Although James Corum, located in North Dakota, reports in this letter that he thought he had heard transmissions directly from the U.S.S. George Washington (then sailing in the mid-Atlantic) a follow-up letter from Theodore Gaty in the April, 1920 QST later noted that the signals Corum heard actually came from a relay transmission, originating from the Navy's high-powered station, NFF, at New Brunswick, New Jersey.
QST, January, 1920, page 30:
THIS LOOKS LIKE RECORD RECEPTION.
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Editor, Q.S.T.,
In your "Strays" of last month's Q.S.T. you told about the CW set on the U.S.S. George Washington on its first trip with the President.
On July 4th, last, I heard the wireless telephone conversation carried on between this ship and New Brunswick, N. J. Their voices were loud and clear and in spite of the fact that the ship was far at sea both came in about the same. Their wave was about 8000 meters I think. The ship's members sang songs, among some were, "K---K---K---aty", "There's a Long, Long Trail", "Beautiful Ohio", etc. The conversation also dealt with the R-34, the British Airship. I also heard them the next day but the static was so severe that nothing could be made out.
Could you please tell me what power they were using and what type of C.W. sets they were using, also if you heard of anyone else hearing them.
If I am not mistaken they were using two tubes according to articles in different papers. If they were, they certainly made a "distance" with low power!
With best wishes to Q.S.T. and the A.R.R.L., I am,