AMATEUR RADIO TRANSMITTERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27678, 7 June 1955, Page 12

AMATEUR RADIO TRANSMITTERS

VISITS TO CHRISTCHURCH OPERATORS

Demonstrations of radio receiving and transmitting equipment were given in many parts of Christchurch yesterday afternoon when visiting members of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters called on local operators. The efficiency of the equipment, most of which is designed and built by the operators themselves, gave an indication of the amount of ingenuity and enthusiasm which the hobby demands. Owner of probably the highest aerial mast operated by an amateur in Christchurch, is Mr E. J. Kyle, of 20 Frankieigh street, Spreydon, who operates station ZL3FP. Rising from the > centre of his back garden is a steel tower 62 feet high. At the top and from beams in the form of an H each carrying 1000 feet of aerial. Around the walls of Mr Kyle’s operating room are hundreds of cards bearing the callsigns of amateur stations in almost every country in the world. These cards are sent to the caller by the received to confirm that the contact was actually made. Mr Kyle said that the most difficult operators to communicate with were those in countries

controlled by Russia. A rigid censorship operates in these countries which prohibits transmission to outside countries.

The visits yesterday were -the culnination of the association’s annual jonference which began on Saturday.