RADIO PROGRESS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18239, 25 November 1924, Page 7

RADIO PROGRESS.

LONG-DISTANCE RECORDS. NEW ZEALAND AMATEURS LEAD. (SPXCIiX TO "the pbbss.") AUCKLAND, November 24. The greatest long-distance achievement* in the amateur wireless world stand to the credit of New Zealanders, and it is not surprising to learn that some resentment is felt over recent cablegrams in which Signor Marconi, having received messages ■ from Australia, announced that an important advance had been made in world communication. Two prominent authorities, discussing the matter yesterday, said that at least three New Zealand amateurs had established two-way communication with London before Amalgamated Wireless last week got one-way signals through. Messages from Sydney were picked up by dozens of New Zealand amateurs, proving, said one of the authorities, '' that if the beam system was used, as reports indicated, sufficient power evidently came out of the back-door to carry the signals from one end of New Zealand to the other—and very loudly at that. As a matter of fact, we judged by the loudness of the signals that the power used was muQh in excess of the power by which our own amateurs communicated with Britain. Another point which should be known is that the Sydney messages were not actual communications. All that was sent was the alphabet, the call station letters, 1.C.C.M., and the name, D. E. Fisk." So far, he continued, communication between New Zealand and Britain had been in Morse code. A greater thing would be the establishment of wireless telephone communication, and the conquest of daylight hours, the period between dusk in New Zealand and dawn in England having been the limit of lowwave work to date.

The fact was recalled that Mr Bell, of Waihemo, had received the plaudits of the whole wireless world for not only getting through to London but conducting lengthy conversations in Morse with another New Zcalander, Mr Jack Orbell, who had gone to the Mill High School amateur station, 2SG, immediately upon his arrival in England. The pair exchanged messages for 40 minutes, and all the messages were heard by numbers of New Zealand amateurs. American Tributes. , The importance of the event may be judged from the fact that a wireless journal of America stated about three 'months ago that New Zealanders had got the Argentine, and it would not be surprising if they got England by relaying through South America. Within a few weeks direct communication, was established, and at the present time Messrs O'Meara, Slade, Bell, Shiel, and Collier have obtained two-way communication with the United States every night, and at least threie speak to England every night. The rapidity of this development has been staggering. An amateur in America recently sent out the following message to New Zealand: "You have got into communication with G.S. (meaning the stations in Great Britain). Gee! "What have we got left to beat that?"

Mr Slade, an engineering cadet in the telegraphic service in Dunedin, with a home-made set which could be packed into a benzine case, and about 120 ft of wire on a 90ft aerial, often speaks in Morse to England, France, the United States, the Argentine; and Australia on (i single night, and the energy he uses would hardly be sufficient for a fairsized street-lamp. Regarding the beam system, it was explained that signals sent out by this method by 2X.D., a station, in England, and by P.0.Z., a station in Nauen,-a suburb of Berlin, were apparently very broad' by' the time they reached the South Pacific, because Mr J. Orbell, who carried out experiments on the Homeward voyage of the Port Curtis, said that the vessel was in the beam for ten days.

Australia, where wireless enthusiasm is just as .keen, does not possess the mysterious advantages of New Zealand for reception from the Northern Hemisphere. Mr McClurean, a prominent Sydney experimenter, informed a local amateur recently that New Zealand amateurs frequently sent messages to Australians to take, their lingers out of their ears when endeavouring to got long-distance messages which were henrd quite clearly in the Dominion. Ho mentioned that in two weeks ho had been able to pick up only six American stations, whereas New Zealanders often could pick up six in six-minutes. In Wellington recently a test was made against time, and a young amateur got 15 American stations in a quarter of an hour. Since New Zealand amateurs established regular communication with England they have been endeavouring to assist Australians to do the same, passing on messages from English stations jis to times and wave lengths. In this way, it is stated, 3D.Q., a Melbourne station, established two-way communication with London before Sydney's effort ten days ago.