WIRELESS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18463, 18 August 1925, Page 8

WIRELESS.

TALK WITH OLD FOLKS. AMERICAN* SAILOR CALLS UP MOTHER. (SPECIAL TO "THE THESS.'') WELLINGTON, August 17. Away up on tho 34th parallel on the coast of California lies Santa Monica, a semi-tropic watering place near Los Angeles. A young wireless operator not long out of his teens, now in one of the United States battleships, has his home there. On the Miramar Peninsula at Wellington, perched on a hillside, is a pleasant suburban residence with two masts and connecting wires, with a strange-looking loop in the middle indicating a wireless plant of more than ordinary amateur pretensions. The young wireless operator in the warship had noted this station, and a day or so after his arrival he called 011 the owner and said he would like to call up his mother in Santa Monica. Permission was readily given. "I Know It's You, Ed." Santa Monica, at a rough guess, is about seven thousand miles away from Wellington. The call was made in wireless language. The young operator "got back right away." The answering tick-tack camo from the young mini's sister, who has learned Morse and is an expert operator. "I know it's you, Ed," she replied. "I know your fist." In ono way reading Morso is very much like reading handwriting. If you are used to it you can pick it without a moment's hesitation. Immediately the brother and sister began to "talk" to each other across the seven thousand miles of ocean that separated them. "Ed" was able to tell the old folks at home that ho was having a wonderful trip, and that ho I was bringing liomo somo lovely steamer rugs as they call them in tho Slates, which he had bought in New Zealand. These rugs, ho added, were tho best in the world. Then the two began to talk about intiniato family affairs. I A Strange Coincidence. It was a strange coincidence that the New Zealand Wireless man had previously "talked" with this vory American before he had joined the Fleet and when, like himself, he was an amateur wireless operator. This present signalling was dono on a wave-length of 33 metres, and to a layman a strange thing about it is that whilo the station is talking to America on this wavo, no ono in New Zealand can hear it, at least in tho daytime, when one must bo 800 or 1000 miles away to pick up tho signals. Pecplo in New York and Boston can hear it quite loudly, but so far as the operators at Dur.edin or Christchurch, or Day's Bay, just across tho harbour, are concerned, it is dumb, and yet at night it can bo heard on a 38 metres wave. On a 20 mctros wavo, which is much shorter, tho operator can communicate with stations 12,000 milos away at night. Once ho "had a yarn" with a fellow in Essex, England. With a given power, one can communicate ten times as far by Morso as ho can by telephone, but who shall say that before many years havo passed the New Zealander will not be able actually to talk to the explorer in his ship at tho North Pole? Call from the Arctic. In this quiet suburban homo at Miramar, from which tho American sailor called up his sister, the Wellington man onco heard an operator iu an acroplano calling up the ship Peary, from which 110 had ascended in the Arctic regions. This ship is on a scientific expedition in tho Arctic regions, aiid tho airman was saying that his magnetic compass was absolutely useless. Where he then was must have been almost or actually above tho magnetic Pole, which is a considerable distance from the • true Pole. It is surely one Of tho marvels of modem science that the signals from a ntan flying abovo the North Magnetic should be heard in New Zealand, and it sets one wondering what marvels will be possible to the next generation. Already the Miramar man has communicated with 87 people .in the United States, five in Canada, five in England, four in Italy, two in the Argentine, Chile, and France, and one each in Brazil, Cuba, Porto Rico, Bermuda, and Sweden. Such are among the wonders of wireless. If he can do all this, what may his grandchildren be able to accomplish?