RADIO BEACONS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 148, 10 July 1937, Page 10

RADIO BEACONS

-Own Correspondent.)

"Not Worked to Best Advantage"

MARINER'S OPINION

(By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, Last Night. The opinion that the radio direction finding beacons which have been, and are being installed on different parts of the Kew Zealand coast are not operated to the best advantage for shipping, was expressed this morning by tho master of "an overseas liner which is in Auckland. "In my opinion they are boiug wrongly worked," he said, "dnasmuch as a vesscl requirimg the beacon must first radio into one of the main stations and ask for the beacon to bo set in ruotion at a cost of 5/- to the company. The cost is nothing, but the dues wliich alrcady hav.o to bo paid should covcr if. "Wliy should the .beacons not be switched on automatically when the visibility- makes it necessary for fog signals to be working as is the case m cther parts of the world? Tho observer at tho station has a better idea of visibility and should know himself when the beam should be switched on, tlrus avoiding the necessity for tho 6hip ro send a wireless message. "The beacons, not only in Great Britain, but in other parts of the world, are on during fine weather and are operated at special times, twice an hour. It would be to the advantage to moriners if the same conditions applied in New Zealand." On the present intended basis dn New Zealand it did not have the same value for the safety of life and ships at sea as on tho fog signal system. In addition it would serve the purpose of encouraging small coastal vessels to iastal direction jinding apparatus. Worked properly, he concluded, it would be an cxcellent th'ing. When £ho question was referred to the Ilarbour Board authoritios, it was% siatcd that Ihe matter rcstcd with;tbe' Marino Departmcnt. - • •> - ! "