WIRELESS DIRECTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4534, 2 March 1923, Page 4

WIRELESS DIRECTION.

ITS LIMITATIONS. A CAPTAIN’S OPINION. Discussing the desirability of establishing a wireless direction station on the Three Kings, Captain ,T. Tregoning, of the liner told a reporter that a light on Three Kings would be up about 900 feet, and therefore very hard to see in dirty weather. On the other hand if the light was put near the sea level it could only be seen from certain positions. “In my opinion,” he said, “what you really want is a thoroughly up-to-date wireless direction station near the light at Capo Maria. I do not want to be misunderstood, however. It would be ridiculous to have a wireless station in some situations without a light as well.. The reason is that while radio enables a captain to learn tlie position of his ship under conditions when it is impossible to take an observation owing to the bad weather, still wireless direction cannot at the present time indicate definitely -how far the ship is off the land. That is why I say LIGHTS ARE ALSO WANTED on the mainland, because as a ship approaches the coast the water frequently gets shallower. Now,, at Three Kings, 1 understand, there is ample water close in. If a ship is warned by wireless that it is in. a channel thirty miles wide, there is no need to run on the land when there is so much sea room. A wireless station at Cape Maria would let the captain of a ship know his position; and he would then be aware he had to look out for the Three Kings, that group being in the vicinity. Such information would be received ydien at least ten’ to fifteen miles out, and to be forewarned is to be forearmed.”