AORANGI'S WIRELESS

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 42, 4 May 1928, Page 16

AORANGI'S WIRELESS

A FINE EQUIPMENT LETTER FROM MR. OWEN. Writing when "nearing Fiji’ Mr. J. H. Owen, president of the Wellington Radio Society, says:By permission of Commander R. Crawford, and the kindness of the Chief Wireless Operator, Mr. C. F. G. Taylor, I am able to give you a few details of the wireless plant on board the sis. "Aorangi." The equipment, as a whole, is quite the most up-to-date installation on the Pacific and consists of: Transmitting Sets. (1) 18 K.W. Radio Corporation Spark Set, on 800, 706, 600 and 450 metres. (2) 13 K.W. Radio Corporation Set, continuous wave attachment tuned to 500, 600, 2000 and 2,400 metres. (8) 14 K.W. Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia} short wave transmitter set, 21 and 87 metres, (4) 4 K.W. Hamilton Wilson Emergency set run off 18 volts, Sydney has been worked at 1200 miles on this, (5 and 6) Two 4 K.W. Lifeboat sets.

A Direction Finding Set is installed which enables the vessel to locate her position in foggy weather. Receivirmz Sets. (1) A two-valve short wave. (2) A three-valve, tuned for 300 to 100 metres, using 1 radio, 1 detector, and 1 audio valve. (8) A Radio Corporation Set tuned for 200 to 20,000 metres, using 1 oscillator, 1 detector, and 3

audio valves. (4) There are two other sets, both short wave, constructed on board-8 valves and 3 coils. The main aerial is 330 feet 7/18 strand. The short wave aerial is a vertical one, 60 feet. On short wave Sydney and Wellington are workcd continuously, the rates being 6d. and 5d. per word. Transmissions have been received and sent to Burnham. Somerset, U.K., on short wave, rate lid. per word. This is frequently impossible at sea owing to induction from ship’s fans, motors, and general electric equipment. Loudspeakers, cone type, four in saloon, four second class, and one third class, enable passengers to hear the excellent ship’s orchestra from any part of the ship. Concerts are received from New Zealand, Australian, and American stations when circumstances permit. Finally a Radio Communication Company’s Automatic Distress Call device is installed which ‘rings a bell when a distress call is ‘sent out, and so alarms the opera‘tors (of whom there are four in all). It works in conjunction with a threevalve set. The total number of valves in use for all purposes aggregate 32.