Wireless Telephony

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 53, 19 July 1929, Page 2

Wireless Telephony

Tests with Great . Britain HAT the Australian postal authori- . ties have not given approval for ‘the carrying out of wireless telephonic tests with Great Britain has held up the establishment. of. a commercial service between the two countries, In an interview lately Mr. BH. TI. Wisk, managing director of Amalgamated" Wireless (Australasia), Ltd, ), set out the position. "ALW.A., completed ¢ a station in Syaney nearly two years ago, for. the purpose of conducting wireless telephonic experiments -with Great Britain. and other countries,’ he said.. , "Tt was designed by our Australian workmen, and made in our own Australian workshops. It proved highly successful, both in’ two-way wireless

conversations, and overseas broadeasting. "We built a similar station in Melbourne, which has also. been successfully employéd for. overseas broadeasting. "T was anxious to employ the bigger station in Sydney for experiments with . Great Britain, but, although,I tried the British Post Office,. the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the Marconi Company, I could not get any of them to: co-operate in the: tests. I- think ‘that, at thet time,:there was probably » .some prohibition against such: tests on . the part ,of.-the ‘British Post Office. "The first important use: which: was made .of the new station. at Sydney: was for’ Empire broadcasting, and -in this regard ‘we gave a lead to the Empire. We succeeded -in ‘transmitting Australian programmes and | "speeches . so- effectively that’ they were re-broad-cast throughout Great Britain. I also arrangéd for the same thing to be done from Melbourne,* and sizice the first transmission. the . reception. in-Great Britain of pr ogr ammes from: 2FC, Sydney, and 3L0O, ‘Melbourne, has been a Yeguilar: ‘feature: # "After waiting some months, hoping to experiment with ordinary wireless . "telephone. convérgation "between ‘Australia and Great. Brilain,. but failing, to gain ‘the co- operation from that.end, we commenced tests with America. Spoke to. New York. "AT various intervals we have had excellent .two-way ,conversations : with a station near New. York... On one occasion a number of prominent, Press representatives in Sydney. conversed tor. two hours from -mny.. office. with friends, in America. Similar experiments were conducted. with Jaya, Amsterdam, and Berlin. We have recently crected an A.W.A, wireless’ tele: phony’ station at Suva, and have had excellent cony ersation direct from ‘Sydney. °° "Weoehave not sO far been able to conduct tests with Great Britain, but, judging by. Press statements, the Brit: _ ish Post Office appears to be ready and Willing to co-operiite; "aiid have been’ for several montis ‘past. — " "I anderstand, however, that "they are Dow awaiting the approval of: the Australian Post Office.This, for some unknowii reason, has: not yet’ been given. ‘ ‘is a publie wireless telephonie service operating between: Berlin and Buenos’ Aires, and’ a. few days ago ‘I had a conversation from my office in Sydney with one of the principals of that service in Berlin... We spoke from his own house, and told me that con--versations with Sydney were every bit as clear ‘as those with Buenos Aires. This was a tribute’ to Australian-de-signed and built stations. " Lonion-New ‘York Service. The length cf time that will elapse before wireless :telephony can be con-. mercially used between Anstralia and Great Isritain will depend on experiments, which have yet to be started, The best way, elengths, power -required, wid best times of the day for communication, would’ ‘hare to be ascertained. It is impossible ta say’ how long the tests Will take, or w hat the results will be. Until ‘the: tests: are carried out, it is also impossible’ to Say what the cost to users Will be. "The London-New . York. service is now being’ succéssfully used commerciilly. The original cost of this service was £15 for three niinutes’ con-

versation, but it has since been reduced , to £9 or £10. This new wonder of wireless is’ proving a: boon to business men’ who desire urgent communication with , persons thousands’ of mhiles ‘away. ; awe »