ADAMS' EARLY DAYS OF WIRELESS 1929 - 1939
By Dr. Robert Adams, 2001

My interests and experimental work in the field of Wireless, as a youth in Hastings, New Zealand, from the age of nine years, was well known among the wireless fraternity of the day. I was approached by callers, around the district, wanting help with their crystal sets and wireless set.

My peers too were aware of my childhood achievements in the design of power amplifiers and short and long wave wireless sets. Most importantly my peers were appreciative and intrigued at my success, at age 13, in constructing a crystal set, which was capable of driving a loud speaker with as much power as that of their own large heavy wireless sets. This crystal set was constructed without the use of valves and their high voltage and current requirements. These people were older wireless technicians, the local and only wireless station owner and amateur wireless operators. Then, of course, there was my boss and mentor, at my first job at age 14, who was not only a man of vision but was generous to a fault and to whom I am indebted to this day as he provided for me, free, any devices, components, instrumentation, etc., of any description I desired or needed to foster my passion. Such was his admiration for and desire to nurture my youthful competence and skills. My Father also, always prepared to help his sons any way he could, provided me with an outhouse and encouraged my desire to set up my own laboratory type workshop there. Set up with this wealth of provision and guidance from my mentors and local wireless station owner I took up a wireless and electronics correspondence course and thus forged ahead into the heady realm of wireless and magnetics very rapidly. Over time, I was constantly sought after for assistance and teaching in wireless matters. This latterly included designing and constructing wireless antennae and masts for broadcast and shortwave receiving apparatus.

Some of the names of these then very well known people I call my mentors and their calling, are:

Jack Ritchie, my first boss and mentor, whilst I was still attending school and later as a full-time employee of the family business of Thomas Ritchie Limited of Heretaunga Street, Hastings; his brother Gilbert; and their father THomas Ritchie himself.

John Holden, licensed amateur wireless operator and later owner of the wireless station - 2ZL Hastings.

Guye E. Milne, wireless technician, Heretaunga Street, Hastings.

Brothers Paul Barcham and Silus Barcham of Sutcliffes Music Centres, both of whom were wireless technicians of Heretaunga and Russell Streets shops, Hastings. Paul Barcham went on to become a Major in the NZ Army in WW2.

Jack Lynn, wireless technician of Heretaunga Street W., Hastings (subsequently RNZAF Wireless Instructor).

Jimmy Mills, Queen Street, Hastings - 'King of The Districts Licensed Amateur Wireless Buffs'.

Thomas Huevel of Sutcliffe's Music Centre, Heretaunga Street, Hastings, who after the second World War, spent many years a Squadron Leader with the USA Military Headquarters, Washington DC.

These wonderful people helped to set the foundations for the then undreamed of inventions and scientific discoveries that were to follow in my later years.

There are many others, but the above names are the only ones that come readily to mind. All these people had knowledge of my early wireless and crystal set experimental work which, quite naturally, of course, steered me directly into the path of inventing the CRYSTAL AMPLIFIER - the launching pad of what (I was not to know then) would become - the Silicon Chip!

From the above information, it is clearly seen that the invention was more than already in the public domain at that time, and quite obviously patentable by nobody, including myself. However, I learned of this situation only in my later teens. Hence it had never occurred to me, at any stage during the years ahead, to pursue any kind of patenting action for this very salient reason.