NEW CODE OF SIGNALS

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 161, 9 July 1932, Page 11

NEW CODE OF SIGNALS

INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM. SPECIAL WIRELESS SECTION.. The British edition of the new "International Code of Signals," which it is intended shall be brought into force on January 1, 1934, has been published. The British edition will be followed in due course by the issue of six other standard editions of the code in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian and Spanish. The new code, while mainly for the use of ships, provides also a considerable number of signals suitable for the use of aircraft. It consists of two volumee, Vol. I. for visual and sound signalling and Vol. 11. for radio signalling. The new visual code makes use of 26 alphabetical flags, 10 numeral flags, and three flags known as "substitutes," in place of the 26 alphabetical flags of the existing code. It thue enables numbers to be signalled directly. Further, by means of the "substitutes," signals can be made in which there are repeated letters or numbers. Such signals cannot, as a rule, be made by the present code unless a ship has two or more complete sets of the existing signalling flags. In the new code, new square flags have been introduced for the letters C, D, E, F and G; and the pendants (or pennants), which in the existing code represent those letters, are used to denote the numerals 1 to 5 respectively, new pendants having been introduced to denote the remaining numerals 0 and 6 to 9. Certain alterations in the meanings of the single-letter signale have been made in the "new code, and the two-letter signals have been completely revised, though certain, important two-letter signals such as NC, JD and PT retain their old and well-established meanings. The three-letter signals have been completely revised and brought up to date. The geographical section has been entirely rewritten. Vol. 11. (for radio signalling) is the first official international wireless telegraphy code issued specially for the use of the merchant and air services. It contains full instructions for use, including advice as to the best methods of compiling code messages so as to avoid difficulties of translation, a table for correctin" corrupt groups, a general vocabulary and a section. An interestfeature of this volume is the casestatin"- system embodied in the medical section. ' The object of this system is to enable ships which do not carry a doctor to send code messages to other ships on coast stations asking for medical advice or assistance. The system is quite complete in itself, and is so arranged that, when all the edit.ons of the code are in operation, it will enable communications regarding jned.eal matters to be made between ships of different nationalities, thus avoiding difficulties of language. The code may be purchased at mercantile marine offices in the Dominion, after about October 31.