Marine radio a Canty sailor aid

Press, 19 December 1981, Page 6

Marine radio a Canty sailor aid

A possible world first in marine radio may help save the lives of' Canterbury “boaties” next year, with the establishment of a VHF repeater on Banks Peninsula. Iroquois helicopters will fly a 4550-litre concrete tank and two 12m telegraph poles to the summit of Herbert Peak today for the $lO,OOO facility which the Lyttelton Marine VHF. Association hopes to have working at the end of January. Members of the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club and the Lyttelton Volunteer Coastguard have offered to install the modified radio hut and aerial masts for the talkthrough repeater. The association’s chairman, Dr Keith Drayton, said that VHF would provide an affordable means of communication . for small-boat owners. A hand-held VHF set would cost $4OO to $500; “It is certainly the first two-frequency repeater on

the marine band in New £ Zealand, and probably in the « world,” he said. ' a roved communication prevent the loss of 11 lives. A man drowned from his trailer-sailer off the Lyt- 4 telton Heads a few days ago f, could have been saved if he ? had had a radio on board, *’ said Dr Drayton. ,

At present, boat-owners.-faced a dilemma with double' »» side band radio made obso-" ’ lete under a Post Office 4 international agreement. Many could not afford to buy .4 single side band replacement '■ sets which cost up to $2500 a -1 craft. - : 4 But a group of small-craft jf owners had persuaded the 4 Post Office to grant a licence. for the repeater which could .=4 provide a 24-hour automaticservice. The solar-powered*’ system gave small craft a search and rescue communications range from 320 to.; 480 km around Banks Penin-; sula. • . ,