RADIO FOR PITCAIRN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 54, 1 February 1938, Page 6

RADIO FOR PITCAIRN

EQUIPMENT FOR ISLANDERS. RESULT OF GENEROSITY. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 1. Frequent calls at Pitcairn Island by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamers have made this romantic and isolated island fairly well known in the Dominion. New Zealanders will, therefore, be interested in the successfful results of an American effort to provide the Pitcairn Islanders with a specially designed radio receiving and transmitting equipment which should make the signals of PITC heard all over the world. The effort was sponsored by the journal of the American Radio Relay League, which published an article by a well-known radio amateur who visited this isolated spot, and realised the need for better _ communication. Manufacturers of radio equipment in the United States showed their readiness to co-operate, the technicians devoted much skill to the design of the right class of equipment for the special conditions, and the result is that the Rangitiki, now on its way to New Zealand via Panama, was expected to pick up the complete installation, packed in seven cases, at Cristobal. If the vessel has been able to call at Pitcairn, the signals of the new station should soon be heard, as the Rangitiki is due in Auckland next week. Some years ago one of the Pitcairn Islanders came to New Zealand to learn Morse transmission and the operation of radio sets. He was given opportunities in connection with a navigation school conducted by the Dnion Steam Ship Company, so that the new station can be efficiently conducted. There was a serious problem associated with the design of the plant, as there is no source of electric power at Pitcairn. Therefore the engineers, finding that petrol was also out of the question, secured a wind-charger which is marketed in the United States. It is similar in principle to a number which have been made by New Zealand lighthouse keepers for charging their radio batteries, a spar being mounted on an axis enabling the vanes at one end to move in line with the direction of the wind. The Pitcairn equipment will give an 8ampere charging rate in a 20-mile wind, and it has been estimated that the radio equipment could operate for ten hours per day without fear of its wind-power failing. Reserve batteries have been provided which could run the set for eight to ten hours continuously. The transmitter is designed to work on COO metres (the ships’ calling wave) as well as the 40 and 20-metre short-wave bands, and it has telephonic equipment. The receiving section will cover all wave-lengths between 10 and 3000 metres. Every manufacturer concerned made no charge, and the final instance of generosity was that tho shipping companies on the whole route co-operated to provide free transit.