled see Ip tiae tkarano er ne truncal ant, fo the 8 Geen inet Pein Oikcr Tene ea ey (Dia Mra at 5 tacewre epics Wei pe al nce psnes fe st ae cope fn ara ct ofthe et nav sion ot shut scum Bese Nelsen paced al gure eae urepreihy ite planets sno pascan foe hg Newser Mar = 420 Tarn Sapte Ta Sorc 18 ia 39 Nepece OE sn 20" ths cme eesti Neliae: Nore tow cote Jeies a Satiem wet Mey nn Aoul of onc thay wl be i consrson tow! the cn Ma Al he pwns Sheaieet ne sarc exepeehe eth ich Ts siting eke i ened Snub lees gua gene edt low ite weer it ting isin pce, "30 aerangemen sonar di doce yee Whe sew tomas? [Nekone Tocerran Mey nt Mats lle in an Aulvetnts ping tnee sch else {a0 io ies sn ncn Fe gn chad dees eg pce These ing here ‘Ss ery strny hare tage 1D" be ‘ree Hine see Mer rycen, Cyelns What sed ane Nehon: ‘The tardagls wei 9 18nd 2071207 less yp sb ifn sei angle all Itoi sennoiouha theta Tas ey Lom ypcing ¢dirlane force eget fee igh telat Bon tip Harmen incng fr planes we beliyvslen pr oi Cycles Hs tng es eh ome mash fee song ti meth [Neat Aout eo om. Tea dn fot ie he harper of enc day of wha ath ou two howe But soot wb nth Say Tp wit st atin Io on fens bt decal nd ey stein tsetse eave tage Insome (Gua ove od nal ter fase ot Sr Label hare irae: Weal de teat Cycle whi cce ctoe pneu fceaibedhes paneer angles [Nelos: Mayors aces main fart. Py mages ‘neta ie magnetic as oh te Ens {ei The Boren of Sandesh esha sere batch wf the Depart Comes Breer Caveat magni cone Hien he bt mae tas we tery howe Ween weno dios ew nates Tenth in macy deen pacer Cyto: What raises do they meee? [Nétion: They meacie ite stengh 0d vil, pee out tad persue ely ae te ie eat re enna = rmonitcring magnons: Vie sgnetie tele 4 pe ver sont, Mee. Ivory terete fn yon ah We be ‘esting ej fr Baler ng ard tern hey nil pe oor on Vigna ‘Aha so ik uleenearech kent thoy make scarier ut fa these fora sabi sr Sect what the gee Tate dig od eles: How mach doe mati a asig way? 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Melton shcated wae ‘Socraton Nea: oo om sh on ith phage and bas serie spoon tncy Tansey ease we area te lng pt ae {9se Tea dig gn ete oo tm Soon te ad ys ie Sfoenct Bite ke Beappersner el tS ponte got ey sade wane Te ke oat air ‘he Tat smth pds i mo ook ook tdavise eae fase at {ei wit ececeme thence ‘mam in mp td he Le ge Cycles: De jou think shrew onset [Neboat Aca, tsa sh vent ike tin he ant fiat mete wer ances wi en eter thesroaaye nine aodivecnetane sith at sre | hie nes ama cages nem ive take laces change nse ‘omote camp a ola tr tea ant ines her wave hss pry Susp a som wth afin her tec yes: Neon ete peter Nekost How ong hve you been eta the ner tet “The mates, | was campaign my Dili My ostens ok Bon Boman {he eather mua the iret yep Ta ‘sirds here log tek for 30 yee 1 the genoa rt fears hee ty ‘ivotis tout = soap won “he Comets Depinew faeces in Bide wel bear te Dare of San ‘Linke They ae ming eins seer, ‘ragebaai rc Ty they veep es We ed Hae tee oe ea ke prom hey Soka that she ama.when haath Patch at he i oe talc bad Bsc th fd ‘ent wed ot nom cae sa ‘hon eat parle Stine shave te [coe sion any fses onl wie any sepa. The ale ching isso soe et Sprang ay ey eta ia Is drt ore she eta de cea of Snctds sad Commerce Depasivea ve Seconeadyng ie ra hace 1 ‘As ding muck? poe et aking thi ikem ve ov ee eke aan od pro goes Shy decovere sw one cent am Bat sr pay ar teen he ens “Se ar amp ace fh an ve dp (nine emvoembaet ean LR Dewey Ie Stren eds Bae pets ne aed ts oe since Ts he sae aay When Sie yom et Free bes Se you Weep nll ac ut youl oe [Rp ae art ansualy nei hepa yt Apa Pa BIBLIOGRAPHY Material by JU. Nelsoa in Gyctor Panta lio Soave Rati” V3, Me 190 cee Nie ie nthe te Can Sonnains” 14s 198 “Bede ele Yong Nocatee” Wag ioe B Rao A'Now ate boning Ce me The Pe Dales Sd, eo 1969 Foc Hain tar Amen npn Non BS ER Tce oS Wee 1 re tee ence 2, fe 97 Nea Gre iene mc Rea ars mn Sup ny Sh, ¥ 2 1977 tn Hane Re Re ned Sas 8 gy “eek Benois in Sarr fon” Uae Soa ef Gu Ree, jon 9 Othee Artiles in Gyles ‘ig Ralionshp beeen Eas Mago Sn ad Plane sian Dison by Wien Kee, 2 May 188 les Reo Dsnslance” y LR Dewey, V6.0 1988 “pte Neus Usen Dscoseis Rear te Chet in Bas Went” fy Jack A. Doe V. 9, Dee 1958 seal Ferd of the Wares” by Bit oui 8 Ce 18 Decors Lem by BR Dewey, Pals Aig sa Information Published Elsewhere “Sorenat Ray Erpgstion elon with Plea Mons” REd Rite ¥.Xll.No 4 Mar 1981, 4RCA Come ‘onto nese Brad, New Tord NYT Bhacucy Paton Eis em Shri Wive Sl Qualer"A NEE pba n Mee Paging, ay 1953 eve, “Rath Weatee oreaang Teqees” eosnarn Thee wees ‘haere Finlay Pegi 9 Sg Queene Ar Yat Can Borge CA Revo, ihe Mate a POUR Radio Bsmt, May 1958 ‘Seay of Sule Reto Discabanes Repu Ht li Snaps ae Bal Res, W 17, Ma-€fue 1998, prove DiwwhaneTerecaig forthe HT han The Red gine ei New Ne ‘Gre Ralabay, Fegseney Vues. ca oven nth igh fe yen Cosma tansy Biro og ates af Ser Ort oe Cnenanciay cd 8) taney, nnn fa Men ok eee ‘Anwar atte One als Year Aid Foetal supe Roles ee nese i ist 7 Mls "s te Pate othe {Meter Ban", North eer DE Assocoion. 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