AMATEUR INTERESTS

Evening Star, Issue 22448, 19 September 1936, Page 4

AMATEUR INTERESTS

NEW ZEALAND HISTORY TO BE WRITTEN Mr Applegarth (ZL4GZ) presided over a sparse attendance of members at the last monthly meeting of the Otago branch of the N.Z.A.R.T. The secretary, Mr Morris (ZL4AS), tendered his resignation, and Mr Natta (ZL4AR) voiced the regret of the club members that Mr Morris was departing from Dunedin. Amateur radio in Balclutha, which is to be his future home, will reap the benefit of his enthusiasm and thorough technical knowledge of radio. Suggestions for a contest open to non-transmitting members were discussed. It was proposed that tho contest building competition, in which points will be awarded for neatness, originality and cheapness of the apparatus submitted, be held. It was also decided that a crystal oscillator and power amplifier should be built on tho bread-board style, for the use of lecturers for demonstrating tho operation of modern transmitters. Members present agreed to present the parts required. This apparatus should be very useful to candidates for the amateur examination in gaining experience in the tuning and adjustment of typical transmitters. In view of the fact that the history of amateur radio in New Zealand will bo written shortly, members in Dunedin have been putting in some research work to unearth the essentials of the early development of radio in Otago The proudest historical relic in the local club is the actual 50 watt valve used by Mr Ralph Slade in 1924, when he surprised the world by transmitting radio signals to England. The operating contest this month was won by Mr Phillips (ZL4FW). ‘The key station was ZL4AS, and was operated by Mr Hams (ZL4CA), who very ably judged the contest. Recent visitors to the club have been Mr Talbot (ZL3KY) and Mr Whitely (ZL3BY), and many of the members had the pleasure of meeting and talking to these men, to whom .they had previously only spoken over the air.