Two-Way Telephony

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 551, 2 January 1929, Page 14

Two-Way Telephony

Sydney to New York How America Heard Tests

New, ZEALAND listeners who heard the two way telephony tests between 2ME Sydney and W-2XAF fe’chnectady, New York, a few months ago will read with interest the following from the “New York Times.”

The success of two-way short-wave radio telephonic conversation between the United States and Australia on October 16, 26, and 31 marks a distinct widening in the scope of this new means of communication, and emphasises the international importance of a freer interchange of information between the various parts of the .world.

Use of the wireless telephone for the purpose of transmitting news dispatches is no longer unique. The inauguration of transatlantic service on January 8, 1927, was marked by the exchange of news stories between British and American newspapers. On October 15 last W. Schulze, New York correspondent of the Ullstein Press Service, of Germany, three minutes after the arrival of the Graf Zeppelin at Lakehurst, N.J., obtained an open circuit to his Berlin office, and for 40 minutes dictated facts concerning the airship. The telephonic conversations with Australia on October 31, however, stressed an important aspect of news transmission by radio telephone—namely, the possibility of making clear difficult aspects of a situation in one country to the readers of another. Politics Discussed

The editorial heads of virtually all the important newspapers of Sydney conversed with a group of American newspaper men, and the hour and aquarter so devoted was for the greater part consumed in a discussion of the political situations in the United States and Australia, where a national election occurs on November 17. Australian newspapers, perhaps more than those of any other foreign country with the exception of Canada, have been printing a great deal of news about the American campaign. Every possible ispect of the inter-party struggle ha: been cabled, even long before the national conventions were held, and the election results were treated at length. Yet it is difficult for a correspondent separated from his office for any length of time to be entirely conversant with his ultimate readers’ interests.

“Getting out of touch” is the bugbear of the foreign correspondent. The interminable private mail and cable correspondence between him and his head office, as well as the frequent trips back home, bear witness to the fact. The two-day discussion of Mr. Smith’s and Mr. Hoover's chances in America, and Prime Minister Bruce’s prospects of return to power in Australia, in the telephonic conversation on October 31, seemed to convince the newspaper men present that the radio telephone in the near future will become an indispensable means of freshening the foreign correspondent’s mind as to his newspaper’s requirements.

Doubts Cleared Up The American and Australian elections are a case in point. Seventy-five minutes’ conversation unquestionably cleared up considerable doubt in the minds of Australian editors concerning the political situation here. It was of importance to the dissemination of correct news. The knowledge, therefore, that questions of distance—9.ooo miles between Australia and the United States —present no insuperable barrier to the extension of wireless telephony in the

direction of the Pacific, as well as the Atlantic, is a reassurance to those whose business it is to gather and transmit international information. The question arises, however, as to the technical and commercial possibility of broadened wireless telephonic communication to include the principal countries of the world. It seems indicated that the problems involved are not altogether insoluble, but the difficulties are as yet considerable. The history of the experiments between the General Electric Company and Amalgamated Wireless, Ltd., of Australia, is a brief one. The American station. W-2XAF, situated at Scotia, five miles from Schenectady, has been broadcasting to Sydney and rebroadcasting entertainment programmes received from Australia for many months. The American station uses a wave-length of 31.4 metres, while the Australian station sends on 28.5 metres. On October 13 officials of the Amalgamated Wireless cabled the General Electric Company asking whether they were equipped for telephonic experiments. On October 16 conversations were carried on for the first time between IA.. B. Hitt and R. A. Lynn, short-wave development experts of the General Electric Company, and A. S. McDonald, chief engineer of the Amalgamated.

The short-wave transmitter, the antenna, the microphones, and headphones at Scotia were adequate to the task, and in fact the experimental nature of the equipment in Sydney made reception better in Australia than it was at Schene/.ady. Fading and interference were considerable—problems common to all fields of radio. Messrs. Hitt and Lynn conducted expensive propagation and modulation tests. It was revealed that the best hours for communication with Australia and New Zealand are between four and seven o’clock in the morning, eastern standard time. As the sun begins to rise, reception at the Scotia station improves. That station, incidentally, is an interesting place. It Is an old farmhouse, situated in a spot offering minimum Interference. On October 26 it was decided to throw open the system to a public test, in which the Mayor of Schenectady, Henry C. Fagal, participated. Reception at Scotia was excellent, inducing the General Electric Company to broadcast the conversations over WGY, which was wired to the transmitting and receiving apparatus at W-2XAF. Encouraged by the results, something in the nature of an official opening was held on October 31, in which D. M. Dow, official secretary for Australia in the United States, and E. M. Lawton, tries, exchanged greetings, as well as newspaper men of both counAmerican Consul-General at Sydney, Communication was established at G a.m., but modulation was not satisfactory until about 7.10 o’clock Wednesday night, Sydney time —and thereafter until 8.15 or so easy twoway conversation was carried on, although fading and interference caused interruptions from time to time. Room echoes in Sydney could b© distinctly heard, as well as conversations between individuals at the microphone and those near by, as questions from the American end made it necessary for the Australian speaker to turn for information.