"SPEAKING" TO AMERICA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18185, 23 September 1924, Page 10

"SPEAKING" TO AMERICA.

N.Z. AMATEUR'S SUCCESS. A WORLD'S RECORD. (raZSS ASSOCIATION TELEQBAK.) WELLINGTON, September 22. A New Zealand wireless amateur, F. Bell, of Waihemo, made a record last night by establishing communication with Santa Paula and Long Beach , in California.' Bell has been trying for months to link up with California, but never succeeded till this occasion, when he got' into touch with two different persons, E. A. Atmore, at Santa Paula, and K. L. Reidman, at Long Bcaehi In a conversation between them, as recorded by Mr E. A. Shrimpton, Chief Telegraph Engineer of New Zealand. Bell congratulated Atmore' on winning the gold boomerang offered to the first American to establish communication with New Zealand, and Reidman congratulated Bell as the first New Zealand amateur to "get over." Bell's output of power was 120 watts and wave length 120 metres. The Americans used 150 metres. At the same time, J. Orbell, who left for England in the Port Curtis three weeks ago, succeeded in communicating with- O'Meara at Gisborne, about 5000 miles away, and the latter also got into touch with an amateur at Buenos Ayres. ■ ■ - Mr Shrimpton says that two or three Australians also tried to reach America last night, but did not succeed. "New Zealand," he adds, "has now broken the world's record, and I consider our amateurs have done more for long-dis-tance wireless than amateurs m any other part of the world."

EXPERIMENTERS* DIFFICULTIES (SFSCUI. TO "THE PRKSS.") DUNEDIN, September 22. In regard to the New Zealand wireless record, Mr O'Meara, as mentioned in the Wellington message, succeeded in establishing connexion with an amateur in Buenos Aires and carrying on a conversation with him. Since that feat, owners of stations in Australia and New Zealand have been trying consistently to repeat the performance, but without success until last night. It should be understood that a number of people have heard America and, as letters have shown, have been heard in the United States. But the difficulty is to synchronise efforts inr New Zealand and in America at such a great distance so as to carry on a conversation, as was done last night. For the benefit of the uninitiated, it may be mentioned that the conversation was not a telephonic affair, being carried on with the dots- and dashes of the Morse code. The employment of the key gives much greater power than is possible with the voice, but an authority on the subject, Mr F. J. O'Neill, who was approached by a reporter for some views on the accomplishment, is satisfied that it will not be very long before it will be possible to'have a two-way conversation byvoice with the United States. - Mr E. Slade,. of the local telegraph eneineers' staff, heard a conversation between 4= AA (Mr Bell) and 6 CSW (Mr Eeidman), and subsequently carried on a conversation with California on his own account, offering to and receiving suitable messages from a distant enthusiast. •'• .....