Abstract
DURING a television outside broadcast from Brands Hatch, in Kent, during the afternoon of August 31, 1947, there appeared on the screens and from the loudspeakers of two television receivers situated in Ealing, London, and Claygate, Surrey, a sudden and intense increase of fluctuation noise. The visual effect was that of a violent snowstorm of the type well known to televiewers due to motor-car ignition interference, but at a very much more intense level than seen heretofore by either of the observers. The spots of noise upon the viewing screen were of slightly greater size than a line-width and in number something like 70–100 per scanning line. The intensity of the fluctuation noise interference was of such value that both receivers lost their line synchronization, though frame synchronization still held. The sound effect emerging from the loudspeakers was in no way distinguishable from a considerable increase in the fluctuation noise level. The phenomenon lasted about forty-five seconds at an intense level and then faded slowly away during a period of about fifteen seconds, the entire effect lasting about one minute. The fact that the interference appeared to be completely random in nature and also that it faded slowly away seemed to preclude any fault on the television transmission system.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DREWE, E., MAURICE, D. Solar Noise. Nature 161, 167 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161167a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161167a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.