What's New

    This is where we announce Recent News and Additions, and Scheduled Events, to our web site.   If you've visited us before and want to know what's changed, take a look here first.  Please remember to leave any comments you have on "Guest's Comments" at the end of your visit..

    Saturday, June 3, 2006 Another heliograph demonstration (our 6th annual) will be held from 9:30 until noon on Saturday in the Rose Garden of Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott Arizona.  The will be in conjunction with the museum's 33rd Annual Folk Arts Fair, a two-day event.  This year the FOLK ARTS FAIR activities will also include everything from sheep shearing, carding, washing, dyeing, spinning and weaving wool to make Battenburg lace, to candle dipping, old-time fiddling, Mexican ballad singing, displays of antique autos and engines, woodcarving, quilt making, antique printing demonstrations and numerous other events.  (See below for a heliograph practice session scheduled one week prior to the fair).  

    Saturday, May 27, 2006 A heliograph practice will be held from 9:30 until 11:00 a.m. in the Rose Garden of Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott Arizona.  The will be in preparation for the museum's 33rd Annual Folk Arts Fair scheduled for the following Saturday and Sunday (see above).  Dave Selvidge KE7FC and Jim Riddle KD7AOI will set up a couple of Mark V heliographs.  Anyone interested in heliography is welcome to attend.  See "Event Photos" for a couple of last year's photos taken during the fair.

    Saturday, June 5, 2004  When Jim Riddle arrived at Sharlot Hall Museum's 31st Annual Folk Arts Fair to set up a couple of Mark V heliographs at the sundial in the rose garden for demonstration, he was met by Captain "Charley" Buehner, a Living History volunteer for the Museum.  Charley, without any background in signalling took to the heliographs like a duck to water, and soon was entertaining and educating folks with his spin on the Hg's use during the Geronimo Campaign and his newly acquired knowledge of the heliographs operation.  Reflector's were soon ablaze with his mirrored signals as may be seen in the latest "Event Photos".

    March 26, 2004  The heliograph demonstration at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona was somewhat less than brilliant for long distance signaling using a Mark V heliograph (see previous page for photo of Mark V). As I�ve said on too many occasions, �No sun, no fun�.  This wasn�t completely true because the group did enjoy learning about the heliograph, and did have a reflector set up for practice, maybe a eighty yards or so distant, although at times the sunshine was not even adequate for that.  The reasons were lack of success were several:  1)   Although there was some sunlight, there was too much haze for the reflection off the 5� mirrors to be visible at the 36-mile distance.  2)      The sun, being almost overhead, reduced the reflected light from the mirror by almost half.  (On a perfectly clear day, the �rule of thumb� is 10 miles range per one-inch diameter of the mirror, but this will depend on how high the sun is above the horizon.  3)  It seems to me the Mark V is a difficult instrument to master, and sighting using two mirrors and looking into the mirrors to sight (as we were having to do since the sun was to our back) is a tough concept to grasp in such a brief time.  The instruments being over sixty years old, and not finely tuned does not help either.   4)  Neither Ben Bryce at his station near Dragoon, nor I at Huachuca could be sure of the location of the other, although had the sky been clear, I�m confident we would have seen one-another�s signal and would have been able to align.  5)      Ben and I have never had the opportunity to practice together.

On the plus side, I believe, as a result of this exercise, we can all better appreciate the problems confronting the Hg signalmen of the 1880s and 90s, and they didn�t have the benefit of the excellent 2 meter simplex communication Ben and I enjoyed.  Also, I feel the group at Huachuca (see photo at "Event Photos") had a pretty good time and the picnic was a plus.  I particularly want to thank Captain Indira Donegan (squatting behind flag) for her leadership and participation, one young lady with an unusual nickname (holding same flag), and �Robert� (standing at extreme left) for their assistance.  Also, thanks to Huachuca�s signal historian Vince Breslin (in cowboy hat) for organizing the event.  Others helped a lot, too, but I have no names.  And of course, kudos to Ben Bryce, N7XL, and his friend who were on the other mountain for their efforts.  Also, need to give special recognition to the exuberant Iraqi pup wearing the red backpack on right, and the soldier who brought him to the USA � he�s crouched just behind his dog.

As a result of this exercise, I feel that before any future demonstrations, Ben and I definitely need more practice on our own, and in groups using reflectors.  Shorter distances for demonstrations, say three to five miles from easily seen locations will be helpful.  Sunshine, and reasonably clear conditions are a must for a really good demo.  Perhaps a second hill on the fort can be chosen for this.

FYI, the signal flags being held by the soldiers are commonly known as �wig-wags� and were in use as early as the Civil-War.  The flags were used singly, the red on white in front of dark backgrounds, and the other for light.  They have been symbolic of U.S. Army signalmen since the 1880s and maybe even before, and are still worn, I believe, as part of their uniforms.

BTW, I would be very interested in hearing from any of you heliographers out there who have had success with say a five or ten word message being sent and repeated back with reasonable accuracy at a distance of at least three miles using the Mance Mark V. 

We have had much more success using Tom Kosel�s homemade 8� square wood heliographs.  What was interesting there is that the team on Glassford Hill (Bald Mountain in 1890) did not know Morse Code, and were barely familiar with the instrument.  We transmitted the code, letter by letter, from Squaw Peak by radio, after which, we did successfully exchange letters and several words.  The other team wrote down the dots and dashes, then translated them into letters, and finally words.  Incidentally, the air was so clear on that day that the flashes from small, hand held mirrors were visible at the thirty-mile distance.

    January 4, 2004  Have many, many letters that need posting to Feedback, so wish to apologize for not have done so.  Have been extremely busy with personal affairs and my book on heliography in the southwestern USA (ongoing since 96).  Am in the process of moving, too, albeit only two blocks south.  Anyway, please bear with me.  Jim

    August 20, 2003  Thank heavens for unselfish folks like John Goldfinch of Stevenage, UK for his unselfish contribution of Stanley Okell's 1911 plans for making a Mance type 5" heliograph of wood.  These are from his March 16, 1911 issue of "The Model Engineer and Electrician.", and may be found in "Build Your Own Hg".

July 10, 2003  18 recent letters are now posted to “Guests Comments”.  These include Tom Shaughnessy’s experience with heliography when he was 15 years old(1958).  He and his best friend each purchased a British Mk V 5" heliograph at Earl Swendson's Gunshop on Harlem Ave. Chicago, Il., and put them to good use;  Jeff Ross’ request for information on an early heliograph station on Wheeler Peak in Nevada; Gary Wallace’s childhood experiences practicing “Operation On Target” in Utah before its existence;  Miles Swarthout’s  new Western novel, “The Sergeant’s Lady” set against the backdrop of Gen. Nelson Miles's new heliograph network in the Apache War of 1886;   Mike Greenfield’s first homemade helio that seems to work very well, and uses  a "self-aiming liferaft type" mirror he got for $6 + $10 in simple oak parts & brass hardware;    David Vleck telling us about a heliograph that he saw in “Walking Hills” a 1949 Randolph Scott movie;  and many other interesting letters you will want to read.

  02-28-03 There have been several requests for construction plans for a making a simple heliograph.  Thanks to Ed Butler of San Diego, and Sir Henry Mance, formerly of India, we have added a new page, "Build Your Own Heliograph".  Although the pictures aren't too clear on the web page, they will print out just fine when downloaded (right-click, save picture as..)

   02-06-03  Several new "Guests Comments" added including Roger Dewhurst of New Zealand wanting info on using an Hg for fishing a with kite off shore; Jay Miller of Albuquerque, New Mexico seeing mica pieces and quartz near signal fires of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico (relative to section herein on "Prehistoric Mirrors"); Nancy Newton of Washington D.C. wanting plans for a simple Hg for a classroom project (along with a lot of the rest of us); John Blocher of Cincinnati, Ohio suggests a WebPage for hand-held signal mirrors; John Alcorn of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia on a new training mirror he has devised; and Chuck Bowen tells us of Walt Mathers' message regarding use of mirrors during the Civil War (1860s).

     February, 2003:  The event for Fort Huachuca, previously considered for Fort Bowie, Arizona is cancelled due to recent events in the Middle East.

    11-12-02  A Feedback page and button is added to provide a means for sending me any comments or additions you may have regarding the website or Heliography in general.