The operating wavelength of the vacuum-tube transmitter aboard the U.S.S. George Washington, 1,800 meters, corresponds to a frequency of 167 kilohertz. The two main wavelengths -- 13,600 and 8,000 meters -- used by the Navy's New Brunswick alternator-transmitter station, NFF, are 22 kilohertz and 37.5 kilohertz, respectively.
QST, April, 1920, page 46:
RE MR. CORUM'S LETTER IN JANUARY QST.
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Editor, QST:
Referring to my letter to you last month regarding the freak transmission of radio phone last summer between the U. S. S. George Washington and the New Brunswick radio station, wherein New Brunswick radiated on 13,600 meters the conversation on the U. S. S. George Washington, I was so interested in solving the mystery that I sought and secured an interview with Mr. Alexanderson, the radio engineer in charge of these experiments. He makes a very simple explanation.
When the officials in Washington, D. C. were listening in on the ground telephone connecting Washington, D. C. and the New Brunswick radio station, a receiver receiving signals from the U. S. S. George Washington was so adjusted that a transmitter of New Brunswick received the signals from the U. S. S. George Washington and reradiated them out on the New Brunswick wave length of 13,600 meters. Thus one could hear the signals of the U. S. S. George Washington as well as the New Brunswick radio station on 13,600 and also the U. S. S. George Washington on 1,800. This was also done on 8,000 but not on 5,600 meters. It was never done with Schenectady working on 3,500 meters and thus Schenectady was always heard on 8,500 meters and not on the New Brunswick wave length of 13,600 meters.
Undoubtedly some of the amateurs were as much puzzled as we were and I think this simple explanation would be interesting to them, as it was to us.