guglielmo marconi

Although at this stage of his life, Marconi was taking less of a day to day interest in the technology and business affairs of his company he never fully retired.With new radio communications technology becoming available, he was able to investigate the use of very short wavelength signals. In particular he was interested in whether it was possible to establish two way radio communications links over paths that were beyond the line of sight.As Cristina was the daughter of a Vatican official, Marconi established a radio communications link between the Vatican City and Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence for the Pope.

Marconi was by nature a practical engineer and a visionary who saw the applications for his radio communications technology. When addressing a meeting of American radio engineers in New York, in June 1922, Marconi foresaw a new type of radio technique that would emit radio signals, and then detect any reflections. This he described could be used to detect ships at sea.Development was undertaken by Marconis company in marine location and direction finding equipment. Later in Britain in 1935 Robert WatsonWatt of the UK government Radio Research Laboratory undertook the first successful groundtoair test involving radio detection. This proved the concept of what would ultimately be termed radar in detecting aircraft.Later developments of the technique involved the Marconi company and the British government asked the Marconi company to design and manufacture the transmitting antenna arrays used for the first five Chain Home radar stations which were to protect the Thames Estuary and approaches to London in the event of war.

Not only was Marconi involved with radar, but he also took an interest in the growing technology of television. He supported the EMI high definition (for the time) system.The Marconi company became heavily involved in television during 1934. The company worked with EMI Ltd in a venture to develop a high definition television system based using electronic scanning with images displayed on a cathode ray tube.This system was a rival to the mechanical system being developed by John Logie Baird, who had produced the first 30line images nine years earlier using a rotating disc. Baird had undertaken many tests using the system and had even sent images across the Atlantic. However the EMIMarconi system was far more flexible and could be developed to provide a much more effective system and it eventually won over the Baird one.

In the last ten years of his life, Marconi suffered a number of heart attacks. Marconi was more also involved with politics and the interests of his native Italy. With the worsening political situation in Europe, this brought a considerable strain on Marconi.In 1937 his health worsened. Sadly, the night before his daughter Elettras seventh birthday his wife was away. Marconi had been due to meet with Mussolini, who he said never listened to him, and privately dislike. He did not trust the fascists, but out of loyalty to the King, served his country on the senate. Marconi had to cancel the meeting as he was not feeling well and he stayed in their Rome apartment.Sadly Marconi died that during the night around 3.45am on 20 July 1937 at the age of just 63.All transmitters around the globe were silenced for two minutes as a mark of respect on the day after Marconi died. Such was the stature of Marconi, he was often called the Father of Radio.