THE MARVELS OF WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17227, 18 August 1921, Page 3

THE MARVELS OF WIRELESS.

CHIEF TELEGRAPH ENGINEER'S EQUIPMENT. .

(special to "the press.")

WELLINGTON, August 17

In his house in a suburb of Wellington, Mr E. A. Shrimpton, Chief Telegraph Engineer, has what is known as a chief postmaster's wireless aerial equipment, with, which he is able to listen to the talk that goes on between, not only the southern wireless stations, but also that which comes from stations in the iN' orthern Hemisphere. He can hear, says the "Dominion," rian Francisco chattering away to Kobe in Japan, Honolulu nendng Pacific news to Los Angeles, Guam, the little ocean mountain peak in the centre of the vast Pacific,, saying a-word to Singapore; Sava "chinning' to aydney, aim, away at the back of the spectral voices is a deeper note: What is it? Listen: 'WU ' "Wai." "WII." Well, -what is itP Why, its La Fayette in France, one of tue biggest stations of Europe sending _to Belmar (New Jersey). So one skilled in the Morse code can sifln-Mr Shrimpton's kitchen or study and hear the cross talk of the nations—how the "Bed Socks" were defeated at baseball in Chicago by "The Chickens;" what President Harding did between 8 p.m. and midnight ere retiring to his bed _of boughs m the Katskills; arid why King Alfonso cannot visit Paris this month.

During the last few nights Mr i yhrimpton has heard the following stations sending clearly enough for him to read every letter, if that were necessnry, or if it were permissible';to write the air borne words .(which; is' hot the case). La Fayette {France), Belinar (New Jersey 80 miles from New York); San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pearl Harbour (Haw.aii), Cavite (Pflilrppines);- EalA tavia (Java),, Guam (mid-IJacjnc), Her? Mit Island :and,o,cean.;lsland (Pacific),: Apia (Samba) 4 Itaratonga (Cook Group). Nukualofa? (Pariaima),-and; all :the < Australian and New Zealand stations, its .well,as a dozen steamers. Only : on Sunday > night, he got the Ma-, rama, Niagara, Maheno, Port Lincoln, and the Kekerangu: ■;..'■.' "It is common," *said Mr Shrimpton. "to hear ljnlf. a dozen stations »talking away, and'it is only by filtering them out by tuning that yon can get the one 'you want. 'Even then- vou • may, hear'f'voices' away.at the back, .but you pay no attention to them: It is like my talking to you, with two other people talking to one another at the opposite end of the room. You hear their voices, but-yon don't take any notice of fhem» being'intent on listening carefully to the one voice near you. I was rather surprised the other night to get La Fayette. I heard'a deep note sending DDDD. tuning up on that letter, which we don't use. Then came the words in French: 1 am on^my^ l , B antennce.', Then came: WTL WU, .DB DE, LY, LY, L HW, NW., The first letters were the La Fayette signal, and the last was the international 'How 'now?' In other words, 'Are you. getting me?' It was evidently the station experimenting oh her big aerial. She was talking to Belmar, in New Jersey, U.S;A; [.. ■ • . • ' "There is one big fellow I been unable to identify so far. He comes in late at night, or very early in the morning, with a big booming note, but so far I have not been able : to pick. np : his signal. I'll get him yet." . Tlie marvel of wireless -is increased when Mr Shrimpton says that anyone can hear wireless messages by perching on his roof a, two-foot square board, with wire coiled ■ round and round, and ultimately leading to the receiver. By connecting his receiver with the wire mattress-on which he he can hear the station on the Tinakon Hills speaking. :That> ia independent of any exterior aerial device whatsoever. From the foregoing it will be seen how very essential it is for restrictions to be placed on amateur wireless operators. That is why, when issuing permits to people to erect receiving stations the Government authorities insist on certain rules being strictly, regarded. On 6of the chief of these is that no wireless operator to whom a permit is.issued may write down a message of anv kind,, save m the case, ot meteorological or time m 6Bß ?^. B '.*? such woula be ajbreaoh, or mighty tend to a breach, of the secrecy condition.