Broadcast from Managua heard

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33110, 28 December 1972, Page 10

Broadcast from Managua heard

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 27. A Karori radio ham has been in touch with earthquake-stricken Managua while in search of his daughter.

At 4.30 p.m. today, Mr J. Lavin, of Beauchamp Street, was working his amateur’s set on and around the 20metre band, which centres on Central America. “My daughter is, I think,

somewhere in Mexico and I was trying on the off chance to track her down,” Mr Lavin said. While he was establishing contact with Central America, he tuned on to a person sending messages from Managua . to. San Francisco.

“His traffic consisted mainly of messages from people in Managua to relatives in the United States advising them they were 0.K.,” Mr Lavin said.

“1 managed to chip in and asked him if he had any messages for New Zealand, but ihe had none.” The two talked for about 20 minutes. However, reception was quite bad and the other operator was hard to hear at times.

“I gave him my daughter’s name and asked if he heard of her to get a message back to me through an operator here.” said Mr Lavin.

“We were so occupied I failed to get even his Christian name.” Mr Lavin said he did not I like to ask the other operator | what conditions were tike over there as he was very busy.

“He seemed to be the chief line of communication out and he was relaying messages one after the other.” Mr Lavin has been a radio ham for about 20 years and has just bought a new Japanese transmitter worth about $450.