WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18013, 4 March 1924, Page 6

WIRELESS.

EXPERIMENTS AT SEA. AUSTRALIAN EXPERTS ON i\. BOARD TAHITI. (SrECIA-L TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON", March 3. Messrs Charles D. MacLurcan and Jack Davios, prominent wireless experts from Australia, are on board the Tahiti to make interesting experiments on the voyage to San Francisco. There have beeii successful : long distance, tests between Australia, New Zealand, and America in connexion with tho transmission and reception of continuous wave wireless signals on low power. Many American amateur stations have been heard in Australia, but there has not been any satisfactory reception of Australian amateur signals by American experimenters. This has been puzzling. Whether it is a question of less skilled men in America in regard to tuning in, or whether it is due to ether or other conditions, remains to be seen. Tho present experiments on the Tahiti may solve the riddle.

Referring to Mr MacLurcan's experiments, the "Sydney Morning Herald" says his station at Strathfield has worked with America continuously during recent months. With his own receiver he has picked up many American signals, and although his transmission of signals has been particularly successful in Australia and New Zealand, the results of his transmission have been somewhat disappointing as far as reception by Americans is concerned. During his trip to America the station he has installed on the Tahiti will be in constant touch with Mr MacLurcan's own station, which will be worked during his absence by Mr Basil Cooke, F.K.A.S., and Mr Ben Gow. These gentlemen will operate Mr MacLurcan 's station while the Tahiti is away, and Mr MacLurcan is confident that he will receive messages from Strathfield while the vessel is in San Francisco harbour. If he succeeds in maintaining this constant communication, it will be reasonable to assume that any disappointing results have not been due toAustralian transmission, but to American reception. The settling of this question is not, however, the reason for Mr MacLurcan's trip to America. The main reason for his venture is to ascertain just exactly what can be done in regard to wireless transmission on short wavelengths with the use of comparatively low power. Many small Australian experimental stations have been working almost continuously during recent months, and while remarkable results have been achieved, so far no official "log" or record of results has been kept. When the Tahiti leaves all owners of experimental stations may call up Mr MacLurcan, and he has set himself out to keep a full log of their transmission, and also to supply them with a full report regarding the audibility of their signals, a report measured- scientifically. During certain hours Mr MacLurcan will maintain communication with his own station at Strathfield. Mr MacLurcan will be "listening in" for amateurs at the following times:— Wellington to Papeete —March otfl to March 10th. 10.30 to 11.30 p.m. Papeete to San Francisco and back to Papeete—March 11th to April Bth, 8 to 9 p.m., and 9.30 to 10.30 p.m.; April 9th' to April 18th, 10.30 p.m. to 1130 p.m.; April 18th to April 24th, 9 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. These times are ' all Sydney mean times.