LISTENING TO WORLD’S WIRELESS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1920, Page 4

LISTENING TO WORLD’S WIRELESS.

YOUNG SYDNEY MAN’S INSTALLATION. SYDNEY, Feb. 15. Years ago, when Marconi first introduced wireless to an amazed world, a young Sydney man, Mr J. A. Pike, a Government servant, was fascinated by the discovery, and devoted himself to its study. He began to experiment. He bought some apparatus and made other parts, and he had great success in “listening in.” His receivers were very effective. In 1910, he startled everybody by' giving the text of messages sent out by H.M.S. Powerful when at sea far out on the other side of New Zealand.

Mr Pike was making progress as an amateur wireless man when the war came, and Authority closed down on all amateur wireless operations. He kept in touch with wireless operation, and performed war service as a wireless operator. Later on, he was allowed to put receiving apparatus into operation but he was not allowed to send. Amateurs. all over the world have since had that restriction removed, but in Australia they are still forbidden to send. However, Mr Pike makes up for it. by doing so remarkably effective receiving. , , Out at his home in Epping suburb, he has a single wire stretching from the top of a gumtree to a flagpole in his garden. On this simple aerial, he receives the wireless messages of the whole world. Mr Pike and another enthusiast, have developed a marvellous system of amplifying, so that the tiny tremor registered on their aeri.ll is so magnified in their receiver that they can read the messages. They are under a bond not to disclose what they hear, but visitors are allowed to listen to the varying sounds made by the different sending stations.

Nauen, the great station near Berlin, is often heard. It generally starts up about 1.30 a.m., corresponding to afternoon in Germany. Another frequent talker is Cavite, in the Philippines, which is generally working with San Francisco about 9 p.mr The great station at Lyons, in France, is often heard sending to New Brunswick, in North America ; while the busy operators at Funnbashi, in Japan, may be heard at almost any time talking to San Diego, in California, or to South Africa, or India. Mr Pike also hears all the shipping for hundreds of miles round, talking to Australian and New Zealand stations.