Radio-telephone Ready For Use At Grey Port

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 4

Radio-telephone Ready For Use At Grey Port

To give harbour authorities direct communication with vessels entering the port, modern radiophone equipment has been installed in the Greymouth Harbour Boai d s signal station at the end of the southern breakwater. A 50ft mast was erected a few days ago to put the finishing touch to the equipment, which will be brought into opeiation as soon as a call-sign is allocated the station. ± + A number of vessels on the West Coast 'cargo service arc already equipped with radio, though most of the larger ones have yet to be fitted. By direction of an international conference held recently, however, it is mandatory for all ships over a certain size to be equipped with radio by September 1 and the new apparatus will then be of real value. This order covers practically every vessel trading at Greymouth, and even the dredge, s.d. Mawhera, and the tug, Kumea, will have to be equipped. Radio-phones have been ordered for these ships. . The equipment at the signal station is me most modern type available.. It was purchased in Australia. Contained in a compact cabinet, the apparatus takes up little room, and can be used in the same way as a teieohone, a hand-set similar to the ordinary desk-phone being part of the equipment. 11 required, however, a loudspeaker can be switched on to amlify broadcasts from ships. Members of the harbourmaster s start, including the signalmen, may operate tne equipment, and no extra staff will be necesSa installed also at Westport and Hokitika, the new radio-phone will be of considerable assistance to the masters of vessels norts. They will be able to receive all details concerning bar, river and other conditions, thus eliminating the need for hand subConsiderable time will be saved in allowing ships to make an immediate the tide is satisfactory—without steamin b about in the roadstead seeking information. In the event of departing ships touching on the way out, an immediate report may be made to'the harbour authorities. Usually this information is delayed until the ship reaches its destination. .