FIELD DAY ACTIVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 21820, 8 September 1934, Page 4

FIELD DAY ACTIVITIES

EFFICIENCY OF EMERGENCY CORPS “ Preparedness ” is evidently the motto of the members of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters’ Emergency Corps, and to test their efficiency under working conditions a national field day was hold last Sunday, Throughout New Zealand, from Auckland to Bluff, there were twelve different sections at work, each having three complete stations in operation, including an outpost, zone, and base station. So far as the Dunedin section was concerned there were five operators at the outpost station at Purakaivui, two (including the deputy-section leader) at the zone station at Kantane, and two (including the section leader) at the base station in’ town. The outpost station was worked entirely from dry batteries, and, although the zone station had an auxiliary battery station available, both it and the base station drew their power from the electric mains. The local section was particularly pleased with • the results obtained during the test, as all messages were successfully transmitted through the zone to the base, thence to Invercargill. The messages forwarded were in the form of questions, which were transmitted to the southern city and suitably answered from there. . Although the public has almost ceased to marvel at what can bo accomplished with the aid of wireless waves, it is not generally known that there are practical difficulties met with in the field. These can only bo overcome by a sound technical knowledge of wireless equipment and of practical working conditions, backed by patience and determination. It is not always an easy matter to find a suitable place for the transmitting aerial of a portable station or to erect it in a high wind such as prevailed last Sunday. It also requires a good deal of perseverance and concentration to copy a weak signal, which owing to weather conditions is “ swinging ” badly. The members of the outpost staff, though exposed to. the elements, stuck gamely to their work, and it was no doubt with great satisfaction at the end of the day, after all messages -had been successfully forwarded and received, that they wore able to send their final message “ ceasing traffic,” dismantle their station, and return to town. One of the practical difficulties which they experienced was when the high wind rattled the leaves of the blnegum trees upon which their aerial was erected, thus making it difficult to read the signals at times. Experience in other countries beside New Zealand has proved the value of amateur wireless in such emergencies as earthquakes, floods, storms, fires, etc., and those enthusiasts who spare neither time nor trouble in fitting themselves to meet such contingencies are performing in a quiet way a big service to the community. While hoping that the emergency which would require their services will not arise, they have the satisfaction of knowing that they form one of the secret reserves of the community. and as such it is their duty to bring their organisation to the highest possible state of efficiency.