MIRACLE OF WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1927, Page 4

MIRACLE OF WIRELESS

(Sydney Paper)

Oil a certain occasion Mr W. M. 1 Hughes asserted that “wireless is the spirit of civilisation made manifest. ’’ and although the stickler fo rexactitude, examining the expression critically, might find'flaws in it, the idea behind it is eloquently conveyed. And when the ex-Pritno (Minister went on to say that “wireless carries knowledge on the wings of light” he was not only delivering himself of a line phrase, but one moreover which was literally true. For the rays which bear the messages of “wireless” travel at the same speed as those of light; a statement which, being translated into prosaic detail—if any such marvellous detail can possibly bo termed prosaic—means that by its services each symbol of a. message for England will arrive there in oneeighteenth of a second after the operator in Australia has tapped it oil from his despatching key. Even in this age, which takes for granted the 'continued unlocking of the hitherto sealed and secret doors of knowledge, and which witnesses the daily harnessing of science for the conduct of new labours, the most sophisticated amongst us can hardly accept such a wonder without expressing our tribute of admiration. The actual feat itself is marvellous enough ; but when we came to consider what it may—indeed must —mean to us within the early future, it is impossible to express in adequate terms the thoughts thereby created. It means that a closer tie than eve) will hind us to the motherland ; It

means that distance—that grievous handicap—is. so Tar at least as communication is concerned, annihilated: it means that in all tilings from commonplaces to crises, the scattered members of tbe Empire can speak together with instant vcito, it means union, which is strength. But perhaps that which is of most general interest in connection with the inauguration of the “beam” system o. wireless telegraphy between Australia and England is the stay of which that inauguration is at once the liappx ending of one chapter and the Impel 11. beginning of another. That Hon cannot, of course, be told in detai. here; but the occasion is appropriate to a brief and general summary of it And the first, and perhaps the mosi marvellous, thing about it is the tact that it only covers a period of a little over twenty years. It was in October 1905, that the first land stations I'm the transmission and receipt of wireless messages were erected in Australia. They were stationed at Devonport in Tasmania and Port Lonsdale ir

Victoria, respectively, and they carrieu communication across Bass Strait over a distance of .180 miles. Jll 19C0 the Perth and Sydney stations were opened—the latter at Pennant Hills now destined to become one of the principal stations of the new system. Tbe lir.st vessels to enter Sydney Harbour equipped with wireless were the Malwa and the Otranto, and when communication was established one day in 1911 between the latter, TUI miles to the- northwest of Fremantle and 11..M.5. Powerful, then lying in Port Jackson, the feat was regarded as a most notable oik'. During t lit. 1 war a < ousidcrable advance in wireless communication took place in Australia, as throughout tin world; but it was not until 1921 that, as a. result of discussions at the In; perir.l Conference, the (..'oninuiuwculL (fovcrninent decided to arrange "1. a direct service between Australia, a

England independently ol plat's tor complete Empire chain.” In !:,_;2 1 Commonwealth and Amalga ..m Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., v. : inl > an agreement, which- mod.i'a 1 .. necessitated by the decision to ado, the beam system instead of high-powv stations—is still in tone. Under the old or broadcast mcuhiu of transmission the rays are Hung 0111

from tbe aerial in all directions; ami while it requires no great expeiiditiir. of energy at the recording end t.i pick up such rays as reach it. an inline...-.-amount of energy must be generated at the transmitting end to enable tbe requisite amount to reach a distant receiver. Under the beam system, however, the whole energy of the transmitter is concentrated by :: re-

Hector into a narrow angle, and is directed to any particular point-requir-ed ; the actual result being that very much less energy is required to transmit the rays. Other advantages of the system are that the actual sliced ol transmission is greatly increased; that the shortness of the wave-length required, added to the fact that “direction” call he changed at will, enables communication to be maintained for a very much longer unitinmnis period; that the .secrecy, of the messages can lie more easily preserved; and that wireless telephony is greatly facilitated. During tlio last three or four years the Commonwealth Government lias suffered more than its due share of disappointments in connection with the establishment of wireless communication with England : and even alter September, 1924, when the final form of “beam” agreement was ratified by the Federal Parliament a number of vexatious delays occurred before t liehomo authorities would express approval of the system. Now, however, having satisfied the tests to which it was submitted, the new system lias come into its own, and its utilities are available to the public of Australia. Whether they will he largely availed of, and wfhetlier they will prove equal alike to the general demand and expectation,- are questions which time alone will resolve. But at least it may be said that the omens are propitious.