WIRELESS STUDY

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1933, Page 8

WIRELESS STUDY

BEATING STATIC

RESULTS IN AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, Feb. 2

New Zealand wireless enthusiasts who find'pleasure m listening to Australian stations Jong after tneir own have closed'down will be heartened by Che goods results that have been obtained in Australia by the Commonwealth Atmospheric Research fetation. Judging by preliminary reports farreaching improvements in broadcasting, particularly in the elimination of static, are promised. The headquarters of the station are at Mount fetromol, near Canberra, but most of the research work has been carried out in conjunction with another station at Laverton, near Melbourne.

Regular, observations have been carried out over period, of nearly two years, and some very important results (have been obtained. it has been established that atmospherics the naturally occurring electric impulses familiar to every broadcast listener — are always associated with lightening discharges and that they come from well defined areas called sources. These sources have been classified as regular and irregular. In Australia during the summer months regular' sources are to be found daily in the afternoon and evening in the northern tropical regions of the continent. These sources are the most powerful causes- of. wireless interferencei. During the winter the regular sources are situated much further to the north-east and- are . consequently less troublesome.' The irregular sources may occur at any time. They have been found to be always associated with areas of low barometric pressure or depressions and are, therefore, related to weather changes. By the location of such sources advance information of weather changes is .obtaind; This is .?> .particularly method since, when depressions are located over the ..ocean or in remote localities, they can he recorded long before they come within the reach oft land, stations. Increased accuracy of weather forecasts .is, .therefore, possible with suitably located atmospheric stations.-. In addition, a practically instantaneous report as to thunderstorm activities in any desired direction is available,' and this is rhvnluable to aircraft. Such information was supplied to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith on the occasion of Ids recent flight from Australia to New Zealand. It has also been found that the various sources'behaving, as far as far. as Interference with wireless is concerned, as natural transmitters work on much the same power, and the interference causes, increases approximately with the wave-lengths. The'experts say that already much information has been obtained which is of immediate value in planning the. future broadcast system in Australia.