WIRELESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 85, 11 April 1911, Page 7

WIRELESS.

GOOD WORK ON THE AORANGI. SITE FOR THE WELLINGTON STATION. The "wireless" operator on Pv.M.SAosraagi had a busy time during the last round taap, which terminated at Welling--ton this mopning. During the voyage to f _America he sent to /fie Maitai word of -the Aorangi's breakdown. The Maitai -was than about 500 miles away, and the ■communication was regarded as a good performance, seeing that the atmosphere .in the tropics is not of the best from the wireless point of view. The operator (Mi. W. T. Berry) on the same trip comjnunicated with San Francisco at a disof 1800 miles. The trip from San Francisco to Wel.Jington was a busy one. The ship left >on the 20th March, aad at 3 the next .morning the operator spoke the steamer Yale, which was unable to "raise" San , Francisco, and sent her messages for her. At 8 o'clock the same morning, when 366 miles away, he spoke Mare Island, being unable to communicate -with San Francisco, and sent several '.messages — paid and official. At 8 p.m. on the 22nd, when 675 miles away, he*was in touch with San Francisco, and also spoke the s-s. Hilonian and Santiago, tbo which place he had to send, a mes.sage. On 23rd March he again spoke with the Caiiioraian port, then over 1080 miles away, and sent three messages and received four. The next night, when 1319 miles from the continent, he was in touch with the Maitai from 8.30 to 10 p.m., exchanging news an>d commercial messages for transmission to San Francisco. He was unable to get in. touch ■ with San Francisco just then ; there was ' too much interference from Honolulu. Again, the nest night, he was in touch, •with the Maitai (the Aorangi was then 1642 miles off the American coast), and -at midnight he heaid Honolulu. Half an hour later he was again hi touch -with the Maitai. At 1.30 a.m. he calied up . fSsa. Francisco, bat the atmospheric con•difions w-ere too bad for long distance ■work. At 2 a.hl he heard Honolulu, -vrork.OHg with the Mongolia and Makura, and at 2.38 he beard the Mailai trying un--ssccessfnlly to "raise" San Francisco, wirielr was 1962 ~rrnW away. On the 28th . he heard the Mariposa, but she couldi flat hear the AorangL On the 29th theatmospheric conditions prohibited any ■work being dome. On sth April he heard 'TT.M.S Encounter talking to the Pioneer '{fhen ak Ancfckn&); the Aorangi was'then about 1400 mates from Wellington. "Tie same thing occurred on the two foHowicg days, but nothing conM be ( -iheard of Weffington. Even the wireless operator, however, has- his troubles. The wireless telephone is a wonderful invention, but (from his point of view) when worked in combination with that other wonder, the phonograph, the wireless telegraphist classes it as a nuisance. On the last . ''trip the Aorangi " wireless " was given a message -to send to San Francisco when nearing that port, bat. for two or" three hours ne was unai>le to send it. Somewhere on tie American coast someonehad a wireless telephone, to which he i had attached a phonograph, and all that the Aorangi "Sparke Receiver" could Tiear was the strain, of "My Old Ken- , tacky Home." It was not until the '•wireless telephone-phonograph ceased- - (that the message could be sent. •HIGH PRESSURE STATION AT WELLINGTON. ? At a meeting of Cabinet yesterday it was deeMed to acquiro about twelve acres of native land' on the Tinakon Hitlfl, Wellington, near the trig station, ' for a high-power wireless telegraph sta- | tion. It is understood that the work of erecting the 'station will be put in^ ..hand at a very early date.