Direction-Finding by Wireless.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1923, Page 4

Direction-Finding by Wireless.

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS. WELLINGTON, -March 9 i The Marine Department recently c-ar- j ricd out very complete experiments at j the Three Kings concerning the application of wireless direction finding to marine navigation. The Minister of Marine, the Hon O. -f. Anderson, describing the results, says:— "At present there arc two distinct principles in the application of wireless direction-finding to marine nnvign, tion. There are (I) by locating direc-tion-finding stations in fixed positions on the shore, from which a ship receives its position through the medium of its ordinary wireless set; ('_?) hy installing directional receiving apparatus aboard a ship quite apart from the usual wireless equipment, and establishing a radio beacon on shore.

"No. I principle has been fairly extensively applied in the northern hemisphere. Ft is wholly confined to vessels eqtiipped with wireless. No. -I principle is the reverse of No. I and is more up-to-date and was recently tested hy the Marine Department. The apparatus on the ship is part and parcel of the shin’s navigation equipment and is worked hy the navigation officer. There is no question of asking shore stations for a hearing with the probable necessity of waiting until the ship's turn arrives, which in foggy Heather or a congested area where numerous shins are asking for hearings may cause serious delay. Cheek hearings can he taken as often as desired. Hearings mav also lie obtained on higlipower wireless stations when a ship is beyond the range of the established coastal radio beacon slntimi, or from another ship if equipped with commercial wireless. The radio station on -pore mav lie an ordinary commercial station, naval radio station or coast !.enroll station established especially for transmitting radio naves, either during foggy weather only or at, r-gnlar period' as may he requried or prescribed . fhe Covernmtm steamer Tntauekai was utilised for the tests which were carried mil dining (he last northern tour of lighthouses and other Marine Department interests. A radio beacon station was established on a selected site on the Croat King, the largesi nf the Throe Kings islands, and an up-to-date direction-finding instrument was installed in the navigation room on the vessel. "As a result of the tests the Department i' satisfied that the principle advocated under the heading No. 2 onu he applied m a practical manner. The Depart incut is satisfied that: a ratlin beacon station with its counterpart. the ship’s direct ion-finder. can he considered a practical aid io navigation nf special significance during thick or foggy weather.”