HOW IT FEELS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 24, 28 July 1927, Page 18

HOW IT FEELS

Miss Brenda 8011, of Palmerston South, has succeeded to the mana of her brother as operator of 4AA, one of the world's best-known amateur wireless stations. She recently enjoyed the thrill of breaking through a hitherto unpierced barrier of space by getting into touch with South Africa, and tells her story in two letters to "QST." The iirgt, dated 14th March, says: ". . . We still continue to* fail with South Africa, though there have been several reports of hearing them in the last few weeks, mostly around four to six in the morning. Crept out in stockinged ieet before the dawn to-day and was rewarded with what sounded like a perfectly good Yank until it occurred to mo that it was late for Yanks. Awakening still further, I copied "foASZ" and sat up. . It might bo someone calling him—l'd hoard a similar noise on that mark before—but perhaps He began again: <<CQ BX foASZ,'" and signed "Macgregor, Caledon, S. Africa," which is OK in the call book, so- . . . anyway I 1 et fly. Battery down; pushed in an extra cell N 1) Again . A faint noise. . '. \ Was it? And then the washing machine motor started up! Out across the wet yard m the rain and shoeless, cut off the motor while a maid gasped, back aSain' but no. . . . Anyway I have spent six dollars on a cable and we propose to camp on Mr. Macgregor 's wave ?° m i TX °n> Dawn is at 5.20, and I heard ASZ first at 6.12 N.Z.T, He was vi etofqnbUt at 6-15 he was R3"4 up to 6 30 was a steady readable R4." Two days later she wrote: T;„ % 'If'™ d0)10 it! Yesterday I lose with, the dawn once more and sat m still excitement, but ND Thpn appeared acSEM, an'old friend in Shanghai who was kind enough to say he would listen. Back he came and said, <No sign of ASZ. Can't bo on as_ conditions here good and would certainly hear him. If y ou are trying again to-morrow will listen again and P eer a"'L cab'0(1 that when it" ought to be 1830. What a fool! "Could have wept with rage, but hied mo to the telegraph and spent another 15s fed confessing my sins in six-words: 'Meant eighteen thirty.' m Meant to arise at four this morning to make sure, sked being six New Zealand time, but forgot to turn on alarm, having thoughtfully put it at silent' yesterday when I beat it Awoke at five and out. Bain, Ditch nS\ ™ Si? uals cxc °Pt commercials. Called CQ, Africa, at intervals, and at six ASZ. N.D..again. What do I hear a bit below AsZ's wave? -4AA ??T f-°, A?,f' .Damn tllis static! 'I{RR OK. Wow! Too excited to copy and h-1, 1-2, and static frightful. Still I'm sure he said ER OK. Call again. Hurray, it's all right. 'Hi, Gracie," nng up Mr. Prank at onco and ask him to como down and speak to a gentleman in South Africa.' But Graeio slept on. "Finally I rushed to the telephone and did it myself. Ho certainly arrived double-quick! Mr. Macgregor, of AjZ asked if wo were oxcited. Wo were! It was a vile morning, and vpry hard to copy through static, so it look's a bit patchy, but parts of it were excellent*

"And now I must go and drosa for the Duke! .Thank heavon television is not yot, '-or Mr. Macgregor would have died of shock."