AMATEURS ACTIVE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1931, Page 20

AMATEURS ACTIVE

Such disasters as the1 earthquake, which lias smitten Hawkes Bay bring the 'amateur' radio triAismittor into prominence in the news from which lie is ordinarily excluded. Tho New Zealand exports of tho Morse key have nothing to regret in respect of their-efforts except that they could not aehiovo' the impossible. They were on the job at once, and stayed on it. As soon as definite information could be received, headquarters sent an urgent message to all Auckland radio district amateurs and to the amateurs in and around Gisboruo to tako earthquako traffic and establish contact. Amateur station ZL2FF (Mr. C. T. Hands, of Gisborne) had his station in operating ordor very, soon after the main earthquake had subsided, and stood by to tako traffic, 110 established contact with 2BE of Eastings by early afternoon and took messages until the evening. All this timo J. Kyle, 2AX, of Palmorston North, had been standing by for traffic, but SFi 1 was able to handle the position, despito considerable interference from local power leaks. By the evening Badio ZLW, Wellington, was handling 2BE's traffic and direct contact between Wellington and Hastings was maintained through the night and this 'morning. Meanwhile, amateurs wore endeavouring to establish contact with Napier itself, and for a long time their efforts were in vain. About 4 p.m., however, G. Tyler, 2GE, of Vigor Brown street, Napier, was heaid by S. Perkin, 2GE, of Wellington. 2GK was forthwith commandeered as an official post office station, and W. Ashbridgc, 2GP, colTa'borated as' an operator, and his cleancut fist could be heard taking traffic until about 3 a.m., when 2GE's battery supply gave out. It says much for 2G13 that traffic was taken and received at 35 words per minute, which made for the utmost expedition. Eadio 2GE was apparently working under appatling conditions, as his set was mounted on a packing case, and flro was raging around him. His signals were strength 7 for a great portiou of the period. From 3 a.m. till 9 a.m. the headquarters station could not hear 2GB, but by 9 a.m. he was back again with increased power, and working 2GK again. Other amateur stations standing by to tako emergency traffic were IBQ, of Otahuhu, and IBN, of Rotorua, both of whom were trying to secure contact with 2ZP,''o£ Wniroa, until "1 a.m., after losing him at 9 p.m. 21vi<(, 2AX, IBN, and IBQ wcro working on 'phones, while 2OK, 2G13, and 213E were working on C.W. (key). 2XP (Mr. W. M. Dawson), of Philips Lamps, set out for Napier at 8 p.m. with a 10-vratt portable transmitter and a receiver. Ho carried battery supply and a power pack in case the mains supply was available, lie made arrangements to work with 2CO, Mr. Walker, of Wellington, on the 40-melre amateur band. 2GQ, Mr. F. 11. Hunt, of Gisborno, also set out for Napier with a portable transmitter and batteries for power supply. 2GE, W. Greeny and 288-, 11. Dixon, both of Wellington, also left with portable transmitters. It will thus be seen that the amateur transmitteis of the North Island were able to' provo that their knowledge of radio and of Morse was valuable in time of urgent necessity. The only communication with the mainland during yesterday afternoon and night1 was through amateur radio stations 2GE, 2BE, 2GK, and 2FF. Very few. of the really keen amateurs in the North Island had much sleep last night. THE WINDWARD. Meanwhile NZART headquarters had obtained 'Official information that the yacht Windward was to receive instructions via tho YA stations, that would enable her to convert tho radio receiver aboard into a-low-power transmitter.'. Urgent -headquarters instructions were sent to the third (Christchurch), and''fourth (Dunedin) districts, at. 3 p.m. asking all amateurs to listen "for the Windward's signals, and specifying the wave-length to bo used. Stations were requested to eliminate all unnecessary interference, and these were broadcast by powerful amateur stations-^ in the South Island. So while the amateurs in the North Island spent a sleepless night standing by for urgent earthquake traffic, their comrades in the South Island were patiently combing a twometre patch of the frequency spectrum in the hopo of hearing oven the weakest signals from the AVindward. This information is supplied by NZART, hoadquarters, which vouched for its accuracy.